Barcode Tattoo

Barcode Tattoo celebrates the extraordinary phenomenon of parkrun like no other book. Founded in 2004 by Zimbabwe-born runner and visionary, Paul Sinton-Hewitt, parkrun has become a running institution.

The concept is deceptively simple: a weekly, measured and timed five kilometre run, jog, or walk. Now consider this: parkruns take place in thousands of locations every Saturday around the world. They're open to anyone who cares to turn up, which they do in their millions. They're organised entirely by unpaid volunteers. And they're free. Forever.

Barcode Tattoo takes its title and theme from the one element common to all parkruns: the printed barcode as the key to all participants' unique experience with a global running movement that has swept the world.

With more than 6,300,000 registered members in 22 countries so far, parkrun has captured the imagination of athletes and couch potatoes alike.

In Barcode Tattoo, poet, writer, and runner, Roger G McDonald, takes readers on a lilting, musical, amusing, and sometimes poignant journey of the imagination.

Ten percent of sales of this book go direct to parkrun to allow it to support its central principle: free for everyone forever. Proceeds from sales also go to the children's charity, CreateCare Global www.createcareglobal.org.