Tonbridge parkrun freedom run

After running at the inaugural Ashford parkrun, I thought it would be fun to stop off just down the road at Tonbridge to have a little run around the planned Tonbridge parkrun course. I will save the detailed course description and venue information for my blog post after the inaugural event. However, as a teaser....

.... on the course you'll run under the main railway line into London, cross a number of narrow bridges (I think you cross seven different water channels on the way out, and come back across them on the way back - so fourteen crossings in total), and you'll run a lap around the stunning Barden Lake in Haysden Country Park.

The course covers a mixture of surfaces - grass, tarmac, trail, wood, and stony paths are all represented. You could quite easily run this course in your normal road shoes, but I decided to go with trail shoes purely because I like my road shoes to stay looking nice and shiny.

I had a very leisurely run and did my best to dance around the puddles and avoid the mud, but as you can see in the photo, it still managed to get me! Change of shoes and socks are recommended - especially if the wet weather continues. The inaugural event is on the 9th of November and starts on the grass next to the Tonbridge Juddians Rugby Club House - not far from the swimming pool and miniature railway.

There are a few car parks close by (Tonbridge Castle / Swimming Pool) but you will have to pay - I know that the Castle car park charges £1 for an hour, £1.70 for two hours and £2.30 for three hours so I imagine the others are similarly priced.

I did of course log the run as a freedom run so it appears on my official parkrun log.

Ashford parkrun

Please note that there is an updated write-up for this venue, here: Ashford parkrun 2024 write-up

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For over two years, Whitstable was the only parkrun venue in Kent. However, throughout 2013 parkrun has been expanding throughout Kent at an incredible rate and after landing in Margate, Ramsgate, Shorne Woods, Maidstone and Gillingham, has now reached Ashford, with Tonbridge launching in November and Canterbury planned for the new year.

On a typically autumnal October morning, I made my way along the M20 to take part in the inaugural running of Kent's latest addition to the parkrun family - Ashford parkrun.

victoria park, ashford

The run takes place in Victoria Park, which is just on the southern side of the train line and not far from Ashford International train station. Visitors travelling by car from outside Ashford will be pleased to hear that you can park for free on Jemmett Road or in the Bowls Club car park. There is also a bus service that stops on Jemmett Road. The toilets are located just inside the park next to the playground and tennis courts and while they are basic, they are a welcome sight after an hour on the road.

Cyclists should find the network of cycle lanes helpful in making their way to the park, and upon arrival will find bicycle racks in the main car park and also within the seating area next to the Hubert Fountain.

the tree lined path adjacent to the finish area

In true parkrun style, as 9am approaches, parkrunners emerge from all directions and congregate around the start area. As this is an inaugural event, there are a fair number of parkrun tourists - themselves a nomadic community, there are first time tourists from other Kent parkruns, and there are others, runners, run-walkers and indeed walkers (all are welcome) new to parkrun - they have heard about this 'parkrun' thing and are here to find out what all the fuss is about.

pre-run mingling

Before every parkrun there is a briefing. There are many people to thank for helping to get the run set up - Ashford Borough Council were instrumental, as was parkrun's ambassador for Kent and event director at Whitstable parkrun, Jacky MacDonald. The event, and indeed all parkruns, simply could not take place without its volunteers and today's heroes were recognised, as is customary, with a hearty round of applause during the briefing.

the first section adjacent to jemmett road

There's a countdown and then the runners are off.  In total 19 different running clubs were represented at the inaugural event - Ashford AC, Ashford Tri and Ashford and District RRC are the local clubs and were all represented amongst the field of 90 participants. However, the majority of the field was made up of non club-runners.

the hubert fountain

The inclusive nature of parkrun means that there are participants of all different shapes, sizes, ages and abilities. The gazelles at the front spring into action and disappear into the distance at a pace that the majority of parkrunners can only dream of. Others start off at a more leisurely pace, quite happy to use the run as an opportunity to socialise. This is one of parkrun's great strengths - parkrun themselves are not putting on a race, they are just hosting a free, timed, 5k event in pleasant parkland surroundings. How each individual decides to approach the run is completely down to themselves. As they say in the parkrun world 'it can be whatever you want it to be'.

