Wedding day Parkrun for happy couple... and 100 friends
- Published
The couple broke with tradition to see each other on the morning of their wedding for a Parkrun
A bride and groom-to-be have been joined by 100 friends on a 5km (3.1m) run on the morning of their wedding.
Simon Wright and Anna Thorpe dressed in a top hat and veil for the Parkrun at Catton Park in Norwich on Saturday, before going on to the ceremony.
The couple, who met through their running club and got engaged while on a run, wanted their Parkrun community "to be part of our special day".
"Parkrun is our Saturday tradition and we are addicted to it," said Mr Wright.
Parkrun is a free timed 5km race run by volunteers at thousands of locations across the world every Saturday morning.
Anna Thorpe and Simon Wright were joined by many friends who had never taken part in a Parkrun before
They have done more than 200 Parkruns between them
Mr Wright, 39, and Miss Thorpe, 32, felt running had to feature in their wedding day - but changed into other outfits for the ceremony.
"Running has been an important part of both our lives," said Mr Wright, who is the former Liberal Democrat MP for Norwich South.
"We have had some difficult experiences and we both looked to running as a new activity."
The couple met two years ago at the Norwich Road Runners' Christmas fancy dress run.
The couple first met at a Christmas fancy dress run, and have since made a habit of them
"I was there as Santa, and Anna was there as an elf, and we got chatting," he said.
They got engaged during a night-time run round Whitlingham Broad in October, when Mr Wright stopped to pop the question by the light of a head torch.
Saturday's Parkrun was Miss Thorpe's 70th and Mr Wright's 134th, but they were joined by dozens of friends completing their first.
They were then due to get married at St Matthew's Church in Thorpe Hamlet.
They find the local Parkrun wherever they go, such as this one at Sherwood Forest
"It's wonderful what people have done," said Miss Thorpe.
"It's surpassed all our expectations."
The couple said they were happy to contravene wedding etiquette by seeing each other on the morning of their nuptials.
"For us, Parkrun is bigger - it's a more meaningful tradition," said Mr Wright.
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