Welsh woman embarks on incredible 25,000-mile walk for Alzheimer's and Parkrun

A Welsh woman has set off on an epic 25,000-mile walk along the coast and county boundaries of Britain and Ireland to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Karen Penny, who is retired after working in the legal profession for 30 years, started her mammoth hike outside the Senedd in Cardiff Bay on Tuesday, October 10 to coincide with World Mental Health Day.

After witnessing the impact dementia had on her husband’s parents, Alma with vascular dementia and Kingsley with Alzheimer’s disease, Karen decided to lace up her walking boots.

Between 2019 and 2021, she braved the worst of the British weather – and a global pandemic – to trek the entire coastline of Britain and Ireland, raising more than £100,000 for Alzheimer’s Research UK in the process.

But now she has started another, even longer, challenge which first entails walking the perimeter of all seven health boards in Wales. She is also taking on the hike to raise awareness of importance of Parkrun which has Alzheimer's Research UK as its charity partner.

She said: “In 2021 I was affected by a long period of illness. During those hard times it was walking that significantly improved my recovery. That is why I am dedicating this fundraising walk to raising awareness about the importance of being physically and socially active and the impact this can have on our physical and mental health. You don’t need to walk thousands of miles but doing something as simple as going for a short walk each day can really make a difference.”

On her new walk, Karen will go through some of the most isolated areas of the UK and Ireland and over challenging terrain.

She added: “The County Boundaries will add further difficulty as they rarely follow waymarked routes and there are extensive sections without clear paths. I’ll be carrying my rucksack and camping equipment and will likely wear out 10 pairs of walking boots.

“The first leg of my journey will involve walking the perimeters of all of the health boards of Wales, some 2,000 miles, in collaboration with Parkrun. I’ll be visiting weekly Parkrun events on my route throughout Wales.”

On the morning of World Mental Health Day, Karen and many others including Cardiff and Vale University Health Board Executive Director of Public Health, Fiona Kinghorn, gathered outside the Senedd for a social walk and run. The event was hosted by John Griffiths MS and Parkrun, and was followed by a meeting in the Senedd.

Mr Griffiths said: “I regularly take part in my local Parkrun along the Newport riverfront, so it has been great to welcome the national organisers to the Senedd for our own wellbeing run/walk event.

“Over the years I have seen it grow as an activity, including the development of Junior Parkrun, which my own grandson Cian now participates in at Tredegar House.

“Whatever your ability or experience, the Parkrun community is incredibly welcoming to everyone. By working with the Welsh Government, our health boards and other partners, I am excited to see how we expand the reach of Parkruns across Wales.”Health Minister Eluned Morgan said: “Holding a Parkrun on World Mental Health day is a fantastic reminder of how being active is one of the best ways we can boost our physical and mental health.

“Whether you walk, run or volunteer, Parkrun is a great way to do this and it’s already a regular feature of many people’s weekly calendars.”

The event reaffirmed Parkrun’s support for a social prescribing approach which sees primary care practices linking with their local Parkrun event to promote the health and wellbeing of staff and patients.

Some 99 GP practices are now signed up to the Parkrun practice initiative in Wales which is approximately 25% of all practices across the country.

A new development partnership has also been made between Parkrun and the London Marathon Group. Under this project, Parkrun will work with a range of organisations to grow Junior Parkrun across Wales, especially in more disadvantaged areas.

In summing up the morning event, Parkrun UK’s Head of Health and Wellbeing Chrissie Wellington OBE said: “It was wonderful to connect with so many people from a range of different organisations. There’s nothing better than starting the day with a walk or a run in the company of those who have a shared passion for promoting health and wellbeing, and have the opportunity to follow that up with conversations in the Senedd. Creating change requires commitment and close collaboration, and this event reaffirmed Parkrun’s desire to work with others to achieve our ambitious objectives.”

Cardiff and Vale UHB Executive Director of Public Health, Fiona Kinghorn, said: “It was great to attend the Parkrun event at the Senedd on October 10 to meet and speak with all our fellow stakeholders to discuss the importance behind Parkrun as a vehicle for social prescribing in our local communities, to help people to take care of their physical and mental health and to provide social opportunities, where it is free and available for all."

Parkrun started in 2004 with just 13 runners and five volunteers in London’s Bushy Park. Events now take place in more than 2,200 locations in 22 countries around the world. Find your local event or register at https://www.parkrun.org.uk/

You can follow Karen’s journey here or visit her JustGiving page here.