the wide shared use path adjacent to the great stour

The run takes place over two identical anti-clockwise laps through the northern part of the park with an out-and-back section towards the far end and is entirely on tarmac apart from a few metres at the end which are on grass. It starts near the tennis courts on the eastern side of the park adjacent to Jemmett Road and follows the path around the Hubert Fountain where participants reach the northern boundary and follow the cycle path along the Great Stour in a westerly direction. This path forms part of National Cycle Route 18, so runners should take note to be aware of bicycles coming from both directions.

at the far end runners follow the path on the right, loop around and come back out using the path on the left

Soon after passing the fountain, the course leaves the formal area of the park by swinging right (still following the cycle path) and, after passing an adventure playground, takes runners across to the Watercress Fields end of the park. This section mostly consists of open grass areas but also has a good wildlife habitat and features areas that have been sown as meadows. There are small wooded areas dotted around the park and the route weaves and meanders around and through them.

part of the loop at the far end

At the far end of the course the path splits in two. At this point, the route takes a slight right hand turn where the route briefly leaves the main shared-use path and loops around following the curve of the river. The route rejoins the main shared-use path with a very sharp left-hand turn which brings runners back towards the formal part of the park. There is about 400 metres of two-way parkrun traffic at this point.

the narrower section of shared use path

There is a right hand turn which leaves the shared use path and takes the runners through the centre of the park. Before you turn back into the formal part, there is an unusual point where you run through a basketball court. I don't truly understand why it has been positioned across one of the main walkways rather than in its own dedicated space. Anyway...

the basketball court

... a few alternating 90 degree turns and a short incline later, the route arrives back at the start area. Only one more lap to go now. Upon arriving back at the start area at the end of the second lap, runners are directed into a short triangular loop along the formal tree lined paths before leaving the tarmac and running the last 30 or so metres on grass.

near the end of the lap (the wife took this one from the playground as I ran past)

At the end, all participants filter into the finish funnel, where the timer will register each runner's time as they pass. Each runner is then given a finishing token. This finishing token is then taken to the volunteer on registration - they will have a small scanning device and will firstly scan your personal barcode and then your finishing token. A few hours later you'll receive an email containing your result. The full results (event 1) are also published on the event's website.

the finish funnel

Once all runners, buggy-runners (none today but the course is suitable), run-walkers and walkers have finished, all of the equipment is packed away and the post-run social gathering takes place at the cafe in Ashford Indoor Bowls Centre. The social element is really important at a parkrun and if you embrace it, you could find that it becomes just as (or more) important as the run itself.

I found this to be a very enjoyable course to run, I especially liked the meandering paths and I even enjoyed the short incline. Plus, according to my running app, Strava, I ran a new 1 mile personal best during the run, breaking the 6-minute-mile barrier for the first time with a time of 5.58. Afterwards I stopped off at Tonbridge to have a freedom run around the future course. Overall it was a very good day of parkrunning!

Fulham Palace parkrun

There is a newer write-up for this venue available here: Fulham Palace parkrun 2024 write-up

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Fulham Palace is of medieval origin and is situated on the North side of Putney Bridge, it was the country home of the Bishops of London from the 11th century until 1975. The Palace is now managed by the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham and the Fulham Palace Trust. The Palace grounds originally covered 30 acres, it has now been reduced to 12 acres. It also boasts the longest moat in England. Admission to the Palace and its grounds is free and is definitely worth visiting.

next to the Bishop's Avenue entrance

The meeting point for the Fulham Palace parkrun is at the Tudor Gate entrance to Fulham Palace. At the meeting point there is the usual parkrun briefing before runners are lead into Bishop's Park, where the whole run takes place. I'm not entirely sure why the briefing takes place in the Palace grounds and I wouldn't be surprised if it is eventually moved over to the start area.

