8 goodgymers braved the slightly wet weather to paint the town (i.e. Ocean Youth Connexions) white (pun credit:Ilana. Task owner Kamal provided us with overalls to prevent us getting covered in paint. A few drops snuck in somehow but we all emerged relatively unscathed.

Rohan, Kareem, Dnyaneshwari and Tom were team Green Container. I hear there may have been some tuneful humming to make the most of the acoustics.The rest of us headed to the stairwell to paint everything but the stairs. Partway through Oliver upgraded his roller by attaching it to a big stick, allowing him to reach the taller parts of the wall.

Team GC needed to change paint partway through as the stuff they started with wouldn't stick to the walls - a paint rebellion! But Kamal soon sorted them with a more co-operative emulsion.

Team Stairwell made their way slowly down the stairs, leaving behind fresh white walls in their wake. No trips but potentially some drips.. Not wanting to mark the stairs, Ilana may have caught some with her own head - very considerate indeed.

It was an enjoyable, focused task. We all seemed to get so into the rhythm of painting that we seemed to be painting anything and everything white by the end. In fact. Team Green Container were so engrossed in their work, they stayed for an extra 5 minutes, determined to get the job done. The pull of the paint is strong.

Well done all and a massive congratulations to Kareem for completing his 50th task!

This weekend brought another fantastic event at London Fields, full of community spirit and great energy from start to finish.

We had a turnout of 58 runners, including at least seven first-timers — always a joy to welcome new faces to the parkrun family. We also had the added delight of a birthday celebration, which brought an extra energy to the morning.

Conditions were ideal — bright, dry and perfectly set for a strong run. The atmosphere was lifted even further by another enthusiastic round of the Hackney Haka, which is fast becoming a much-loved part of our warm-up ritual.

One of the highlights this week was the debut of our brand-new bunting, made entirely from recycled materials. Huge thanks to @ecobunting for turning it around so quickly and getting it to us in time — it added a lovely splash of colour and made the setup feel even more festive.

We were very fortunate once again to have the brilliant support of GoodGym volunteers Lucinda, Kareem, Rue, and Sarah. Their presence made a real difference — whether helping with setup, cheering runners on, or keeping the timing, tokens, and scanning smoothly. The encouragement and reliability of GoodGym volunteers continue to add something special to our parkrun community, and we are grateful for the time and energy you bring.

As John Muir once said, “When we try to pick out anything by itself, we find it hitched to everything else in the universe.” That feels true here — each person’s contribution, however small it may seem, helps create the whole experience.

All in all, it was a morning full of connection, celebration and momentum — exactly what parkrun is all about. We are already looking forward to next week and to welcoming back familiar faces as well as new ones.

Thank you again to everyone who helped make it such a success — runners, volunteers and supporters alike.