AMONG the 30 volunteers and 192 runners that helped celebrate the second anniversary of Barry Island parkrun this week were a couple of popular Welsh celebrities.

Former Barry boy Derek Brockway and fellow BBC Weather presenter Sue Charles put on their running shoes to officially start the event and also take on the scenic 5km course for the first time.

Some of the regular volunteers and runners made donations of cake to help with the celebrations, including a second anniversary cake along with matching cupcakes made by Kirstine Hughes.

On May 2, 2015, the first Barry Island parkrun took place on a damp and drizzly Saturday morning.

Since then the event has continued to grow and now attracts well over a hundred runners each week.

It attracts many first time runners, 29 this week, as well as regular runners and volunteers from running groups such as Penarth & Dinas Runners and Barry’s Seriously Mad Runners.

Since the first event in 2015, 2,498 participants have completed 10,904 parkruns covering a total distance of 54,520 km, including 2,274 new personal best times.

First over the finish line this week was Andrew How of Hendre Lake Running Club in 17:58.

Second was junior runner Alfie Davies in 18:43 closely followed by Gethin Powell of White Rock Runners in 18:56.

It was the juniors standing out for the ladies this week with junior Moli Lyons finishing first for the 5th time in an impressive 20:46, second was Catherine Barker of CSSC Sports & Leisure crossing the finish line in 22:04 and third was junior runner Gwenno Goode in 22:46.

Coinciding with the second anniversary, Barry Island parkrun launched an appeal for help to obtain a defibrillator, this is a portable device that issues an electric shock to re-establish an effective heart rhythm in the case of sudden cardiac arrest.

Parkrun is passionate about providing simple, free and safe events and has a vision to have defibrillators available at all parkruns either at the finish line, or accessible within five minutes of the finish line.

Currently, 82 per cent of 5k parkruns and 86 per cent of 5k parkrunners in the UK have this access to a defibrillator.

To further improve these figures, parkrun has recently stipulated that all new 5k and junior parkruns, must meet this requirement.

Fortunately, the Barry Island 5k parkrun is currently covered by a public-access defibrillator located at Marco’s Café.

However, the advanced plans in setting up the Barry junior parkrun have been put on hold because there are no defibrillators currently available to cover the Romilly Park area.

At least £820 to purchase the and to provide basic training sessions for members of the volunteer teams.

All donations, however big or small are very welcome and will all help reach the target and provide the valuable emergency cover that could one day save a life.

Donations can be made via the Barry Island parkrun website at parkrun.org.uk/barryisland/aboutus or more information can be obtained by getting in touch at barryislandoffice@parkrun.com

Barry Island parkrun is a totally free timed 5km run for people of all abilities and can be run, jogged or walked.

It’s entirely organised and run by volunteers, if you’d like to help out then get in touch at barryislandhelpers@parkrun.com