Bishop's park was formerly part of the Fulham Palace estate (this explains the reduction in acreage), and was opened for public use in 1893. Its south-west border forms the embankment path along the Thames which is a very small section of the 296km-long Thames Path National Trail. It is also adjacent to Craven Cottage - the home of Fulham Football Club. The park, along with the Palace, have recently undergone a restoration project with the entire site being altered and modernized.

The lake / picnic area

In the park, you'll find fifteen tennis courts, bowling greens, children's playground, statues, gardens and a couple of open green spaces. There's also a very pretty lake, sand pit / beach and picnic area, which is a dog free zone. Talking about dogs, there were quite a few of them around but they didn't seem interested in the additional 192 runners plodding around the park.

The park, along with the adjacent 'All Saints Church' (currently encased in scaffolding), played a role in the 1976 horror film The Omen - The scene in question is where a priest is subject to a freak storm after revealing some information to the film's lead character played by Gregory Peck and is subsequently impaled by a lightning rod thrown from the roof of the church. If you haven't seen it, check out this video on you tube.

Peeking through the (tudor?) gate into the Fulham Palace courtyard

Anyway, back to something a little less sinister - parkrun!

I arrived by car and parked on Bishop's Avenue just outside the Bishops Park Tennis Academy (which explains the large number of tennis courts) - Please note that parking in these metered spaces costs £2.20 per hour, but are limited to one hour on days that Fulham Football Club are playing at home. It is worth checking the fixture list beforehand. I did and Fulham were not playing at all on the day I visited, which was the inaugural event on 19 October 2013.

pre-run mingling

Another way to reach the venue is by public transport where, providing there are no engineering works, you can easily take a district line train to Putney Bridge which is only 700 metres away from the park. If using the mainline trains you'd be looking to alight at Putney, walk down Putney High Street and then cross Putney Bridge. Alternatively you could cycle and lock your bike to one of the many bicycle racks around the park - the obvious racks to use are the ones next to the start line or the ones on Bishops Avenue, right next to the entrance to Fulham Palace.

There are toilets right next to the start area, I visited them briefly but I was disappointed that there was no toilet paper or soap available. Maybe I just caught them on a bad day and it's important to remember that a poorly equipped toilet is better than no toilet at all!

The start

I and Mrs7t-before-she-was-mrs7t actually lived just across the bridge in Putney a few years back, so it was nice to be back in one of my favourite parts of London again. We both still have a huge soft-spot for this area of London and were sad to leave.

Apart from the last few metres, the entire course is all on tarmac. It is pancake flat, and is made up of about two-and-three-quarter anti-clockwise laps. It starts on the northern side of the park, next to the lake and picnic area (it also has a large sand pit) and heads north-west towards the football stadium. I'd advise staying to the centre / left along this section as the right hand side is marked as a cycle path.

The first section (note the cycle path on the right hand side)

Once in the shadow of the local area's second largest football club (Chelsea FC is just down the road), you'll swing left - watch out for the benches on the path about half way along this stretch, especially on the first lap while there is still congestion. When you reach the river, you turn left and run along the river path (this is the one that runs adjacent to the river behind the line of trees - not the one before the trees next to the grass).

Now for your run along the lovely tree lined embankment path. Trees to your left, river to your right. This path is a popular vantage point for viewing the first section of the Oxford and Cambridge boat race. The embankment path does have a slight interruption where you have to break your stride in order to work your way around some steps that lead down to the river which, as I understand, were used to board a ferry service across to Putney in the days before there was a bridge (if that is wrong please let me know and I will update).

The river path

It's not long before Putney Bridge comes into view and just before you reach the Spanish Civil War Memorial, the course takes a slight left hander before dishing up a second, much tighter, left hander where you start heading back in the direction of the start area.

