Parkrun cultivates community in Soweto park
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In Dobsonville, Soweto, South Africa, Bruce Fordyce and Paul Sinton-Hewitt led a parkrun event on September 5, 2026, bringing together runners and volunteers.
Fordyce, a nine-time Comrades Marathon winner, now serves as CEO of parkrun South Africa, which he founded in 2011. Sinton-Hewitt created the parkrun movement in 2004, beginning with a weekly run in London’s Bushy Park as a way to build community.
The event in Soweto was one of more than 50 parkruns taking place in Gauteng province and part of a larger global phenomenon with 220 events across South Africa and 450,000 participants in 22 countries. Fordyce walked the 5km course with Chantal Ferreira, a blind runner, finishing in 1 hour, 17 minutes, and 58 seconds.
Dorothy Nyembe park, where the run took place, has fallen into disrepair under the Johannesburg City Council’s management, but parkrun volunteers are working to revitalize the space. Sinton-Hewitt described parkrun as a “social movement” born from his own desire for activity, connection, and a sense of belonging, and has grown through word of mouth and digital communication. Volunteers sustain the parkrun events, motivated by a desire to help others experience joy and community.
