Now, it has been recognised in a book which chronicles the history of parkrun in Australia and features 32 of the country's locations for the weekly five-kilometre event.

On Every Saturday, written by self-confessed "mid-life crisis runner" David Crook, has been published by Booktopia and will be released on Tuesday.

Every Saturday morning, tens of thousands of Australians come together in hundreds of locations across the country, to participate in the community-based, volunteer-led phenomenon known as parkrun. It is free and everyone is welcome.

From its first Australian event on the Gold Coast in 2011, parkrun has grown to over 400 Australian locations and has a million registered participants.

Newcastle's first parkrun was held in June 2012. It was the seventh parkrun to be established in Australia and the first of now 15 for the Hunter region.

To date, Newy parkrun has been held 440 times with over 19,000 different people participating. With an average of 423 participants every week, it has proven the catalyst to getting a lot of people moving. The Newy course is a flat, out-and-back circuit along Throsby Creek at Carrington and Maryville, with water views most of the way.

It was a parkrun that Crook was told had to be included in his book, which grew legs after being started as an assignment for a graduate writing program through the University of Technology, Sydney.

"Having gone through this process of researching the book, I feel like Newy is one of the really legendary Australian parkruns just because of the extraordinary way it has been put together and the traditions that it has built," Crook said.

Crook's parkrun experience began in the UK in 2018. He is now a North Sydney parkrun regular.

The parkrun story is a familiar one. Someone goes along for the first time and never looks back.

"It's the extraordinarily simple concept of same time, same place every week, 5km, everyone welcome, always free, walk, run, volunteer, spectate," Crook said.

"So, it can be the exact same simple concept but everyone can do it in their own way.

"There's people who do it pushing a pram. There's people who do it walking a dog."

On Every Saturday profiles parkruns from Weipa and Kalgoorlie, to Timboon and Yeldulknie Weir.

It highlights the people and stories behind the events, the sometimes life-changing impact of parkrun, and explains how easy it is to become involved.

"Every single one, the story was the same - about community, well-being and inclusiveness," he said.

Newy parkrun is on hold under December 18 due to public health orders in place because of COVID-19.

Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au.

Renee Valentine is a journalist, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.

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