Next up, as you reach the playground there is a nice sweeping right hander that leads into a sweeping left-hander, where you emerge back at the start line. On the third lap, you'll find the finish line on Bishop's Meadow - which is the open grass area flanked by trees just before you reach the right hand turn.

The final sprint

The course is perfect for a spot of buggy running and to prove the point there were a couple out on the course today - one of them overtook me near the end of the first lap and finished well in front of me - I suspect their time was well under 19 minutes.

A huge thank you to all of the marshals, and especially to Louise (@Abradypus) who was on the first corner and enthusiastically cheered me on by name as I passed her on each lap. The post run social is held in the Bishop's Garden Cafe, which is near the start line / playground / toilets. Unfortunately I couldn't hang around as I had other post-parkrun commitments (shocking, I know).

Bishop's Meadow

It's a lovely park for a parkrun and the course is super fast. In fact, it's so fast that I ran a new 5k personal best, taking 7 seconds off my previous pb which had stood for two years, one month, and three days. That's 109 weeks (or over 1 million minutes)!

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Update: There has been a slight course alteration since I ran at the event - The finish is no longer on the grass and the start has been moved slightly. The course map has been updated to reflect this. I also understand that the briefing now takes place in the park rather than the grounds of the Palace. Please see the comment from Rob C in the comments section below.

New Balance Running Singlet

The running singlet is an item that I had never previously owned. I had always gone for standard t-shirt style running tops, so I was very excited to be trying one of these out. The first thing I noticed when wearing it is how light and airy it feels and my arms were able to move without the usual restrictions of a sleeved top.

It is made from 100% polyester with a mesh panel covering the entire back. It also has some reflective elements (the NB branding and some dashes on the front, and on the back the New Balance and NB ICE wording).

It features the 'NB ICE' cooling technology, described by New Balance as..

'constructed with NB Ice® technology that wicks away moisture and dries quickly to promote a cooling effect that can lower the surface temperature of your skin by 2 degrees'

I was sent the size Mens Euro-XS and the fit was ok. My preference would be for it to fit a little closer around the middle and bottom sections. As I understand it, the design is purposefully like this to allow for ease of mobility and is described as 'semi-fitted' by New Balance. If given a choice between semi-fitted and fitted, I imagine the fitted option would be more to my liking.

The main colour of mine is a dark blue with a lime stripe running down the length of the back and grey side panels - It is also available with the blue and lime colours switched around if you want to be extra visible.

I was sent this to review just as summer was coming to an end and my attention was starting to turn towards my warmer/long sleeved running gear. However I did manage to find a couple of occasions to wear it.

The first time I tried it during a run was the day I was attempting a 1 mile time trial along the embankment of the Thames between Blackfriars and Westminster - you can read about the Magic Mile challenge here. I actually ran a 1 mile personal best while wearing it, whether the singlet contributed to that is difficult to say, but it certainly didn't slow me down!

The second time was at the Chislehurst Chase 10k trail race. On both occasions that I have raced in it, I have found that it certainly keeps the body temperature at a nice level and the combination of being sleeveless and the NB ICE technology dealt with any sweat to the point that it was still pretty much bone dry at the end of both runs, so I am very happy with it.

So, the New Balance running singlet is a valuable addition to my running kit. I'm still undecided on whether I'll wear it over the winter months, but when the warmer months come back around I'll be loving the extra cooling that it provides!

Fairoaks Five

I wasn't supposed to be racing this weekend, but you know how it is... I was browsing the race listings for a 5 mile race as I felt that I was in good shape to improve on my personal best time of 34:49 which I ran at the Isle of Oxney race in 2012 (which has since been renamed the Tenterden 5), came across this one and just entered. It's a mixed terrain, mostly trail, race and not really a pb course, but I still felt that I could beat my previous personal best at the distance.

