Just a couple of weeks ago, the Omagh Park Run celebrated its third birthday. Park Run is a weekly timed run of 5km in a parkland setting and they occur in countries all over the world. The Omagh Park Run takes place between the running track at Omagh Leisure Centre and Arleston Park.
Arleston Park is tucked in behind Arleston Road and the Old Mountfield Road; it is generally a quieter space than say the Grange Park or Lover’s Retreat which are popular with families. However as a result of Omagh Park Run, Arleston Park has been brought to the attention of many people who were previously unaware that it existed.
As the saying goes your “health is your wealth” and yet the relationship between our environments and our health and social and well being, does not seem to capture the public imagination in the same way that protection of the natural environment or supporting economic growth do, and which sadly are sometimes pitted against one another.
Regional planning policy directs that everyone “should have easy access to open space and the opportunity to participate in sport and other outdoor recreational activity or simply enjoy and have contact with nature”.
There has been a massive rise in the popularity of running as a pastime or as a means of keeping fit in the past few years, and groups of around 30 people or more running through the streets of Omagh has become a regular sight. To step out of your house and continue on your on two feet on a walk or a jog is probably one of the most accessible and sustainable forms of exercise.
With the rise in the number of people taking to the streets for a power walk or a run, we need footpaths that are capable of accommodating all types of users and to minimise incidences in which pedestrians have to step on to the road as they negotiate with one another for space.
Safe and attractive environments also seem to bring the people out and local running groups are regularly seen on the Strule Riverside Path which provides a haven of tranquillity from the buzz of the town, and the provision of lighting along its length allows it to be used after dark.
Environments that facilitate walking and running go beyond influencing physical fitness but can also impact on social and mental well being. First of all walking or running is a very inclusive form of exercise: both are free to do and do not require a particular level of fitness to start with. Secondly the experience of running or walking through an attractive, and safe, environment whether it be a tree lined avenue or a local park can have an uplifting effect on the mind.
