Sporting spotlight: Fiona Stretton-Emerson

Name: Fiona Stretton-Emerson

Staff, student, or alumni: Student

Course: BSc (Hons) Health and Physical Literacy

Faculty/Service: Faculty of Health, Medicine and Social Care

In your own words, tell us about your sporting achievement.

I started attending Parkrun in August 2018, and on 1 January 2026 I completed my 250th Parkrun. Not only was this my 250th Parkrun overall, but it was also my 200th at my local Parkrun in Harlow.

I realised back in May 2025 that I could make these events marry up on 6 December 2025, but as some Harlow Parkruns were cancelled and I started volunteering at our brand new ARU Writtle Parkrun, I ended up completing it on New Year's Day (which I think sounds better than a random date in December!).

I am now enjoying running at some different Parkruns each Saturday, as I feel Harlow has seen a lot of me over the past five months! Bring on the next 250!

What would you say to someone to inspire them to follow in your sporty footsteps?

I would encourage everyone to give Parkrun a go. The most important message to get across is that you do not have to be a runner to take part and there is no pressure on the time it takes you to complete the 5k.

There are many ways to be involved in Parkrun if running isn't your thing. You can walk a Parkrun, and there are volunteers who walk the routes so that no-one feels excluded or left behind.

Volunteering is a big part of Parkrun – without volunteers, it just couldn't happen. There are many roles to choose from, from being the "tail walker" or a "park walker", to marshalling on the course, timekeeping, or scanning barcodes. I have volunteered 12 times now and I think my favourite job is handing out finish tokens to everyone as they cross the finish line.

Parkrun has been shown to have many health benefits, not just through increased physical activity but also through its sense of community and giving back though the different volunteering roles. This is something I am very passionate about and, being in my final year of study, I am doing my dissertation on the psychological impact of Parkrun on university students. Now that we have our Parkrun up and running at Writtle, this will provide more opportunities for students to participate in, and hopefully benefit from this amazing initiative.

Feeling inspired and want to join our Parkrun?

ARU Writtle Parkrun is every Saturday at 9am. You can find out more on the Parkrun website and ARU Writtle Parkrun Facebook page.

We're always looking for volunteers, with some roles involving helping out before or afterwards, so you can still take part in the run. Email [email protected] if you're interested, and why not get your friends and family involved too?