‘Quite an undertaking.’ His admiring grin and swift, flirty glance wasn’t entirely unwelcome. ‘I wasn’t sure what to expect but it all seems very organised.’ He turned his head to take it all in.
‘That’s thanks to the parkrun organisation, who’ve given us lots of support, but mainly to our fantastic team of volunteers.’
‘How many people are you expecting to turn up and run today?’
‘I’m not sure but I’d be pleased with forty.’
Charles had promised that most of the Harriers would be coming along, Penny and Janie had persuaded the school to put leaflets in all the children’s book bags, and Elaine had taken two cartons of leaflets up to the secondary school. There’d been a lot of interest on Facebook and Hilda had been telling everyone about it, pressing leaflets into the hands of every shopkeeper on the High Street.
‘Seems like a lot of effort for forty people.’ He shrugged and I wondered if he was being deliberately confrontational to get a story.
‘Not at all. It’s about taking part and making a free event available to the local community. The smallest parkruns average about thirty to forty people. Did you know, there are even parkruns in prisons?’
‘No, I didn’t.’ Now I had his interest.
‘Yes, there are over twenty parkruns in prisons and young offender institutions throughout the UK. Don’t you think that’s amazing?’
‘You sound positively evangelical,’ teased the photographer.
‘You know what, I am. This,’ I held out my hand to indicate the park full of people, ‘has changed my life. I’ve got to know more people in the last six weeks than I have the whole six months I lived here before then. I’ve made friends, met people I’d never normally have met, and I think we’re going to make a difference to a lot of people’s lives.’ I thought about Elaine, Marsha, and Wendy reconnecting.
‘Don’t you think you’re attributing quite a lot to… well, a run in the park?’
‘No, not at all. There’s been a lot of interest and support from the community.’
‘So how does it all work?’ he asked with another one of those flirty smiles which gave my ego a welcome boost. Aside from a few texts, I’d barely heard from Ash. Not even a good-luck text this morning. With a smile warmer than he perhaps deserved, I gave Adam a very quick explanation, apologising for its brevity as I had a volunteer briefing to do in the next five minutes. ‘And that’s about it. Actually, if you’re staying for the run, it would be great if you could let us have some photos. I’m supposed to appoint a volunteer photographer but that one fell by the wayside this week. Just too much to do.’ I might as well take advantage of his flirty interest.
‘I’ll definitely do it today but I can do better than that. Hey, Dad. Fancy a job?’
Harold lifted his head as Adam explained that we were a photographer short. ‘I’d be delighted, especially if I get to spend some time with this lovely young lady.’
To my surprise, Hilda simpered – or something very close to it. Oh God, was this husband number five coming up?
‘That would be fabulous, if you could. But do you know what?’ I turned to Adam. ‘Hang around, talk to people. Then come back next week and take part. There are lots of stories here, lots of human interest. Isn’t that what local papers want? Now, please excuse me; I must go and brief the team.’
As Adam stepped back I saw that I’d piqued his interest. ‘I think I will stick around. Interview a few folk. Thanks Claire, hope it all goes well. Perhaps I can give you a call… do a follow-up piece?’
I just nodded. He had my number but, nice as he was, he’d make a poor substitute for Ash.
As it was the same team as last time and they all knew the ropes, the briefing didn’t last very long and the marshals with their lanyards and walkie-talkies set off to take up their positions. Charles and I had walked the course earlier to make sure there were no issues and aside from a large fallen branch that we’d picked up from the main path and tossed into the shrubbery, there were no hazards or obstacles. Elaine, Wendy, and Marsha checked the stopwatches and the scanners and made sure the funnel was set up to their liking while I paced about, trying not to mind too much that I wouldn’t be running today. It was going to be difficult watching them all set off and disappear into the trees and then have to wait for at least twenty minutes before we caught the first glimpse of the lead runner.
‘Claire,’ Penny came dashing over, Hilda hot on her heels, still rustling like a paper bag. ‘We’ve been talking. And we think it’s only fair that Charles acts as run director for you today, or at least during the run.’
‘What?’
‘He ran the course last week. He’s co-director anyway and we all feel really strongly that you should run the first one. You’ve been an absolute hero setting all this up.’
Hilda nudged my arm. ‘Just say yes, dear. You know you want to. And isn’t Harold charming?’ I eyed her and gave in to a sudden urge to hug her. ‘Thank you, Hilda.’ I could tell that she’d been instrumental in arranging this.
‘It’s only right, dear. You’re the one who’s made this happen. Honestly, if I’d known what was involved, I’d never have suggested it.’
‘Now she tells me,’ I said, as we both began to giggle.
‘It’s been a ride though, hasn’t it?’ Hilda winked.
‘It certainly has. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world.’
‘Me neither. And look…’ She pointed to the growing crowd of people gathering around the edge of the big ground sheet we’d spread on the other side of the path for runners to leave their things.
‘Blimey!’ I’d been so busy with other things, I’d not realised how many people had begun to gather but there must have been at least a hundred runners and it was only quarter to nine. ‘Build it and they will come,’ I murmured, shaking my head.
‘And they’re coming.’ She lifted a gnarled old hand to fist bump mine. ‘We did it.’
‘We certainly did.’ I straightened and a burst of pride fired up the blood cells in my veins, pushing through a zing of electricity. ‘We certainly did.’
‘And I for one would be disappointed if you didn’t run it today… and so would you.’ She glanced over to where Poppy and Ava were bundled up in coats against the early morning chill. ‘I’ll keep an eye on both of them.’ Poppy was playing with Bill as always and Ava was guarding the small pile of tins of brownies, cakes, and cookies that some of the volunteers had brought along.
‘That’s very kind of you. Although Bryan – he gets my train every morning – has said she and Bill are very welcome to join him on the tail walk.’ Bryan Fellbrook, it turned out, had once been a keen runner but had got out of the habit. His wife had died recently and this, he thought, would give him something to do on Saturday mornings. I hoped so. Since that first volunteer meeting, he and the other lady with the gorgeous auburn hair had come and sat with me a couple of times and the three of us had developed a little commuter friendship, chatting all the way into Leeds.