Former Thetford Parkrunner Tim Lovejoy is preparing to run the town’s three-mile course non-stop for the first time in over three years as part of a charity fundraiser for Fulmerston Family Church.
At 64, Tim Lovejoy is setting himself a challenge, and hoping the community will get behind him.
Between 2017 and 2024, Tim (pictured) completed over 100 Parkruns in Thetford, running the full course each time, even as his left hip gradually deteriorated. In January 2023, things took a serious turn when he was struck by sepsis, spending four days in intensive care followed by several more weeks in hospital.
After recovering, Tim returned to Thetford Parkrun in May 2023, walking the course in just over an hour. Since marrying his wife Alison in 2024, and moving to Bury St Edmunds, he also underwent a hip replacement in January 2025.
Over the past ten months, Tim has been steadily rebuilding his fitness. He has completed 17 Parkruns in Bury St Edmunds, gradually increasing the amount he is able to run.
Now, he has set himself a goal. On 23rd May, Tim will return to Thetford Parkrun and attempt to run the full three-mile course non-stop – something he has not done since January 2023. The run will raise money for Fulmerston Family Church, which hosts a wide range of community groups.
“I hope to run three miles non-stop, for the first time in over three years,” he said, “so that all the groups can keep running and not have to stop either.”
