THE return of a popular community running event has been delayed after many towns - including Basingstoke - failed to get landowner permission.

Parkrun is a free, weekly 5k running event held in more than 2,000 locations in 22 countries across the world.

The popular event was due to return on Saturday, June 5, after more than a year of cancellation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

However, the return relied on enough locations being given the go-ahead, so as not to overwhelm those who have.

Unfortunately, the target number wasn’t reached and today (May 21) parkrun UK has announced that it has been forced to delay the planned reopening of 5k events in England.

Among those groups unable to secure permission was Basingstoke, whose event takes place at council-owned War Memorial Park.

Posting on the Basingstoke parkrun Facebook page, event director Avi Govind said that the group has a “great relationship” with the council, who have been “very supportive” and is positive about getting more clarity ahead of the revised date.

“We appreciate many of you will be disappointed and frustrated” the post read, adding: “We would ask you not to contact the council to put any additional pressure on them”.

Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s arts and events manager Ross Harvie said: “We have been working closely with Basingstoke ParkRun event organisers to ensure plans were in place to keep participants and the wider public safe for a return of the event from 5 June.

“We understand this has been a difficult year for residents across the borough who will be looking forward to returning to activities such as Basingstoke Parkrun and the decision to delay the event has been taken by ParkRun nationally.

“We will continue to work closely with the organisers of Basingstoke ParkRun to meet the national organisation’s plan to restart the event at the end of June.”

With a number of landowners responding positively, parkrun UK will now target Saturday 26 June to resume all 5k events across England.

A decision will be made regarding the go ahead for this new date on Friday 11 June.

Nick Pearson, parkrun Global CEO said: “We will continue to work hard with landowners over the coming weeks to secure the permissions needed to return at the end of June. We are incredibly grateful to all of the landowners who have granted events permission to return so far, and for the groundswell of support for parkrun over recent days.

“Although it is disappointing not to be able to return on 5 June, we are still optimistic that we can return parkrun events to nearly 600 communities across England very soon. We will do everything we can to ensure events restart on 26 June.”