A bride and groom swapped a champagne breakfast for a 5km parkrun on their wedding day. Newlyweds Rachel Drapper and James Dinsdale couldn’t entirely blame their achy limbs on the hours they spent grooving on the dance floor or posing for photos. Just hours before they tied the knot on Saturday (August 24) at Normanton Church, the couple hit the track of the Rutland Water Parkrun .
James, 32, said: “It was a lot of fun. Despite the weather we were absolutely determined to do the run. “It was a really special way to start the day.
” The happy couple invited their guests to take part, although many made their excuses ahead of the day with dozens more pulling out after a downpour of rain on Saturday morning. In the end about 20 dedicated friends and family joined Rachel, James and the 280 other people on the start line. Although it didn’t come as a shock to guests that the sporty couple were adding the parkrun to their wedding day to-do list, other runners were in awe.
“People did think we were bonkers,” James said. “We got asked when and where we were getting married and it was quite fun to point over at the church.” After celebratory drinks the previous night, the wedding runners prepped in different ways to ensure they didn’t flag mid-run with one woman taking energy gels and another guest having a full English breakfast ahead of lacing up their trainers.
The bride and groom’s tactics also differed. Mid-run James sacrificed his time by stopping to greet family and friends while Rachel, donning her mum's veil, was so focused on reaching the finish line she sped straight past them. “I thought we were going to run together but Rachel powered off ahead,” said James.
Despite this he finished with a time of 22.50 while Rachel crossed the line at 23.59, where she was congratulated with a kiss from James.
It was a quick turn around as the couple exchanged vows at 2pm, five hours after setting off on the parkrun. Rachel, 30, admits she was initially lulled into a false sense of security thinking there was plenty of time to get ready, check over her vows and bond with her bridal party. The bride, who confessed she’s not usually a make-up and beauty person, said: “I don’t know where the time went but suddenly it became a rush.
” But for James there was plenty of time so he enjoyed a relaxed breakfast before heading out to test drive their wedding car, a Morgan owned by his dad, and indulged in a drink at the Normanton Park Hotel bar. After the ceremony a reception was held at Haybales Farm in Exton. There were no pulled muscles or twisted ankles as a result of the parkrun but the following day both Rachel and James woke up with achy limbs.
“It’s hard to know whether it was the parkrun or the six hours on the dance floor,” said James. “I was a bit stiff the following morning and wasn’t sensible enough to stretch at the end of the night. “Instead we hopped in the hot tub and had a glass of champagne.
” Rachel added: “We had an Abba tribute band and I wore some gogo boots so I don’t know whether it was that or the run.” The couple enjoyed the rest of the weekend in Rutland, a familiar location as they often visit Rachel’s father Neil at his home in Edith Weston, before returning to London, where they live. They first met at Queen’s College in Oxford.
James, 32, was a third year student when Rachel joined and they became friends a few years later. They started dating in 2019 just as Rachel was applying to do a business degree in America. The pandemic interrupted her studies and the couple ended up living together with James’ parents for a while before she returned to the States to finish her course.
James, a civil servant, decorated the couple’s home with tea lights and proposed on November 5 last year..
