Monday, 19 May 2014

The Essex parkrun venues

The county of Essex is made up of Essex County Council and the unitary local authorities of Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

The pins on the map mark the locations of parkruns within the county. The green pins show the venues I have officially visited while the red pins are venues that I still need to visit. The list below covers 5k events only, not junior parkruns.




Basildon - Northlands Park, Basildon, Essex
Course: Almost 3 laps
Underfoot: Tarmac, grass, gravelly / stony single track paths
Profile: Mostly flat with some gently undulating sections
Notes: Lovely park with picturesque lakes
Further reading: My 2024 Basildon parkrun write-up. Also, my old 2014 Basildon parkrun blog entry.


Billericay - Lake Meadows Park, Billericay, Essex
Course: 4 anti-clockwise laps (or 5 lap alternative course)
Underfoot: Tarmac and grass
Profile: Gently undulating
Notes: A beautifully landscaped town park with a lake
Further reading: My 2024 Billericay parkrun write-up. Also my old Billericay parkrun blog post from 2017.


Brentwood - Weald Country Park, South Weald, Brentwood, Essex
Course: 1 figure of eight lap
Underfoot: grass / forest paths / dirt and mud
Profile: undulating / hilly all the way round
Notes: A tough course
Further reading: My Brentwood parkrun blog entry


Burnham on Crouch - Riverside Country Park, Millfields, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Multi terrain
Profile: Generally flat with a few small changes in elevation
Notes: Lots of dog walkers
Further reading: My Burnham-on-Crouch parkrun blog post


Chalkwell Beach - Chalkwell Beach, Chalkwell Esplanade, Westcliff-on-Sea, Essex
Course: Out-and-back
Underfoot: Tarmac (finish on grass)
Profile: Flat
Notes: Seafront - may be windy
Further reading: My Chalkwell Beach parkrun blog entry

Chelmsford Central - Central Park, Chelmsford, Essex
Course: 1 lap or an out-and-back depending on your point of view
Underfoot: about 4km tarmac and 1km grass
Profile: Almost completely flat. Just one short incline to tackle.
Notes: Takes runners into two different parks
Further reading: My Chelmsford Central blog entry.


Clacton Seafront - Clacton Seafront, Clacton on Sea, Essex
Course: 3 out and back laps (out along the upper prom, back along the lower)
Underfoot: Tarmac
Profile: Flatish, but has gradual incline along the 'out' section
Notes: watch out for vehicles on the lower prom
Further reading: My Clacton Seafront parkrun blog post


Colchester Castle - Castle Park, Colchester, Essex
Course: 3/4 lap, an out and back, then 1.5 laps.
Underfoot: Tarmac
Profile: Mostly flat but as an incline that as to be climbed 2.5 times
Notes: Very nice. Still flat enough to run a fast time.
Further reading: My Colchester Castle blog post


Great Dunmow - Recreation Ground, Great Dunmow, Essex
Course: 1 large lap, then 1 small lap (large lap is figure of 8)
Underfoot: mostly grass / dirt paths. Some tarmac style paths.
Profile: flat
Notes: There is a single-file bridge with two-way runners
Further reading: My Great Dunmow parkrun blog post


Great Notley - Great Notley Country Park, Great Notley, Essex
Course: 2 laps (not completely identical)
Underfoot: Gravelly paths, grass and a tiny bit of sand.
Profile: Flat apart from the hill at 2.8km
Notes: #touchthebird
Further reading: My Great Notley parkrun blog post


Gunpowder - Gunpowder Park, Waltham Abbey, Essex (also appears in London+)
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Gravelly paths
Profile: Gentle undulations
Notes: 
Further reading: My Gunpowder parkrun write-up (2022). Plus my Gunpowder parkrun blog from my first visit in 2012.


