Popular Parkrun seeks more volunteers

Almost 800 runners took part in Saturday's event in Shrewsbury

A community running event is seeking more volunteers, after becoming one of the most popular in the country.

Organisers of Shrewsbury Parkrun said its weekly gathering on Saturday attracted nearly 800 runners, the fifth best attendance in the UK that day.

Event director Adrian Cooper said: "I was blown away by the numbers. It was fantastic watching the volunteers cope with it.

"There are just over 40 roles each week that we have to fill, from timekeepers to marshals, to the people who scan barcodes," he said.

Shrewsbury is one of six Parkruns staged each week in Shropshire.

The movement has been growing for two decades, and now boasts 2,200 events in 23 countries.

They are described as "free, weekly community events for all ages, abilities, backgrounds and walks of life".

More than 40 volunteers are needed each week to support hundreds of participants

Mr Cooper told BBC Radio Shropshire: "It's not about the statistics, it's just about seeing how many people are participating... and just seeing people on a nice, sunny morning enjoying themselves."

However, the statistics for the event showed that 120 people took part in their first Parkrun and 69 recorded a personal best.

The Shrewsbury run has been operating since 2013, with a total of more than 22,000 people taking part in that time.

Although it attracts people from far and wide, that number equals about a third of the town's population.