Overnight encampment sparks safety fears as devastated runners left stranded on Saturday morning
Hundreds of devastated runners were left high and dry on Saturday morning after travellers pitched up overnight and forced the cancellation of Bournemouth’s beloved parkrun.
The much-loved community event — which sees locals gather every weekend for a free 5km run — was axed at the last minute when volunteers discovered caravans had descended on the course.
‘Risk of moving cars’
Organisers made the heartbreaking decision to pull the plug over fears that participants could be mown down by vehicles moving around the field where the travellers had set up camp.
The weekly event, which attracts hundreds of runners to Kings Park near AFC Bournemouth’s Vitality Stadium, was called off just hours before the scheduled 9am start.
When this was discovered by the core team of volunteers early this morning, a decision was made to cancel due to safety concerns,” organisers revealed. The course goes around the field where the travellers are and there is always the risk of moving cars and caravans at any time during the event.
The bombshell announcement left regular participants gutted — and sparked fury at the disruption to the cherished community tradition.
‘It’s a shame’
A 26-year-old regular runner couldn’t hide his disappointment at losing his weekend ritual. “It’s a shame to see the park run cancelled,” he told reporters. “We do it every week to start off our weekend and it’s a great way for the community to come together and stay healthy.”
The young athlete’s frustration echoed across social media as news of the cancellation spread like wildfire through Bournemouth’s running community.
In a brief statement posted online, Bournemouth Parkrun confirmed: “Unfortunately due to an illegal encampment on the course we have to cancel this morning’s parkrun.”
Volunteers’ heartbreak
The cancellation hit particularly hard for the army of volunteers who sacrifice their Saturday mornings to make the free event possible. These unsung heroes arrive before dawn to set up the course, man the finish line and ensure everything runs smoothly — all without a penny in payment.
“All parkruns are run by volunteers who give up a lot of free time to put on the event so that hundreds of us can take part for free,” one organiser pointed out, highlighting the selfless dedication behind the weekly gathering.
The decision to cancel wasn’t taken lightly. Organisers stressed that runner safety had to come first, even if it meant disappointing the faithful crowd who turn up rain or shine every weekend.
Community spirit crushed
For many participants, parkrun is far more than just a Saturday morning jog. It’s a lifeline — a chance to connect with neighbours, improve mental health and be part of something bigger.
The event brings together runners of all abilities, from Olympic hopefuls to pensioners taking their first tentative steps back to fitness. Now that weekly dose of community spirit has been snatched away.
Desperate runners were advised to travel to alternative parkruns in Poole, Moors Valley, Upton House and Blandford — though for many without transport or with family commitments, these distant options were simply not feasible.
National treasure under threat
The Bournemouth cancellation is just the latest in a string of disruptions caused by traveller encampments at parkruns across Britain. From Dundee to Guildford, these cherished community events have repeatedly fallen victim to unauthorised camps.
In Dundee, parkrun was forced to cancel multiple times after travellers arrived with “untethered dogs and other animals” including chickens. Guildford’s event was axed three times in just five weeks when 22 caravans descended on Stoke Park.
The pattern is depressingly familiar: travellers arrive overnight, parkrun discovers them at dawn, safety concerns force a cancellation, and hundreds of runners are left disappointed.
A British success story
Parkrun represents everything that’s great about Britain — community spirit, volunteering and healthy living rolled into one free weekly event. Started by Paul Sinton-Hewitt in 2004 with just 13 runners in London’s Bushy Park, it’s grown into a global phenomenon.
Today, the UK hosts 866 weekly parkruns with over 3.7 million people having crossed the finish line thanks to nearly 500,000 volunteers. Every Saturday morning, around 185,000 Brits lace up their trainers and head to their local park.
The events are completely free, welcoming to all abilities and run entirely by volunteers. There’s no time limit, no one finishes last, and whether you run, jog, walk or volunteer, everyone’s contribution is valued equally.
Volunteers: The real heroes
Behind every parkrun are the volunteers who make it happen. From the Run Director overseeing safety to the tail walker ensuring no one’s left behind, these community champions give up their lie-ins for the greater good.
They arrive early to check the course for hazards, set up signs and cones, scan barcodes, record times and cheer on every single participant. Research shows 142,000 people volunteered at parkrun in 2016 alone — a staggering testament to British generosity.
Many volunteers can’t run themselves due to age or disability but find purpose and community through helping others achieve their goals. Studies show 83.5% of parkrun volunteers feel more connected to their community, while 54.5% report improved mental health.
Growing crisis
Campaigners for the Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities argue the lack of official transit sites forces travelling families to camp in unsuitable locations. A spokesperson for Surrey Gypsy Traveller Communities Forum previously explained: “Surrey does not have any temporary stop sites which means that people on the road have to find places which may not be popular with local people.
They added: “No one wants to pull up to a place where there may be anger, rejection, sometimes abuse, and the requirement to move on quickly.”
But for parkrun participants, the repeated cancellations feel like their community space is under siege. The events require clear, safe routes free from vehicles — something impossible when caravans occupy the course.
Safety first, but at what cost?
Organisers face an impossible choice: risk runners’ safety by going ahead with vehicles on the course, or cancel and disappoint hundreds. They consistently choose safety — the only responsible decision — but the human cost is enormous.
For lonely pensioners, parkrun might be their only social contact all week. For those battling depression, it’s proven therapy. For families, it’s precious time together away from screens. When parkrun is cancelled, all of this vanishes.
The tragedy is that both communities — settled and travelling — are losing out. Parkrunners lose their weekly event while travellers face hostility for simply needing somewhere to stop.
Time for action
As another parkrun falls victim to an unauthorised encampment, questions mount about how long this can continue. How many more cancellations before authorities act? How many more disappointed runners before proper transit sites are provided?
The volunteers who run Bournemouth parkrun will dust themselves off and try again next week. The participants will hopefully return, though some may have lost faith. The travellers will likely have moved on, leaving behind frustration and division.
But the fundamental problem remains: cherished community events like parkrun shouldn’t be held hostage by a lack of proper stopping places for travelling families. Both communities deserve better.
Until then, hundreds of runners will wake up on Saturday mornings wondering if their parkrun will go ahead — or if they’ll face another last-minute cancellation. In modern Britain, that uncertainty is a tragedy for community cohesion.
For now, Bournemouth’s running community can only hope that next Saturday brings better news. The volunteers will return, the course will be checked, and perhaps — just perhaps — the familiar cry of “3, 2, 1, go!” will once again ring out across Kings Park.
Because parkrun is more than just a run. It’s proof that communities can come together, that strangers can become friends, and that Saturday mornings can be magical.
When it’s cancelled, we all lose a little bit of that magic.
