One Small Step: The Sunday Times bestseller of the Incredible Story of Parkrun

by Paul Sinton-Hewitt

‘It was the bonds I made with people through running that helped me to feel like I belonged.’

From childhood, Paul Sinton-Hewitt understood the intrinsic need for connection and belonging. After navigating the care system of South Africa in his childhood and enduring both his career and marriage breaking down years later, he turned to running as a lifeline. Longing for community and purpose, he had one simple he would start a weekly run every Saturday morning in his local park. No prizes, no pressure, no fee. His only he would always be there, whether anyone showed up or not.

From the thirteen runners who joined that first weekend, Paul created parkrun, which has grown into a truly global community over twenty years and united millions of people from all walks of life.

One Small Step is more than Paul’s inspiring memoir; it’s a blueprint for how coming together in simple ways can improve the health and happiness of millions worldwide.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Audiobook, Memoir, Autobiography

288 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 10, 2025

Reviews

[Philip · Rating 3 out of 5]

I see now that what I'm interested in is the history of parkrun, not the history of Paul Sinton-Hewitt. The final third of this book, which focused on the creation and growth of parkrun was brilliant and really fascinating. I just found the first two parts, which detailed Sinton-Hewitt's tough childhood then love of running in adulthood, less engrossing. It's not like knowing his story gave us much additional insight into parkrun, other than his persistent dropping-in of statements about how 'kindness', 'fairness' and 'inclusivity' are so important to him. He seems a great guy who has made the World a much better place through his creation. 3 stars.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a parkrun obsessive, I was looking forward to reading this. Paul Sinton-Hewitt had a difficult childhood growing up in South Africa, but discovered a love of running. It sustained him throughout his life, when things did not go well, until he was injured whilst marathon training. He missed the running community and started Bushy Park Time Trial. As the saying goes, the rest is history. An incredible story. I couldn't put it down.

[Abi Pellinor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am most definitely not a runner. I've tried. The first two times (over a year apart) I ended up with ingrown toenails. Lovely. The last time I realised that I probably still have my childhood asthma and I enjoy not coughing up a lung on an afternoon. And yet I still was intrigued by this book, my parents have been runners my whole life and despite not taking part in parkrun's themselves I've heard a lot about them.

This book is about so much more than parkrun. Sinton-Hewitt was made a ward of the state at a very young age and this institutionalisation and the bullying that comes with it formed him as a person. Seeing him overcome these challenges on its own was an interesting read, but as he grows up we start to learn about how impactful running has been for him.

I found the section on Paul's injury to be an interesting read. My mum went through something similar, she broke her femur through stress fractures during the Edinburgh marathon, and she has really struggled to not be able to run in the same way. Seeing Sinton-Hewitt also really struggle without that multi-weekly mindfulness time was really relatable and I enjoyed seeing how he tackled it.

parkrun definitely had humble beginnings, starting with Paul in the park with some close friends and a handful of strangers who enjoyed running. It has definitely evolved from that starting point! Now thousands of people around the globe take part in these casual 5k runs each weekend and it grew to a scale Paul couldn't have anticipated.

Somehow this book made me want to take part in a parkrun! I don't know that I will, the aforementioned enjoyment of having my lungs inside of my body being a fairly big part of that, but I am tempted and I'll definitely be looking up if there are any near me. I'll also be giving this book to my mum! Maybe a 5k parkrun could be just what she needs.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this book was amazing.

As someone who is a recent convert to parkrun I loved hearing about how it started. Paul’s upbringing is quite harrowing at times.

This book was great and made me even more excited for Saturday morning.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I discovered parkrun about a year ago, after my three-year-old granddaughter poked me in the tummy and said "You're fat, Granddad!"

Couldn't deny it. A friend is a parkrunner and when I went along to see him run at a local event I decided to do something about my health and fitness.

Now I'm part of the team, volunteering, running, getting personal bests, enjoying myself immensely. Everywhere I go there is a parkrun, they all work the same way, the numbers all go into the same bucket, it is free, it is fun, it is fabulous.

Here is the story of the founder of parkrun. Paul Sinton-Hewitt - technically, a fellow Australian, as it turns out! - went through a difficult and often disturbing childhood in South Africa. This rippled through his life, making for some uncomfortable reading, but running became a way for him to find happiness and a positive direction in life. Something he could control, make progress, and find fellowship.

When he was unable to run due to an injury, he commenced a regular Time Trial course at Bushy Park in London giving his time and ability to help other runners. It went viral and today it is a global movement.

