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Campaign launched by runners to retain National Trust home of Fermanagh parkrun

The National Trust owned Castle Coole estate has hosted the weekly Enniskillen parkrun for the past two years
The National Trust owned Castle Coole estate has hosted the weekly Enniskillen parkrun for the past two years The National Trust owned Castle Coole estate has hosted the weekly Enniskillen parkrun for the past two years

IN the wake of the National Trust's decision to pull the plug on the venue of a free Fermanagh 5km run a campaign has been launched by disgruntled runners to restore their permanent home.

The Irish News revealed that the Enniskillen Parkrun was to re-locate from the National Trust owned estate Castle Coole, provoking an angry response from within the local community.

The 1,200 acre wooded estate has hosted the event for the past two years, regularly attracting upwards of 120 runners every Saturday morning, but from September 3 it will be moved to a nearby leisure centre on a temporary basis as organisers search for a new home.

Castle Coole, the only National Trust parkrun venue in the north, had wished to charge runners entrance fee into the estate, but organisers were opposed to such a move due to the event being part of a worldwide free initiative aimed at promoting inclusiveness and wellbeing.

Now a Change.org online petition has been set up to try and make the National Trust rethink their decision.

Set up by regular runner Heather Harper from Ballinamallard the petition calls for the Enniskillen parkrun to be restored to Castle Coole.

"Many of the parkrun family, who are also members of the National Trust, are very disappointed by the decision of the National Trust in Fermanagh to withdraw support for parkrun," Mrs Harper said.

"Both the National Trust and parkrun benefit from this partnership and we want to see it continue," she added.

In a statement last week directors of the Enniskillen Parkrun said they were "devastated" at losing their National Trust home.

"We have done everything in our power to stay here," they said.