Weekend Roundup - Saturday 20 June 2026

🏃 Parkrun

With Heaton parkrun cancelled this weekend - Heaton Park playing host to the Parklife festival instead - our runners spread far and wide on Saturday, with 22 of us turning out across 12 different venues from Worsley Woods to the west coast of Ireland!

John Bradford was first of the group home at Clarence, and made it a run to remember by picking up a course PB in the process. 👏 Lewis Moore, Christopher Mihalyi and Cheryl Stewardson were all out there too, making it a strong showing on home turf.

Derek and Fiona Case had a fine morning at Fletcher Moss together, taking on the popular trails through Didsbury.

Julie Smith made the trip to Folkestone in Kent and ran brilliantly - a lovely solo outing well away from home.

Andrew and Alison Whitehead made it a proper adventure, heading over to Jersey for their Saturday morning run! The course is a 2-lap route around the cycle track at Les Quennevais Sports Centre, with a stretch out along a scenic gravel railway walk and back before the finish - what a setting for a 5k.

Steve Sweeney headed to Kingsway Park in Urmston - one of Greater Manchester's newest parkruns, still in single figures for events - and put in a great run.

5 of us made the trip to Marple this week. Rachel Bailey led the group home and had a brilliant morning into the bargain, finishing top of her age category. 👏 Josh Young, Kath Biddle and Paul Cox all put in solid efforts, and it was especially great to see Andrew Button out on the course with his son Hugo - a lovely way to spend a Saturday morning.

Aaron Stones and Laura Tomkins were both out at Peel, and it was a morning of achievements for both of them - Aaron running a brand new personal best, and Laura finishing 2nd in her age group. 👏

Paul Jenkinson was in good form at Philips Park, putting in a solid effort on the east Manchester course.

Dale Richards made the trip down to Trentham Gardens in Staffordshire, tackling one of the country's most popular parkruns in a stunning stately home setting.

Bernie Boardman takes the prize for furthest traveller this week, making it all the way to Tubbercurry Trail in County Sligo, Ireland! The course is a figure-of-8 through open bogland and woodland - a proper wild trail experience, and quite a contrast to a Saturday morning in Radcliffe.

Christopher Kinsey headed south to Worcester and had a great run at Pitchcroft - a flat riverside course on the famous racecourse grounds alongside the River Severn.

Tracy Wroe had a lovely morning in the woodland trails at Worsley Woods, topping her age group into the bargain. 👏

🏕️ Trail / Social

After crossing the Marple finish line on Saturday morning, Kath Biddle, Josh Young, Nikki Carroll and Paul Cox weren't done yet - they headed straight into the Peak District to take on stage 4 of the Steel Cotton Rail Trail, a 12-mile route from Edale to Hathersage through some of the most spectacular scenery the Hope Valley has to offer. The trail follows the historic rail corridor that once carried Sheffield's steel workers and Manchester's cotton workers out to the clean air of the hills. What a way to extend a Saturday morning run.

🏅 Races

Steve Porch, Paul Cox, Lucie Tighe (running alongside her daughter Gracie - a lovely way to spend a Sunday morning!), Paula Crossland and Paul Heathcote were all out at the Burrs community run. Great to see a strong group turning out for that one.

Stephen Crowe took on one of the North West's most iconic challenges this week, completing all 4 stages of The Tour - formerly the Tour of Tameside, a multi-stage running festival that has been a fixture since 1981 when it was the brainchild of Olympian Dr Ron Hill. This year's edition took runners across 4 consecutive days of very different terrain - a 10K trail, a fell race up to Hobson Moor, a half marathon along the Longdendale trail, and a final road race in Hyde. Completing the full set is a real badge of honour. Brilliant effort, Stephen! 👏