Paul (with a co-writer) tells a compelling story of his life and the formation of parkrun. I am charmed by the way he came up with an activity that is free, positive, and inclusive. You don't need to run, you won't come last, you don't need expensive equipment, you can just turn up, move yourself through five kilometres of parkland, and collect a run credit. Or volunteer: just stand around as a marshal in a hi-viz vest and hundreds of people come up to you, smile and thank you.

I love the running, I love the volunteering, I love the community. Thank you Paul, for telling your story of how Saturday came to be the highlight of my week!

I heartily commend this book. From the division and unfairness of Apartheid to the inclusion and companionship of parkrun, Paul's story is one that uplifts, inspires, and perhaps pokes those amongst us who are a little tubby or lazy fair in the ribs and gets us out saving our own lives.

[Gemma Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have a deep love of parkrun, so I was certain I would enjoy this book. However, I was unprepared for the extent of the traumatic childhood that Paul Sinton-Hewitt experienced. Some chapters were quite heartbreaking to read. His reflections on growing up in apartheid in South Africa were equally captivating. This book gives a candid insight into the founder of parkrun and an understanding of why inclusion and community are embedded in the very DNA of parkrun. It is remarkable what some people endure, only to go on and make the world a better place. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.

[Nerys · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love parkrun, and received this as a birthday present. I found it a surprisingly moving read. I had no idea about Paul’s difficult childhood, and everything he had to deal with and think the parkrun community is a fantastic, fantastic thing to have come out of it. Determined to go and do Bushy one day now!

[Seaside Sparkles · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read written by a humble and inspiring man.

[Faye · Rating 4 out of 5]

“All you needed was a pair of trainers and a dash of motivation and it opened up a whole new world” - I felt this!

[Darrel Hofland · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it!
The world wide phenomenon: parkrun
Good to learn about it's origin.

[Mish Middelmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. It's easy to read, simple and direct and very personal. The founder of parkrun, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, shares very simply and directly what it was like growing up in care even though both his parents were alive, and how it affected him. And then he shows us how he turned his personal pain into something generous and generative, by starting parkrun and nurturing it to grow globally.

Let me declare my experience/bias: I am one of the beneficiaries of the global parkrun movement, having participated in over 250 events on three continents since 2013 in South Africa. My wife and I also started the Budapest Park parkrun in our neighbourhood of Toronto, along the beautiful shores of Lake Ontario. And I also grew up in South Africa in the midst of great injustice as he did.

At a very personal level, he is very open about how tough his childhood was. Apart from being abandoned by his parents, he was also bullied mercilessly at school. And the nice thing that came out of all this pain is that "fairness became the touchstone of my life." Having been excluded, he really values inclusion - including those, like him, who are often relegated to the margins of society.

Somehow he found his comfort zone in running, and the society of other runners. Perhaps the relatively solitary nature of running itself, together with the cameraderie he experienced before and after runs, suited his mix of being reserved and wanting to be included. But he only got into parkrun because his more individual quest to run a sub-2.5 hour marathon was thwarted by a serious injury. And so he decided to start a small open 5 kilometre time trial in his local Bushy Park. His wife said "you might get a few people to come along, but what's in it for you?"

"It could be good" he replied. "For everyone."

Now indeed, parkrun is good for about 400,000 runners and walkers taking part in over 2,000 locations every Saturday morning in 20 countries supported by throngs of volunteers, all doing it for love and not money. The bottom line for Sinton-Hewitt when they started the second parkrun, which is also true for me now twenty years later, is that these events have

brought out the best in people, from the enthusiasm for a shared passion to the mutual support, cameraderie and encouragement among runners [now also walkers] and volunteers every weekend.

I loved his clarity that parkrun is not measured in terms of financial return, but in how well it serves the community.

What also came out of growing up in institutions, and then building a career in computer software development, is that Sinton-Hewitt really understands systems. He understands both human systems and the need for inclusiveness, fairness and safety in them - and how that translates into the technical systems that serve human systems.

What struck me is how simple his systems and principles were twenty years ago, and how they have stood the test of time. In no particular order, these are the main ones he mentions:
* Community building and inclusiveness are at the heart
* Each parkrun has its own local community character
* All systems are minimalist, just enough to enable the events to happen smoothly with humans involved
* No money is involved for participants or volunteers, and no fees paid for venues - it is all about partnerships for mutual benefit
* No advertising, rather spread by word of mouth
* The social time before, during and after the events "to talk, laugh ... and unwind" is an integral part of the whole event.

