National parkrun tour to pop up at the Tuggeranong parkrun on Saturday

Australia's first national parkrun road trip is arriving in Canberra this weekend, popping up at the usual Saturday morning Tuggeranong parkrun, adding some festivities and fun.

For a start, there will be massages.

The free travelling Medibank Live Better Lounge is part of the national parkrun road trip, an outdoor space featuring umbrellas, seating, massages, giveaways, and refreshments for parkrun participants.

The 5km Tuggeranong parkrun starts at Tuggeranong Town Park and follows the edge of Lake Tuggeranong, under the Soward Way bridge, over the footbridge, over to the dog park and then back.

It usually starts at 8am, but with all the fanfare of this Saturday, first-timers are asked to be there by 7.40am.

There have been 486 Tuggeranong parkruns since it started in 2013, with more than 117,000 finishes during that time.

The national parkrun tour aims to encourage all Australians to get active and connect with their local communities through physical activity, including volunteering.

Medibank says about 13 per cent of Australians who take part in parkrun do so as walkers, and the average parkrun finish time gets slower every year - a sign that more people are walking parkrun and seeing it as a social community event with fitness benefits.

Tuggeranong parkrun co-director Denise Clarke has been there from the start of the local event a decade ago, becoming the first woman in the ACT to complete 420 parkruns. She has also volunteered more than 80 times.

Denise, a mother of three and grandmother of one, said the Tuggeranong parkrun was "a very friendly and a place where everyone is made to feel welcome".

"Like all parkruns around the country, it doesn't matter if you walk, jog, run, volunteer, push a pram or walk your dog," she said.

"Everyone is encouraging and eager to support, as you make your way around the course."