COMMUNITY leaders have given the green light for Parkruns to resume on borough land from next month.

Eastleigh Borough Council has announced that it has given the go ahead for Parkruns to return on council owed land from June.

This comes after letters were sent out to all of the landowners of Parkrun sights across the UK requesting permission to restart the events from June 5.

Two parkruns take place on council land at Fleming Park in Eastleigh and Itchen Valley Country Park in West End.

The council says these provide opportunities for “hundreds of local people to meet up and enjoy running” on Saturday mornings.

As included in letters to landowners from Parkrun UK, the national Parkrun scheme is set to resume from June 5 across the country following the easing of coronavirus restrictions.

Eastleigh Borough Council says it is now awaiting final confirmation from Parkrun HQ on the restart date which is reliant on other land owners around the country granting permission.

Cabinet Lead for Health Cllr Tonia Craig said: “I am delighted that both parkruns will be returning on our land in June.

“These important community events provide the chance for local people to keep fit and healthy and improve both their physical and mental wellbeing.

“I am sure participants will also, once again, enjoy the social side of meeting up with friends as they run.”

Permission has also been requested for the use of Southampton Common for Parkrun from June 5.

Organisers of the Southampton event are now waiting to hear back from Southampton City Council on the request to use the land.

In the letters to 600 landowners across the country, Parkrun UK said “the time is now right” for the events to return and added that it has had “significant success” restarting the junior 2k event series.

The organisation stressed that the mental and physical health benefits of Parkruns are “incredibly high” as it requested a “speedy” response to its requests.

An average of 200,000 people took part in the events each week before the pandemic.