[Ian · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book would be all: ‘so I set up this running event with 13 people in Bushy Park 20 years ago and look how it’s grown, gosh!’ I also assumed that Paul Sinton-Hewitt was an uber-successful S-W London professional with a double-barrel name and a six-figure salary to match. In retrospect I’m not sure why I decided to read this, but, hey, it’s a book about running, so that was probably enough to draw me in.

Anyway it turns out neither of my assumptions was true. PS-H set up parkrun (originally called the Bushy Park Time Trial) at a low point in his life where he was struggling with unemployment, a failed marriage and a serious injury which thrwarted his marathon ambitions- running being the main thing at that time holding his mental together.

Also, only the last 40 per cent or so of the book is about parkrun. The first 60 per cent is Paul’s memoir explaining how his early life led to the low point described above. It is a sad and shocking tale of child neglect and abuse - unexpected but relevant to the parkrun story.

It’s a brilliant tale about the genesis of a fantastic social and public health initiative! 5-stars!

[Melissa Cashmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I downloaded his book on Audible and listened to it on my runs. It’s a fabulous/ interesting listen. Heartbreaking at times…the story of his childhood…and made for intense runs in those chapters. I’m sure though lots of people will relate with using running as a stability/ escapism in life adding routine to a sometimes chaotic time. I had admiration for PS-H beforehand but now it’s reached another level.

parkrun …in my eyes is the greatest public health initiative since clean water / smoking bans . I love everything about PR…the uniform model, the simplicity, it’s not a race, community spirit, inclusiveness and coffee/cake. …. What would we do on a Saturday morning without parkrun ?Thankyou for this book PS-H , I suspect listening to this again and again

[Abigail · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first half of this book was an account of one of the most traumatizing childhoods I've ever heard of.

The second half was the heartwarming tale I was expecting about how the parkrun was founded and how it has grown into the international spectacle it is today.

Overall an interesting read!

[Lynda broadway · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who parkruns should buy this book. Inspirational

[Hannah Bowness · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved parkrun before and love it even more now!
What a story and inspiring man.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Like many readers, I picked up this book because of my happy involvement with parkrun. In South Africa and now in Canada, going to parkruns – walking and volunteering, not running – has strengthened my involvement with my local communities.
While the last third of the book is almost exclusively about the start of parkrun in 2004 and it’s increasing growth and development around the world since, the first two thirds are a memoir of Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s life. He makes a direct link between his emotionally deprived childhood and young adult hood, and his desire to be engaged in and inclusive, community-based activity that is available to all. He was neglected and bullied throughout his childhood, in racially divided South Africa. Through running, he found an outlet for some of his pain and a place where he could excel, as well as be part of a community. He is open about his personal struggles, that led to a break up of his first marriage. Through therapy and running, he helped himself be better able to relate to others.
Parkrun came about in large part because he was seriously injured while training to attempt a marathon in under 2.5 hours. The recovery was long. He channelled his frustration and running energy into starting a weekly 5 km time trial that was open to anyone in his local park. He used word of mouth to invite participants, knowing that it was possible no-one would turn up. But he committed to being there every Saturday morning, regardless of the weather or holidays like Christmas. And it gradually grew. His main motivation was that the event serve the community. It had to be free, and run by volunteers. He is very clear that the measure of success of parkrun is about how well it serves the community.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt used two parts of his background to make parkrun the success it is. He grew up in South African institutions, from care homes, to boarding school, to the army, which led him to understand how important it is to be truly inclusive and fair in working with human community systems. Professionally he became a computer software developer, so he understands and technical systems. And now we see the inclusivity, fairness, community, and simple technical systems used every week at every parkrun.
I hope that many parkrunners will read this book. I hope that Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s principles on which he started and has maintained parkrun will remain, so that parkrun continues to be rooted in local communities, is free, inclusive of everyone, volunteer run, and a happy place to be on Saturday mornings.

[Susie Bannon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have loved parkrun since I did my first one at Thornbury in November 2018. I had no idea that day that it would change my life for the better. I have met some incredible people from all walks of life who I wouldn’t have met had it not been for parkrun. I have volunteered regularly too, at both the 5k events and at juniors. My 12 year old son has also volunteered a lot, he is two away from 50, I really hope he can get there this year. parkrun is simply wonderful. It is a place where you can challenge yourself if you want to or take it easy and walk at a comfortable pace. It is a place where you can make friends and be a part of your community, it is welcoming and it is inclusive. I cannot tell enough people to give it a try! I knew that I had to read this book and I am so pleased I did. I knew a fair bit of the history of parkrun but there were things I learnt which have made its success even more amazing. It was tough reading when Paul was describing his childhood, but that gives us more of an understanding why he needed the sense of belonging that he got from parkrun. I had the honour and pleasure of meeting Paul one Saturday at Bushy parkrun where I was parkwalking with my son. He was very gracious allowing me to grab a selfie and he wanted to hear all about our parkrun history. To be able to personally thank the founder was a privilege I will forever be thankful for. To anyone interested in parkrun, this is a must read.

