There was sweat, celebration and cake as hundreds gathered in Woking Park for an event full of heart and sole.

The 500th Woking Parkrun was a record-breaker with 624 completing the four-lap 5k route on a memorable Saturday morning.

They were joined by parkrun royalty with founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE calling the milestone “amazing”.

“You get scenes like this at every parkrun but I know this is a special one,” said the 65-year-old.

“It’s about the fresh air, the sun, the fun and it’s all community-led – it’s just extraordinary.”

Entrants were encouraged to wear blue, firstly because milestone runs have a themed colour and it’s also the hue of Woking 5k Your Way, Move Against Cancer.

Their supporters took part along with seasoned athletes, two vicars, runners in fancy dress, and the severely-sighted Dave Beynon, who completed his 250th run.

He said: “It’s all down to my wonderful guides, and they’re here all the way, but there’s such a great parkrun family.

“These two, Vicky and Dave Lally, have been my main guys for six years as I started in 2019. I just can’t stop running.”

There’s been a few changes over the years with muddy woods, bridge issues and “sewage-gate” altering the route. And while Matt Murphy of Loughborough Students came first with a time of 17.42 it’s definitely not a race.

“We emphasise that at every run briefing, as it’s a run, not a race, and you can even walk it with dogs and kids,” said Paul Bradley, part of the core team of volunteers.

“Some of the runners might put in a big shift but for most of us it’s more about the social side,” said fellow volunteer, Steve Lewis.

“Just come along if you haven’t tried it before. Before you know it you’ve got a whole new community to meet.”