Bemerton St John Primary School made local history on Sunday, 16th November, becoming the first primary school to lead a takeover of the Churchill Gardens Junior Parkrun in Salisbury.
The morning had a buzzing, joyful atmosphere, with a strong sense of community as families, teachers, and pupils came together in force.
Junior Parkrun, a free weekly timed event for children aged 4–14, saw a massive turnout of 226 participants—the second-highest attendance in its history and the first time the event has topped 200 runners in more than six and a half years.
More than 70 Bemerton St John pupils—an impressive third of the entire school—headed down to the local park to run, walk and skip the 2km route.
At the same time, staff stepped into volunteer roles alongside the event’s regular helpers, with high-vis jackets, foam high fives, and even a dinosaur tail on the tail walker!
Event director Matt Bosworth and his dedicated team of volunteers continue to make this brilliant opportunity available for young people across Salisbury every Sunday at 9 am.
Bemerton St John teacher, Amy Bates, said, “It was such a fantastic morning with a real sense of community spirit. The teamwork, resilience, pride and joy of our students were super to see, and we hope to do a takeover again soon!
"Parkrun has such a positive impact on belonging and wellbeing, which is at the heart of our school, so we are proud to be Salisbury’s first Parkrun primary!
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