Join free, weekly and friendly, community 5k run

The simple, welcoming and zero-cost weekly running or walking event for all that is parkrun officially arrived at Byxbee Park, Palo Alto this Fall. In the pricey Bay Area a regular and free, timed community run/ walk is much needed. The Byxbee parkrun is 8am every Saturday, everyone is invited.

With a warm, sociable, community feel it accommodates all types – from competitive runners at the front to joggers, walkers and those who don’t consider themselves runners, from children with their carers to those pushing their little ones in stroller “joggers”. Here you can even bring along a dog on a short lead.

“Lots of people are nervous about running in an event. They’re not sure if they’re ready or will be fast enough. But it’s fine – you can run, jog or walk,” says co-Event Director Sarah Hudson. It’s a run, not a race – no medals and no one gets left behind as the volunteer Tail Walker is always out back. Last Saturday’s finish times ranged from 18 minutes 8 seconds to 1:04:26. In a field of 46 there were three under 18s (not counting any babes being pushed round) and 11 aged 50+. parkrunners need to be 4+ years to receive an official result and under 11s must be accompanied by an adult (within arm's reach) throughout.

“We want it to be an inclusive event with a strong community feel,” declares co-Event Director Sam Stow. “[It] draws people in who don’t consider themselves runners because it’s community-friendly.” Byxbee parkrun has adopted all the classic parkrun elements that already give it that friendly feel. The Event Director leaps atop a low wall opposite the bathrooms at the start/finish line and welcomes parkrunners just before 8am: gives information about the course, encourages people to say hi to those around them and points out the smiley volunteers in high-vis vests.

It feels like an event, but without the pressure of a race or the burden of fees. Joining is wonderfully simple: sign-up once at http://www.parkrun.us/register, print off your individual barcode and then you can take part in 40 parkruns currently in existence across the US, even in over 1500 globally. At the end you get a finish token, which is scanned together with your personal barcode. Within 2 hours I received a ton of information – including my position, time, gender and age range position, as well as age grade % score (to compare your performance against those with a different gender and/or age range), and whether I’d beaten my personal best. (Not quite!)

I ran the Byxbee parkrun Sept. 28 and Oct. 5 and both Saturdays were classic Silicon Valley – stunning, crisp mornings with light winds – ideal running and walking conditions. For cycling, too, as I biked there via the Embarcadero Road Overcrossing at the top of Oregon Avenue. There is parking along parts of Embarcadero near the Byxbee parking lot (or over by the Duck pond) – a condition of parkrun being permitted by the local parks department was that the Byxbee parking lots couldn’t be used – so carpooling, cycling and walking there are very much encouraged.

The 5k (3.1 miles) course is a “there and back” (always comforting to know when you’re halfway!) It’s mostly on gravel and mud-packed paths, is flat, and snakes around the marshes, creeks and sloughs of the Palo Alto Baylands with glorious, sweeping views across the Bay on one side and over to Skyline on the other. Ducks and snowy egrets were out in force (pelicans, herons, turkey vultures and many other birds can be sighted here) – altogether a serene and wild backdrop, away from the hubbub of Silicon Valley. The course passes the outdoors sculptures Byxbee is also known for and light aircraft occasionally swoop in and out of nearby Palo Alto Airport.

parkrun, a non-profit, began in an idyllic English park 15 years ago with 13 runners (it celebrated its birthday just the other day!) Over 4 million parkrunners have now taken part across more than 20 countries. The first US parkrun launched in 2012 and there are now 40 locations spanning America. After Crissy Field in San Francisco, this is the second Californian parkrun and the first in Santa Clara county.

It aims to get people tracking their regular pace, meeting other participants, and improving their fitness. The parkrun websites state that “we welcome you all… Our aim is to bring a parkrun to any area or community that wants one.”

At a local café afterwards where all participants are invited to join, I spoke to the Event Directors, a volunteer and a participant after my first Byxbee parkrun, Sept. 28. Co-Event Director Sam Stow explained that “I’m Australian and in Queensland [where Stow lived before] there are about 7 parkruns within a 20-minute drive. Since moving here 4 years ago I’ve run Crissy Field, but it was a bit of a mission to get there each week. I felt we needed a parkrun in the Bay Area.” Stow and fellow Australian, co-Event Director and co-founder, Hudson, have worked hard with others getting the Byxbee parkrun started during the past 1-2 years. Stow told me that “we still need to raise roughly another $2k”. Hudson added, “Typically it can be donations from local companies as well as bigger corporations.”

parkrun also relies on volunteers, who make the event happen each week – marking out the course, being the Tail Walker, and a particularly key one, scanning the “position” barcodes and individuals’ printed barcodes. Andrew Nisbet was doing this last task. He was drawn to volunteer because “I really like the community aspect. I really liked running them in New Zealand, and socializing and competing with the people around you running similar times.”

Emma Sawin is new to parkrun, with Byxbee being her first one. She was attracted by having “a nice group to run with – running can be quite solitary.” Sawin also feels that running with others “helps with the motivation to go faster”. I certainly agree. I also tracked my time on my usual running app during Byxbee parkrun and my pace was about a minute per mile faster than my standard solo running speed. And how did she find the course? “It’s beautiful! It’s nice and flat and it’s lovely to be surrounded by all the wildlife.”

To take part either as a participant or a volunteer, please go to https://www.parkrun.us/byxbee/ for more information. To contribute to fundraising or to contact the organizers, please email byxbee@parkrun.com.