Harlow parkrun

Please note: There is a newer write-up for this parkrun - Harlow parkrun write-up 2024

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Harlow is a town that sits just inside the Essex side of the Essex-Hertfordshire boundary. It exists in its modern day form as a 'new town' which was built to ease the overcrowding in London due to the devastation caused by severe bombing during World War 2.

harlow town park welcome and map at the car park entrance (school lane) [photo:7t]

The original village of Harlow was mentioned in the Domesday book, but since the formation of the 'new town' this area has been renamed Old Harlow and is now one of the eleven wards of Harlow. Near the northern border of the 'new town' lies the 164 acre Harlow Town Park; an area that was envisioned as a 'large village green' and area of open space within walking distance from local homes and transport.

run briefing [photo: official photographer]

Harlow Council received a grant of £1.83m from the Heritage Lottery Fund and the Big Lottery Fund as part of a £2.8m restoration plan for the park. Much of the restoration work is either under way or has been completed.

pre-run selfie [photo:7t]

The money has gone towards many improvements including the refurbishment of 'Pet's Corner' which is a small farm that is open to the public (free), restoration of the park's water gardens, improvements and upgrades to the bandstand, restoration of the gardens and wooded areas, and conversion of Spurriers House (a historic house dating back to the 1860s) into a cafe.

start [photo:7t]

Of course, we were here for the parkrun. Harlow parkrun sprang into life on 8 November 2014 and, at the time of writing, attracts around 100 runners per week (104.9 to be precise). It takes place on a mix of tarmac paths and grass over two large laps plus one shorter lap. The course feels largely flat but there are some undulations in the mix. In the summer, road shoes would be fine, but we visited on Christmas Day 2015 and the grass was a little muddy, so in the winter you might find a very light trail shoe handy for this course.

the dip down to the underpass [photo:7t]

Travelling to the venue was fairly simple, although if you drive and are not familiar with the town you might want to flick the sat-nav on as the main roads all look very similar and seem to feature a gazillion roundabouts. The car park is is next to the Greyhound pub and the 1914-18 War Memorial just off School Lane. On the official parkrun page they refer to it as the Greyhound car park, but the Harlow Council page refers to it as the 'School Lane car park' and the sign at the car park advertises it as the 'Town Park Pay and Display Car Park'.

run around the u-turn sign at the far end of the course [photo:7t]

On a Saturday, car parking is free for up to two hours. Christmas Day fell on a Friday so the mid-week parking charges were in operation when I was there which means the free parking was only for a maximum of one hour. With this in mind I paid the £1.10 fee which covered me for up to 5 hours of parking. There are some toilets adjacent to the car park but they were closed and I think this is permanent. The closest toilets are situated at Pet's Corner which is approximately 3 minutes walk away from the car park.

heading back towards the park [photo:7t]

Cyclists seem to have a fairly comprehensive network on segregated and shared use paths throughout the town so cycling should be a decent option for anyone local. I didn't spot any cycle racks around the car park or start area, but I'm sure there are some options for securing a bike if need by; there's always somewhere. If travelling by train then Harlow Town Train station is the place to head for. It is located just to the north of the park and is around 10 minutes walk from the start line.

runners leave the path and follow the dirt path [photo:7t]

The new runner briefing was incredibly detailed and included a complete breakdown of the course with all of the important points covered clearly - very impressed. The run itself starts on the main, shared-use path that runs along the eastern side of the car park. From the start, the course heads uphill as it curves around to the right and the runners continue to follow this path right the way along until it reaches the main road (Howard Way) where the course dips down to take the runners underneath the road and, from what I can make out, out of the park.

the grass, slightly uphill section [photo:7t]

A zig-zag incline takes the runners back up to road level where there the course now takes the form of a private road. At the end, the runners reach a cone where a 180 degree turn sees them heading back in the direction they came from. The runners fork off to the right to take a more direct downhill route back to the underpass where they return to the park.

the final part of each lap [photo:official photographer]

This part of the lap takes place largely (but not exclusively) on grass and takes runners over to the northern side of the park where the more challenging of the undulations are found. For info, there is currently a minor discrepancy between the course we ran and the route shown on the official course page but as it is all well sign-posted I wouldn't worry about this.

the point where the 3rd lap splits from the main loop [photo:7t]

The first is a drop on a tarmac path just before reaching the longest section of grass which goes through the former pitch and putt area (which may be reinstated at some point in the future). In the winter this is where it could be a little soft underfoot and is the most challenging part of the lap. Not only because of the grass and mud, but because it heads gently uphill. The reason it felt so tough for me is that I had chosen to buggy run with my daughter and it was like pushing the buggy through treacle at points.

