Run Run Run

I must be far more ill than I thought I was. A brief flicker of what appeared to be a light at the end of the tunnel has turned out to be – and here we resort to dreary cliché – an oncoming express. It must be: I agree with Sajid Javid about something.

Javid has criticised the Welsh government for effectively banning parkruns. Since Boxing Day, gatherings of over 50 people have been prohibited by the devolved administration so the parkrunners themselves have taken the decision to call off their parkruns because it’s not hard for them to exceed the magic number. I am no virologist but this does seem particularly stupid to me.

When we were locked down the first time, golf clubs were closed down. You know, golf, where you play throughout in the open air and if you are as bad as I am you rarely meet up with your opponents, other at the tee or on the green. And, let’s emphasise the point, IT’S OUTDOORS. We are constantly told to ensure places are well ventilated to help prevent the spread of Covid. I am not sure you could find better ventilation that a golf course or a park. Should people stay in crowded indoor areas instead? Maybe I’m missing something or I’m just plain thick?

In The Guardian, former cabinet minister twat Robert Jenrick said, “Having worked with councils to restart parkrun in England this summer, it would be madness to stop it again in Wales or elsewhere. It’s outdoors, and quite obviously brings huge health benefits.” To which I reply, well, why the hell did you shut them down in the first place? Many of us saw our already fragile mental health, not to mention our physical health. battered into near submission, by the previous lockdowns because it seemed taking exercise must be bad for you.

I hope the Welsh government shows some common sense and allows parkruns to operate fully given the health benefits. And how about offering a compromise solution? Reopen park runs but ban people from sharing ghastly photographs of themselves on social media? Middle aged people running is a good thing. Looking at middle aged people in a state of near undress definitely isn’t.