This evening’s run saw 13 volunteers tackle shovelling and raking tasks at the Marble Hill Play Centre.

Next year GoodGym will celebrate its 10th anniversary, and each week we see more evidence of the group’s success as the number of black shirted and red winged runners inexorably rises. This evening started out as a demographic anomaly however, since by 6:45 PM genuine concern was emerging that we may have only one female runner. Fortunately this unlikely turn of events was mitigated by the arrival of committed female reinforcements including Imogen on her second run and Hammersmith GG Leader, Beth , on her first run with Richmond.

Gender gap duly rebalanced, within 15 minutes we found ourselves on familiar territory, bunny-hopping and forward-backward bounding across Richmond Green. A longer hop across the Thames to Marble Hill Park’s Play Centre introduced the crew to the evening’s three tasks: shovelling a ton of unwanted soil into refuse sacks; emptying a second ton of sand into a sandpit; and forking over wood chips below the adventure swings. This Lottery Heritage funded institution is a community gem, and performing tasks that would have been challenging for 1 or 2 staff was a genuine pleasure, demonstrating the very best aspects of GG’s helpful ethos.

We were all chipping in tonight...oh wait, maybe out 😀#marblehill #adventureplayground #volunteering pic.twitter.com/tDZJnReTdT

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) August 27, 2018

@Goodgym bagged it! #Richmond #marblehillpark #runners #bankholidayfun pic.twitter.com/rSPVw5d6db

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) August 27, 2018

Once the tasks were completed, forks, shovels and gloves were cast aside (tidily) as interest piqued over the giant jungle gym. Prompted by Mark’s Tarzan-like manoeuvers on the imposing rope swing, soon competition emerged as displays of big-kid acrobatics ensued. Surely not forebodings of an adventure park themed repertoire to be added to Mark’s increasingly diverse training regime?

Tonight we really got into the swing of it#goodgym #playground #richmond #marblehillpark #running #doinggood pic.twitter.com/MKEDF13dn3

— GoodGym Richmond (@GGRichmon) August 27, 2018

Eventually the dark forces of dusk’s arrival prompted a retreat from our verdant setting beneath temperate skies. We followed the trail to the riverside gate to be met with beams from an alien craft (well, Park Ranger) before being re-routed for a bonus 5-minute leg via St Margaret’s for good behaviour. Then it was back to base camp, completing the outing with a stunning attack on Richmond Bridge’s imposing gradient delivered with storm-trooper grit, sabres blazing. As the GoodGym Jedi would say - May the Fork be with you!

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