STOKE GIFFORD Parish Council have been blasted for introducing fees for parkruns at Little Stoke and told that the loss of the run will have a significant affect on Thornbury Running Club athletes.

They have been told athletes will not be paying to run at the venue, the nearest to Thornbury, and will go elsewhere to enjoy their weekly run.

Stoke Gifford have voted to introduce the fees, similar to renting a football pitch, for athletes to take part in weekly parkruns at Little Stoke and, in doing so, they have become the first people in the world to ask for cash.

However, the decision has been branded as short-sighted and brought stinging comments on social media from many people, including athletic stars such as British distance running hero Paula Radcliffe who said on her Twitter account: “Am totally against this short sighted decision”

Thornbury Running Club will be one of those organisations badly affected by the decision, which has seen the run this weekend called off for ‘safety purposes’ due to the numbers of runners who take part.

Parkruns are free across the world, and this country’s organisers, Parkrun UK, say on their website that they receive sponsorship but this goes directly to ensuring the technology used to record athlete’s efforts are up-to-date, paying for a couple of employees and providing some prizes.

They say: “Building and maintaining the parkrun family of events costs money. Our goal is to ensure that every event we create is able to live forever. In order to ensure this, we set aside all the sponsorship income for this purpose.

“Sponsor income props up the organisation, ensures the technology is current and operational, provides for the few employees and offers some of the fantastic freebies that we have come to love, like the club tees and the Sweatshop monthly prizes etc.”

Thornbury RC athlete Judy Mills voiced the opinion of her club saying: “Forty-nine members of Thornbury Running Club have taken part in Little Stoke parkrun and several more have done parkruns at other locations.

“The glory of parkrun is that it is free, and for everybody, whether they can dash round in under 16 minutes, or run-walk and even walk in 40-plus minutes.

“Little Stoke is the closest to Thornbury where the majority of the Club members reside.

“There never will be any charge to runners for taking part in parkrun, and there are no funds available to pay for 'hire' of the park so this means that, as of end of May, there will be no Little Stoke parkrun.

“Runners will have to travel to a different venue, Chipping Sodbury, Pomphrey Hill, Ashton Court being the closest. There is talk from the Parish Council of parkrun applying for a grant but those who understand the system will explain that this is not possible.

“Those who run with Thornbury Running Club have been pleased to take part in parkruns, but they would be running even if parkrun did not exist. The real damage being done is to those who need all that the parkrun community has to offer. “ Parkruns, said Mills, were also not just about fit athletes chasing personal best times but have significant health benefits, particularly to people with disabilities who take part.

She added: “There are the obvious benefits of health and fitness, but parkrun has done so much more. Yes, there are stories of the overweight and unfit losing weight, and finding that regular exercise helps their diabetes, asthma, even cystic fibrosis.

“More touching are those stories from parents of young people with Aspergers, Downs and mental health problems who, by taking part in the inclusive movement that is parkrun, have found confidence and acceptance, both by running and by volunteering.”

Mills said she was outraged by the decision, adding: “Personally I cannot understand the short-sightedness of Stoke Gifford Parish Council, whose arguments, incidentally, seem to change with every interview. Parkrun will not be paying a charge. Parkrun will continue - just not at Little Stoke.

“Shame on you, Stoke Gifford. But runners are made of tougher stuff. We don't need you.”