A weekly community running event - powered by volunteers - is growing in popularity and providing a great opportunity for young volunteers.

Wānaka parkrun is a 5km run/walk, one of an international collection of events for walkers, runners and volunteers that take place every Saturday morning at more than 2,000 locations in 22 countries across six continents.

Wānaka marked its 334th event recently (Saturday May 31), with 139 finishers and 12 volunteers, including four students from Te Kura o Tititea Mount Aspiring College (MAC).

Run Director for the day (and Wānaka parkrun founder) Jane Sharman said the event has grown in popularity, and even reached a record number of finishers this past summer: more than 300 people.

Keen runners lineup for parkrun on Saturday morning.

On Saturday, the first runner home took just 18 minutes to complete the scenic route from Wānaka Station Park to Waterfall Creek and back, and the average finishing time was 31 minutes.

Sarah Parkinson, who ran the event while pushing her daughter Ari in the buggy, takes part every week.

“On a windy day today it was like pushing a parachute,” she said.

Sarah said her daughter “loves it”.

“We’ve got a pack of snacks and books and everything to keep her comfortable… Today she was happy, she was just singing along, eating her snacks, holding her soft toys, having a good time.”

MAC volunteers May Foxley, Billy Dean, PJ Foxley, and Bill Dobson.

A couple who have each taken part in more than 100 parkrun events told the Wānaka App the weekly event is “great motivation” and a “good community event”.

A 74-year-old volunteer said she had done about 50 parkruns but was taking it easy following hip replacement surgery. She said she had been a tramper for most of her life but began running at parkrun about five years ago.

“There’s all shapes and ages,” she said.

Wānaka parkrun event organiser Katy Macpherson has been volunteering with parkrun since its inception in 2018.

She said the event is run globally by volunteers, with Wānaka’s event requiring about 10 volunteers each week.

“It’s awesome to have the volunteers,” she said. “We all want to run as well, so having a good pool of volunteers really helps.”

A runner heading back from Waterfall Creek on Saturday.

She said MAC students have been a big part of the volunteering pool, sometimes giving their time through involvement in schemes such as the Duke of Edinburgh Awards and the William Pike Challenge.

“The kids will always be supported. We pride ourselves in ensuring that all the volunteers - kids and volunteers - are set up to succeed,” Katy said.

Parkrun takes place every Saturday at 8am during daylight savings time (summer) and 9am during standard time (winter), starting from Wānaka Station Park. The event is followed by a coffee at Edgewater.

PHOTOS: Wānaka App