WILMSLOW Parkrun is celebrating its third anniversary this weekend, Saturday, April 14, with extra treats, drinks and music for runners.

Mathew Rees set up the weekly run, which had its first event on April 11, 2015. It took ten months from his initial application to Parkrun, who organise running events all over the world, to the first 5k race in The Carrs.

Mathew said: “When I set this up I wanted to organise a community event which was completely free for everyone involved and that people could get involved with no matter what their age or experience, whether they wanted to run or help set up.

“Last week we had 192 runners and 24 volunteers which we are so happy about. This is the reason we set this event up. In March we had our highest attendance of 271 runners and 31 volunteers.”

The run starts at 9am every Saturday morning, no matter what the weather is, and takes between 16 and 45 minutes to complete, depending on the runner. The course is open to people of all ages and abilities.

Mathew said: “It’s not a race so it doesn’t matter how long it takes, and we have a ‘tail walker’ who stays at the back to ensure the last person gets in safely.

“We spend a lot of time and effort to ensure people of all abilities can take part in the run, including those with disabilities, and also to make the course a safe environment for children and young people to take part in the event, and we take these things very seriously.”

To help with safety, and in the event of an emergency, Wilmslow Parkrun arranged for two automatic external defibrillators to be installed in the area, which were paid for by Beneficial Life - one at the starting point of the run in the Carrs, and one at the leisure centre in Wilmslow.

Wilmslow Parkrun is a free event and runs every Saturday at 9am in the Carrs park. For more information visit parkrun.org.uk/wilmslow