FIFTY-five first time runners visited the Cwmbran parkrun on Saturday to help organisers and volunteers celebrate ‘I am Team GB’ day.

Across Gwent and the wider UK, sporting activities at grassroots level held special sessions to inspire people to get more active in the wake of the nation’s best ever foreign Olympic Games.

In total, Team GB returned with 67 medals – 27 gold, 23 silver and 17 bronze and finished second behind the Americans.

Event director Fiona Cross said: “Cwmbran parkrun was an official ‘I am Team GB’ event and we were proud to be part of what was the biggest national event in the calendar for everyone who supports grassroots sport.”

One-hundred-and-eighty-nine runners completed the 5k timed course, with a new course record set on the day as well.

Swansea Harriers AC’s Christopher Carpanini, who already holds the course records at Newport and Pontypool, posted a time of 16 minutes and 31 seconds to claim his third course record in Gwent.

“With 55 first timers on Saturday I'm pleased to see that "I am Team GB" encouraged new people to parkrun,” added Mrs Cross.

“I'm particularly keen to encourage those that want to get active but don't know where to start. Often the first step is the hardest but every great journey has to start somewhere.”

Special bunting with the Team GB emblem hung from the Northfields Recreation Ground in Cwmbran, and participants were asked to wear red, white and blue to match the colours of the union flag.

“We've been excited and inspired by our Olympians but are equally inspired by our parkrunners, from the super speedy to the last finisher,” said the event director, who is also the Coed Eva ward councillor for Torfaen council.

“There was a great atmosphere on Saturday and I was pleased to see so many runners take part especially on a bank holiday weekend.”

Elsewhere in Torfaen, Pontypool parkrun held a similar event with 92 runners taking part and a bike ride from Pontypool towards Blaenavon and Clydach Gorge happened in association with the Breeze cycling group.