He may recently have been crowned a world relay champion but sprinter Adam Gemili will still be bringing up the rear at a parkrun in Birmingham on Saturday.

However, rather than experiencing a dramatic loss in fitness, the 23-year-old will actually be participating in UK Sport’s #teamparkrun event, acting as the ‘tail walker’, to ensure that – as is the parkrun ethos – no-one finishes last.

On August 19 UK Sport is encouraging National Lottery funded athletes to follow Gemili’s lead and be a tail walker at their local parkrun as a way of saying thank you to the millions of people who play the National Lottery each week and, in doing so, help fund elite sport in the UK.

Gemili will be out on the route at 9.00am on Saturday – taking part in Birmingham a day before the Diamond League meeting in the same city – and he highlighted the difference funding has made to elite sport in the UK.

“It’s just a fantastic event,” he said. “It’s a great way for athletes, not just myself but athletes from all different sports, to say thank you for the support they have received through the National Lottery.

“People may not realise it when they are playing the National Lottery but they are helping to support athletes right across the country and helping them to achieve their dreams.

“No one is going to finish last as I’ll be there to bring up the rear. It should be a lot of fun.

“There will be some people flying around in a rapid time, some people walking, crawling, whatever. “It’s just good to get the nation out there exercising in the fresh air. There are so many athletes around the country taking part so there should be a good atmosphere.”

Parkrun is a nationwide network of organised, free, 5km timed runs that take place every Saturday morning and encourage anyone, of any ability, to get active – with a volunteer tail walker, such as Gemili at the rear to ensure no-one finishes last.

And for Gemili, who was part of the men’s 4x100m relay team who stormed to gold at the recent World Athletics Championships in London, it’s not the first time he has participated in a parkrun.

“I took part in my local parkrun in Dartford a few weeks ago and there were a lot of junior athletes taking part. If I’m able to inspire just one person in any way, then that is great,” he added.

“I’m sure there will be a few people on Saturday looking to say they finished ahead of a world champion.

“It’s honestly been nuts for me since winning the gold last weekend. It’s only really now that it’s all hitting me, the scale of what we achieved,”

“It’s very humbling to get that reaction from the public, from the 60,000 people watching in the stadium and all the fans around the country. It’s just a goosebumps moment that will forever live with me. It makes all the hard work worth it.”

To thank the public for their support through playing The National Lottery, Britain’s top athletes will volunteer as Tail Walkers at parkrun events across the UK on Saturday August 19. Everyone is welcome at parkrun - be part of it! www.teamparkrun.com