So . . like almost every other parkrun I've visited . . the first people to gather are the wonderful Volunteers . .

And as usual, just when you think that maybe there's hardly going to be anybody here this week . . runners arrive from nowhere, and you know it's parkrun time . . Here at York there's a walk across the centre of the Knavesmire to the start, as we start 1/3rd of the way around the perimeter road, run to the finish and then do one complete circuit . . almost the last to get over there are the Starting team, leaving the remaining Volunteers to look after all the bicycles and kit that wait for the runners . .

And in the shadow of one of York's largest hotels, everyone lines up, listens to the parish notices, and then at 9 o'clock, like countless others across England and Wales, they set off on their 5k parkrun . .