Double helpings

Not one, but two parkruns for me today, at Basingstoke and Newbury, both with a jubilee theme.

Although I’d found a red top, I hadn’t thought much further than that, so was feeling a little underdressed.  Fortunately, the first person that I spotted in the Basingstoke carpark was Robert Spencer, who I’d met at the Eastbourne and Netley Abbey inaugurals, and he furnished me with a Union Jack table cloth which doubled nicely as a cape.  Sorted.

Basingstoke parkrun is two and half laps of undulating goodness, mostly on tarmac, but with a section on grass, and they were celebrating the Jubilee in style.  They even decided to commission some commemorative medals for the occasion, and though there might not have been enough to go round (turnout was higher than anticipated), I was lucky enough to snag one.

Jealous?

Along with a goodly proportion of the Basingstoke runners, plus similar numbers from Reading and Andover, I then hightailed it to Newbury (thanks again to Robert for being my satnav) for a second helping of jubilee running.  No bling this time, just Her Majesty to welcome us and see us across the finish.

As Newbury is flatter than Basingstoke, I’d been hoping for a slightly faster time, but it wasn’t to be.  In fact, I didn’t even manage a course pb, which as there was snow on the ground the last time that I was there is really rather unimpressive.

Unlike this:

Advertisement