[Leigh Kendall · Rating 5 out of 5]

A must-read for anyone who attends parkrun - and anyone who is interested in the power of social movements. The account of Paul Sinton-Hewitt’s childhood is heartbreaking, and it was interesting to have an insight into growing up in apartheid-era South Africa. I’ve attended more than 300 parkruns (running, walking and volunteering) and while I was aware of the event’s origins at Bushy, before reading this book I was unaware of how it evolved into what we have today. I’m grateful to Paul and his early supporters for the event we have today and that’s changed my life for the better.

[Mat Greener · Rating 4 out of 5]

memoir of the man who started the parkrun movement. despite a difficult childhood which may make some people bitter he still recognised the importance parkrun could bring to a community as a fee event. He has dedicated 20 years to making this a success . I am a keen parkrun participant but I think even people who have never done a parkrun would still enjoy the book. Although the chances are after reading the book you will be inspired to take part.

[Irene McIntosh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I highly recommend reading this book. I love parkrun and have found a new community of lovely friends through parkrun. But this book isn’t just about how parkrun came about. It’s also an insight into the life of the man who founded it. I know I am among millions of people who would want to thank Paul for founding parkrun ! But the book also teaches us a few lessons about life!

[Tom Frost · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a self confessed parkrun fan. I've ran almost 100 myself and seen the food it can do both at population level and in turning around the lives of people I love.
So, I was ready to hear about the founder and the story of parkrun.
I wasnt ready for such a heartbreaking childhood story full of trauma and separation. Paul has certainly been on quite a life journey and it's amazing how he stumbled into creating such a worldwide phenomen.
I could have done with a few more chapters on the more recent years of parkrun but I guess that wasn't really his story anymore.
Well written and gripping. I loved this. Not as much as parkrun itself but it was good

[KM · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many of us know that our kids come first, of course they do. But not all of us.

In some darkest moments and for some less fortunate kids – like Paul Sinton-Hewitt who had been growing up with struggling parents – putting the kids first can be more difficult than asking a cow to recite a poem.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt, the founder of parkrun and being awarded a CBE by Queen Elizabeth II, wasn't so sure his parents had done a damn good job to raise him. At age five, he was sent to boarding school and experienced terrible bullying. Oh, that was a toughie for a kid to go through those adverse childhood experiences like parental separation, multiple school moves, and traumatic bullying.

Imagine a junior school kid wearing a scarf near Johannesburg. To a nine-year-old, that's ridiculous. Deep down, Paul Sinton-Hewitt knew the humiliation, but he had no choice after being strangled by a looped cord around his neck. The boys kicked the chair away, and let the noose pulling tight under his full weight. He could hardly breathe for ten seconds and ended up with a bloody wound cut deeply into his neck from ear to ear.

Having grown up with nobody to listen to his worries or step in to sort things out, Paul Sinton-Hewitt had become a closed book. Over time, he became devastated with faulty coping mechanisms. When he became a father, he didn't know any nursery rhymes because nobody had sung them to him as a child. As a result of his upbringing and the heartache, his marriage hit the rocks and he felt torn.

Paul Sinton-Hewitt got caught in a cycle of repeatedly getting burned, until his finding of connection and purpose in starting a weekly time trial run in his local park. Little did he know that from just thirteen runners on a Saturday, parkrun – a name he coined and with capital letter dropped – would grow into a 10-million-strong community across five continents.

From a grassroots community into a social movement.

[Hilary · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an extraordinary man. The founder of parkrun, an international phenomenon started in Bushy Park by one man and 13 runners in 2005 and now a world wide happening in over 25 countries, from Norway to South Africa, Canada, New Zealand and beyond, with millions running and walking 5k every Saturday, a run not a race and completely free, organised by volunteers every week. I am a passionate Parkrunner, now mostly parkwalking and have found friendship as well as exercise.
Paul Sintin-Hewitt had the most appalling childhood in South Africa. He was the third child of parents who didn’t want this last child. His father was a strict disciplinarian, who used the belt regularly on Paul from when he was a toddler. His mother, who was a model, abandoned the family while he was still a small child and his father placed his children in residential care, where Paul was seriously bullied by older boys, a pattern which continued when his father moved the children to boarding school. He married young, desperate to have a happy family life, but with no experience of positive relationships he was not able to sustain fatherhood and marriage.
But he always found running was good for his mental health, and after he came to the UK and met the person who became his saviour and ultimately his wife, and had counselling, he became a serious runner. Training for a sub 2 and a half hour London marathon, he sustained a serious injury and couldn’t run for months. He moped for a long time, but then the idea for a free weekly 5k time trial came to him. And the rest is history! It wasn’t an easy journey of course, but here we are, and it is an extraordinary story.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt had the help of a professional writer, Matt Whyman, and the book is adequately written, and the story itself is gripping.

