From 13 friends in Teddington to a global army of joggers, the parkrun phenomenon has spread fitness and fun across the world. A former sceptic finds herself convinced

On Oct 2 2004, 13 intrepid joggers ran a 5km route around a park in Teddington, south-west London, timed with a stop watch. As they crossed the finish line they were handed official “tokens” – in reality just washers from the ­local hardware shop – their results ­jotted down on a piece of paper before they headed off for a post-run coffee and chat.

Fifteen years on from the first “Bushy Time Trial”, that 5km weekly run founded by Paul Sinton-Hewitt still exists – but has morphed into what is no exaggeration to call a global phenomenon. Today, parkrun, which is free to take part in, is one of the largest running events on the planet, every weekend attracting more than four million runners at more than 330,00 events around the world – ­including in prisons and, for a spell in 2011, at Camp Bastion in Afghanistan. Devotees tell how it has changed their lives, from making them fitter, to helping them find friends and life partners.

The premise is still very similar to that first race. Runners preregister online, then turn up at any parkrun event, run the course and – thanks to a personal barcode scanned on the finish line – see their times published online, along with number of runs, personal bests (PBs) and ­ranking within their age group. Buggies and dogs are welcome and spectators line the route to cheer.