Penrhyn parkrun

This was the second parkrun I had visited during our stay in Wales during the summer of 2017, the first being Conwy parkrun just seven days earlier. Our main reasons for being in Wales were to climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) and for me to run the Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon (click the links for those blogs).

Our accommodation was only 2 miles away from Castell Penrhyn (Penrhyn Castle), and we had a fabulous view of it from the road outside our cottage. It sits atop a hill just outside the village of Llandygai which was developed by the 1st Baron Penrhyn of Llandygai as a model village for his estate workers.

the view from our cottage / gatehouse

On the day of the parkrun I had half-planned to jog to the venue, however my legs were still a little sore from the week's adventures, plus the main road doesn't have a pavement and I was a little nervous about running in the road with vehicles approaching at 60mph. I reluctantly used the car instead.

Upon arrival I entered the 45 acre estate grounds via the impressive Gatehouse and drove along the long meandering driveway as it passes through woodland. The estate is owned by The National Trust and appears on my list of National Trust parkrun Venues. The spacious car park is found at the end of the drive. The first set of toilets can be found at the far end of the car park with further toilets found in the castle itself.

castell penrhyn

There is usually an entrance fee to access the castle and grounds, but those attending parkrun can park and enter the grounds without charge. The nearest train station is Bangor which is about 3 miles away and there are local buses which will help you to complete your journey to Penrhyn Castle.

After climbing the twisty, meandering path from the car park, the striking Norman-esque castle came into view. It's worth pointing out that while Penrhyn is referred to as a castle, technically it isn't one at all. It is in fact a country house for which a license to crenellate (license to fortify) was granted in 1438.

to the start

The current building was designed by Thomas Hopper and built between 1822 and 1837 with only a couple of internal features from previous buildings being kept. Such was its status that it even had a visit from Queen Victoria in 1859 who slept on a custom-made one-ton slate bed.

Walking around to the front of the building with its grand multi-turreted architecture, you'll more than likely find some runners and volunteers mingling around. On the day I visited there was a film crew here filming 'Alfie's Army' where Welsh rugby player Gareth Thomas is training a group of 17-21 year olds to run the Cardiff Half-Marathon.

the start courtyard / archway

The 5k event that I was here to run, Penrhyn parkrun, first took place on 15 November 2014 and its attendance figures have grown from under a hundred to the current numbers which hover somewhere around 200 - it's also worth noting that the attendance figures seem to bounce around quite a bit. For example, the week I visited (event 135) there were 230 participants but a week earlier there were 304 and before that 205. I suspect the jump was down to extra runners in the local area for the aforementioned half-marathon.

The run itself takes place entirely within the castle grounds and is made up of two clockwise large laps (Cylch Mawr) followed by two clockwise small laps (Cylch Bach). Underfoot is a mixture of tarmac and gravelly farm track type paths - I used my road shoes, but in winter trail shoes might offer a little more traction when not on the tarmac.

part of the large lap

As 9am rolls around the runners make their way around to the courtyard on the western side of the building. Here the first-timers briefing and then the main run briefing take place. The start (Cychwun) is formed within the gate to the courtyard and its only about 4 people wide so the start is very congested while everyone filters through.

One thing you will not find in the courtyard are runners with dogs because they have a separate start line which filters into the main body or of runners as the route turns and passes the front of the castle. Since I visited, this venue has introduced a limit on the number of dogs, and as a result dogs must be booked in in advance (usually via facebook, but contact the event team if you need more info). Also as you work your way around the course you will be treated not only to views of the castle from every angle, but also out to the Menai Straits and across towards the mountains of Snowdonia.

the course

The large lap is about 1.5km in length and goes via the east side of the castle. The general theme is downhill for the first 500 metres which then switches to about 800 metres of undulating / gentle climbing once past the walled garden. The remaining 200 metres are flat. The second large lap begins with the runners turning left upon reaching the main castle gate at the front of the building and again passing the east side of the castle.

With the two large laps complete, the runners take a right hand turn upon reaching the main castle gates and run along the west side of the castle for the remaining two small laps. These start out flat but have a steeper drop which meets the larger lap outside the walled garden. It is then followed by the same long incline back around to the end of the lap. The signs for the laps are only in Welsh so just remember Cylch Mawr is for the large lap and Cylch Bach for the small ones.

towards the end of each lap (large and small)

Whether you are at the front, the back or the middle of the pack you will encounter plenty of other runners/walkers as the multiple lap course means that lapping is inevitable. When I visited all other runners were considerate and passing worked out fine with no need to break my pace in order to filter through.