The Fairoaks Five race HQ is at Fairoaks Airport, Chobham, which is near Woking. We (myself and the ladies) jumped in the car and drove half-way round the M25 in the pouring rain and arrived in good time for me to collect my race number and timing chip, and to check out the course map. There was plenty of parking available in the main airport car park and the little one enjoyed checking out the aeroplanes sitting next to the runway.

So as race time approached I changed into my running gear and stuck on my water and wind proof jacket to warm up. We then hung around, trying to shelter ourselves from the incessant heavy rain. With just a couple of minutes to go until race start time, I was being indecisive about whether to leave the rain jacket on for the run or whether to whip it off and get on with the job in hand - thankfully, reason won and I took it off and handed it to the wife for safe keeping.

At 10.30am sharp, the already drenched pack of 154 eager runners were sent on their way to run 5 miles around the local woods. The first section was on the gravely, pot-holed path within the airport grounds, before were turned onto the beautifully smooth tarmac of the A319 Chertsey Road. After a short while we were directed to turn right down Bonsey's Lane where after a short while we left the road completely.

I remember running on a bit of trail through the trees before emerging onto an open grass area at the back of the airport. A few twists and turns later, I caught a glimpse of the Maclaren Technology Centre. This section featured quite a bit of open grass land and undulated a little, but nothing too strenuous. After this, the run was mostly in the woods on a combination of single track trails with protruding tree roots to fairly wide woodland avenues which were glowing in their orange and gold autumn coats.

The rain was still bouncing off the ground and had been the whole night before, so every dip and crevice had filled with water, but I managed to keep my feet fairly dry until about half-way around. Somewhere around here the ground was wetter and the puddles too wide too avoid, I was expecting to have water-filled shoes much earlier on, so I wasn't too upset when my shoes finally succumbed to the inevitable.

I remember crossing a few small wooden bridges, running past some lakes (or maybe they were huge puddles) and I saw a few horses in adjacent fields throughout the run - the rest was a blur... really it was.. I couldn't really see anything through my glasses as they were so wet, but even with that I still managed to find my way around the course. The signage and marshalling on the course was all very good and I managed to navigate my way through without getting lost, but I did hear that one runner took a wrong turn somewhere and ended up back at race HQ just before the lead bike and winner.


Eventually I popped out of the woods and was back in the grounds of the airport, and after the last stretch on tarmac I crossed the finish line. As you'll see from the video, I just about managed to come in under 34 minutes. My official timing by chip was 33.58 and I finished in 13th position. It was a new personal best so I'm over the moon. However I know that I can still go a bit quicker so I'll be looking out for a 5 mile race with a pb course before the end of the year.

I was promptly handed a banana, my finisher's medal and a goodie bag, which contained some fuelling gels, but the gels contain some funny ingredients and a lot of caffeine - which I'm trying to avoid, so I won't be using them. The main thing was that I really enjoyed running the course. It wasn't until my wife and daughter pointed out the backs of my legs that I realised how muddy I was!

After posing for a couple of photos, we rushed back to the car so I could get out of my dripping wet clothes and into something dryer - luckily I had actually remembered to bring a towel so after a prolonged drying session in the back of the car...

... I eventually climbed through into the driving seat (I couldn't face going back out in the rain) and we began our journey home, but not before stopping outside the front of the Maclaren Technology Centre to take a few photos and then popping into Woking for some lunch. It was still raining by the way.

Kingston parkrun

Kingston-upon-Thames is a lovely part of London and I've always enjoyed visiting the area and walking along the banks of the river Thames, so I was pleased when my scheduled visit to Kingston parkrun finally came around.

The Start

I had always imagined that I would cycle to this venue, but we've recently moved to Dartford and I didn't really fancy the 45 kilometre cycle ride either side of the run. So, even though the official page advises that parking isn't easy, I drove.

Train links all involve a walk/jog (or bus ride). Kingston is the closest station but if the London Underground is more your style, it will get you into Richmond but you'll have to work out the rest from there, there are apparently buses that will take you the rest of the way if you don't fancy the warm-up jog.

