Parkrun, a 5-kilometre (3.1 mi) event for runners, walkers and volunteers that takes place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 22 countries across five continents is celebrating its 20 anniversary this week. It started in London on 2 October 2004 and grew into a global phenomenon with many millions of runners registered.
It was founded by Paul Sinton-Hewitt, 12 August 1960 (Company check), who was born in Zimbabwe, grew up in South Africa, was made a ward of the state aged five and lived at boarding schools. He has said that the personal challenges he experienced, including bullying during childhood, and the way exercise and activity have helped him deal with them, were influential in motivating him in creating parkrun and its inclusive approach to sport.
Parkrun has an exuberant, high-energy Mars Jupiter Mercury all conjunct a Libra Sun. With two wide-ish yods of Saturn in Cancer sextile Jupiter Mars inconjunct Uranus in Pisces (on the cusp of the sporting 5th assuming a 9am start) – and a Taurus Moon sextile Saturn inconjunct an influential Pluto.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt is an unconventional Sun Uranus in Leo in a confident trine to Jupiter in adventurous Sagittarius. With a charming Pluto Venus in Virgo in a tough-minded trine to Saturn sextile a compassionate Neptune – and more significantly Neptune sextile Saturn inconjunct Mars in Gemini giving him giving him the hyper-energy that would suit constant activity and exercise. His Pluto square his Mars adds a layer of trauma from his childhood spurring his determination on.