An Olympic legacy - Figges Marsh junior parkrun #201 - 25/01/26
- aqasanu
- Jan 26
- 3 min read
One of my parkrun goals for 2026 is to attend 12 events I’ve not previously attended, ideally one per month. This month I landed on Figges Marsh junior parkrun, chosen because it has a friggin great name 🙂
Nestled in the London Borough of Merton, this 25-acre park in Mitcham was named after William Figge who owned the land from 1357. From the 1800’s it was referred to as Piggs Marsh Common as it was next to the toll road into London, which in 1745 became the London Road. As part of the celebration of HM Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics, the area was protected by Fields in Trust. This charity protects green spaces and promotes accessible spaces for play, sports and recreation. This junior parkrun started in March 2023 a fitting legacy to those memorable Olympics.
After a picture with today’s volunteer team, we had a warm-up for participants, then headed off. Earlier rainfall meant we had the full squelchy ‘marsh effect’ with a bit of slipping and sliding on this two-lap course. The marshals kept everyone focused and motivated, many of them ringing cow bells, creating a wonderful effect.
I completed the event alongside one of the participants who was park walking, a great example of how this event encourages participants to get involved in different volunteering roles. This is great for children to develop a variety of soft skills outside the rigour and pressure of a school setting.
After closing down the event, and storing the equipment, I was treated to a hot drink at the local Cafe’s with Figgs Marsh’s event Director, Mark, who is rich with parkrun lore. Mark is a member of the 500 volunteering club and recently joined the 500 club following his epic Christmas of 3 parkruns in 3 days across 2 countries (Clapham Common parkrun on 25th December, UK Special Day, then Warsaw-Zoliborz parkrun on 26th December, Poland Special Day and then Zalewborki parkrun in Poland on 27th December)!
Mark shared that he’s hoping to complete all the parkruns in the East of England this year. With 21 country flags across 426 locations to his name, I’m confident he’ll achieve this!
Mark also shared that HMP Downview women’s prison in Sutton has a parkrun. I’ll ask my employer if we have any clients serving time there, as I’d be happy to support them in attending. I believe the benefits of parkrun apply equally to everyone; it’s a chance to contribute and develop soft skills and build community, as today’s event perfectly illustrated.
Happy running, walking and volunteering.
You can get involved with Figges Marsh junior parkrun by clicking here
You can learn more about what other things happen at Figges Marsh by contacting Friends of Figges Marsh by clicking here.
You can read about how parkrun was created by the founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, a care leaver, in his book ‘One Small Step’ The Definitive Account of how a run became a Global Movement by clicking here.
Another great read. Thankyou!