The very last part of the large lap sees the runners running over a small bridge and then tackling a rollercoaster-esque down and up. At the end of lap one, the runners turn left and complete the large lap again. At the end of lap two the runners turn left and start the lap but will follow the signs for lap 3 that take them around the final smaller loop which re-joins the larger lap at the bridge. At the end of this smaller lap, the runners turn right and head downhill back to the start-finish area where the timers and barcode scanners will be waiting with a smile (and on the day I visited, a mince pie!).

We ran at event number 61 and thoroughly enjoyed our time there. It has a nice variation of areas to run through and there are plenty of twists and turns and ups and downs so it never gets boring. My GPS readings from the course can be found on Strava (Harlow parkrun on Strava). If we had visited on a regular day we would have probably grabbed a coffee from the independent coffee van that serves the event, and we would have definitely have stayed and visited Pet's Corner. But as it was Christmas Day we thanked the volunteers and headed back home to see if Santa had dropped off any goodies!

As a little personal note, this run marked the occasion of me having run at an official parkrun on all seven days of the week.

Harrow parkrun

When Harrow Recreation Ground was first opened to the public in 1885, it was predominately as a place for sports. During its early history it was home for many local sports club including 4 cricket clubs, 5 football clubs, 29 tennis clubs and a bowling club and that largely carries through to this day.

The facilities in the park have evolved with the sports & recreation fashions and trends throughout the past 130 years. Part of the park that is now football pitches once housed grass tennis courts, then became used for croquet. There is now a children's play area where there was once a putting green, and back in the 1960s a golf course was created but this has since been removed.

harrow recreation ground [photo:7t]

During the park's opening ceremony, a Mr Roundell made a speech that included the following quote ' . . . the pleasure of seeing dedicated to the use of the inhabitants of Harrow this spacious ground, where old English games of healthful recreation will flourish for all time to come'.

On 9 May 2015, Harrow parkrun had its inaugural event and it certainly is flourishing. The event has been averaging around 100 participants per week and, like all parkruns, attracts a diverse range of people and abilities. The participants and volunteers gather in the south east corner of the park at the Harrow St Mary's pavilion, which is at the entrance closest to the town centre.

briefing [photo:7t]

Should you choose to travel to this venue by car, you will be able to park in the free car park which can be accessed from Roxborough Road. If you are using the train network you will need to make your way to Harrow-on-the-Hill station which is served by both underground and mainline services.

We travelled over to the venue using the Jubilee line from Westminster and then the Metropolitan line to Harrow-on-the-Hill (change at Finchley Road or Wembley Park for a seamless transition between the two lines [don't change at Baker Street]). It's about a five minute walk from the station to the park.

looking down lime avenue from the start area [photo: dani]

Toilets are available for use inside the pavilion building and after travelling on a chilly, semi-drizzly December morning we were really pleased to be able to leave our outer clothing layers and belongings inside a nice warm building rather than out on the damp ground.

After a few words from the run director outside the pavilion, it was time to move across to the start line where the briefing continued. Then in true parkrun style the participants were sent on their way around the park for their weekly Saturday morning 5k.

passing the car park [photo:7t]

The run takes place entirely on tarmac paths with the only need to venture onto any grass coming at the very end in order to enter the finish funnel. There are three anti-clockwise laps to run, but the first lap is slightly different to the second and third. The course is perfectly suitable for buggy running and for wheelchair athletes.

From the South-East corner of the park, runners head north along Lime Avenue before following the tarmac path round to the left, past the car park and the children's playground until swinging right to resume the northbound direction.

during the gentle incline up to the north-east corner [photo:7t]

At this point on the first lap only, there is an additional, smaller anti-clockwise loop to run. This consists of a left hand turn at the Hindes Road entrance (cones and marshals on hand to direct) which takes the runners towards and the around the bowling green.

