I’ve done 6 Parkruns now – you can check them out on my Activity Log page and I’ve fallen in love with Parkrun! But I remember being a total beginner at Parkrun, and not knowing what to do or where to go. So I’ve put together the ultimate guide to Parkrun so you can learn everything there is to know.
From signing up to barcodes to some of the most commonly asked questions I get on my TikTok.. get clued up on Parkrun and have fun with it.
What to expect in this guide to Parkrun
- What is Parkrun and when is it?
- How to sign up to Parkrun
- What are Parkrun barcodes and how do they work
- How to find your local Parkrun
- FAQs about it
What is Parkrun and when is it?
Parkrun is a community, volunteer organised event. People can jog, walk, spectate or volunteer. Dogs and kids can get involved. It’s a 5K route and it happens every Saturday morning at 9am.
At 8.50 there is always a first timer’s brief led by a volunteer. Then at 8.55 three’s a main briefing by the head volunteer. Then, you’ll be pointed to the start line where everyone will gather. And then a 3,2,1 countdown will be done and a klaxon will be sounded, and then you start running!
How to register for Parkrun
- Go to Parkrun.org.uk
- Click ‘Register‘ in the main menu, then ‘Register for Parkrun’
- Enter your details and submit the form
Top tips for registering:
- You can find your nearest town for ‘Home Parkrun’; it will mark that as your ‘Home’ one.
- Your Emergency Contact’s name and number will appear on your barcode; choose the best person for this should you need assistance.
- It’s just your basic personal details; nothing sensitive
- If you get really stuck signing up for Parkrun, you can click the ‘if you need help, please click here‘ button!
How do Parkrun barcodes work?
TLDR: Watch the TikTok video below I made explaining how Parkrun barcodes work in 3 simple steps.
Parkrun is a barcode only event. If you don’t have a barcode (which you will get when you sign up AND in an email a few minutes after), you can’t run. (Well, technically, you could, but you’d not get a time recorded so you wouldn’t know where you came in the event).
To get your barcode, follow the above steps to sign up for Parkrun. When you’ve filled out your details in the form, the page will refresh and it will show you a scannable barcode – with your full name, an ‘athlete number’ (beginning with ‘A’), and your emergency contact name and number.
Screenshot your Parkrun barcode so it saves to your photos. Or flag the email so you don’t delete it.
When you go to Parkrun, all you need to do is this. Do your run. As you cross the finish line, a volunteer will be stood clearly handing out a piece of plastic; that will have a separate barcode on. They will then direct you to another volunteer; or they will be stood very nearby. (Look for other Parkrun finishers standing being scanned).
Go to them and have readily available the plastic barcode you’ve just been given, and your barcode you got when you signed up. They will scan both. It’s how they connect where you came in the race, to your name.
@misskatieruns Parkrun barcodes explained in 3 simple steps. I’ve done a few now after running years so let me exsplain how parkrun barcodes work. 1. Go to Parkrun.com and sign up. Youll get a barcode after you put your details in. Doesn’t take long. Screenshot that barcode. 2. Do parkrun and at the end a volunteer will give you a plastic barcode. Take that to the other vokunteers on the side who will scan your digital barcode on your phone and then the plastic one. 3. Youll get an email with your results. Easy! Comment with any other questions or worries about parkrun! #parkrun #parkrunuk #parkrunning #parkruns
FAQs about Parkrun
How and when do I get my result after I finish Parkrun?
Assuming you’ve got your barcode scanned, you typically receive an email and/or text confirmation later that day with your Parkrun results. It can be as quickly as a couple or few hours later, which is impressive considering there’s often over 100 people at the event and it’s ran by volunteers!
What results can I see about my Parkun event?
Your text confirmation will congratulate you for finishing, and then let you know where you came out of how many runners at that day’s event. You can also get email confirmation soon after too which provides more insights:
- What your PB is, and if you’ve set a new one, it will tell you
- How many Parkruns you’ve now done
- What your age grading is
- Where you came in your gender grouping, eg you were the 6th female.
What a Parkrun finish text and email looks like:
What is age grading in Parkrun?
Age grading sounds a bit ominous but it’s just how they work out your ‘score’ according to the world records! It’s all explained here on Parkrun’s age grading page. But they take your time, age and gender and match your data up with the world records (for the same age and gender), to give you an ‘Age Grading’.
Parkrun explain that they are used to “allow rough comparisons between our participants, and should not be taken too seriously”.
My advice is to feel motivated by your results, but don’t overthink it and to take it with a pinch of salt.. For example, one of my earlier parkruns was an age grade of 44.25% and the more recent was 47.41% but the local class level is above 60% and world class is above 90%
Is Parkrun free?
