Community Hit as New Earswick Parkrun Suspended Indefinitely Over Capacity and Safeguarding Concerns

New Earswick Parkrun suspended while football season continues

The long-running New Earswick Parkrun, held at the New Earswick Sports & Social Club in York since April 2018, has been suspended indefinitely during the football season because the club says the venue is operating beyond safe capacity.

The weekly 5km event typically attracted around 200 participants each Saturday and organisers estimate roughly 25,000 people have taken part since the event began. The sports club said a recent five-year agreement with a football academy has substantially increased the number of players, coaches and spectators using the site on Saturday mornings.

"Unfortunately, the increased activity and the positioning of those involved has meant that Parkrun cannot take place while football is in session, which is typically from late summer through to mid-February, and possibly into early April should teams progress to finals," a club spokesperson said.

The club said the overlap of activities has pushed the venue beyond what it considers a safe capacity, raising concerns about health, safety and safeguarding. They also cited complaints from local residents about parking disruption and incidents in the changing rooms where some runners sought showers while junior teams were present.

"In addition to capacity issues, we have received complaints from residents about where Parkrun participants leave their cars, which has caused disruption locally. There have also been incidents of runners entering the changing rooms, seeking showers while junior teams are present, which is not appropriate and adds to safeguarding concerns," the spokesperson added.

Mark Hudson, Parkrun regional event ambassador, said he understood the club’s need to manage commercial activity but stressed the event’s value to the community. "The sports club is a business at the end of the day, it's got to make money, I do understand that," he said, noting that Saturday mornings have become busier as more teams book the pitches.

Since the cancellation was announced, Parkrun organisers and participants have posted strong reactions. Mr Hudson described the local response as "phenomenal," with many people sharing personal stories about how Parkrun helped them get active, make friends and find a supportive community.

The sports club acknowledged Parkrun’s positive impact and said it would consider reinstating the event if circumstances change. "Should circumstances change in future seasons, we will be more than happy to reconsider our position and work together towards a mutually beneficial arrangement," the club said.

For now, the New Earswick Parkrun community is left looking for alternatives while the sports club and Parkrun organisers explore potential solutions for future seasons.