Check out this free, fun, friendly walk/run at Mallow Castle

A NICER bunch of people you couldn’t hope to meet!

From the second you arrive at the starting point for the weekly Saturday morning ParkRun at Mallow Castle, you are part of the group and welcomed along as one of the team

As I stood in the gorgeous surrounds one Saturday last month, I couldn’t wait to learn more about this popular activity.

The ParkRun was started in the UK and that is where you’ll find the head office. The weekly event is now worldwide.

The runs take place every Saturday morning, irrespective of what country you are in, and once you have registered you never need to register again. The Mallow one starts at 9.30am, but times may vary in other venues.

Here’s how it works...

You log onto the webpage https://www.parkrun.ie/mallowcastle/ and fill in your details. They will send you a barcode which you can laminate of if preferred you can get a rubber wrist band. THAT’S IT! It is that simple.

When you arrive, your barcode will be scanned to resister you for the event and to time yourself if you wish.

At the end of the run, you can get your times and check out your improvement levels and a host of other information. Maybe you’re chasing a personal best!

The ParkRun takes place in all weathers and is only cancelled if condition are dangerously icy.

In Mallow, the run previously took place in the town park which, on occasion, could get fairly muddy, so they were delighted when the castle became available a few years ago.

The onset of Covid delayed the transfer of venues, but eventually the organisers made the castle grounds their new home.

You can run the route, walk it, bring the buggy or a dog on a lead, and the route is wheelchair friendly.

The group is run by volunteers who take their guidance from head office. Health and safety and inclusion are always the priority, so all levels of fitness are catered to.

The volunteers rotate the tasks so one week you may be the front-runner or tail walker or the person to register with.

There’s an average of 50/60 attendees every week and the numbers are expected to go up as the weather improves. IT IS ALL FREE!

The high visibility vests are supplied and there is no charge for registering.

Among the people I spoke to in Mallow was Cathy McCarthy, whose son lives in Canada and he does the fun-run there.

Yvonne O’Brien said it was the first time the children had participated and she is hoping it will become a regular outing for them all.

Both Liz and Cathy say they love the visit to the Priory Cafe when the run is completed, as they get to have a good chat with those involved.

The Mallow group fundraised almost €3,000 to cover initial costs, most of which came from Sports Ireland, Duhallow, and Cork County Council. They were then supplied with bibs, vests, signs, flags, a laptop and insurance.

Participants cover a wide area - those from Athletics Ireland, the local sports clubs, mammies with buggies, gents with the beloved four-legged family member, those hoping to shift a few pounds, and those who just love the walk around the beautiful Mallow park along the riverside.

Of course, the social aspect is what keeps many coming back every week. To spend time with others and get some fresh air and enjoy a chat and a coffee when the 5km has been completed.

There were those who have travelled from far afield and even those that have completed fun runs all over the world.

Again, they registered once and then take their registration barcode to wherever they may travel.

One gentleman told me that he has done these all over the world but that the Mallow group are the friendliest! I can’t argue with that.

On occasion, Lidl will be there with t-shirts and healthy snacks to motivate the troops.

This initiative is at several locations around our fine county and you can find out more on