St Albans parkrun, Carols with the Band

St Albans parkrun is adding carols to its final Saturday event before Christmas, with a live band joining the usual 5k on Saturday 19 December at Verulamium Park. It's part of their Christmas programme, so the morning run comes with a festive soundtrack on the side.

If you're not familiar with how it works, parkrun is a free, weekly 5k run, walk or jog, and this one is no different. The carols are an extra for the occasion, not a separate event, so you can still do your usual Saturday morning loop around the park. If you want an official time recorded, you'll need your parkrun barcode with you; if you're just out for the fresh air and the music, you can leave that at home.

It's the last Saturday run before the Christmas break, which gives it a bit of a send-off feel. The band will be there on the day, and the carols are woven into the morning's activities rather than being a standalone concert, so you can get your 5k in and still catch the music. It's a good way to get a bit of the holiday spirit into your Saturday morning without having to clear your whole day for it.

The run starts at 09:00 at Verulamium Park, St Michael's Street, AL3 4SW, and it's free to take part. If you're driving in, the closest parking is Verulamium Car Park, which is about a four-minute walk from the start and costs £2.80 for up to three hours.