As Sergeant David Millican prepares for his final parkrun of the year, he admits one thing still surprises him most: how fast the past 12 months have gone.
“I can’t believe how quickly this year has flown by,” he said. “Each week has come around faster than the last. I’ve gone from looking forward to each Saturday to realising I’m now counting down to my last one.”
David’s ‘35 in 35 Challenge’ started as a tribute to his daughter, Emz, who took her own life last October (2025), and as a way to do something positive for the national charity Mind. However, he said it has grown into something far greater.
Over the year, David has inspired nearly 80 other people to join him for at least one parkrun. Some have come once, others dozens of times. Some run, others walk. Many come simply for the company.
“I always thought it would just be my wife and me doing this,” David reflected. “But colleagues started to come along — one of them had never done a parkrun before May, and now he’s done 19. He’s in his forties, a dad, and he says it’s his weekly break. That’s been one of my biggest successes.”
David said that Saturday morning parkruns are more than just a way of exercising. They are a safe space to connect, unwind and reset. He said that one colleague, struggling with her mental health, told him that joining a run helped her out of bed on a tough morning.
Parkrun
“She came, walked, and laughed,” David recalled. “The parkrun is a light-hearted time – chewing the fat about nothing – but that’s exactly what people need sometimes.”
His runs have taken him far and wide – from Belfast’s Stormont Park to Gdańsk in Poland – but it’s the people, not the places, that stand out.
“It’s become a bit of a movement,” said David, who has been joined by both his dog Alfie and Emz’ pup, Tink, on some of his runs.
“We’ve had everyone from frontline officers to chief officers take part. The support has blown me away.”
In total, he’s raised more than £2,000 for Mind, doubling his original goal of £1,020 – a nod to his police number.
Target
“My wife thought I’d struggle to reach the initial target,” he admitted.
“The generosity has been incredible, but the interest has meant even more. People turning up to support, then getting the bug themselves — that’s what’s amazing.”
As he heads into his final run this weekend (Saturday 29 November), David is reflective but proud.
“Running has helped me through the toughest year of my life,” he said. “It’s given me structure, distraction, and connection. It’s reminded me that you can’t get through things alone – you need people around you, even if it’s just for five minutes.”
After more than 30 years in policing, Dave is set to retire in December. Next year, he plans to take some well-earned downtime – travelling in his motorhome, walking Scotland’s West Highland Way, and continuing to support the parkrun community.
“I won’t stop running,” said David, who has already signed up for next year’s Great North Run.
“A colleague’s already planning to keep the monthly runs going for staff. That’s the legacy – keeping people connected.
“What started as something for me and Emz, has grown legs of its own. It’s been humbling, emotional, and incredible – and I wouldn’t change a second of it.”
David is calling on friends and colleagues to join him this Saturday (29 November) for his challenge finale at the Silksworth parkrun. The parkrun starts at 9am.
Can’t make it? You can still sponsor David via his JustGiving page.
READ MORE: Running behind the fence – David’s most incredible run yet.