The path leads runners back towards the children's playground. Once back, the runners rejoin the perimeter path and continue as they were.

caution runners signs opposite an entrance [photo:7t]

This next section of the lap contains a fairly gentle incline all the way up to the North East corner of the park. Before reaching the end, they will pass the Mayoral Avenue where each Mayor since 1990 has planted an oak tree.

At the top, the path swings left and the runners can let gravity do a little work as the gradient now takes them slightly downhill. Glancing left you can see across to Harrow-on-the-Hill and St. Mary's Church spire. Another left-hand turn awaits the runners at the end of this path just after they pass the outdoor gym equipment.

anyone for tennis? [photo:7t]

Now heading South along the western edge of the park, the runners shortly pass the tennis and basket ball courts and the view across the open playing fields is exchanged for a short, cosier section in-between hedges.

They then pass the sensory garden and the bowling green and after glancing to their right into Harrow Cemetery, the path starts to climb a little as the route heads towards the South-West corner.

comes separating the perimeter path from the extra loop path on lap one [photo:7t]

The final part of the lap has the runners following the eastbound path past the Pinner Road entrance, the gates here were installed to commemorate the coronation of King George V, and back towards the Harrow St. Mary's Pavilion where at the end of laps one or two, the runners will head back onto Lime Avenue to begin their next laps.

Of course, at the end of the third lap it'll be time to stop running and the finish funnel is unmissable on the grass just outside the pavilion. We ran at event 32 and if you would like a closer look at the course my GPS file can be found on Strava via this link.

harrow cemetery [photo:7t]

Our barcodes were scanned just outside the pavilion and we then headed inside to change back into our warmer clothes.

On the morning, we also bumped into fellow tourist and #7weeksofparkrun completer John Leonard and we all had a good chat to the run director Kevin (who gave us a mention in the run report) and some of the other volunteers before heading our separate ways. It was also a pretty special run because I regained my parkrun Lon-done* status.

finish area [photo: 7t]

Sadly the post-run coffee arrangements at the pavilion haven't worked out quite as originally planned and at present there is no fixed post-run social to be had.

Options for anyone that is looking for some refreshments would be to head across the road to the large Morrisons supermarket cafe or to head onto the High Street where there are some major coffee shop chains (we ended up in Costa).

post-run chat with kevin and john [photo:7t]

* Lon-done - the state of having run all of the Greater London parkrun venues.

Aldenham parkrun

Please note: There is a newer version of the write-up, here: Aldenham parkrun 2024

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Aldenham Country Park is the venue for Aldenham parkrun. It covers 160 of land and provides the local community with recreation and educational opportunities. The land that forms the Country Park was once part of medieval Aldenham Common on the last piece of the common to be enclosed under the 1801 Enclosure Act.

aldenham country park [photo:7t]

Before that, the land had been part of the Aldenham Estate, of which Aldenham House is still standing but is in private use as a school. This is actually a fair way to the north-west of the country park, as is the village of Aldenham. The country park is actually closer to the village of Elstree which is of course very well known for its film and TV studios. Adjacent to the country park is the Elstree Aerodrome.

the run briefing at the start-finish area [photo:7t]

in 1793, 68 acres of the Aldenham Estate were sold to the Grand Junction Canal Company and a reservoir (Aldenham Reservoir) was hand dug by French prisoners of war in order to maintain water levels in Grand Union Canal. The dam was apparently badly constructed and problems of cracking and subsidence still exist to this day. The reservoir is now used for recreation and wildlife.

the small bridge and the dam [photo:7t]

The site was originally transformed into a country park by Hertfordshire County Council back in 1972, which is when the car park, the Clock House refreshments kiosk, and toilets were all constructed. In more recent times, the park was almost forced to close due to a lack of funding. In 2012 the management of the park was taken over by Aldenham Renaissance Ltd. and this means that the future of the park is, for now, secure.

looking back along the dam [photo:7t]

When arriving at the country park, the first thing to do will to be to park your car. To enter the car park you must approach the venue from Aldenham Road. When we visited the car parking fee was a flat £4.50 per visit regardless of time spent in the park and was payable at the exit (regulars can buy a yearly parking pass for £89 which works out at £1.71 per visit based on 52 events per year). However, since our visit the arrangement has changed and parkrunners can now park for £2 by presenting their barcode at the farm office where staff will issue a token which reduces the fee payable upon exit. Please cross-check this info with the official course page before visiting just in case anything changes.

