A Saturday morning and an early autumn chill hangs in the air. I meander the short distance from the car park with a huge smile on my face. It is almost time for parkrun.

On this particular day, though, I’m not running. Instead, I’m on the volunteer roster. Time to be a “high-vis hero”. Except rather than a cape, I’ll be donning a hot-pink tabard to muck in and do my bit.

For the uninitiated, parkrun might seem like a curious concept: a free community event organised entirely by volunteers that allows people to run, jog or walk, as they choose, around a 5K (3.1 mile) course.

There are currently 834 parkrun locations across the UK, with Scotland playing host to 71 each Saturday, including its newest additions at Crinan Canal and Skinadin on Skye.

The first ever parkrun took place in 2004, an idea coined by Paul Sinton-Hewitt who, while unable to run due to injury, began organising weekly timed events for a few friends at Bushy Park in London.

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© Herald Scotland