Vegan running club numbers tops UK Parkrun

Parkrun is a national network of 5km runs across the nation. It has 777 volunteer-run courses and thousands of runners have completed millions of runs.

Just three UK clubs have over 3000 members competing, with Vegan Runners UK out in front on 4450 (and growing). Between them, VRUK members have completed over 166,000 Parkruns, running 830,065 km!

The club was formed in 2006 and has grown rapidly over the years. While many members compete locally or run non-competitively, the club boasts superstars.

International duathlete Lisa Gawthorne and world record breaking marathon runner Fiona Oakes both compete in the distinctive black and green colours.

Growth!

The milestone reflects both the growth in veganism and the increasing association of veganism with health and fitness.

“Being the largest club sends a very strong message not only to Parkrun but to the whole world and society” said Club Secretary Lina Ambruleviciute.

“Vegan Runners have really embraced parkrun, as have many Clubs, and it’s fabulous to see us continue to grow and now top the list of the U.K’s Biggest Clubs” says a statistician from the club.

“Our Parkrun participation numbers have been growing strongly and accelerating in recent years. We now have 600 runners getting scanned each week, plus many more volunteering”.

“The get-togethers at local cafes after Parkrun prove very popular and several times a year we have very large meetups with around 150 runners at Parkrun”. 

In the UK and beyond, vegan runners have become prevalent in distance running with some of the sports biggest names adopting a vegan diet, usually for reasons of ethics, environment and sport performance.