With the four laps complete, the finish (Gorffen) can be found within the main entrance archway at the front of the castle. It's the perfect end to a picturesque run, but do be careful as the surface underfoot changes to cobblestones as you cross the finish line. Barcode scanning took place at the end of the finish funnel inside the main courtyard.

part of the small lap / tail runner

The undulations get harder each lap and by the end you'll be glad that you can have a break from running! If you're going to stay for coffee, the coffee shop in the castle is open for parkrunners afterwards. I had to check out of my cottage by 10am so sadly didn't have time to stay. I did manage to have a quick peak in the walled garden, and would have loved to stay for longer.

If you were planning to make a day of your time here, you'd be able to wander around the grounds taking in the stunning views, various gardens including a Bog Garden, adventure playground and an outdoor gym.

gorffen / finish

If you wanted to go inside the castle you could explore the 'ostentatious cathedral-like interior' which was possible due to the former owner's wealth which came from ownership of the Penrhyn slate quarry - to this day the biggest in Britain, but once the largest in the entire world.

Inside you'll also find a vast art collection, Queen Victoria's slate bed, a collection of dolls and the Penrhyn Castle Rail Museum which features a number of locomotives which were used on the Penrhyn Slate Quarry narrow gauge railway as well as many other engines from around the country.

one of the views / details

The results were processed and I got my results text message later that morning. I had recorded the run using my Garmin and the GPS data can be viewed on my Strava profile, right here: Penrhyn parkrun 135. Also, you can view my #relive video of the course on YouTube, here: Penrhyn parkrun relive video.

The main Penrhyn parkrun course page describes the run as 'one of the most beautiful and picturesque runs of North Wales' and it's difficult to argue with that. The castle is a stunning sight from every angle, but to have views out to sea and of the mountains of Snowdonia on top of that makes this a real treat of a venue.

Related blog links:

• Conwy parkrun
• Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon
• National Trust parkrun Venues

Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon 2017

For years I had promised my daughter that I'd take her to Wales to climb Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon), but it's one thing to say it and another to actually organise it. I needed to do something to help to make it happen, so I entered the Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon which is hosted by Always Aim High. We booked a place to stay and that was that... we were going to Wales!

As you'd expect, the race features quite a bit of climbing, so during the early months of 2017 I started to work some hillier routes and races into my training. In February I ran the Valentines 10ish Mile Challenge and then in March I ran The Ridge 10k - both hilly courses and I was happy that the training was going well.

pre-race

At the end of March I developed a pain in my right ankle which was quite intense at times, so I almost stopped running completely and largely switched cycling instead. This helped to avoid worsening the ankle pain, but it still lingered on through April, May and June.

July finally came around and although I had sprinkled some more running into my routine, it was nowhere near the volume I would have liked before running a half-marathon. I made the decision to drop down to the 10k option, but when I looked on the Always Aim High website, I saw that I'd missed the 30 day deadline for changing distance.

waiting to get going

I decided that I'd just have to crack on with the Half-Marathon. I removed all thoughts of a time goal from my mind and got myself in the right mindset to just enjoy being on the mountain and try to manage my balance between running and walking in order to keep the ankle happy. The new goal was to get around the course without setting my recovery back further.

We set off for Wales on the Friday before the race and I had a nice easy run around Conwy parkrun on the Saturday with my friend Adam who had also entered the Half-Marathon. Race day soon came around and I headed off to into Parc Cenedlaethol Eryri (Snowdonia National Park) with my wife, daughter and father-in-law. My wife had downloaded the official tracking app to track my progress.

the first two kilometres

The race village was based in Llanberis and we parked in one of the car parks off of the main road for £4 which covered the full day (parking can be up to twice the amount in the more popular car parks). I walked the 200 metres or so to the race village and picked up my race number with in-built timing chip and I also stocked up on energy bars as I was instructed to take 'as many as you like'. I also picked up the technical race t-shirt that I had ordered when I had signed up.

