This Girl Can and Parkrun are teaming up to celebrate International Women’s Day by encouraging all women and girls to join their local parkrun on Saturday 7 March 2020.

We want all our clubs and women’s players to come out and support the day by running or walking their local course together. This is a great opportunity to showcase our sport and enjoy a unique event with your team-mates. We would love for judo to be the best-represented sport at this national celebration of women getting active. Enjoy a great atmosphere, don your kit and showcase your team to the local community or simply volunteer from the side-lines. You’ll be helping to promote judo and normalise women being active no matter how fast, slow, red-faced or sweaty they get!

Research from Sport England tells us that there are still more men than women getting active and they are looking for our support to help change this. So come along with your team mates but also…… tell your mum, your sister, auntie and friends.

This special day will be supported by a female-focused campaign that showcases the parkrun community in all its diversity. This Girl Can and parkrun want to break down the “intimidation factor” and show that parkrun is a place where you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or just come along and watch. The 5k events are for everyone, at any pace, from any walk of life, and any level of physical and fitness ability.

HOW YOU CAN GET INVOLVED
• Promote the event to your women’s teams and players and encourage them to take part and spread the word
• Promote the event on your social media channels and share posts about the event that you’ll find on the This Girl Can and parkrun UK social channels
• Promote the event to female friends and relatives – men are of course welcome too!

RESOURCES TO SUPPORT YOU
• Sport England has developed resources for to help you to promote the event. In this google drive you will find images and social assets and some promotional videos are also coming soon: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1LG_gJ2b2qahesclk14ZjCuTm8B8olM1S?usp=sharing
• Here is the blog from parkrun announcing the event on 7th February: https://protect-eu.mimecast.com/s/-m3jCOY7XTn9x9HEuhc-?domain=blog.parkrun.com

PRACTICAL INFORMATION
• What is parkrun?: parkrun is a free run 5K run that starts at 9am every Saturday in hundreds of parks across the UK. Register for free and you’ll be given a barcode which you can print and take along on the day.
• FAQs: You can find the answers to some FAQs here including how to find your local parkrun and how to register.
• What to expect on the day: There will be a first timer briefing, signified by a flag, so if you’re new to parkrun we advise you to turn up 10-15 minutes before the 9am start to hear this. Those who are doing the briefing will help you to settle your nerves and let you know about the route. If you are new to parkrun expect lots of new parkrunners who are feeling just as nervous and hesitant as you. We guarantee that when you get there your nerves will quickly dissipate: parkruns are totally friendly and accessible. There will be a huge range of abilities, with many of who struggle to run for the bus and plan to take breaks and walk some of the course, as well as a few that can whip around the course with ease. There will be runners with buggies, kids and dogs in tow and also people with long term health conditions and disabilities.
• How do I register?: To register, head to parkrun.com/countries and select UK as your country. Then click register from the top right menu and fill in the form. Finally await your confirmation email containing your barcode, print it out and remember to bring it with you when you run. Once registered, you remain registered for life. You can turn up at any parkrun anywhere in the world without having to re-register.
• Facilities on site: The majority of parkruns have nearby toilets and often have a local café so you can enjoy a hot beverage or a snack once you’re done. You can find more information on the local parkrun event pages. We recommend you bring water and arrive in the clothes you intend to run in.