Aideen Coleman of Ballincollig parkrun chosen as the Vhi parkrun Hero for March 2026

From parkrun Ireland... "The Vhi parkrun Hero award for the month of March has been awarded to Aideen Coleman from Ballincollig parkrun!

The Vhi parkrun Hero award recognises inspirational, hardworking, and dedicated members of parkrun community who embody the spirit of parkrun or have made an outstanding contribution.

As a run director at both the junior and 5k parkruns in Ballincollig, Aideen plays a central role in creating a welcoming and supportive environment for all parkrunners. She’s well known for the enthusiasm and energy she brings to each and every event. 

She has a kind word for everyone she meets, and her infectious positivity has made a lasting impression on the entire Ballincollig parkrun community. She is especially loved by the younger parkrunners, who look forward to seeing her each week.

Aideen is a fantastic ambassador for parkrun, consistently going above and beyond to ensure every participant feels encouraged and included.

We’re thrilled to recognise the amazing impact Aideen brings to the parkrun community every week. "

A quick look at the Ballincollig Junior parkrun numbers - March 2026

Aideen Coleman sent on a quick message to say that the numbers for the Ballincollig Junior 2k event last weekend exceeded the number of finishers for the 5k event. 

As can be seen from the stats above, there were 330 finishers in the Junior event on Sunday while there were 317 finishers in the 5k event on Saturday. (Junior parkrun is for 4-14 year olds while the 5k parkrun is for aged 15 and above)

That prompted me to have a look at the Junior numbers for Ballincollig... just how big is it?

The chart above shows the numbers for all 222 editions of the Junior 2k parkrun since it first started in June of 2019. Last Sunday was the third highest in terms of the number of finishers but it was an exceptional turnout.

To get rid of some of the variability in the stats, I had a look at the average number of finishers for 2023, 2024 & 2025 to see what the trend was like.

In 2023, the average number of finishers was just about 76. In 2024, that had increased by 18% to about 90. In 2025, that increased by 30% to 117.

Last Sunday, there were 30 volunteers for the Junior parkrun which is a lot of people giving up their time on a Sunday morning so this event can take place. That level of commitment obviously helps the growing popularity of this event.

More information about this free event can be found at.. https://www.parkrun.ie/ballincolligregional-juniors/

Record numbers at Ballincollig junior parkrun event - 3rd March 2024

The 2km junior parkrun for 4-14 years olds is held every Sunday morning in Ballincollig Regional Park. Over the last few weeks, the numbers taking part have been in the region of 20 to 80 participants.

Thanks to the students of St Catherine's National School  and Scoil Spriod Naomh, that number surged on Sunday to a record 365 finishers!

As you can see from the chart above, there were more finishers at the 2km parkrun on Sunday than for the main 5km parkrun for adults on Saturday morning.