Runners go Christmas crackers!

The extroardinary pulling power of two local parkruns was highlighted as over 1700 people chose to make the events part of their Christmas Day.

The Eaton Park and Colney Lane courses welcomed Santas, elves, reindeers, gingerbread men and many more stars of the seasonal show as visitors enjoyed a fun-filled start to the big day. An amazing 1102 people (over 200 more than last year) ran, jogged and walked the Eaton Park course, including 170 first-timers. Those achieving milestones included Philip Hawkes, who completed his 100th, David Baulcombe, Sue Johns and Carla Oxbury, who marked their 250th and Ashley Judd, who clocked up his 300th Parkrun.

At the UEA campus course at Colney Lane, 644 people, around double the regular turn-out, tackled the testing terrain, including 28 first-timers, and visitors from New York and Barcelona. “What a wonderfully festive atmosphere it was, with Santa hats galore and Christmas fancy dress everywhere you looked,” said a spokesman.

COLOURFUL CHARACTERS: Runners at the Colney Lane and Eaton Park events. Photos: COLNEY LANE/ NORWICH PARKRUN