Here's Mike (often spotted volunteering with Martha, Imelda and Jane)
When and why did you first choose to volunteer with parkrun?
Tail Walker (it was called Tail Runner at the time) at Heaton parkrun in November 2010. I’d ran a few times there and was amazed at how such a brilliantly well organised event was actually completely free to participate in, so once I understood that it was delivered by volunteers and they needed some more, it felt natural to give back to it.
Which is your favourite volunteer role at parkrun?
Timekeeper. You get a front row seat to the sprint finishes, the PBs, the determination, the sneaky people who come flying past someone just before the line, then a little later on you get those who are delighted to complete the 5k, whether they’ve walked, ran, skipped or whatever else it took to get them around. You can really get a little glimpse of what their run or walk means to someone at the point they’ve just crossed the line.
One of the best moments is when a group of people are waiting for their friend to cross the line and there’s an extra big cheer. I love that.
What would you say to someone who is unsure if volunteering is for them?
Everyone is equally valued. None more than anyone else, so if you’re thinking of volunteering that’s great. If not, enjoy parkrun however it is you are participating. Someone turning up to watch and support a mate is just as much a part of parkrun as the runner, walker or volunteer.
If you are thinking of volunteering and aren’t sure if it is for you, ask one of the volunteers on the day and see how they got into it. It might seem that way, but nobody who wears the hi-vis at Worsley Woods on a Saturday has been a parkrun volunteer their whole life!
There’s half a million people out there somewhere in the world who wondered if they wanted to be a parkrun volunteer and now they are. Ask some questions and if you think you fancy it, go for it.
What are you doing when you’re not at parkrun?
As I write this I’m the garden concentrating extremely hard on getting some sunshine, while the girls bounce on the trampoline and Jane is in the office taking a work call. This ghostly complexion doesn’t just happen by accident, you know.
In terms of the day-to-day, like many others at the moment it’s the balancing act between work, keeping the children occupied and trying to find the time to look after each other as a family.
Making sure we get out together as a family and have an explore is really important at the moment, and mixing that up with exercise in the garden, the garage and the occasional run is the formula at the moment.
On that subject, I’m a member of the Salford Mets Athletics Club and the challenges this club, Swinton Running Club and others are setting are great at keeping us connected and engaged at the moment. Now more than ever it’s evident to me how important our local clubs are, and what a fantastic job they do.
What song would be your parkrun anthem (either for volunteering or walk/jog/running)?
The state of my running these days, it could only be “What took you so long?” by The Courteeners
If you've volunteered with us before and would like to be involved in a future "meet the volunteers", please contact us at worsleywoods@parkrun.com .