ORGANISERS of Salisbury parkrun are gearing up for a bumper turnout at the city’s 5k phenomenon during the festive holiday period.

Launched six months ago as one of over 370 parkruns that get underway simultaneously every Saturday morning across the UK, the Churchill Gardens event is staged on a measured three-lap course over mainly tarmac paths and is free to enter.

More than 1,500 people have so far sampled the parkrun in Salisbury, between them clocking up 26,000kms in the past six months.

Next parkrun will be on Boxing Day, starting at 9am, with a warm-up session and briefing starting just before that. Participants and supporters are being encouraged to turn out in Christmas style.

For the following weekend, there will be a New Year parkrun special on January 1, the unusual 10.30am timing designed for any enthusiasts who want to get 2016 off to a flying start by running two parkruns on the day and wish to travel first to another venue, such as Andover.

Then, on January 2, Salisbury parkrun will resume its normal 9am start time.

Alongside City of Salisbury running club’s Iain Rutherford, who won Saturday’s parkrun in 16min 55sec and Jo-Anne Gready, also from the Salisbury club, who took the ladies’ event in 21.15, were a notable number of aspiring ten year olds, toddlers in buggies, and dogs with owners on short leads.

For more information see parkrun.org.uk/salisbury.

Salisbury parkrun is launching a Walk2Run Initiative on Saturday, January 9.