The village featured a few stalls, mostly centred around mountain running gear, selling trail shoes, waterproof clothing etc.  There was also a stall selling fresh coffee and snacks, a truck with hot food and some inflatables to keep the kids entertained. Then there were around 15 or so portable toilets plus a few urinals to speed up the process for the gents.

the first real mountain path (2 - 6km)

Being a mountain race, there were a few items of compulsory equipment for every runner; waterproof jacket (with hood), and waterproof trousers - both of these were required to have 'taped seams'. Energy bars, hat, gloves and a mobile phone were also mandatory. It was also advisable to carry your own water, but there were water stations on the course. I had all of my gear in my running backpack which was feeling a lot heavier than I was expecting.

In addition to the half-marathon and the 10k, there was also a marathon and this race started at 9am. That left a short while to revisit the toilets, say my farewells and then get in place to listen to the Half-Marathon safety briefing at 9.15am. The half-marathon was started at 9.30am and considering my plan for the race, I started quite near the back of the pack.

The weather forecast was for a bright, sunny day with barely any wind and this really was a bonus.

snowdon ranger path

The race itself started off by heading through the streets of Llanberis and eventually onto a narrower lane where the climbing started. I dropped down to a walk as the road got steeper because those around me that were running were not moving any faster anyway. The first water station was on this road and I grabbed a cup of water to keep the hydration levels topped up. The road wound its way around and eventually at the 2km point we went off-road.

The path was generally flat to start with and I got myself running again - with the path being a little congested and passing possible, but not always easy, I stuck to running at a nice, easy pace and enjoyed the stunning scenery that I found myself immersed in. On my right was Foel Goch (605m) and the path ran along its contour lines as it lead us through Bwlch Maesgwm (pass).

snowdon ranger path (6 to 9.3km)

The rocky, mountain path gave way to a spongy, grassy section for a short downhill section and then, at the 6km point, the course joined the Snowdon Ranger Path and we moved along the southern side of Moel Cynghorion (674m). The view to the south was simply stunning. I'd already eaten an energy bar by now and all along the route I had been switching between running and walking - largely dictated by the severity of the incline or the will of the masses. It was quite fitting that the wind howling way up on the mountain sounded just like a dragon.

At 8km into the race, the real climbing began and it's difficult to see how anyone could continue running at this stage of the race. It was a slow plod and my Garmin showed my pace generally hovering around the 20 minute per kilometre mark, but there were occasions where it dropped much slower. Llyn Ffinnon-y-Gwas (reservoir) glistened below as we passed along the southern side of Clogwyn-Du-Yr-Arduu (cliffs whose north face is said to offer the best climbing in Britain).

reaching the top / view of snowdon's summit (Yr Wyddfa)

The climbing continued with the gradient regularly between 20%-30% (sometimes steeper). I ate another energy bar and got some water from my bag here. Underfoot the path had been stony, but changed to large boulders used as steps as the zig-zagged its way up. Then the boulders gave way to a looser scree type of surface and then the course crossed the Snowdon Mountain Railway tracks.

One hour and fifty minutes into the race and I finally reached the point where the Snowdon Ranger Path meets the Llanberis Path - it's highest point of the course. My Garmin recorded the distance as 10.3km (almost halfway) and the elevation as 968m above sea level. The race does not go all the way to the summit (it's about another 500 metres along the path and over 100m higher), so I took a moment to admire it before continuing with the race.

llanberis path (10-11km)

The course now follows the Llanberis Path all the way down, and you might think that going down would be easier. It is not. The first few hundred metres had a slight camber to the left and as I ran over the loose slate fragments there was a constant pull to the left - it was really odd. The decline became steeper and the stones and slate that make up the path were hazardous with the risk of slipping pretty high.

There was a fantastic view across the Llanberis Pass towards the Glyderau (I climbed Tryfan, Yr Garn, Glyder Fach and Glyder Fawr about ten years ago) from the 11.7km point which is where the Llanberis path goes underneath the railway line for the first time. After this the path switched from loose slate to large boulder stepping stones - these were no easier to negotiate and I came down quite heavy on my right foot causing a little pain in my ankle on more than one occasion.

view across to the glyders from the llanberis path

The path continued down at a gradient between 20%-38% (according to my Garmin) and the thought of twisting my ankle badly lead me to take these parts a little slower than I had imagined I would. The runners had really spread out and there were times where I couldn't see any other race participants. At about 13.5km I passed the Halfway House and received a few cheers from the hikers that were resting on their way to the summit.

