Plans are in the running to make Coonabarabran the new ‘parkrun’ destination.

Parkrun is a free, volunteer-led event, where participants can walk, run, or jog, five kilometres every Saturday morning.

The organisation started in the United Kingdom in 2004 and currently registrations sit at over six million people, across 22 countries.

A parkrun in Coonabarabran has the potential to engage the community in a healthy, shared experience, while also attracting tourists to town.

To initiate parkrun events, a start up fund of $7500 and an approved course is required.

The money covers the cost of equipment needed to sustain an event and includes a defibrillator.

In Coonabarabran, Martin Rehwinkel is the prospective event director and he has been working behind-the-scenes, in conjunction with a local collective, to create a course in town.

He hopes to utilise the new pathway at Neilson Park for a multi-lap course.

The course would be all-inclusive, accessible to prams, wheelchairs and dog walkers, while being central to local cafes.

He said a multi-lap course would provide more community engagement and encouragement.

“You see each other more than once and can give each other high fives as you go past,” Mr Rehwinkel said.

Mr Rehwinkel has first-hand experience to the benefits a parkrun can foster in a community.

He has participated in more than 300 runs and volunteered at more than 50 events.

“I can see the benefits to the community in bringing it here. There are many physical and mental health benefits to running, walking and volunteering,” he said.

“Currently, I am trying to get the course approved. When approved, I hope to raise the start-up funds with the assistance from the 2357 Development Group and the Rotary Club.

“There are many examples of people who have joined parkrun without the ability to even walk the entire distance at first, and after 12 months they are running it in well under an hour!

“As well as official parkrun milestones, there are also many ‘unofficial’ parkrun challenges that connects the community to the rest of the world.”

The five kilometre distance appeals to the majority of participants and can be run or walked socially, as a training session, or semi-competitively.

It is also not mandatory for participatants to complete the full course.

After a one-off registration, participants can join in on a parkrun, at any host location in Australia and internationally.

The closest current parkruns, are held in Dubbo, Narrabri and Tamworth and Mr Rehwinkel said some locals regularly travel to participate.

He encourages anyone wanting to assist in the startup process, to contact the Coonabarabran Times for further details.