Whitby's Cinder Track parkrun to celebrate 200th anniversary milestone

This marks a major milestone in its journey of promoting health, wellbeing, and community spirit as part of the global parkrun movement.

Held every Saturday at 9am, the parkrun is a free, inclusive 5km event that welcomes walkers, joggers, runners, volunteers, and spectators of all ages and abilities.

The scenic route begins at Whitby School (Airy Hill Site) and follows the historic tree-lined Cinder Track, offering stunning views of Whitby and the Esk Valley, including the iconic Whitby Viaduct.

Since its inception, the Cinder Track parkrun has grown into a vibrant weekly gathering, powered entirely by volunteers.

It is hoped the 200th event will be well attended, there may even be some cake available for participants to enjoy while they share stories and memories from past events.

Event Director Matt Hewison said: “Reaching the 200 event milestone is a testament to the dedication of our volunteers and the enthusiasm of our community.

"Whether you’ve joined us once or every week, this milestone is for everyone who’s made the Cinder Track parkrun what it is today.

"As Whitby is a tourist destination our event leads itself to the parkrun tourism market and we have had participants from all corners of the UK and international destinations such as Norway, Australia, New Zealand, and the USA.

"One of the main benefits of parkrun aside from the wellbeing benefits is that it is there for everyone each week and you attend when you choose to.

"We’ve had groups of running clubs attend, hen parties, pre-wedding groups, groups celebrating birthdays, and we also have a great cohort of local participants from the Whitby district who are very supportive, including Neil Salter who has done 157 events with us.

“Parkrun like other community events doesn’t exist without volunteers and we are so lucky to have a core of dedicated, enthusiastic, and friendly local people who deliver this event in their time in all kinds of weather.

"All the feedback from visitors is positive, they love the scenic route, the facilities at the school, the friendly welcome, and the wonderful refreshments in the Astro Café.

"People have made new connections and friendships with regular visitors, and this adds to the social value of the event.

“Hopefully the event will continue to grow and sustain with the support of the local community, we started event one with 74 participants and now regularly deliver for 200-plus parkrun enthusiasts.”

If you are interested in giving parkrun a go, register online at parkrun.org.uk to obtain a scannable barcode that enables your time and milestones to be recorded.

Visit www.parkrun.org.uk/thecindertrack for more information, to volunteer, or to get involved.