The path generally got easier to run on the more I descended and I eventually caught up with another runner who informed me that he had already taken two tumbles on his way down the mountain. Every now and then there were some more sections of uneven rocks to negotiate and again I came down heavy on my ankle. Fortunately I got away with it again.

further down the llanberis path (11-16km)

The view to the left across the valley was just sublime - the Afon Arddu (river) was glistening in the sunshine and all that could be heard were the sounds of the passing steam trains and sheep bleating. As I neared the end of the Llanberis Path, the view to the right opened up and in the distance I could see the Dinorwic Slate Quarry which is where I would be heading shortly.

The end of the Llanberis Path was almost perfectly aligned with the 16km (10 mile) point of the course and my watch says I reached this point at around two hours and thirty-two minutes. With the uneven ground behind me for now and the smooth tarmac road still heading downhill, I quickly gained some speed and started flying past other runners.

tarmac path back to llanberis and the slate quarry steps (16-18km)

Into Llanberis, across the road and then through a bit of woodland behind the Royal Victoria Hotel, I ran just metres away from Dolbadarn Castle before popping out on the road that leads towards the previously mentioned slate quarry. At the end of the road I was directed into a small alley way (18km) which turned into a slate staircase which zig-zagged its way up the side of the quarry.

Given that I had been taking the race at a pace well below my ability, I was full of beans here and wanted to attack the steps, however I was stuck behind a long line of runners who had most-likely given everything they had already and looked totally knackered. At the end of the staircase, I was in a forest and running mostly on dirt trails.

finish area (21.1km) [note: clock showing time since start of the marathon]

Every time an opportunity presented itself I would move forward a place. There were rocks and other hazards on the trail path but it was a lot of fun here and while I was still moving slower than I would have liked, I was at least now back to running. This climb was the most frustrating section of the race for me and it took over 17 minutes at snail's pace to cover the 1km part staircase / part trail path of ascending (most of that was spent at a painfully slow pace on the staircase). By the 19 kilometre point the forest trail path was generally starting to head back down. It twisted and turned, was pretty technical, but above all, brilliant fun.

At the bottom of the path, the course returned to downhill tarmac and passed The National Slate Museum, again I opened up my stride and my pace quickened, overtaking plenty of runners who had been reduced to a shuffle. My ankle felt ok and I put in a honest effort over the last kilometre, finally turning onto the field where it all began, giving a thumbs up to my family and then crossing the line.

food / medal and t-shirt collection

The first thing I did after crossing the line was grab a drink and dive into the trays of food that had been laid out in the finishers' area. Crisps, oranges, biscuits - I took quite a lot and kept on eating - I was so hungry. After about 10 minutes of eating and drinking, I finally moved onto the commemorative t-shirt and medal collection point. I went for the extra small t-shirt and it fits really well.

The results were available instantly via the app and I received a notification on my phone. I had crossed the line in a gun time of 3.16.35. Given that I started fairly near the back, my official chip time was faster at 3.15.37. I had finished in 235th position out of 518 participants - still well within the top 50% despite taking it easy.

the hoops conquered the mountain

I was then reunited with my family and my friend Adam who had put in a great race effort and finished around 45 minutes earlier than me. We had a few photos taken and then Adam and his wife esther had to leave to head back to Dartford. We took things at a slower pace and wandered around Llanberis for a while before hitting the road back to our Welsh accommodation.

The only thing we were a little disappointed with was the TDL Event Services app which sounded as if it would give regular updates as I reached certain points of the course - the official race website called it the 'Live Tracker'. The reality was that it just gave a notification that I had started and then another when I had finished, along with my finish time.

the course hill profile

That aside, from my point of view the race seemed to run flawlessly and the course was just spectacular. The fact that it was such a tough course actually made it easier for me to use a run-walk method so that worked out much better than I had imagined. Although not the longest distance I have run, this was the longest amount of time I had ever spent out on a course so it was new ground for me.

If you are looking to enter this race I think you need to plan to take at least 1 hour longer than your usual half-marathon time if you are towards the sharp end (sub 1.30 half-marathoner). If you are further back or not very good a running uphill, it could well take you a hell of a lot longer. For the record, the last runner logged a chip time of 8 hours.

my official race stats

I recorded the whole race using my Garmin and you can view the course GPS file, here: Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon 2017. The total elevation gain recorded on my Garmin was 1,183 metres and the highest point of the course was recorded as 968 metres. Interestingly, my data reports my 'total moving time' as 3 hours flat (I stopped quite often to take photos). You can also view my Relive video of the course, here - Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon 2017

