It started in London in 2004, and twelve years later found its way to Hagaparken. It all boils down to everyone who wants to run a round of five kilometers gathering just before 09.30 on Saturdays and doing it together.
Recently, the organization Haga parkrun celebrated its 300th race. At the start there were approximately the same number of participants. Among them were tourists from Australia, Finland, Germany and Great Britain. 55 of them ran for the first time.
– It feels really good to have completed so many races. It’s not just about the run, people come here to meet new friends, be outdoors and get the weekend off to a great start. Someone once said to me “I always get positive energy after coming to the parkrun” – that’s also the feeling we want to give people, says Deri Thomas who took the parkrun to Hagaparken.
The race is free and you get around at your own pace. Registrants receive a wristband with a bar code that is used to measure time, but it is not a competition.
In total, over 6,000 are registered to run in Haga and most come from the surrounding area. On average, 150-200 people participate each week, according to Deri Thomas.
– It may sound like a lot, but there are also soon 10 million people registered around the world!
Parkrun is an international organization that organizes races around the world.
In Sweden there are eleven cities. Haga parkrun has its sights set on the long run.
– The original parkrun, Bushy parkrun in London, is about to have its thousandth parkrun this autumn, so that’s something to aim for! Maybe we’ll do something big for our 10th anniversary in 2026 too.
Every Saturday morning for seven years, about a hundred people gather in Hagaparken and run. On Saturday 15 April is the 250th time.
Parkrun was founded in 2004 in Bushy Park in London.
The concept of running a round of five kilometers spread around the world and gradually made its way to Hagaparken.
– We started in 2016 and are in Hagaparken every Saturday. It’s a great fun event organized by volunteers. We usually have between 80 and 120 every week and have had a little over 5,000 participants over the years, says Deri Thomas, who took Parkrun to Sweden and Hagaparken.
– I come from Great Britain and there this is huge. There are over 150,000 who participate every Saturday.
Free to run
The race is free to participate in for anyone who wants to. Whoever registers gets a wristband with a bar code that is used to measure time, but it is not a competition, emphasizes Deri Thomas. At 09.30 it starts.
– People run in 16 minutes, others walk around in 65, it doesn’t matter. Afterwards we go to Café Caesar and have coffee, so it’s a social thing too.
Most come from the surrounding area. He himself lives in Kungsängen but worked for a long time in Vasastan.
– I have been jogging in Vasastan since I came to Sweden in 2005, so I knew Hagaparken very well. It’s a great park quite central in Stockholm. A natural place to run.
A happier planet
During Easter he was home in the UK to visit family and friends. Then he took the opportunity to participate in a race in Cardiff which is the second largest in Great Britain.
– I think running makes you feel good. Both physically and mentally. It doesn’t really matter how fast you are.
– That is what Parkrun stands for, to create a healthier and happier planet. At the same time as people meet others to talk to.
We are usually between 80 and 120 each week