Yes, Parkun is completely free! That’s one of the best things about getting involved. Lots of other races, like a 5K, 10K, half marathon or full marathon tend to require a charge of some kind. But Parkrun doesn’t because it’s completely ran by volunteers; and anyone can volunteer.
Is Parkrun a race?
Nope, otherwise it would be called ‘Parkrace’. No, seriously that’s why I love Parkrun. There’s an irreplaceable atmosphere of people just coming together and jogging or walking together at 9am.. every week. And often over 100 people at each one.
Obviously, if you’re a bit more experienced, you can try and get a faster time, and someone will come first. But the volunteers will encourage and politely remind anyone who does want to go for a PB, to be very mindful of narrow paths and other Park users too. It’s not a race, it’s a community event.
I’m scared I’ll come last…
It’s physically impossible to come last in Parkrun because they have tailwalkers. These are volunteers who will walk the entire 5K route. They’ll start at the same time the participants do; once they’ve all started so they don’t get trampled on in the excitement!
So if you’re new to running and are worried you might not be overly fast, or you’re doing a walk-run-walk during your event, the tailwalkers will still be slower! It’s what makes it a hugely inclusive event because pace doesn’t matter.
Can you bring dogs to Parkrun?
Yes! From my experience, the volunteers will politely ask that any dogs are kept on a lead and at roughly arms length to their owner. I’ve seen a few dogs doing Parkrun and it’s so lovely! You don’t feel unsafe because it’s really well controlled and dog owners generally respect the rules.
Can kids do Parkrun?
Yes. There’s actually a Parkrun for Juniors, which is specifically designed to get little ones involved. If you go to Parkrun > Events, Junior Events, you’ll see them there.
Junior Parkrun is a 2 kilometer route and happens on a Sunday morning. It’s for 4 year olds to 14 year olds. Under 16s can do the normal Parkrun on the Saturday, but have to stay within arms length of their parent or guardian; same reason as the dogs!
Why should beginner runners try Parkrun?
It’s free, it’s fun, and there’s no pressure to run a certain pace. There’s no better way to start your Saturday in my opinion! If you need more convincing here’s a video I made about the reasons you should try Parkrun.
@misskatieruns The BEST decision I’ve made for my running journey is doing parkrun. I can 100% guarantee you will love it. Here’s 3 BIG reasons tou should do parkrun too. 1. You literally can’t finish last 2. Everyone is SO nice 3. It will remind you WHY you started running.. Go to @parkrun and follow me for running motivation 🎉🧡👋 #parkrun #parkrunner #parkruns #runningmotivation #CapCut
Can you do Parkrun if you have no running experience?
Yes! Absolutely. Parkrun is designed to get your local community moving on a Saturday morning. You don’t need to be an athlete. If you want to try Parkrun and you’re a beginner, watch this TikTok video.
@misskatieruns Wanna try parkrun for beginners? Thinking about doing parkrun for the first time? Let me explain how to do parkrun and what to expect even if you’re a bit nervous and haven’t been running for very long… Follow along for more parkrun tips for beginners #parkrun #parkrunuk #parkrunfirsttime @parkrun
How do I know if Parkrun is cancelled this week?
Parkrun has a dedicated page which lists any cancellations that are decided that week. It can be cancelled if the course or venue isn’t available for some reason or if there’s been bad weather like flooding etc.
Where are Parkruns?
Parkruns are all over the UK. To find one for this week, go to Parkrun.org.uk, Events, Parkrun Events and use the interactive map to find where you are! There’s typically a Parkrun venue within a radius.
Or you can use the little search bar on the map and type in your location. Click the name of the course on the map to find out lots more important details.
What are my options to storing my barcode?
You can:
- print your barcode off,
- keep a screenshot of your QR code on your phone
- get your barcode on a wristband
- use this https://dfyb.run/ to generate your parkrun QR code on your smart phone wallet!
- get your barcode connected on your garmin
How can I research about a particular Parkrun event?
Go to Parkrun Events and find the venue you want to know more about. Click onto it to see:
- Course details – some are 3 lap course, others are ‘out and back’, others are a mix
- How to get there – by car, public transport or walking
- Parking information with local car parks etc
- Course type – grass, concrete, gravel, race track etc.
You could also physically travel to the venue to see first hand what the course is like. This can be helpful if you’re new to running and haven’t practiced hills yet… For example you wouldn’t want to get there and then realise there’s a bigger hill that you weren’t in the know about!
Don’t worry too much though because there is a briefing at 8.50/8.55 where you’ll get told everything by the head volunteer.
Written by Katie McDonald, 10th September 2025
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