Meet an Offaly park-runner who has completed his 150th event

Meet Finbar Redmond, from Edenderry, who has recently completed his 150th parkrun at Mountlucas parkrun.

When did you first complete a parkrun?

My first parkrun was in 2017 in Naas. I was out for a drink with three of my friends and we had a bit of banter about who would be the quickest runner. We were looking for a race to put it to the test, and someone said we should do the parkrun that was on on Saturday morning, that there was one in Naas. So the three of us got up the following morning (a bit hungover!) and went over to Naas and raced each other. And that’s how I started and got introduced into parkrun. It’s the first time I had heard of it.

What is your favourite thing about parkrun?

My favourite thing about parkrun is the friendliness, getting to meet new people, the interaction, getting to do something outdoors. I’ve met so many new people through parkrun; people that I never would have known or talked to at all. That’s the great thing about parkrun, that you meet new people. Through volunteering at parkrun, you get the opportunity to chat to more people and meet more people.

How does it feel to have reached the significant milestone of 150 parkruns?

It’s great to have reached the milestone of 150 parkruns. When I started out, if someone said to me that I was going to do 50 parkruns I would have said they were dreaming! But it becomes more addictive; the more you do, the more you want to do. It’s something that’s easy to get addicted to once you get in and get chatting to people and the friendship that surrounds it, that you keep wanting to do more and you miss it on a Saturday morning if you don’t get out to do it.

What is your favourite parkrun memory?

It’s very hard to pick out an individual favourite parkrun memory. I’ve ran lots of parkruns in different locations. I’ve ran one in Washington DC, in Cleveland, in Cornwall in the UK, and I’ve ran numerous ones around Ireland. Some of my favourite parkrun moments are (and other people mightn’t understand this!) on a wet, windy morning in Mountlucas. It’s so lovely to run out there; you’re so in touch with nature, and those mornings are some of my best parkrun memories.

What words best describe Mountlucas parkrun?

The best way to describe Mountlucas parkrun is one of the friendliest parkruns I’ve been to. I’ve been to lots of them around Ireland and they’re not all as friendly as Mountlucas. It’s such a sociable and homely atmosphere; everyone has a chat or a word for you. There’s always a warm welcome, especially from Mary Dunne, our volunteer designated to welcome first timers. The whole thing is a wonderful atmosphere, it’s so friendly and it’s always really enjoyable.