Full results: Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon 2017
Official chip-timed result: 3.15.37
Overall finishing position (gun): 235 / 518 (234th by chip)
Gender position: 186 / 317
Age group position: 29 / 51

Related blog posts from my visit to Wales:

• Conwy parkrun
• Penrhyn parkrun

Conwy parkrun

Conwy is a medieval walled town in North Wales the sits on the west side of the River Conwy. It has a population of just under 5,000 while the extended Conwy County Borough is home to around 120,000 in total. The name comes from the old Welsh words 'cyn' and 'gwy' (chief / water) which was the original name of the estuary/river.

rspb wetlands / friends

The most prominent feature of the town is undoubtedly Conwy Castle which was constructed between 1283 and 1289 along with the 1.3km long town wall which is still largely intact. These features of the town have been given special status and protection as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The castle was built under instruction of Edward I of England who was on his conquest for the principality of Wales. The land was formerly home to Aberconwy Abbey, but the monks were moved onto Maenan by Edward to make way for the castle's construction.

start area

On the opposite bank of the River Conwy is the Conwy RSPB Nature Reserve. However, until the 1980s the land that makes up the reserve was part of the estuary (under water for a thousand years). The construction of the Conwy bypass (A55), which was the world's first submerged tube tunnel, lead to the land being reclaimed and after some discussion as to what should be done with it, it was decided that a nature reserve would be the best way forward.

As of 10th January 2015 the nature reserve has been the base for Conwy parkrun - it is worth noting that not one single step of the run takes place within the reserve, but the RSPB have been kind enough to support the event with free use of the reserve car park (also has bicycle parking) and access to its cafe and toilet facilities. The closest train station is Llandudno Junction.

opening 700 metres

The meeting point (and start/finish) for the parkrun is at a gate which is right on the waterfront, not far from the main entrance to the car park. The course is essentially an out-and-back along the estuary footpath. Underfoot is mostly a loose gravelly surface which can hold onto water after rain so could be a little splashy. It's also entirely flat apart from a small section where the course passes over a footbridge.

We visited this venue on the same weekend as the 2017 Snowdon Trail Half-Marathon which I had entered, and my friend Adam had done the same. We decided to have a fairly relaxed run around the course together, which worked out beautifully as it was also his 100th parkrun. Once we had listened to the first-timers briefing and the main briefing, it was time to get going.

conwy castle

The course heads west along the riverside footpath for approx 700 metres before reaching the footbridge over the railway line. It's a bit twisty and has a few blind bends - fortunately the parkrun organisers have a couple of mirrors that they place on the bridge to help with the corners. On the other side of the footbridge the course dives under the main road via a short tunnel.

Now directly opposite Conwy Castle, the runners leave the footpath and head along through the gardens directly towards it - it really is an incredible sight.

last part of the out / turnaround

To the left are three bridges - The Conwy Suspension Bridge [1822-26] with its castellated towers that match the castle, and the railway bridge [1846-8] which is a wrought iron tubular bridge are both Grade I listed structures. Finally there is the modern-day [1958] road bridge.

After a few hundred metres the runners meet a marshal and are directed onto the lower path to head back towards the the riverside path (this little diversion is not repeated on the return leg).

the way back

Back on the footpath, the runners continue to head west (or maybe north-west) along the estuary. The A55 runs adjacent to the path here until it goes underground via the aforementioned tunnel, which is where the runners meander around to the right and then left.

The railway track runs adjacent to this next section of the path and it gets a little narrower. There can be quite a lot of two-way running traffic here, so it is important to keep to the left. The turnaround point (2.9km) is found just behind the Deganwy Marina in the shape of some cones and a marshal.

tunnels and bridges

Heading back on the left, it wasn't long before we bumped into my wife and daughter who were also running and we exchanged some high-fives before getting on with the job in hand. If you glance across the river to Conwy you may be able to spot a tiny red building - this is 'Quay House' and is the smallest house in Great Britain.

We decided to put in a quicker last kilometre and after heading back under the road and over the railway bridge, we were left with the remaining 700 metres to the diwedd (finish). Once across the line we had our barcodes scanned while still in the finish funnel and I headed straight back out onto the course to find my wife and daughter.

the final stretch / finish

Once all of us had finished we made our way over to the siop goffi (coffee shop) in the RSPB reserve to check out the wildlife and for some breakfast. If you eat meat you can have bacon or sausage in-a-bap. However if you don't eat meat you'll be looking at some toast or a teacake. They had beans on the menu and when I asked for beans on toast, the lady just shook her head and said 'no hot food until 11.30' which I thought seemed like an odd policy considering the bacon and sausage baps on offer.

