Partnerships
You may have noticed that in several parkrun territories we have a number of official partners, some included within the parkrun logo.
Why does parkrun have partners?
Although parkrun is free to take part in, it’s not free to organise. We have a responsibility to events and parkrunners to ensure events are delivered safely, to deliver the technology and health and wellbeing campaigns to support existing events and to help parkrun grow. All of these things cost money and our official partners are a vital part of our funding model, allowing us to ensure that parkrun always remains free, for everyone, forever.
Who are our partners?
Our partners cover a broad range of interests, from health insurance to grocery stores, through to footwear and charities, a list of our current partners can be found on the parkrun website homepage.
As well as supporting us financially, they all go through a thorough process to make sure that their values align with ours. We work together, supporting each other on campaigns, key messaging and ultimately, working together to create a healthier and happier planet.
What can I expect from parkrun partners?
Our partners support parkrun in a range of ways, one of which is visiting parkrun events to activate their campaigns. These events are really popular within the parkrun community. As well as wanting to get to know parkrunners, they may also run competitions, giveaways and add an additional level of excitement on parkrunday.
We’ve seen everything from food samples, trying new shoes, free cookbooks, and unique giveaways you can only get at these events!
At some point, you should expect to see a partner at your local parkrun event. The partner will obtain all necessary permissions from parkrun Head Office and landowners, they will also provide their own team to organise their activities on the day, however they will need support from the event team on logistical questions such as where to set up on the day. All visits are coordinated by parkrun Head Office, the partner and event teams. You should only accept requests that come to you from parkrun Head Office.
You will also see and hear from our partners in our regular newsletters, through emails and on our social media channels. The more engagement we can drive for partners the more successful their support of parkrun will be and ultimately help keep parkrun sustainable and growing.
Due to these contracted relationships, it's important that events avoid supporting any unofficial organisations by showcasing branding, visits or sharing social media posts. Our partners support parkrun financially to access the community in this way and the support of parkrunners for our partners is vital in allowing us to build long term relationships with the brands we partner with.
Note: Any further questions about this guidance should be forwarded to eventsupport@parkrun.com