woodland path [photo:7t]

If you are fairly local, you may wish to ride your bike to the venue; if you do there are four bicycle racks positioned fairly close to the start-finish area. The closest train station is 'Elstree and Borehamwood' which is around 3km away from the venue. You'll find the toilets conveniently located adjacent to the car park just opposite the parkrun start/finish area.

example of paths [photo:7t]

Although we arrived well in advance of the start time, as the clock struck 9am it became apparent that my wife and daughter had not returned from the toilets in time for the start. As I was going to be buggy running, I found myself all kitted out and ready to go, but was just standing there with an empty buggy as I watched all of the runners disappear into the distance! They eventually appeared and we got started a few minutes after the rest of the crowd.

woodland path [photo:7t]

The run itself consists of two, flat, clockwise laps of the reservoir. It's worth noting here that the two laps are not identical but at the time of my visit this was not covered on the map or in the description on the official course page. If you'd like to view the actual course then please take a look at my GPS data on Strava. Rather than the standard directional arrows, you will instead see some small yellow flag-style markers in various spots around the course to mark the way (see photos).

aldenham reservoir [photo:7t]

Starting on the strip of grass between the car park and the reservoir, the runners head off in a north-easterly direction on grass before reaching the first marshal, turning right and immediately crossing a bridge which feeds the runners onto the arrow-straight tarmac path that runs along the length of the dam.

section at the end of lap 1 [photo:7t]

At the end of the dam, the terrain underfoot changes and becomes a mixture of dirt and stony woodland paths which stay this way for the remainder of the lap. This section sees the runners pass Aldenham Sailing Club which was probably my least favourite part of the course; underfoot was very stony and the sailing club's building somehow took away part of the magic of running in a country park.

more woodland paths [photo:7t]

The path twists and turns around the perimeter of the lake until you reach a point where the path splits - here is where you'll find the second marshal; on the first lap the marshal will send you to your right, while on lap two they will send you to your left. You may also see some wildlife on your way around the course - we definitely saw some sheep and, I think, goats.

some locals [photo:7t]

On lap one the path continues to twist and turn around the perimeter of the lake and eventually emerges back at the start-finish area. On lap two, the section after the second marshal is more of a direct route back to the start-finish which makes it roughly work out to a 2.6km first lap and a 2.4km second lap.

this part is only run on lap 2 [photo:7t]

As previously mentioned, I ran this venue with my daughter in her running buggy and she found the ride bumpy but very enjoyable. She was especially excited by the muddy patches and the twisty parts of the course. I'd definitely go for trail shoes on this course in the winter months, although some people may prefer road shoes when it's bone dry during the summer.

a muddy section on lap 2 [photo:7t]

Post-run there is a refreshments kiosk that serves various snacks and beverages. Although the kiosk does have some seating, none of it is inside so I'd imagine that this doesn't help to encourage runners and volunteers to hang around afterwards during the colder months, which is a shame.

the start-finish area [photo:7t]

At the time of writing this is still a fairly young parkrun venue, and seems to attract a fairly modest number of runners - twenty-three on the day we visited (average 36.5). This may be due, in part, to the location. But I get a sense that the expensive car parking fees could be keeping people away - If it wasn't for my desire to write about the venue for the blog and to tick it off of my 'parkruns inside-the-M25' list, it would have been enough to discourage me from visiting (see above, this situation has improved since my visit).

the clock house [photo:7t]

The other current car parking options are to either park on a residential side street in Elstree and walk/jog for 1km to reach the start-finish area or to park in the car park of The Fishery pub which is located approximately half-way around the lap on Watford Road (it's worth noting that I have no idea how the pub owners feel about their car park being used by non-customers).

post-run pony ride [photo:dani]

If you do visit, it is worth hanging around after the run to explore the park. If you have children then there are a number of activities for them to enjoy. The 100 Aker Wood trail walk features the houses etc of characters from the Winnie the Pooh stories which can be accessed for free. For a fee there is also a children's educational farm with a petting area, woodlands climbing adventure playgrounds, pony rides and various other things throughout the year.

deep in the hundred aker wood... [photo:dani]

Overall, we had a pretty decent morning at Aldenham Country Park - Thank you to all of the volunteers that made the event possible.