List of new parkrun events for 2026

There are already several new parkruns on the map in 2026. From coastal promenades to woodlands across the UK, thousands of runners and walkers have enjoyed brand new 5k events this year.

If you are searching for a list of new parkruns to add to your tourist streak, this is the definitive guide to the events that have started or are planned to launch in 2026. Finding out about new locations can be tricky because local volunteer teams often deliberately keep things quiet.

Why the secrecy? Most event directors want to avoid being swamped by hundreds of inaugural hunters while their core volunteer team is still learning the ropes. They prefer a soft launch to test their systems, ensure runner safety, and let the event bed in with the local community before the masses arrive.

Back in January, Nottingham’s new Holme Pierrepont parkrun faced an enormous 1,279 participants at their inaugural event after a cancellation the previous week let the cat out the bag. By all accounts, they handled it brilliantly and now hold the record for biggest inaugural, but it’s a daunting prospect for any new volunteer team staging their very first event.

If you really want to know about a new location, the official parkrun map is your best tool. New events do not appear on the parkrun website until early on Saturday morning. Checking the event map before 8am on a Saturday is the only reliable way to confirm a new event starting.

Here is the list of every new UK event that’s started in 2026 along with links to their official event pages. We’ve also listed some events we’ve heard are launching soon, but as explained above, won’t be revealing dates of first events unless it’s been officially confirmed elsewhere.

New UK parkruns for 2026:

January

• 10th January: Flint Castle, North Wales
• 17th January: Holme Pierrepont, Nottingham
• 17th January: The Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall
• 24th January: Belladrum, Inverness-shire
• 24th January: Holywell King George V Playing Fields, Watford
• 31st January: York Community Woodland, York

February

• 14th February: Gibraltar Botanical Gardens, Gibraltar
• 28th February: Walton Promenade, Essex

March

• 14th March: Victoria Embankment, Nottingham
• 21th March: West Stow Country, Bury St. Edmunds

April

• 4th April: Rothamsted Park, Hertfordshire
• 11th April: Llwybr Dyffryn Tywi, Carmarthen
• 11th April: Wilton Lodge Park, Hawick
• 18th April: Waverley Lakes, Sheffield
• 18th April: Green Park, Reading
• 18th April: Lady Mary’s Walk, Perthshire
• 25th April: Riverside, Ballymoney

May

• 2nd May: Thorney Bay Beach, Canvey Island
• 2nd May: Kingsway Park, Urmston
• 9th May: Drumlanrig Castle, Scotland
• 9th May: Abbot’s Wood, Sussex
• 17th May: Claudy Country Park, County Derry
• 23rd May: Pomeroy Forest, County Tyrone

June

• 6th June: Queensway, Wellingborough
• 27th June: Broughty Ferry Esplanade, Dundee
• 27th June: Oakey Park, Stanley

July

• 4th July: Cofton Park, West Midlands
  • As reported by BBC News but later postponed and launched on 8th August
• 4th July: Brackenhurst Campus, near Nottingham
• 11th July: Plantation Forest, Saint Helena
• 11th July: Vale Park, Burslem, Stoke
• 18th July: Jeskyns Community Woodland, Kent
• 25th July: Ae Forest, Dumfries
• 25th July: Bittesby Country Park, Lutterworth

August

• 8th August: Cofton Park, West Midlands
• 8th August: West Bay, Dunoon, Argyll and Bute
• 22nd August: Compton Abbas Airfield, near Salisbury

September

• 26th September: Chesterford Research Park, near Cambridge
• 26th September: Cockington Court, Torquay

October

• 3rd October: Brimstage, Wirral
• 3rd October: North Farm, near Worthing
• 10th October: Brocks Hill Country Park, Leicester
• 10th October: Impey Walk Knightshayes, Tiverton
• 17th October: Grizedale Forest, Lake District

Expected and rumoured*

• Bittesby Country Park, Leicestershire
  • Seeking volunteers on a local junior parkrun page
• Blue Lagoon, Bletchley
  • Seeking volunteers on residents group
• Canvey Island, Essex
  • Seeking volunteers on social media
• Cofton Park, West Midlands
  • Inaugural 4th July: as reported by BBC News but later postponed and started 8th August
• Fairford, near Swindon
  • Fairford Town Council, as sponsors of the event, say it will launch in Spring 2026
• Grizedale, Lake District
  • According to Coniston Parish Council, Forestry England are seeking volunteers
  • Started on 17th October
• Jeskyns Community Woodland, Kent
  • Seeking volunteers on Forestry England page
  • Started on 18th July
• Marsh Tracks, Rhyl
  • As reported in local press and currently seeking volunteers
• Oakey Park, County Durham
  • Seeking volunteers in Stanley Magazine
  • Started on 27th June
• Queensway, Northampton
  • As reported in local press to launch in early 2026
• Vale Park, Wirral
  • As reported in local press, seeking volunteers
• Waverley Lakes, Sheffield
  • Started on 18th April
• Wivenhoe Park, Colchester
  • University of Essex campus. Permissions and route in place. Seeking volunteers.
• Winsford, Cheshire
  • As reported in local press and currently seeking volunteers

*As explained above, most new events want to keep their launch date quiet to avoid being swamped on the first attempt. We’ll only post launch dates for the rare cases where organisers choose to advertise it themselves.

For dedicated tourists wanting to keep their ear to the ground, you can join the ‘New parkrun‘ or ‘UK Inaugural parkrun‘ groups Facebook. However, they come with a strict caveat: admins will only post upcoming start dates if the event organisers explicitly want it advertised. Otherwise, it remains a closely guarded secret until launch day. You can also follow @new5kparkruns on Twitter.

Have we missed one? Please leave a comment below and let us know. Comments are manually approved and we won’t publish any that reveal launch dates.

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In this article: parkrun, United Kingdom, Nottingham, Flint Castle, North Wales, Lost Gardens of Heligan, Cornwall, Belladrum, Inverness-shire, Watford, York Community Woodland, York, Gibraltar, Essex, Victoria Embankment, West Stow Country Park, Bury St Edmunds, Rothamsted Park, Hertfordshire, Carmarthen, Wilton Lodge Park Fountain, Hawick, Leicestershire, Bletchley, Canvey Island, Fairford, Swindon, Fairford Town Council, Grizedale, Lake District, Coniston Parish Council, Forestry England, Kent, Rhyl, County Durham, Northampton, Sheffield, Flickr, Winsford, Cheshire, Facebook, X. Generated by Wikidata Schema Link Builder.