RUNNERS who pounded the paths of a Didcot park for the 80th time hope their club will leave a lasting legacy.

Almost two years ago, Lewis Cousins decided to establish Didcot parkrun, where residents of all ages can spend Saturday mornings running 5km.

Last weekend saw the 80th run and the 36-year-old said he was delighted with how far the club had grown.

He said: "It really just blows you away when you see families come out here, older residents here and we are all running together.

"It really does encourage this wonderful sense of community and I really hope that this will be the start of a legacy.

"It is not about who is the fastest runner, it is about taking part."

Parkrun is a global initiative that organises free, 5km timed runs with the aim of helping people to keep fit.

Mr Cousins said it was his wife Sam who encouraged him to get involved with the sport.

The Didcot course starts at Ladygrove park at 9am every Saturday.

He said: "I would go down to Abingdon parkrun and take some pictures of some of the runners but that club had to be called off a few times because of the awful flooding and I just thought, why do we not have something for everyone in Didcot?

"Since then we have grown from strength to strength and it is just a fantastic opportunity for families to do something together, to encourage youngsters to stay fit and meet new people in the community."

Since he founded the club in February 2015, Mr Cousins has seen 1,964 runners take part in the weekend runs.

He added: "It is just amazing when you see so many people come out every Saturday to take part.

"I can't wait for our big celebration in February to mark the two years since we started.

"This is something I want to only grow and get better over time, I hope this will continue for years to come."

Since starting the Didcot club, Mr Cousins has also been asked by the sporting company to become an ambassador.

The responsibility means Mr Cousins will supervise and help out at other parkrun clubs across the country.

He said: "Having never really been involved in the sport until my wife Sam asked me to come along and be a bit of a photographer, I can't believe how involved I have become.

"It just goes to show you that anyone can take part and that is what we encourage."

For more information visit parkrun.org.uk/didcot