A YOUNG runner from Chester is set to complete his 100th parkrun on Saturday (June 29) at the age of just 13.

Oliver Stenton has completed 90 of his 99 events so far at the Countess of Chester Country Park but has also taken part in the 5k courses in two different London locations and the Lake District, even running on Christmas Day at Delamere Forest.

Oliver attended his first parkrun at the age of five, when him and his two brothers were registered by his mum, Nicola.

“He was just giving it a go at first and then as he got older he really got into it and started to enjoy it, and he could see his own times and where he was within his age group.

“He really enjoys running it now and especially as he has been working towards the hundred and his time has been improving.”

His mum says that Oliver, who attends Upton High School, is excited to complete his 100th event at the weekend but shows no signs of slowing down.

“He’s not going to stop, I think the next big milestone is at 250 runs, so he really wants to get that 100 t-shirt,” said Nicola.

“I think that because it’s a free community event, when we’ve been on holiday, we’ve just Googled which one is the closest to where we’ve been staying, and Oliver has done that one.

“It’s great, even on Christmas Day he was running at Delamere and on New Year’s Day he was back at Chester.”

Five is the minimum age required to receive a parkrun barcode, which can then be used to keep a track of times and visits.

Events are free to attend and can be found in at a range of locations up and down the country and across Europe, the US and Asia.

There are also junior events, which are available for four to 14-year-olds over a shorter distance.

Now closing in on the century, Oliver has been fitting them around playing football and takes advantage of every free Saturday morning, often attending the Chester course alongside his nan.

As he has racked up the visits, Oliver’s times have also improved, with him now able to run a sub-27-minute 5k.

“I’m really proud of how committed he has been and that he’s on his way to 100 parkruns,” said Nicola.

“When he first started at five, [5k] was a long way to run, and I wasn’t sure that he would continue to do that.

“To get to his next goal of 250 will take him some time, but it’s something he wants to do and he’s shown that he’s committed to it.”