Councils in England will be banned from charging people to take part in weekend fun runs under rules being proposed by the government.

Free events, organised by the Parkrun group to encourage fitness, attract thousands of runners on to 5km (3m) courses in parks across the country.

A parish council near Bristol last year proposed charging entrants £1 each, citing the cost of upkeep of paths.

Communities Secretary Sajid Javid is to consult on the proposed legislation.

According to the Times, the proposals would make it illegal for local authorities to charge Parkrun or junior Parkrun, which runs 2km races for children, for the use of a public park.

Ministers will also examine whether the plans should be extended to other organisers of fun runs, and to different users of parks such as professional dog walkers and personal trainers.

The consultation says: “Local authorities quite legitimately charge for a variety of different events and specific activities that take place in local parks…

“However, the government does not consider it appropriate for a local authority to charge a volunteer community seeking to provide a free weekly event for the use of a public park, overturning our long standing convention of free access to parks for their everyday use.”

Parkrun, a not-for-profit company which organises free, weekly, timed runs around the world, began life in 2004 with an event in Teddington, south-west London.