Free, weekly, every Saturday
parkruns in Essex
There are 27 weekly 5K parkruns in Essex, plus 14 junior parkruns for children aged 4 to 14. Every one is free, every one is on a Saturday morning, and the barcode you register once works at all of them.
- Weekly 5K events
- 27
- junior parkruns
- 14
- Cost
- Free
Every weekly 5K parkrun in Essex
They start at 9:00am on Saturday mornings. Turn up with your barcode — there is nothing to book and nothing to pay.
| Event | Where it's held | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| ARU Writtle parkrun | ARU Writtle | parkrun.org.uk |
| Basildon parkrun | Northlands Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Billericay parkrun | Lake Meadows Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Brentwood parkrun | Weald Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Burnham-on-Crouch parkrun | Riverside Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Chalkwell Beach parkrun | Chalkwell Beach | parkrun.org.uk |
| Chelmsford Central parkrun | Central Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Clacton Seafront parkrun | Clacton Seafront | parkrun.org.uk |
| Colchester Castle parkrun | Castle Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Great Dunmow parkrun | The Recreation Ground | parkrun.org.uk |
| Great Notley parkrun | Great Notley Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Gunpowder parkrun | Gunpowder Park, Waltham Abbey | parkrun.org.uk |
| Hadleigh parkrun, Essex | Hadleigh Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Harlow parkrun | Harlow Town Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Harwich parkrun | Cliff Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Highwoods parkrun | Highwoods Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Hockley Woods parkrun | Hockley Woods | parkrun.org.uk |
| Maldon Prom parkrun | Maldon Promenade Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Markshall parkrun | Markshall | parkrun.org.uk |
| Mersea Island parkrun | Cudmore Grove | parkrun.org.uk |
| Roding Valley parkrun | Roding Valley Recreation Ground | parkrun.org.uk |
| South Woodham Ferrers parkrun | Marsh Farm Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Southend parkrun | Gunners Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Thorney Bay Beach parkrun | Thorney Bay Beach | parkrun.org.uk |
| Thurrock parkrun, Orsett Heath | Pyramid Centre | parkrun.org.uk |
| Walton Promenade parkrun | Walton Promenade | parkrun.org.uk |
| Wickford Memorial parkrun | Wickford Memorial Park | parkrun.org.uk |
Verus athletes who run here
junior parkruns in Essex
A 2km run for children aged 4 to 14, held at 9:00am on Sunday mornings. Check the event's own page before a first visit.
| Event | Where it's held | Official page |
|---|---|---|
| Burnham Riverside junior parkrun | Burnham Riverside Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Chelmsford junior parkrun | Central Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Clacton junior parkrun | Clacton Seafront | parkrun.org.uk |
| Cliff Park junior parkrun | Cliff Park, | parkrun.org.uk |
| Colchester junior parkrun | Old Heath Recreation Ground | parkrun.org.uk |
| Great Notley junior parkrun | Great Notley Country Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Great Wakering Rec junior parkrun | Great Wakering Rec juniors | parkrun.org.uk |
| Harlow junior parkrun | Harlow Town Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Hawkwell junior parkrun | Clements Hall Recreation Ground | parkrun.org.uk |
| Hutton Recreation Ground junior parkrun | Hutton Recreation Ground | parkrun.org.uk |
| Lake Meadows junior parkrun | Lake Meadows | parkrun.org.uk |
| Maldon Prom junior parkrun | Promenade Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Northlands junior parkrun | Northlands Park | parkrun.org.uk |
| Roding Valley junior parkrun | Roding Valley Recreational Park | parkrun.org.uk |
Doing your first parkrun
- 1 Register once at parkrun.org.uk. It is free, and takes a couple of minutes.
- 2 Print your barcode, or save it to your phone. Without it you will run but not get a time — and every parkrunner has forgotten it at least once.
- 3 Turn up about fifteen minutes early. There is a first-timers briefing at most events, and it is worth going to.
- 4 Run, jog or walk the 5K. There is a tail walker at the back whose job is to finish last, so you cannot come in alone at the end.
- 5 Get your finish token scanned with your barcode, and your time arrives by email later that morning.
The same barcode works at every parkrun in the world, forever. Verus is not affiliated with parkrun — these listings are compiled from parkrun's own public events data.
Ready to enter something?
parkrun is where a lot of people start. When you want a start list, a number and a date to train towards, Verus covers 7 organised races in Essex.
7 races in EssexAthletes from Essex on Verus
Everyone here has set out what they're training for, in public. Find someone from your own town chasing the same start line.
parkrun in Essex: common questions
How many parkruns are there in Essex?
There are 27 weekly 5K parkruns in Essex, plus 14 junior parkruns for children aged 4 to 14. All 41 are listed on this page.
What time does parkrun start in Essex?
Weekly 5K parkruns in Essex start at 9:00am on Saturday mornings. junior parkrun runs at 9:00am on Sunday mornings. Start times are read from each event's own page rather than assumed — they vary by country and, in Australia, within a state.
Is parkrun free?
Yes. parkrun is free and always has been. You register once at parkrun.org.uk, print or save your barcode, and that same barcode works at any parkrun in the world, for life.
Is parkrun a race?
No, and parkrun are clear about this — it is a free, weekly, volunteer-run timed 5K rather than a race. You get a time, but there are no places, no prizes and no entry fee. That is also why parkrun events are listed separately from races on Verus.
Do I need to be fast to do a parkrun?
No. Every parkrun has a tail walker whose job is to finish last, so nobody ever comes in behind everyone else on their own. Walking the whole 5K is completely normal.
What is the difference between parkrun and a Essex race?
A parkrun is free, weekly and untimed in the competitive sense. A race has an entry fee, a fixed date, a start list and usually a finisher’s medal. Many runners use parkrun as regular practice between races — Verus lists 7 organised races in Essex too.