[Kelly Hollingworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a runner myself but I have heard of parkrun as I have friends who participate regularly. In the book the man who created the weekly run in 2004 charts his upbringing in this interesting and heartfelt memoir. On the sidelines for many years the author struggled with feeling safe and secure, he was bullied, experienced time in a children’s home and his difficult childhood spilt into a difficult early adulthood. He had the idea of the parkrun - a run for one and all, free, once a week and without judgement. 13 people showed up to the first event at Bushy Park, Richmond. Today, over 20 years later, there are approximately 300,000 runners a week in 2,000 events in 23 countries. I love the spirit of happiness and healthiness and the benefits of mental and physical wellbeing the event and the book convey. I also love the multi generations who participate and the concept of good fun, good company, good coffee and good cake. This is an inspiring book that has encouraged me to go along and give my local parkrun a try.

[Sandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally engaging and well written account of key events in Paul Sinton Hewitt's life, especially the trauma of mother leaving and father dropping the children off at a children's home while he dealt with his mental health issues. It is a story of incredible determination - overcoming all sorts of obstructions but somehow the beginning and amazing growth of the parkrun movement is dominant. Thoughtful consideration of experiences - I was struck by his description of arriving in England and finding that there was a hostility towards white South Africans and learning about things happening in South Africa which were censored in the country. How something really positive arose from a great disappointment - the injury which stopped him running in the London Marathon after such focused preparation leading to the weekly Time Trial at Bushy Park. Incredibly grateful for the passion with which he pursued the parkrun ideal.

[A G Hind · Rating 5 out of 5]

An eye opening book. As a regular parkrunner for the last 10 years I knew the author was the founder and have met him at our event a couple of times. What I didn’t know what his own extraordinary backstory. The first two thirds of the book are basically how he got to the time when he set up parkrun, with the last third cataloguing how it grew to what it is today.

The book gives us a true understanding of the author and is written with warmth, compassion and modesty. Anyone critical of PSH needs to know his story. The parkrun chapter of his life has been rewarding and innovative with hundreds of thousands of people now participating and volunteering at an event which he created and nurtured.

100% recommended if you’re a parkrunner or not - it’s a human tale of how much you can make of your life in the face of adversity.

[Pete · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle on the dust-jacket is "the definitive account of a run that became a global movement", which gels with the old adage about books and covers. This book is an easy read about a difficult start to life and gives an interesting insight into how Sir PSH got to where he is today. As an account of the creation of the free, weekly, timed events that happen in open spaces around the world each weekend? More has been written on the on the official parkrun blog over the years and I found it fascinating which parts were included and excluded.

If you would like to learn more about this excellent human and his transformative social movement, I recommend this video:

https://www.youtube.com/live/jcDrDFWL...

[Aimée-Stephanie Reid · Rating 3 out of 5]

I totally appreciate Paul had a pretty tough start in life and that has obviously influenced how he started what he did, but reading this book made me realise I was really only interested in the creation and growth of parkrun so I only started enjoying it from part three.

[Debmeister · Rating 3 out of 5]

One Small Step –
As someone who’s a parkrun fanatic, marathon runner, and always has a book on the go, I was really excited to read One Small Step.

Part One:
I found it difficult to connect with the author in the early chapters, which focused on the hardships of Paul’s childhood and early adult years. While insightful, this part didn’t fully capture my interest.

Part Two:
This part dove into Paul’s running, work, and family life. I still struggled a bit to stay engaged—until the end, when he mentioned an idea for the Bushy Park time trial.

Part Three:
Bushy Park Time Trial inspired by a want of a sense of community, purpose, and to get out the house.
It was great to see Paul's personal growth as well as the evolution of parkrun, from 14 participants and metal washers during event one, and now a global event with an average of 300,000 participants taking park everyweek.

Whilst this may not have been my favourite book, I would like to show my appreciation to Paul and the wonderful parkrun community.
'thank you for volunteering'.