All parkrun events in the UK have been suspended in line with public health advice regarding the coronavirus, the chief operating officer announced today.

The closure is with immediate effect, initially until the end of March however the organisation said 'this is largely to bring all parkrun countries into the same time frame and we very much expect closures to continue through April at least'.

In an email to members, Tom Williams, chief operating officer, said: "We know that this message may be a difficult one for you to receive, any many people will be wondering what to do without their regular weekly catch-up. Please rest assured that we are working hard to develop our strategy so that we are able to support the health and happiness of parkrunners around the world during this difficult time.

"Remaining active is incredibly important, and we are working on way to encourage and support that, however please do not arrange group gatherings at your parkrun venues whilst parkrun events are suspended."