Kirkwall parkrun

Hey lovely parkrun community - we could do with a few more volunteers for Saturday. Ideally a time keeper, finish token hander-outer, a couple of barcode scanners, a marshal or two and a parkwalker. Any and all offers of help are greatly appreciated. 😊

AED Update: We're delighted to say that we've reached our fundraising target for the purchase of a Parkrun-specific AED for use at our event. Thank you to everyone for your generosity - obviously we hope to never use it, but it'll be great to have the reassurance of having our own rather than needing to sprint to Picky!

Hello everyone
We could do with a
Timekeeper and 2 marshal's😊

𝐀𝐄𝐃 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐥 - 𝐊𝐢𝐫𝐤𝐰𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐫𝐮𝐧

Since Kirkwall Parkrun started in 2018, we've relied on the presence of an AED (Defibrillator) at Picky nearby. National Parkrun policy is now for each event to have its own defibrilator, which is probably a sensible precaution considering that much of our course is significantly further from the Picky than our start line.

Kirkwall Parkrun - like all Parkruns - is and will always remain free and our donations account has sat resolutely at £0 for the last eight years. We are now asking for donations to help us fund the purchase of a dedicated AED for parkrun use - if folk are able to donate a small amount each we'll hit the target very quickly and can hopefully continue parkrunning for years to come. We might even save someone's life together, although hopefully it will never be needed!

Donations must be made via the purple DONATE TO THIS EVENT button on the link below - any donations made via the orange button go to Parkrun HQ, not specifically to our event. So that's via the PURPLE button at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/kirkwall/aboutus/ please.

We're looking to raise around £400 which is around half the cost of a new AED, as we have a possible co-funding option. Thank you very much for your support!

www.parkrun.org.uk

Anyone free to help volunteer this Saturday morning, please? 🙏

This week's run report is from John Mitchinson. Thanks John!!

REPORT - Saturday 8 August 2026

Possibly the biggest date in the Kirkwall calendar, the second Saturday in August sees the whole community come together for County Show Day. Although some of our regulars were involved in the Show and unable to join us, a good number of folks still turned out at the Peedie Sea for the 345th Kirkwall parkrun.

It was great to be joined by a number of visitors, including runners and walkers from Aberdeen, Elgin, Broughty Ferry and the Isles of Scilly, as well as international guests from the Netherlands and Poland. We love to welcome parkrun tourists at Kirkwall, and we hope everyone enjoyed their time with us. Make sure you come and see us again!

Of the 73 participants, 23 were at the Kirkwall event for the first time, including four doing their first ever parkrun. A big welcome to all four – but be warned, guys, it’s addictive!

The weather was due to be horrendous, but actually, bar the odd brief shower, we didn’t fare too badly at all – although we imagine it was a little ‘fresher’ for many of our visitors than it would have been on their recent parkruns further south. As it turned out, the rain held off for most of the day, which was good news for our friends at the County Show too.

Well done to everyone for getting up and out and round the course on a fairly miserable morning. Congratulations to those who achieved milestones this week: Isaac Poulton (J10), Anne Purcell (25) and Gemma Cleland (50). Twelve parkrunners recorded a PB this week – so well done to them – but, of course, not everyone comes to parkrun to run. It was really encouraging to have a good number of walkers there with us today, and hopefully that will serve as a reminder that people of all speeds and abilities can enjoy the many benefits of parkrun.

Of course, parkrun is only possible thanks to the wonderful people who sign up to volunteer. Huge thanks to Run Director Rob Dinsey and his team: Francis Field, Donna Flett, Robert Flett, Mervyn Hourston, Paul Hutton, Jacy Marks, Alex Poulton, Andrew Poulton and Dawn Williams. If you’d like to volunteer to help make future events possible, please email the core team at [email protected]. They’d be very happy to hear from you!

Kirkwall parkrun started on 21 April 2018. Since then, 4,546 participants have completed 16,208 parkruns, and a total of 428 individuals have volunteered.

It's County Show this Saturday, and where else would you find so many high quality specimens? Well, parkrun obviously. So make sure your hair is brushed, your teeth are clean and your hooves are ready for an amble round the Peedie Sea on Saturday morning. If you'd rather join the ranks of the judges (big white coat not mandatory) we need a Timekeeper and could do with a couple more volunteers as well.

Alison Lynch has provided today's Run Report - thanks Alison!!!
We also have some great photos from Peter who was multitasking as photographer and barcode scanner!!

Dear Kirkwall Team
Great run today - loved it, especially as I got my parkrun pb. Here is the report below, hope its ok. Best wishes, and really do hope to do it again. Alison
The rain couldn’t dampen the spirits at Kirkwall parkrun event #344 today! Runners, joggers, walkers and volunteers gathered in the tippling rain—complete with some impressively large drops—at the Peedie Sea, ready to enjoy this fabulous, flat and fast course.
We had travelled from Manchester via Glasgow to Orkney and had been really looking forward to today’s run. It certainly didn’t disappoint: the event was easy to find, parking was straightforward, and the course was clearly marked and wonderfully marshalled.
I heard that it hadn’t rained at the event for several weeks, so you can probably blame us—we seem to bring rain to every previously dry place we visit.
The course is two and a half laps on tarmac and is mostly as flat as a pancake, making it ideal for a Personal Best. I was delighted to achieve mine today!
When Run Director Billy asked whether there were any visitors, around 80% of the crowd raised their hands—a brilliant show of just how many people had travelled to enjoy Kirkwall parkrun.
This week, 82 people ran, jogged and walked the course. An impressive 41 were first timers, 14 recorded new Personal Bests, and representatives from 17 different clubs took part.
There was plenty to celebrate, too: one participant completed her very first parkrun, while another marked an outstanding 100 runs at Kirkwall. Huge congratulations to them both!
Although there were no other major milestones today, every finish was an achievement worth cheering—and the warmth of the Kirkwall welcome shone through despite the rain.
The event was made possible by 8 volunteers:

Josephine JOHNSON • Bruce MORGAN • Peter FAY • Billy GROUNDWATER • Proby WATT • Mervyn HOURSTON • Alison LYNCH • Andrew RATHBONE
Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Kirkwall parkrun Results Page.
Kirkwall parkrun started on 21st April 2018. Since then 4,523 participants have completed 16,135 parkruns covering a total distance of 80,675 km, including 2,286 new Personal Bests. A total of 425 individuals have volunteered 3,350 times.

Link to photos:

A Wet Kirkwall parkrun 2026-08-01 · Saturday, Aug 1 📸 Shared album · Tap to view!

Hi all, could do with a few helpers this week and over the next few Saturdays...

Still short of Marshals for tomorrow. Can anyone help?