In January, I found out about parkruns. Now I’m hooked. As all my weekday running is from home to work and work to home, I’ve decided to tour as many parkruns as I can get to. These are the ones that I’ve visited so far:
- Event #: 209/210
- Number of runners: 203 / 196
- Laps: 2 and a bit
- Underfoot: mud, puddles and tree roots
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: 2 people / no-one
- Other: it got me hooked!
- Event #: 170
- Number of runners: 342
- Laps: 2 and a half
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: 2 people
- Other: ran it with friends
- Event #: 137
- Number of runners: 146
- Laps: 2 and smidge
- Underfoot: grass and paths
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: lots of people
- Other: varied run with an aviary, trees and a long (but gentle) climb
- Event #: 83
- Number of runners: 109
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and paths
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: 4 people
- Other: downhill finishing straight (with a tailwind the day I went)
- Event #: 61
- Number of runners: 108
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: hill near the end of each lap
- Chatted to: 2 lovely Janathoners
- Other: bags and coats are not left at the start…get there early and ask to avoid a mad dash at 8.59
- Event #: 23
- Number of runners: 17 (it was raining)
- Laps: 3
- Underfoot: (extremely soggy) grass
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: 3 people
- Other: small but friendly
- Event #: 91
- Number of runners: 67
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: mud and puddles
- Profile: undulating
- Chatted to: 4 people
- Other: friendly and picturesque
- Event #: 56
- Number of runners: 166
- Laps: 1 short, 2 long and a finishing straight
- Underfoot: un-tarmacced path
- Profile: very slightly undulating
- Chatted to: 4 people (including 2 Janathoners)
- Other: well marshalled and signed – would definitely do again
- Event #: 49
- Number of runners: 45
- Laps: 1 (the course is an out and back lollipop)
- Underfoot: varied
- Profile: essentially a flat run along the river
- Chatted to: 5 people
- Other: nice run where tail-runners come as standard
- Event #: 177
- Number of runners: 224
- Laps: 1 (first half is downhill…second half isn’t)
- Underfoot: varied
- Profile: undulating
- Chatted to: 3 people
- Other: beautiful but far from flat!
- Event #: 77
- Number of runners: 188
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: path
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: 5 people
- Other: P-shaped run along the river and round the nature reserve
- Event #: 25
- Number of runners: 151
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: undulating
- Chatted to: 6 people
- Other: an uphill finishing straight – what mad fool designed this course?
- Event #: 1
- Nunber of runners: 19
- Laps: 3
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: very slightly undulating
- Chatted to: pretty much everyone
- Other: a duckpond, some trees and a kebab van. What more could you want?
- Event #: 56
- Number of runners: 47
- Laps: 3
- Underfoot: mixed
- Profile: slightly undulating
- Chatted to: 4 people
- Other: good parking, good signage and lots of encouragement
- Event #: 63
- Number of runners: 231
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: mixed
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: 5 people
- Other: beautiful scenery including a canal and a model railway and it also has a 2.5k option
- Event #: 54
- Number of runners: 113
- Laps: 3
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: hilly
- Chatted to: 5 people
- Other: short, sharp uphill at the end of each lap but other than that, a lovely parkrun
- Event #: 96
- Number of runners: 214
- Laps: 1
- Underfoot: woodland path
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: 4 people
- Other: it’s gorgeous, but take plenty of change for the car park and don’t expect your gps to work through the trees.
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 50
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: gravelly path
- Profile: hilly…felt like the uphill would never end
- Chatted to: 4 people
- Other: it’s gorgeous, but hilly and the route ain’t simple so watch out for signs and marshals
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 48
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and path
- Profile: flat (the clue’s in the name!)
- Chatted to: lost count
- Other: car park, loos, start, finish and post run drinks are all within a stone’s throw of each other.
- Event #: 30
- Number of runners: 79
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and path
- Profile: undulating
- Chatted to: fellow nomad, Ron Hill
- Other: lots of tempting shortcuts – take your conscience with you!
- Event #: 31
- Number of runners: 98
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and path
- Profile: split level, but essentially flat
- Chatted to: Emma and her cheering squad
- Other: Oh, I do like to be beside the seaside!
- Event #: 24
- Number of runners: 113
- Laps: 1 3/4
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: undulating
- Chatted to: Disjointed Tales
- Other: Volunteers take bags from the start to the finish…so avoid taking a bag if you can.
- Event #: 75
- Number of runners: 217
- Laps: 1
- Underfoot: path
- Profile: flat apart from the zigzag hill bit
- Chatted to: Fortnight Flo and David ’2011miles’ Lewis
- Other: Beautiful lakeside run…remember your change for the car park.
- Event #: 3
- Number of runners: 30
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass
- Profile: very gentle undulations
- Chatted to: Fairweatherrunner
- Other: Extremely friendly and good parking…but watch where you put your feet.
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 154
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and path
- Profile: surprisingly flat
- Chatted to: the wonderful Paul
- Other: Leave plenty of time to get to the start…it’s a long way from the car park.
