You can’t make this up. A bunch of tiny, dehydrated frogs has managed to do what British weather rarely does: shut down a weekend run for two weeks straight. The Kirkharle Courtyard parkrun in Northumberland is officially on ice. Or rather, on boil.
The event is young. It only launched last October. This would have been their 28th run, but nature had other plans. Event co-director Nick Winslow knew the local amphibian population liked to cross the path every summer. Usually, it’s a quick dash. One week and they are gone. Not this time.
The heat is the culprit. It has turned the frogs sluggish. Instead of a brisk migration, it’s a slow-motion crawl. Winslow checked the course on Wednesday. He stopped counting at 120. There were thousands more. Just sitting there.
According to the folks at Froglife, a wildlife charity, hot weather is bad news for amphibians. They dry out. To avoid turning into jerky, they seek shade and refuse to budge. Hence, the gridlock.
It adds to the event’s bizarre reputation. This isn’t your average run. They read safety briefings in verse. Alpacas from a nearby campsite wander over to greet finishers. Now, they have a frog crisis. Winslow seems to take it in stride, calling the whole setup a bit daft. But for now, the runners are benched. The frogs win.
