Sport Ireland and parkrun team up for International Women’s Day

Join Sport Ireland and parkrun as we unite to inspire women to walk, run, jog, or volunteer for International Women’s Day

Sport Ireland is teaming up with parkrun to encourage people to take part in a parkrun to mark International Women’s Day (Saturday, March 8th) as part of Women in Sport Week.

Nora Stapleton, Women in Sport Lead with Sport Ireland, said: “Women in Sport Week recognises the achievements of women and girls in sports and raises awareness of the many women and sport initiatives and programmes available through Sport Ireland, National Governing Bodies and Local Sports Partnerships.

“At Sport Ireland we’re committed to providing women and girls equal opportunities to enjoy sport, and we want that to be an experience that lasts their entire life. This collaboration with parkrun is the perfect opportunity to celebrate International Women’s Day, and the ethos of parkrun aligns closely with the work we deliver in the area of women in sport.”

Parkrun offers a 5k course on Saturdays and a 2k junior event on Sunday mornings for children aged four to 14. It emphasises inclusivity, with no time limits and a welcoming atmosphere for participants of all abilities.

Jenny Brannigan, parkrun Territory Manager for the Republic of Ireland, said: “This International Women’s Day, we are inviting every woman in Ireland to parkrun. Come to your local parkrun and help celebrate the incredible women in your community.

“I am asking everyone to bring a female friend, family member or neighbour with them, so that they can experience parkrun for the first time. Nearly 10% of the Irish population is registered with parkrun, with 56% of these being women.

“Come and try parkrun in your local community - you can walk, jog, run, volunteer or be part of the fun of cheering everyone on!”

Sports participation among women is at an all-time high, as revealed by the Irish Sports Monitor 2023 report. It showed that sport participation among women was at 46% across Ireland, an increase of six percentage points since the 2022 report (40%). Behind personal exercise and swimming, running was identified as the third-most popular sport in Ireland among women.

Ireland is now the most popular place for parkrun worldwide, with around 9% of the population registered. Some 47% of parkrun finishers are female across both 5k and junior events and 53% of volunteers are women, with strong representation in leadership roles.

For more information on local parkrun events and how to participate, visit the parkrun website.

Events for Women in Sport Week

Thursday, March 6th - Officiating

Webinar: Breaking Barriers - Women in Officiating. A look at some of the challenges, achievements, and future opportunities for women officiating in sport. It will feature invaluable guidance on how to get started in officiating. 8-9pm. Register here.

Friday March 7th - Leadership & Governance

Accelerate Action event on the Sport Ireland Campus. 100 leaders from across the Irish Sport Sector will gather to mark a milestone moment for Sport Ireland: the signing of the Brighton Plus Helsinki Declaration, an international treaty developed by the International Working Group on Women and Sport.

Saturday March 8th - International Women’s Day

Sport Ireland and parkrun Ireland are marking International Women’s Day during Women in Sport Week by encouraging women and girls to head to their local parkrun on Saturday March 8th to walk, jog, run or volunteer.

Sunday March 9th - Active Participation

This is a day for women to mark Women in Sport Week by getting active in whatever way they want. For ideas about ways to be active in your area check out Get Ireland Active, Ireland’s most comprehensive activity, sport and recreation website. And, of course, there are also junior parkruns taking place today.