In a celebration of female participation to mark International Women’s Day, #IWDparkrun welcomed an astonishing 15,000 additional women and girls at parkruns all around the world.

On Saturday 7 March 2020, we were delighted to see almost 151,000 women and girls walking, jogging or running at parkrun globally.

Our social feeds lit up with heart-warming stories of inspirational women supporting each other and creating a party atmosphere at parkrun events around the world.

And previous parkrun records tumbled as women and girls turned out en masse in a celebration of positivity and community.

An inspirational 3,000 female first timers joined us to complete their very first 5k

The #IWDparkrun saw the biggest number of female volunteers ever recorded at parkrun

An incredible 15,630 women and girls were hi vis heroes across the globe on the day

We’re so proud to say this is 2,000 more female volunteers than a typical Saturday, with 400 women and girls volunteering for the very first time

In England 70% of Run Directors on the day were female (59% globally)

parkrunners brought along their female friends, colleagues and family members and walked, jogged, ran, and volunteered together, proudly sporting purple, our chosen colour for the day.

Others came along to watch and cheer their family and friends, soaking up the carnival atmosphere.

Many parkruns boasted teams of all-female pacers and introduced a dedicated First Timer’s Welcome Brief for the event.

parkrun really is a world for everyone, no matter your age, background, fitness level or gender, and it was wonderful to see so many women and girls joining us. Many for the very first time.

A huge well done to you all! Welcome to the family, we can’t wait to see you again.

In England, we supported our friends at This Girl Can, to help banish the fear of not being fit enough, of being ‘too slow’, of not having volunteered before, of coming on your own or uncertainty about what to expect.

Although #IWDparkrun was held on one day, it is hoped that the impact will be far more long-lasting!