Hadleigh - Hadleigh Country Park, Hadleigh, Essex
Course: 1 lap (lollipop)
Underfoot: Gravelly trail paths and 250m of grass
Profile: Hilly
Notes: A challenging route with great views
Further reading: My Hadleigh parkrun blog post (updated in 2024)


Harlow - Harlow Town Park, School Lane, Harlow, Essex
Course: Two large laps and one smaller lap
Underfoot: Tarmac
Profile: Undulating
Notes: Nice varied course with ups and downs and some twists and turns
Further reading: My 2024 Harlow parkrun write-up. Also my original 2015 Harlow parkrun blog post


Harwich - Cliff Park, Harwich, Essex
Course: 1.5 laps of small park followed by a long out and back along the seafront
Underfoot: Tarmac / concrete
Profile: Mostly flat but contains a slope between the park and prom
Notes: It was windy when I visited (headwind on way out)
Further reading: My Harwich parkrun blog post


Hatfield Forest - Hatfield Forest, Takeley, Bishop's Stortford, Essex (CLOSED)
Course: One lap (technically a point-to-point)
Underfoot: tarmac, grass, mud, puddles
Profile: almost completely flat
Notes: No longer in operation - event relocated to Castle Park, Bishops Stortford
Further reading: My Hatfield Forest parkrun blog post


Highwoods - Highwoods Country Park, Chanterelle, Colchester, Essex
Course: One lap (summer and winter routes)
Underfoot: Forest trail, tarmac, stones, plus the summer course has grass
Profile: Hilly
Notes: Look out for the googly eyed tree
Further reading: My Highwoods parkrun blog post


Hockley Woods - Hockley Woods, Main Road, Hockley, Essex
Course: Just under two laps
Underfoot: Woodland trails (dirt / mud)
Profile: Undulating throughout with a steeper incline at the end of the lap
Notes: A great run in the woods. This is a 'net uphill' course.
Further reading: My Hockley Woods parkrun blog post. Also, my second visit blog post.


Maldon Prom - Promenade Park, Maldon, Essex
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Tarmac and grass
Profile: Flat with a steep bump that you negotiate three times
Notes:
Further reading: My Maldon Prom blog post


Markshall Estate - Markshall Estate, Marks Hall Road, Coggeshall, Colchester, Essex
Course: One and three quarter laps
Underfoot: Paths / Concrete / gravel / grass
Profile: Relatively flat with one easy incline
Notes:
Further reading: My Markshall Estate parkrun blog post


Mersea Island - Cudmore Grove Country Park, Bromans Lane, East Mersea, Essex
Course: Two full laps plus 1 shorter lap
Underfoot: grass / dirt
Profile: Largely flat with some extremely gentle changes in elevation (flat)
Notes: Lots of WW2 historic links / they have a PB horn.
Further Reading: My Mersea Island parkrun blog post


Roding Valley - Roding Valley Recreation Ground, Loughton, Essex (also appears in London+)
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Fairly even split between grass and tarmac
Profile: Flat
Notes: Fast and flat - Lovely, friendly team. Park popular with dog walkers.
Further reading: My Roding Valley parkrun blog post.


Southend - Gunners Park, Shoeburyness, Essex
Course: Three laps plus a finish tail
Underfoot: Tarmac and a tiny section on gravel and dirt
Profile: Flat
Notes: Sometimes suffers from wind coming off the sea
Further reading: My 2024 Southend parkrun write-up. Also my original 2014 Southend parkrun blog post


South Woodham Ferrers - Marsh Farm Country Park, South Woodham Ferrers, Essex
Course: One single lap with an out-and-back section included
Underfoot: Mixed terrain
Profile: Flat
Notes: Beautiful country park adjacent to the River Crouch
Further reading: My South Woodham Ferrers parkrun blog post


Thurrock - Orsett Heath (Chadwell Recreation Ground), Chadwell St. Mary, Essex
Course: Two laps
Underfoot: Grass
Profile: Flat
Notes: The venue is a little rough around the edges, but overall it's a great event
Further reading: My 2025 Thurrock parkrun write-up. There's also my original 2016 Thurrock parkrun blog entry.


Wickford Memorial - Wickford Memorial Park, Rettendon View, Wickford, Essex
Course: Two-and-a-bit laps
Underfoot: Mostly tarmac paths, some grass, some non-tarmac paths
Profile: Flat
Notes: Really nice park, great playground, nice breakfast



Please note: Information contained within the blog posts, such as the course configuration, parking arrangements, availability of toilets etc, may change. Please always check with the relevant events' web page and social media channels for the latest and most accurate information.


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