A POPULAR running event which attracts hundreds of runners every week has been cancelled due to an ongoing waterlogging issue.

Worcester Parkrun event director Richard Ralphs says a new path needs to be built on land at Newtown Green in Ronkswood on the current route following months of heavy rainfall.

They have had to cancel the upcoming runs at Worcester Country Park until the weather improves - though other ParkRuns take place in the city.

He said: "Regrettably we have to face the facts that the ground exiting Newtown Green on our current route shows no sign of recovery.

"With no alternative route available to us we have no choice but to close the parkrun for the next few weeks.

"We are working hard on any and every option to get back with a course for you to enjoy."

Mr Ralphs said it's a "shame" that they have had to cancel parkrun as it benefits the physical and mental health of the participants. 

Speaking about the issue, Mr Ralphs said: “It’s got really waterlogged and muddy. It’s a quagmire really.

“We’ll be back in the summertime when it dries out but until then it’s going to be difficult.

“We really need someone to get down there and build a path".

A  spokesperson for Worcester City Council said: “The exceptional amount of rainfall over the last few months means that the land at Newtown Green is currently too wet to be used for the Parkrun event.

“We are in discussions with the Parkrun organisers to find a way forward, while balancing their interests with the need to protect the ongoing rewilding work at Newtown Green.”

Worcester Parkrun is a free weekly event where people of all ages can walk, run or jog on the route.

The weekly run first started in 2011, and has grown from 23 runners to more than 500 every week, with more than 50 volunteers helping out.

There are other park runs in the city, including the Pitchcroft Parkrun and Diglis Fields Junior Parkrun.