And they're off...parkrun launched in Moreton-in-Marsh

Where: Fire Service College, London Road, Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire, GL56 0RH

When: Every Saturday at 9am

Moreton-in-Marsh is delighted to announce the arrival of parkrun at the Fire Service College, meaning North Cotswold residents no longer need to drive 15 miles or so to get active at the weekend.

The timing of the launch is particularly pertinent, given how many people have recently made a New Year's resolution to get fit.

To date, six events have taken place, attracting 672 runners, of whom 124 have never taken part in a parkrun before. The approximate participant split is 60% women and 40% men, with ages ranging from under 10 to over 70 years.

As with parkruns nationally (and internationally), the 5km parkrun Fire Service College takes place every Saturday at 9am, is FREE and open to all those who wish to take part.

There is no necessity to run - participants can jog or walk - while pushing their kid in a buggy or even carrying their child, with the emphasis on simply being active outdoors.

The Fire Service College course is flat, over three laps, and well away from public and private roads. The route includes a mixture of tarmac paths, trail paths, open grass and woodland.

There is plenty of parking close to the start/finish, but participants are encouraged to walk, run, bicycle or even car share to get to the venue. Dogs are not allowed.

Those who have not done a parkrun before should register online at parkrun (www.parkrun.org.uk ) to get a barcode, which is then scanned when participants complete the event, so that they can get access to their finish time.

It is not all about being active though, there is a very strong community feel to the parkrun Fire Service College, which is based at the College's Sports Centre.

Participants have the chance to grab a post-event tea or coffee in return for a donation to one of the two charities (Cotswold Friends and Moreton Playgroup) that take it in turns to run, raising much-needed funds for local services (over £500 already raised). Participants are encouraged to bring their own (reusable) cup, though - thanks to a mug amnesty in Moreton-in-Marsh - parkrun does provide mugs.

The Fire Service College parkrun has been set up by a core team of volunteers, thanks to the generosity of various local people, associations and companies, including Warner's Budgens (who provide the tea, coffee, milk and sugar weekly for refreshments), the Fire Service College Sports Centre which hosts the event, and Moreton-in-Marsh Town Council, The Moreton Charity, Edith Mann Trust, Bourton Roadrunners, North Cotswold Hospital League of Friends and Gloucestershire County Council, who have all donated to the set-up and running costs of the new parkrun event.

The core volunteers are responsible for organising parkrun Fire Service College every week, but they are always looking for additional volunteers to help them marshal, keep time, give participants race tokens at the finish line, etc, so if you would like to get involved, please email fireservicecollegehelpers@parkrun.com to offer your assistance.

More information on the course, how to get involved etc can be found by clicking on www.parkrun.org.uk/fireservicecollege