A WEST Somerset octogenarian runner reached a remarkable milestone at the weekend when he completed his 250th Parkrun event.

The achievement meant Mike Capel, aged 85, has run 1,250,000 meters, or nearly 780 miles, in the past seven years.

Friends and family of Mike, including granddaughter, Jessica, aged eight, joined Parkrun volunteers and runners in Minehead on Saturday morning (February 15) for their weekly five kilometre sea front walk, jog, and run.

Family and friends celebrate 250 Minehead Parkruns completed by 85-year-old Dunster resident Mike Capel (in green tabard).
Family and friends celebrate 250 Minehead Parkruns completed by 85-year-old Dunster resident Mike Capel (in green tabard). ( )

They celebrated with balloons and cakes and sweets for all the runners.

Mike’s son Marcus Capel said: “I am so proud of dad, he is really determined to keep running each week.

“The volunteers at Minehead are just so lovely and supportive and the atmosphere every Saturday is brilliant, whatever the weather.

“I want to say a huge thank you to everybody for encouraging dad and being there for him.

“The Parkrun community has become a big part of our lives.”

Parkrunners in Minehead preparing to set off on what was Dunster resident Mike Capel's 250th event.
Parkrunners in Minehead preparing to set off on what was Dunster resident Mike Capel's 250th event. ( )

The weekly Parkrun in Minehead is one of 2,500 events which take place every Saturday in 22 countries, with more than nine million registered Parkrunners spread around the world.

The event is free for people to just turn up and walk or run, and if they register at parkrun.com they can have their time recorded and use it as a motivational challenge.

Parkrun was established 20 years ago in Bushy Park, London, and relies on volunteers with all participants encouraged to help out on a regular basis, marshalling around the course, being a timekeeper, scanning and sorting tokens, and other roles.

The Minehead event starts at 9 am each Saturday at the Millennium Clock on the seafront.

It follows a five kilometre course repeating a loop toward the harbour and the start of the South West Coast Path, before turning and running back to Butlins and then back to the clock.