Free weekly 5Ks in Cedar City and Provo aim to unite communities one run at a time

PROVO — For many, running is about community, and two Utah cities now offer a free weekly 5K to provide just that.

Led entirely by community volunteers, Cedar City and now Provo hold what's called parkruns, which are free community 5Ks each Saturday throughout the year.

Parkrun originated in London in 2004 with just 13 runners. Now it has 2,850 events across more than 22 countries with an average weekly participation of approximately 450,000 runners and walkers.

Cedar City resident Bruce Gavin started holding a weekly parkrun in 2024, several years after moving from Australia.

"I moved to Cedar City in 2022, and it's quite lonely and hard to meet people," he said, adding that where he came from, parkruns were very popular.

"The reason why I started a parkrun in Cedar City was primarily for my own mental health," he said. "The parkrun itself offers physical exercise, but it does it in a social atmosphere, so it's about overcoming loneliness, and it gives people a sense of purpose and a sense of belonging. I found that when I was doing parkrun consistently, it was good for my mental health."

A parkrun is also timed and tracked on the organization's website, catering to the competitive runner as well. Gavin said that many travel the world to participate in various parkruns.

Youth running coach John Hedengren of Provo, who is a former BYU collegiate runner and father of several nationally ranked runners, recently initiated a weekly parkrun event that will start this Saturday at Delta Gateway Park. He said that his goal is to bring the community together for a weekly event where all find a way to belong.

"Utah has an extraordinary running community, and we want everyone to feel they have a place in it," Hedengren said.

Provo Mayor Marsha Judkins said she plans on being at the inaugural event this Saturday and attend "as many as she can" throughout the year. She also said that she loves that the parkrun is community-led.

"This is a community effort from someone not affiliated with the city, and I just love it," Judkins said. "I so appreciate it when people step up and create community. ... Another thing that I really love about this is it showcases a part of Provo that a lot of people don't see."

All parkruns throughout the world are held at the same place each week, and runners complete the same course. The Provo parkrun goes along the Provo River Trail, and the Cedar City parkrun goes up the Coal Creek Trail, which parallels Cedar Canyon.

In fact, Runner's World named Cedar City's Coal Creek parkrun one of the most scenic parkruns in the United States.

Judkins, who said she runs from time-to-time, told KSL that she's most excited about what parkruns can do to bring the community together in a healthy way.

"I don't love running itself, but I run with a friend, and I love that social aspect of it," she said. "And I get to see people on the river trail and say 'Hi.' I get to see neighbors that I don't always see. It's great for my physical health, but I do it for my mental health and for the emotional health that I get from seeing people and being with friends."

Those interested in either parkrun need to register on the event page, and each participant will be given a code to scan at each event to track their run.

"Our goal is (to have) a Saturday tradition where people learn each other's names, encourage one another, and look forward to coming back," Hedengren said. "Walking, running, or helping at the finish line are all ways to belong."

Cedar City's Coal Creek parkrun starts at 9 a.m., and the Provo parkrun begins at 8 a.m.

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