- The weekly 5km running event, which has become a global phenomenon, encourages people of all shapes and sizes to get out and take part
- Despite Hongkongers' love of running, there is no Parkrun in the city. But it's only a matter of time - so we've scouted some possible courses
Every Saturday morning across the world, tens of thousands of runners set off over 5km (3.1-mile) courses in 22 countries on five continents.
Founded in 2004 on the outskirts of London, Parkrun has become a global phenomenon, boasting 1,596 events " from Australian beaches to the Siberian tundra, and nearly everywhere in between. Parkrun expects to add 300 new events this year. Hong Kong, however, is still missing from the list.
The non-profit organisation set up by Paul Sinton-Hewitt, which is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month, devised Parkrun as a free 5km time trial in his local park near Twickenham in southwest London. Ten years later, the popular event " still free for all participants " made its first step into Asia at Singapore's East Coast Park.
Malaysia would follow in 2018, then, this April, Japan became the 21st country worldwide and the third in Asia to embrace the phenomenon with an inaugural Parkrun at Futako Tamagawa Bridge park in southern Tokyo. The country now has eight Parkruns.
Hong Kong faces a few challenges that would make bringing the event to the city difficult.
The density of urban Hong Kong means there are few locations that would be able to comfortably manage hundreds of participants charging through at once. The city's heat and challenging topography could also pose problems, though there are Parkrun events in other locations with hilly terrain or subtropical climates.
But Parkrun has not given up on Hong Kong just yet, says Tim Oberg, strategic director for Asia-Pacific, who took Parkrun from London to his native Australia in 2011.
"We would love to have Parkrun in Hong Kong," he says. "Over the years, we've had a number of inquiries from Hong Kong from people wanting to start one. There have been long conversations and people sending me videos of routes, but we've never been able to find somewhere to put it, to be honest. It's such a high-density city with such a small amount of parkland."
The specifications for a location are fairly loose, as long as the course has been vetted for safety, Oberg explains. The number-one rule is that the route cannot cross roads. As a result, routes are often in laps or out-and-back configurations.
One possible Hong Kong spot on Oberg's radar is the Happy Valley racecourse, a 1.4km tarmac track already popular with running groups. "It's an iconic location, and people already run there," he says. Plans have never progressed past the discussion stage, though.
Setting up a Parkrun in the UK now requires a GBP3,000 (US$3,800) start-up investment, which buys the timing equipment and the company's indefinite support. However, Parkrun often fully supports countries in which it is debuting until local events gain momentum; for these new events, the funding comes second.
Parkruns are not races, rather "timed events" that welcome runners, walkers, wheelchair users, people pushing prams, and even people walking dogs on leads. Participants register online and print out a unique bar code, which volunteers scan at the end of the run to enable them to email the results later. Those who complete "milestone" numbers of events, such as 50, 100 or even 250, receive a T-shirt to mark their achievement.
We don't want to be some sort of foreign organisation that comes into a country and says, you know, this is the way it is, full stopTim Oberg
Unlike running races, which focus on competition, Parkrun is designed to foster a sense of community and sportsmanship. In the UK, it has fuelled an explosion in participation from people who would have never previously considered themselves as active. Parkruns are the "end goal" for many of those taking part in the "Couch to 5K" programme run by the UK's National Health Service (NHS), which is designed to get more sedentary Britons off the sofa and onto their feet.
A 2018 qualitative study conducted by Sheffield Hallam University in the UK and supported by Parkrun surveyed more than 60,000 Parkrunners and found that respondents reported improvements to their physical and mental health and overall happiness, and a sense of personal achievement, as a result of taking part.
While Olympians, such as marathoner Mo Farah, have embraced Parkrun in the UK, in Japan the organisation is catering to a slightly different demographic. In a country notorious for its high rates of crippling social isolation, Parkrun has become popular with older people and families, who turn up not seeking to race for a personal best time, but to walk the route to spend time out in the open air.
"Japan is a country with a strong elite running culture, but over 50 per cent of our participants are walkers," Oberg says. "People will turn up in jeans and leather shoes for a social event, as opposed to a sporting one " and that's great."
