Kingston parkrun is, when dry, a perfectly buggy friendly course. After heavy rain, however, it’s a different story. The first and last sections (which between them make up about half the course) are firm and flat – well maintained towpath and tarmac underfoot. The middle section goes mud, puddle, mud, puddle, mud, puddle, muddy grass, swamp, muddy goo, mud, puddle, mud.
Thankfully, I was not pushing a buggy around it today. I had the plum volunteer role of tail-runner, so I pootled along at the back watching in awe as the two intrepid buggy runners negotiated the mud, puddles, swamp and goo.
After which, I decamped to the café, warmed up with a cup of tea and a homemade gingerbread man dressed in 26.2 club colours and swapped racing plans with Kevin, last seen on New Year’s Day up in Middlesbrough.
And I even remembered to foam roll when I got home.
Ahhhh but the hardest part will be the cleaning of said buggy!
You’re not kidding! The mud was wheel deep at times. They were… not clean at the end.
If I ever went to a parkrun I have a feeling that tail runner would hate me haha
The tail runner would love you – go to a parkrun immediately (I hear there’s another one on next Saturday… 🙂
They wouldn’t. I’d be looking at an hour and the other day someone posted saying they were the tail runner and by the time they had finished with the last runner everyone had packed up so they couldn’t do the thing with tokens?
congrats on another parkrun! how many now?
147 total at 109 different venues (Kingston is a repeat).
wow, hats off to you
I second what Norm says. Get thee to a parkrun! And if you’re at all worried, just shout and I’ll come up and run one with you!
And I’ll join you – do one or I’ll set the sheep on you! 🙂
I’ve not yet managed the whole post-parkrun drinks and eats. I always feel guilty enough at having left the family to it on a Saturday morning.
I guess as tail-runner, you still get to log a completed run do you?
You do indeed 🙂 It’s a coveted role for that very reason.
Ooooh, maybe I could volunteer to tail run once baby is here. Might be a nice way back in.
Sounds like a plan 🙂
Were kiddies in said buggies? They must have enjoyed shouting faster! Muddier!
They were. In fact, one was a double buggy with two children!
was a fun one for buggies at Banstead Woods too 🙂
I wouldn’t fancy pushing a buggy up that hill in these conditions. Super-hard points for those that did!