Gateshead couple fit in parkrun hours before getting married

A couple who took part in their local parkrun just hours before getting married joked they did it to think about something other than the wedding.

Sara Butler, 56, and Chris Hall, 55, are tying the knot in North Shields, North Tyneside, later but decided to first take on the very hilly Gateshead parkrun with Low Fell Running Club and some of their wedding party.

The couple said they had done the Couch to 5K beginners’ running plan with the club two years ago and have since formed close bonds with other members.

“I mean, running has become a massive part of our lives,” Hall said. “It’s just like having a separate family.”

Butler, who had to be at the hairdressers less than an hour after finishing, said she was more worried about doing the parkrun than the actual wedding.

“But that’s the easiest parkrun I’ve ever done,” she said.

“I think I had other things to think about like maybe I was going to trip over a bridesmaid or drop my bouquet.”