13 Mai 2022

A father-of-two from Caerphilly has taken it upon himself to complete every parkrun in Wales.

David Roberts, who works as deputy head teacher at Ysgol Heol y Celyn in Rhydyfelin, decided to set himself the challenge back in 2019.

After starring as a leader of S4C health series FFIT Cymru, when he lost a total of 3 stone and 11 lbs in just seven weeks, he decided to continue his fitness transformation by running regular parkrun 5ks on a Saturday morning.

His first came in the FFIT Cymru parkrun 5k Challenge in Newborough, Anglesey, during the series, and he has not looked back since. Up to now, he has partaken in 40 different parkrun events across Wales – and now he has the final four in his sights.

David said: "There are 44 parkruns in Wales at the moment and I've done 40 different ones, so I only have four to go. I'm hoping to finish them all over the summer. There are another two coming too, so I will complete those two after I finish the 44.

"I did the FFIT Cymru 5k parkrun challenge in Newborough, and a few weeks later I ran the Pontypridd parkrun with my friends . After that I ran my local parkrun in Penallta, and after doing those three I decided, 'right, I'm going to do the lot!'

"11 people have completed every parkrun in Wales but I'm hoping to join them soon. It's great to set yourself a target and just go for it. I don't worry so much about the times any more, it's more about finishing the run and enjoying it, that's what's important to me."

David, who is from Llandudno originally, is hoping to complete the feat with the Conwy parkrun, along the same route his grandfather used to walk regularly. But which ones has he enjoyed the most so far?

"I like the ones that are flat!" added Wrexham football fan David. "I'm not such a big fan of the hilly ones, I'm not great with hills. But the ones I enjoyed the most is probably the first one I did, in Newborough, running through the woods and past Llanddwyn Island. There are so many nice ones, we're so lucky in Wales that there are so many beautiful places to run. It's a great way of seeing our country."

This healthy outlook on life seems a million miles away from 2019 for David, when medical experts warned him that his blood pressure was off the scale, and his chances of suffering a stroke were 'dangerously high'.

David added: "I would not have done a parkrun if it wasn't for FFIT Cymru. It's a bit of a cliché by now, but I truly believe that FFIT Cymru saved my life. I would have had a stroke if it wasn't for the show, so it transformed everything for me."

Chris Davies, parkrun Ambassador for Wales, said: "It's fantastic to hear how David has continued to improve his health and well-being.

"We're so pleased that participation in weekly parkruns has contributed to this in such a positive way. So much so, that his fitness journey has taken him to all the parkrun events in Wales.

"There are more new parkruns being planned, so we're sure to keep providing him with new challenges."

This year's FFIT Cymru parkrun challenge takes place in parkruns across Wales on Saturday morning.

If you would like to take part in your local parkrun, go to www.s4c.cymru/ffitcymru for more details, and send in your photos and videos to the @ffitcymru social media accounts.