As Parkrun spreads its wings across the world, it may need to tailor parts of its model to different countries' cultures and customs " such as by shifting the start time to the evening in very hot countries. "We don't want to be some sort of foreign organisation that comes into a country and says, you know, this is the way it is, full stop … it's nothing in Australia to turn up in a singlet and take it off mid-run but that sort of thing might not be acceptable in certain countries," Oberg says.
However, Parkrun's free participation model will not change. It enables people from all walks of life to get involved. Running is the most popular form of exercise in Hong Kong, but entering races can be prohibitively expensive, with several 5km races charging fees upwards of HK$350 (US$45) to register.
One way or another, we're going to end up with Parkrun in Hong Kong at some point. It's just a case of right time, right place, right peopleTim Oberg
While Parkrun events may be founded by, and most popular among, expatriates familiar with the model, the organisation's ambition is to reach local communities and bring the benefits of exercise to all.
"We view Hong Kong, like Singapore, as kind of a gateway country in terms of entering into Asian markets. We love that expats want to do it, but ultimately, our goal is more around enhancing the health and happiness and well being of local communities. I would like to see our event be representative of the wider population, not just expats," Oberg says.
There's no word on where Parkrun might touch down in Asia next, though Oberg says mainland China is certainly on the cards. His advice to Hongkongers determined to bring an event to the city is to get in touch and keep communications open.
"One way or another, we're going to end up with Parkrun in Hong Kong at some point," he says. "It's just a case of right time, right place, right people."
Six potential Parkrun locations in Hong Kong
1. Bowen Road
This flat route counters the hills above Wan Chai, Admiralty and Central. Popular with runners, the route " part path, part road " is used for numerous 5km events, including the annual Athletic Veterans of Hong Kong (AVOHK) race series and the Zodiac Challenge, a new monthly event launched by sports shop Gone Running. However, the route is already crowded, particularly on weekend mornings, and the path gets rather narrow in sections, so any Parkrun held here would have to limit participation.
2. Victoria Park
As the largest park in Hong Kong, Victoria Park would be a prime candidate for a pancake-flat route easily accessible to all. However, the park's circumference is only around 1.6km, meaning it would take just over three laps to achieve a 5km route. Owing to its central location in Causeway Bay, the park is also extremely busy with other users at all times, meaning congestion along winding paths would be a headache for runners seeking to achieve a personal best.
3. Happy Valley Racecourse
It takes just over three-and-a-half laps to complete a 5km run on the concrete "ambulance track" that lines the racecourse infield. Many running groups use the track as a free training ground on weeknights, but Parkrun organisers could take advantage of the slightly quieter Saturday morning period.
Overlooked by skyscrapers and hills, the run at Happy Valley gives an impressive panorama, though endless laps can quickly get boring. Keeping track of competitors throughout multiple laps could be a challenge as well.
4. Kai Tak Cruise Terminal
Does anyone actually know what's going on at the old airport? It is slated for housing developments, but after the sale of a plot of commercial land there fell through this year due to political unrest in the city, the future of the 2km-long man-made peninsula is unclear.
The annual Race the Runway event makes the most of the location's flat terrain and quiet traffic, offering both 5km and 10km races. However, a Parkrun that launched here would risk getting uprooted once development gets under way. Also, for anyone not living in East Kowloon, reaching the site is a difficult commute.
5. Pak Shek Kok Promenade
Slightly further away from the hustle and bustle of the city, the waterfront running alongside the Science Park between Sha Tin and Tai Po in the New Territories is a favourite among organisers of road races and other family events all year round. A Parkrun would likely work best here, as a wide, flat, pedestrianised harbourfront would make for an extremely fast out-and-back route without too much congestion.
6. Black's Link
Hong Kong is a kingdom of trail runners, and the city is spoiled for stunning hikes. The city could show off some of its trails by having Parkrun use the popular Black's Link route high above Wan Chai. The loop around Mount Cameron is still mostly concrete, with around 1.6km of trail and some impressive views over the north and south of the island. An event here would easily be in the running for the title of world's most picturesque Parkrun.
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