Record-breaking numbers turn out for Christmas Day parkruns

Runners across Ireland got into the Christmas spirit by taking part in parkruns

Thousands took part in parkruns across Ireland on Christmas Day morning (PA)

Thousands of runners, many adorned in festive attire and Santa hats, embraced the Christmas spirit by participating in parkruns across the island of Ireland on Christmas Day.

The popular free, timed 5k events, typically held on Saturday mornings and organised by volunteers, saw record-breaking attendance as they cemented their place as a seasonal highlight.

The festive editions of parkrun have become particularly sought after, drawing significantly larger crowds than their weekly counterparts.

In east Belfast, the Stormont parkrun shattered its previous participation record, welcoming over 1,000 runners for the first time. A remarkable 1,152 individuals took part, easily surpassing last year’s record of 790.

The estate buzzed with festive music emanating from loudspeakers, while enthusiastic crowds cheered on the participants.

Race director Marianne Hood noted that Stormont is fast becoming the go-to destination on Christmas morning.

"I think it’s now becoming a tradition," she said. "So many people, I think that they’re hearing about it, and then they’re wanting to come this year to see what it was like because they’ve heard of people from last year."

She added: "And this is the third year in a row that we’re going to have set records. And I think the atmosphere is so brilliant. Everybody dresses up and it’s so much craic. So I think just people are hearing more about Stormont Parkrun as the destination to go for Christmas Day."

Hood further highlighted the inclusive nature of the event: "The atmosphere is brilliant. It’s so fun. Nobody cares about their time. Nobody cares that they’re backed up the avenue waiting to get their token.

Former Olympic rower Eugene Coakley (left) took part in one of the parkruns (PA)

“It’s just really, really good for families. Really good for friends and friend groups. There’s everybody taking selfies, everybody’s taking photographs of each other. It’s brilliant. The atmosphere is class."

Among those crossing the finish line was Irish former Olympic rower Eugene Coakley.

"Christmas morning and 1,000 people, I believe, are here – there’s nowhere better you’d want to be than in Stormont park having a parkrun, it’s brilliant," he remarked. "We’ve been up all morning opening presents, but to get out and get a bit of fresh air and run around the park is brilliant."

Meanwhile, at Wallace Park in Lisburn, 713 runners packed the course, eclipsing their previous Christmas Day attendance record by nearly 100 participants.

Run director Jonathan Davis spoke of the strong sense of community that parkrun fosters, particularly resonating during the festive period.

"We had 624 runners here last year. They were queuing to finish this year, which has never happened before, so we are well above that today," Mr Davis explained.

"This is such a massive community event. People wouldn’t turn up here if they didn’t want to, particularly on Christmas morning. It brings people together in a way that very few other things can do and I think it is something we should cherish.

“We have been going here in Wallace Park since 2013. We are doing something right, we are very lucky to have an incredible team of volunteers that turns up here every single week."