21 February, 2022
An incredible three quarters of a million parkruns have now been completed at the nation’s forests, making running in forests a popular choice!
Providing fun and practical ways for everyone to start or continue with their running journey has been an ambitious project for Forestry England over the last five years. From new waymarked trails to a new running series called Forest Runner, Forestry England have been working hard to provide opportunities for people of all ability and experience to feel confident to hit the trails, enjoy nature and benefit from being active outdoors.
This seems to be working. Last year, Forestry England reported a 31% increase of people using their running trails between April and June beating the highest previous quarterly figure, and they saw 2,500 people taking part in their first ever race series, Forest Runner. This is on top of the three quarters of a million completed parkruns at Forestry England sites across England.
Kate Allan, from Forestry England’s Active Forest Programme says:
“It’s been fantastic to see more and more people enjoying running in the nation’s forests.
“Over the years we have listened to visitors who wanted to run in our forests but were not familiar enough with our trails or worry about getting lost. Developing our running offer during the past 5 years, with support from amazing partners such as Sport England, has helped to remove these concerns.
“This has allowed runners to enjoy the freedom, fresh air and scenery of the nation’s forests. We have had runners’ comment that they would struggle to find a more uplifting experience than running through our forests and this really is something to celebrate!”
With the days getting longer and warmer and with over 320km of varied waymarked trails on offer up and down the country, and with Forest Runner returning this autumn, could now be a good time to consider your running or jogging journey with Forestry England?
From Whinlatter Forest in Cumbria to Haldon Forest Park in Devon and everywhere in-between you can enjoy a full and varied range of routes that cater for all abilities. For those just starting out, perhaps on their couch-to-5k journey right up to the more seasoned trail runners, there is something everyone!
To find your nearest running trail visit the Forestry England website.
So grab your trainers, a friend or even join an organised group and get outside to enjoy any of these fabulous running trails. There really is something for everyone whatever your level of experience and the benefits for both mind and body are endless!
Then have a bit of fun with these questions to see if you're a Parkrun obsessive.
Forestry England is a division of the Forestry Commission, responsible for managing and promoting publicly owned forests in England. It was formed as Forest Enterprise in 1996, before devolving to Forest Enterprise England on 31 March 2003 and then being rebranded to Forestry England on 1 April 2019.
Most recent articles by Outside & Active
Athletes of all levels can experience unforgettable riding experiences and celebrate the eMTB community at TweedLove’s Electric Weekend and the eMTB Enduro at Ard Rock
Last Sunday 14th April saw the much-anticipated return of the adidas Manchester Marathon, the UK’s second largest marathon known for its flat course and friendly atmosphere. With over £29 million spent in the city centre and Greater Manchester last weekend, the event generated a spectacular boost for the local economy.
Did you miss out on attending this year's National Outdoor Expo? Or simply feeling the blues from the show and want even more EXCLUSIVE content? The National Outdoor PodShow is the one-stop-shop for those who love the outdoors.
Most recent articles in RUNNING
Last Sunday 14th April saw the much-anticipated return of the adidas Manchester Marathon, the UK’s second largest marathon known for its flat course and friendly atmosphere. With over £29 million spent in the city centre and Greater Manchester last weekend, the event generated a spectacular boost for the local economy.
The team from Revive Active tell us all about CoQ10, something you may never have heard of, and how it could benefit your running fitness.
Shokz and the UTMB® World Series collaborate to allow runners to connect to the outdoors and enjoy an open-ear listening experience when exploring the trails.