FITNESS fanatics can rest happy in the knowledge a popular weekly Parkrun event will continue free-of-charge, as Bracknell Town Council confirm they have no intention of asking organisers to pay to use their facilities.

More than 200 people a week enjoy the group run around Great Hollands Recreation Ground every Saturday morning, organised by a local branch of Parkrun UK, and they have been assured the event will continue to be free despite a parish council becoming the first in the country to start charging the Bristol event to use their grounds.

Parkrun stages timed five-kilometre runs at 850 different locations in 12 countries which are free and open to all in aims of encouraged more people to get active.

The Bracknell event saw a total of 2,764 people take part in the first year and recorded more than 11,600 runs around the recreation ground, all fully supported by the town council.

Bracknell town council clerk, Russell Reeve, said: “The town council are really pleased with its success and will certainly be supporting it.

“A few weeks ago we had to take some action to address muddy conditions and we lay wood chip from managing trees in the town.

“I think the conditions have improved in the last week or so. Overall the runners love the event. We have also tried to make sure to enforce the message the runners need to be considerate to neighbours and dog walkers.”

Mr Reeve confirmed the council had kept costs very low, so there is no intention of implementing charges for the event.

The run in Bracknell has been going for just over a year.

Speaking to the News, organiser Naomi Aitken confirmed there are no plans to charge runners to take part in Bracknell.

On Facebook she added: “The organisers of Little Stoke Parkrun in Bristol have categorically said that they will not be charging Parkrun participants.

Bracknell Parkrun will never charge either. If Bracknell Town Council wanted to impose a charge then the Parkrun would not continue.”