A Totnes Town Council Community Grant of £1,000 has helped to provide some of the essential starter funding needed to get a new Parkrun in Totnes up and ‘running’. 

Just one year on since the first Parkrun took place on the Totnes to Sharpham path, the weekly events have proved to be a real success story.

They welcome over 100 participants and volunteers of all ages and abilities every week and the events are playing a positive role in boosting local residents’ fitness, wellbeing, and sense of community. 

£4,000 was needed to cover essential start-up items, ranging from technical equipment to record running times to high-vis jackets for the volunteers. 

Race Director Sara Mills said: “The grant from the Town Council helped us enormously.

We needed to raise £4000 for start-up costs and equipment and the grant helped us towards that goal.

It was much appreciated.” 

Totnes Mayor, Cllr Emily Price, said: “What Sara and her team of dedicated volunteers have achieved by setting up a Parkrun in Totnes is absolutely fantastic.

There’s a really supportive atmosphere at these events with people smiling despite the fact they’re running or walking up a hill! I’m proud that Totnes Town Council can support our local community to get initiatives like this up and running and I congratulate everyone involved.” 

Participants include local residents as well as people who come specifically to Totnes to take part in the run – including from as far afield as Australia and the USA.

Parkrun organise free, weekly, 5km timed runs around the world.

Parkrun has a very clear ethos and focusses on encouraging more people to be active – to walk, jog, run or volunteer.

The 5k route follows the Dart Trail from Totnes to Sharpham (The route goes from Steam Packet end of the cycle path (the start is about 50 metres up the path for safety reasons) along the cycle path until it forks (one lower path to Sharpham one higher path to Ashprington). The route continues about 100 metres up the Ashprington path and then there’s a turnaround at the top of the hill and back to the Steam Packet.)