Runner becomes 50 millionth UK Parkrun finisher

Heidi Pearson had an email from Parkrun HQ on Monday confirming the milestone

A runner who received an email to say she had become the UK’s 50 millionth Parkrun finisher said she originally "thought it was spam".

Heidi Pearson, 35, from Brundall, Norfolk, ran the Lowestoft Parkrun in Suffolk on Saturday.

On Monday afternoon she received an email from Parkrun's head office in London to say they had been "crunching some numbers" and that Ms Pearson had reached the "amazing" milestone.

Parkrun started in Bushy Park in London in 2004 as a "free-for-all" weekly, timed 5km (3-mile) event and has since spread around the world.

More than 10,000 people have taken part in Lowestoft Parkrun since it started in 2015

"These sort of things don’t happen to me normally but I feel pretty special now," Ms Pearson told BBC Radio Suffolk.

"I didn't actually believe it at first. I thought someone was trying to wind me up."

It was Ms Pearson's 105th Parkrun and she completed it in 24 minutes 57 seconds.

As well as the 812 weekly Parkruns in the UK, events are also held in 21 other countries around the world - including Malaysia, New Zealand and Namibia.

Earlier this month, Lowestoft featured in a BBC Countryfile article as having one of the most "beautiful" Parkrun routes in the UK.

The course was celebrated for having "vast views out over the North Sea".

Ms Pearson, who did her first Parkrun five years ago, said: “Lowestoft is a lovely, fast route and everyone is really friendly down there, so it’s nice that it [milestone run) happened there."

"I'm training for a marathon next year and Parkrun will definitely be part of my journey."