Linklater Reserve 5k Run

What started as an office wellness challenge for Lalieu soon became a family tradition.

Through parkrun, the Marais family discovered new places, shared new goals, and uncovered a passion for running in their son Migael, who has cerebral palsy 👉 parkrun.me/mrw9i

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Do parkrun
“Impact sports such as running often get a bit of a bad name, with the assumption that they are damaging,” says Hart. “In fact, your skeletal muscles and tendons need impact to keep them healthy. If you go into space as an astronaut, you come back wobbling all over the place, because muscles can’t work: you’ve got osteoporosis just from being in space for a month.”

Hart describes running 5k as a “Goldilocks dose”, meaning not too much or too little. You can even take part by walking, says McNally. A healthy living regime, she says, “has to be a habit; it has to be something people just do, otherwise people don’t do it.

That’s why parkrun works.”

‘Smaller doses of exercise are a miracle cure’: 14 expert tips to protect your joints Life is much easier if you look after your hips, knees, elbows and shoulders – especially as you get older. Rheumatologists and orthopaedic surgeons explain how to work out, what to eat and how to talk to your doctor

You’ve been asking, so here it is: we have a date.

8am, Saturday 24 October, Labour weekend. The very first Linklater Reserve parkrun.

Two gentle laps on the country trails, starting at the gazebo. Past the old Cessna, around the top car park, and back to where you began. Run it, walk it, jog it, bring the barkrunner on a short hand held lead.

Have a squiz at the full route in our Facebook story.

Every Saturday morning, tens of thousands of runners and walkers turn up to jog, push prams or simply complete the course at their own pace.

These events, which are entirely volunteer-run at a local level, have seen bridal showers in matching headdresses, milestone birthday parties, and even engagements at the finish line.

But beyond giving people the opportunity to run and have a controlled space to move their bodies in for free, Duggan argues that one of the greatest successes of parkrun has been its ability to bring people together from across neighbourhoods – and into a shared green space.

Coming to Linklater Reserve later this year.

‘A huge spectrum of people coming together’: how parkrun made it to its millionth event Founded in 2004, the free weekly 5km event has grown into a global fixture of weekend life, taking place in parks, fields, seafronts and even prisons

Congratulations parkrun on reaching one million parkrun events worldwide. It’s the largest health and wellbeing movement worldwide and it’s coming to Linklater Reserve later this year.

One million parkrun events. Sounds crazy, right? 🤯

This weekend we’ll hit that incredible milestone.

A million events delivered shows parkrun is more than a 5k or 2k. It’s shared mornings, encouragement, and a community that turns up week after week.

Thanks a million 🫶

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We're moving ahead with getting this parkrun up and running as planned. All the wheels are in motion ✔️

Comment below if you are keen to be on the volunteer team and we'll add you to the group.

Something exciting is coming to Kelvin Grove this October, and we need your help to make it happen.

Linklater Reserve parkrun is almost here. Every Saturday at 8:00am, our little corner of Palmerston North becomes part of a worldwide community of walkers, joggers and runners spanning 22 countries and millions of people. Free to enter, open to everyone, and run entirely by volunteers just like you.

We are looking for locals who want to be part of something good. You do not need to be a runner. You do not need any experience. What you do need is a love of community and a free Saturday morning.

Our volunteer roles include Run Director, Marshal, Timekeeper, Funnel Manager, Token Person, Tail Walker, Parkwalker, First Timers Briefing and Photographer. Full training is provided for every role, and every volunteer shift earns credits toward parkrun achievement t-shirts.

The social side of parkrun is just as important as the running. After every event the community gathers at a Cafe for coffee and a catch up. It is the part of Saturday morning that people keep coming back for.

If you would like to be part of the Linklater Reserve parkrun volunteer team, drop us a message or comment below. We would love to hear from you.

Launching 24th October 2026. Every Saturday. 8:00am. Linklater Reserve, Kelvin Grove.