The usual morning serenity of Hogmoor Inclosure in Bordon was replaced by a vibrant sea of yellow as Alton Runners descended upon the woods for a full club takeover of the local parkrun.

The 348th edition of Hogmoor Inclosure parkrun saw the usual volunteer roster handed over entirely to members of Alton Runners. Sporting their distinctive yellow club kit, 45 volunteers filled every essential role, from marshals to barcode scanners and tail walkers.

Kathryn Powell, who swapped her running shoes for the run director’s vest for the morning, was overwhelmed by the turnout. “The sea of yellow was amazing,” she said. “I honestly didn’t expect so many people to turn out and support the takeover; the atmosphere was electric.”

Before the 9am start, Darren Mansfield from Alton Runners took to the microphone to welcome the field of 275 finishers to the Bordon trails. Among the crowd were 36 runners experiencing the Hogmoor course for the first time. Mansfield used the opportunity to introduce the club to the wider community and to promote the upcoming Alton 10 road race on Sunday, May 10.

The takeover also included a full team of pacers – experienced runners who aimed to maintain a steady speed to help others achieve specific finish times. With the help of the pacers, 58 runners recorded a new personal best.

Several runners reached parkrun milestone clubs. Hector Redfern-Crabtree joined the Junior 10 club, while Tom Morris and Alex Hughes reached their 25th and 50th parkruns respectively.

A special mention was reserved for Fabian Birch, who joined the 100 club.

The celebratory vibe was bolstered by a spread of cakes and sweets provided by the Alton Runners volunteers at the finish line, before the sea of yellow moved on to the cafe for a well-earned post-run coffee.

By Lydia Andrews