Community mourns ing of 'Mr Northampton parkrun'

A county's running community has mourned the ing of a nonagenarian referred to as "Mr Northampton parkrun".

Bob Emmerson, 92, who died on Tuesday, had completed 537 parkruns - primarily at the event hosted at Northampton's racecourse - and had volunteered at a further 53 events.

Matt Bushell, co-event director at Northampton parkrun, said Mr Emmerson was "a huge part of the event" and recently attended the 600th race at the site on 17 May.

He said: "People turned up [to Northampton parkrun] because they wanted to see and speak to Bob. He really inspired and encouraged parkrunners, especially those taking part for the first time".

Mr Emmerson, from Walgrave, Northamptonshire, started taking part in 2012, when he was 79.

The runner - who kept active despite having both of his hips resurfaced - completed 528 editions of the Northampton event, but had also ran at others in Northamptonshire at Brixworth Country Park, Daventry and Kettering, plus ones in Darlington, County Durham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire, and Bushy Park in London, where the first parkrun took place.

In a post on Facebook, Northampton parkrun said Mr Emmerson "quite simply was Mr Northampton parkrun".

The event also confirmed its intention to "pay our respects" to Mr Emmerson, who ed away in his sleep, at future editions of the Northampton parkrun.

Mr Emmerson was rarely seen at parkrun with anything other than a distinctive green Silverstone 10k 30th anniversary T-shirt.

In a post of their own reflecting the "truly sad news", the Silverstone Grand Prix 10k race said: "He appears in the top 10 times in five age categories M65 (three times), M75, M80, M85, and incredibly, last year he achieved his goal by completing the race and setting a M90 age record."

Mr Emmerson previously told the BBC he was a "proper, serious, ultra-runner" in his younger days, completing ultradistance and 24-hour races, and his fastest time for a marathon was two hours, 40 minutes and 25 seconds.

He said he enjoyed parkrun as it was a "friendly get-together".

"I must have made hundreds of new friends since I've done the parkrun," he added.

The mass participation 5km run celebrated its 20th anniversary last year after it was started by 13 participants in London.

Follow Northamptonshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.