- Event #: 21
- Number of runners: 47
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: essentially flat
- Chatted to: insert clever running pun here
- Other: Trees, a lake, a bridge, mostly flat. Lovely.
- Event #: 62
- Number of runners: 187
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: varied
- Profile: mostly flat with some odd little dips
- Chatted to: five people
- Other: Crosses paths with a minature railway and fishermen galore.
- Event #: 215
- Number of runners: 162
- Laps: 1 3/4
- Underfoot: woodland path
- Profile: one and a half hills
- Chatted to: Derek, Sandhya, Michelle, Alan, Neil…the list is endless
- Other: Like Wimbledon, but with hills. Exceptionally friendly (which for a parkrun is saying something).
- Event #: 60
- Number of runners: 64
- Laps: n/a (out and back)
- Underfoot: mostly tarmac
- Profile: flatter than a flat thing
- Chatted to: two first-timers
- Other: memo to self – check the directions before leaving home!
- Event #: 101
- Number of runners: 228
- Laps: 2 and a bit
- Underfoot: grass / tarmac / stone
- Profile: flatter than a flat thing
- Chatted to: zoecakes
- Other: ample free parking and refreshments at the end
- Event #: 370
- Number of runners: 689
- Laps: 1
- Underfoot: grass, path
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: four people in passing
- Other: good course for a pb…but too big for my taste
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 44
- Laps: 3 (1 short and 2 long)
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: Mark A Jennings, Paul Freyne and Ron Hill
- Other: I got a pb! Yay!
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 76
- Laps: 2 3/4
- Underfoot: firm gravel path
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: Pretty much everyone
- Other: Apparently, parkrun is a very small world
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 61
- Laps: 3
- Underfoot: wide tarmac paths
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: the world and her husband
- Other: The out-and-back section is fab!
- Event #: 20
- Number of runners: 55
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: uneven – take care
- Profile: flat
- Chatted to: Rich and others
- Other: Check out Patisserie Pascal!
- Event #: 2
- Number of runners: 114
- Laps: 2
- Underfoot: grass and tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: Ron Hill, Rich and Zac
- Other: Family friendly course, good parking, great company
- Event #: 34
- Number of runners: 77
- Laps: 3 and an out and back
- Underfoot: mixed
- Profile: oh my god, the hills!
- Chatted to: travelling hopefully
- Other: Not the normal course. Three hills not two. Ouch.
- Event #: 13
- Number of runners: 82
- Laps: 2 and a bit
- Underfoot: grass and tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: some volunteers and another VLM reject
- Other: Family friendly course, good parking, scary wolves
- Event #: 60
- Number of runners: 174
- Laps: one big, one small
- Underfoot: tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: one or two other parkrunners
- Other: pretty, interesting and right next door to Edgbaston
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 26
- Laps: 2 and a smidge
- Underfoot: tarmac with a thin layer of gravel
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: Ron Hill, Tim Williams, Rick, Marc, Nicole…..
- Other: Meandering, friendly and has great facilities
- Event #: 1
- Number of runners: 70
- Laps: lollipop
- Underfoot: tarmac out and back with a gravel loop
- Profile: down, round, up
- Chatted to: the parkrun touring party
- Other: runs alongside a river and has thermal pools at the end.
- Event #: 2
- Number of runners: 116
- Laps: one (figure of eight)
- Underfoot: grass and badly maintained tarmac
- Profile: gently undulating
- Chatted to: Fairweather runner, Ron Hill, Rebecca Hall, Danny Norman, Arlene Gallagher
- Other: Take care! It’s not ankle friendly.
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Great summaries of them all – do you fancy MK soon?
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Hi Many thanks for writing such kind words about Southwick Country parkrun at is great to get such plaudits from such an experienced parkrunner. I’m the ED and only had such a short time to chat to you and others on Saturday as we wanted to get things right on our first run! The whole committee has very little experience of different parkruns, only been to Swindon and Ashton court and no one has been to ten yet. It would be great to know what different parkruns do and maybe emulate some of the better parts of each. Thank you for visiting us and please stay in touch!
This is a great summary of your events, but why haven’t you listed the times you have run in each event?
I do parkruns in Coventry and Leamington – they are great!!!!
You gotta try Ashton Court, Bristol soon. I’m dying to knowhow it compares to others. I’m sure is the toughest one!
I really must update this! I ran Ashton Court just before Christmas, and yes, it is definitely one of the toughest. 2.5km of unrelieved uphill!
What a great way to tour the country! As soon as the mornings get a bit lighter i will try a lot more of the ones in Greater London.
Love this information on park runs. It’s the first I’ve heard of them. Would love to participate when I visit in the future. Thanks for stopping by my blog.
Hello Louise
I was one of the marshalls (in the big furry hat) at Harrogate Parkrun one freezing, snow-laden & icy parkrun morning in January – when most other parkruns in the area had been cancelled! I have a picture of you and will send it direct if you like? Otherwise, you will find it on the Harrogate Parkun website very shortly. It was lovely to meet you and I think your idea of trying out all the parkruns and reporting on them is brilliant and very interesting! Well done!
Jillie Townend