The Hawker Centre (including bike racks - there are more around the back)

This is a riverside out-and-back run, which starts and finishes near the Hawker Centre (if you fancy an interesting read, look up the history of the Hawker name in the local area). It is a sports facility run by the YMCA and features a gym, sports areas, tennis courts, soft-play area and a coffee shop. It has a large, free car park which I used for the duration of my stay.

Officially, I imagine the car park is supposed to be for users of the centre only which is probably why it isn't mentioned on the parkrun course page.

Part of the first (and last) meandering path

So once the usual parkrun formalities have taken place, the runners (99 on the day I visited) head off along the fairly smooth meandering towpath towards Ham. The glorious banks of the Thames to the left and an ever changing mix of grass, scrub, and trees to the right. Being riverside, it'll come as no surprise that this is a flat course.

The boundary marker between Kingston and Richmond

Interestingly, the majority of the run takes place in Ham, which is in the London borough of Richmond-upon-Thames. Only the first 500 metres and the last 300 metres (approx distances) are actually in Kingston. Shortly after starting the run you'll pass a large white stone which marks the boundary between the two boroughs.

About a kilometre into the run you'll run under the Teddington footbridge and past Teddington Lock.

Teddington Footbridge

Once past the lock, the terrain underfoot changes to a rougher, stony path and before long the clear views of the Thames are interrupted by the covering of trees that you have found yourself within. Next up is the Thames Young Mariners Outdoor Learning Centre, which offers land and water based activities for kids and teenagers, where you'll briefly find water on both sides of the path.

The path gets rougher

After this is the final part of the 'out'. Then a marshal directs you inland (this is the half-way point) onto 'Ham Lands' where you follow a single track dirt path around a loop, you'll need to keep your eye out for the sawdust trail that the marshals put out beforehand to make sure you stay on the correct path.

The Ham Lands were excavated for gravel back in the early 20th century and the old pits have been back-filled with soil and rubble from bombsites from across London, which has apparently created a mosaic of different vegetation types.

The Thames

At the end of the loop you emerge back onto the towpath and retrace your footsteps back past all of the previously mentioned landmarks until you return to the Hawker Centre where you'll find the finish line and cheering volunteers on the grass just to the left of the main path.

The towpath also forms part of a traffic-free cycle route, so you'll need to keep a look out for bikes approaching in both directions. There were also a fair amount of dog walkers and the dogs were darting in and out of the trees, so again just keep your eyes peeled for them.

Taken from Teddington Footbridge (the parkrun goes along the tarmac path on the right)

The day and night before I ran here, it had rained heavily. If I hadn't signed up for an off-road trail race the following day I would have stuck my trail shoes on to be on the safe side. However, my road shoes coped pretty well with the conditions. Although I expect that after a prolonged period of wet weather, the Ham Lands section could be a bit muddy and/or slippery.

My final sprint (I'm in the black top). From the kingston parkrun photo pool (photographer: Paul Crockford)

The course is suitable for buggy running. However, it will be bumpy for the occupant during the middle kilometres, so if they don't mind the bumpy ride you'll be fine. If it has been raining there'll be plenty of puddles to splash through - something that my daughter really enjoys!

All over for another week

I'm so pleased that I made the effort to travel across London to run here. It's a lovely place to run and even with the few bumps and short off-road section, it is a very fast course (I ran my fastest time so far this year here). If I lived closer I'd definitely make it one of my regular parkrun venues.

Please note: I am aware that this old post needs an update. It is on the list and I'll revisit when I can.

Titsey Trail 10k 2013

As the name suggests, this is a trail race. It takes place on the Titsey estate which is one of the largest surviving historic estates in Surrey and dates back to the sixteenth century. The race is hosted by Oxted Runners and quite a few of their runners volunteered on the day. They have lots of interesting and helpful race information and a course map on the race website.

This race is one that I have wanted to run since hearing about it just before the 2011 event. But 2011 had sold out by the time I tried to enter, then in 2012 I missed out again by not registering early. This time around I got a heads up that entries were open from one of my Riddlesdown parkrun buddies (and also an Oxted Runner) and put my entry in straight away.

The car park, race HQ, toilets and start line are all in slightly different locations but are all just off the A25 at Limpsfield. In-between the car park and race we walked along the bicycle lane in the road as we couldn't see a footpath - it turns out there was one on the other side of the road, we found it on the way back. Anyway, the ladies took a seat in the race HQ and treated themselves to some cake (50p per slice) while I did my pre-race faffing around.

The only pre-race issue was with the toilets - they were supposed to have some portaloos delivered but for some reason they didn't turn up. The back-up toilets were nice enough but had no running water, so the toilets wouldn't flush and the taps were bone dry. I'm just glad that I visited them early.

Over at the assembly area, runners were grouped into their approximate finish times and then lead down towards the start line. It was a good idea to do this as the course is fairly narrow and overtaking difficult, especially at the beginning when things are congested. After a loud bang from the starting pistol we were off to follow the densely wooded single lap course through Limpsfield Common and the High Chart.

The race  is run almost entirely within woodland on a combination of tracks, footpaths and bridleways. Towards the end there is a brief section that is on a road. There are one or two occasions where you leave the woodland and run across fields (complete with plenty of cow pats to dodge!).

There are sections of single track paths that twist and turn while taking you higher into the High Chart. You'll also find tree roots trying to grab an ankle and the occasional rock just waiting for you to mis-place your footing. It's tricky to see all of the potential hazards at the beginning while the runners are bunched up but much easier further along once everyone has spread out.

At one point you'll have to duck to avoid a tree branch and at another you'll leap over one. Then there's the mud - I have to say that in 2013 we were incredibly lucky as it had been fairly dry in the run up to the race and there was only the occasional spot of mud to wade through, but I hear that 2012's event was significantly tougher due to the mud caused by the wetter weather in the weeks before the race.

I haven't mentioned the hill profile yet - well, the first six kilometres are generally uphill (with the fourth being the hilliest according to my GPS data), then the seventh, eighth and ninth kilometres give you a chance to make up for lost time by being mostly downhill. After an initial sharp incline, the last kilometre is fairly flat and brings you back to where it all started.

Some of the marshals were people that I know from Riddlesdown parkrun who have become members of Oxted Runners, and I knew roughly where some of them would be, so it was nice to look out for them as I went around the course, and awesome to receive a nice boost when they cheered for me as I passed - Thanks!

Given that this was my third 10k race in as many weeks (Chislehurst Chase and Dartford Bridge were the others), I was prepared to ease off the pace and just enjoy running through the beautiful surroundings, and at first that's kind of what I did, but after a few kilometres I got into race mode and started to work a little harder. Saying that, I did take the uphill sections quite slowly, but then I opened up on the latter downhill sections, which was a lot of fun and possibly a tiny bit scary, especially when hurtling uncontrollably towards a sharp left hander at the bottom!

As far as splits go, I reached the 5 kilometre point at about 23.30ish, which means that I must have completed the second half in about 21.20ish. At the end of the race, runners were given a medal, water, banana, and a bottle of beer! 

The official timing was taken care of the old fashioned way here - times manually recorded and matched to race numbers. No chip timing here, and that really helps give this event an old school feel - which I like. The official results were posted on the Oxted Runners website the day after the event...

Position: 30

Official Time: 44.51

There is a reason why this event sells out every year, and that reason is that this is such a brilliant race. The woodland course is beautiful, and as it twists and turns and climbs and falls you will never find yourself bored - you are constantly looking out for the next puddle of mud, branch or tree root. So it goes without saying that this is not a race to enter if you are looking for a new personal best, but if you are looking for a nice tough trail race, this certainly ticks all of the boxes.