UPDATE: Since I originally posted this blog, Conwy RSPB have been in touch and have let me know that as of 29 July 2017, vegetarian sausages (Linda McCartney - so should also be vegan) will be available as part of the post-parkrun breakfast offerings. Thanks to the RSPB for taking my comments on board and making the change.

post-run

Anyway, I had recorded my run using my Garmin and the GPS file of the course can be found online, here: Strava - Conwy parkrun. The results for event 130 were online shortly after we left the cafe and there were 364 participants which was a new attendance record. Usually this venue attracts just under 300 participants each week. You can view the Relive video of the course via YouTube, here - Conwy parkrun relive video

We followed the run with a fantastic day out in Conwy, and it was a pleasure to run along the bank of the river and in the shadow of such an impressive castle!

Related blog links:

• Snowdonia Trail Half-Marathon 2017
• Penrhyn parkrun

South Norwood parkrun

Please note: There is a newer version of this venue's write-up: South Norwood parkrun 2024

- - -

South Norwood is a district of south east London and sits in the London Borough of Croydon. The area was originally part of the Great North Wood - a natural oak forest that was once measured to be 830 acres in size and stretched from Camberwell down to Croydon.

As South Norwood was developed, the local authority acquired a piece of land for use as a sewage farm [c.1862]. The London Clay subsoil meant that drainage was poor and the area remained largely flooded. However, the venture was fairly successful until its closure in 1967.

This same land had previously been the site of a moated house and would go on to be used as farmland and allotments. Around the time of the second world war it was used by the military as a training area and also housed a civil defence unit.

During the years from 1988 to 1999, the former sewage farm site was transformed into South Norwood Country Park. The country park covers an area of 125 acres and is home to wild flower meadows, wetland, a lake, childrens play area and a pitch and putt facility.

There is also a large mound which was formed from much of the building debris from the world war two raids on Croydon - this mound is a fab viewpoint and you can see for many miles around from the top.

On the 8th of July 2017, the country park became home to South Norwood parkrun, which is a free, 5km event that takes place on Saturday morning's at 9am.

I headed over to the venue for their second event. Free car parking is available in the adjacent Croydon Sports Arena which is home to Croydon FC and Croydon Harriers Athletics Club. It's worth leaving yourself plenty of time to get to the start line as it could take 10 minutes or so to reach it from the car park. The arena car park also has a good number of bicycle racks.

There are some local roads adjacent to the venue where it is possible to park, but the advice is to use the official car park - it's about the same distance to the start and it'll avoid getting on local residents' nerves. Upon arrival at the start line you will also notice that there is a car park here too...

... It is only small and from what I can see, the intention is to leave this car park for the use other park users. If parkrunners use it, it will only end up becoming a source of friction. So just park in the Croydon Sports Arena car park.

If I had travelled by public transport, I would have taken the mainline train to Elmers End or used the local tram network and headed towards either Arena or Harrington Road stops. As it happens, Arena tram stop is adjacent to the stadium car park so is perfectly placed especially if you need to use the toilets beforehand.

The official route from the car park or Arena tram station is to cut through the arena itself - The biggest plus points for doing this are; (a) it's a shorter route than following the roads, and (b) the toilets are inside the arena - just head towards the small, tiered seating stand (pictured above) and you'll find toilets located inside it - there are also communal showers in here (it's worth noting that I have no idea if it's ok for parkrunners to use them).

When I visited, there were arrows placed all through the arena to show the route to the meeting point / start area of the parkrun - these were quite useful as the country park itself seems to be quite hidden away. The walk to the start involves crossing the tram lines so be very careful here.

Once you reach the park's visitor centre (which has very restricted opening hours - not open during parkrun) and the playground, you'll hopefully find a gaggle of eager parkrunners and volunteers plotting their actions for the morning. For the record, you'll find another set of bicycle racks here.

The run briefing was held on the grass outside the visitor centre. With that done, the runners moved into position on the start line which is just a few metres along the path.

The course here is made up of two full clockwise laps (2.3km) followed by a further quarter lap (0.5km). Underfoot is mostly a gravelly, loose stone surface (89%), but there is also a tiny bit of tarmac (1%) and some grass/dirt/mud (10%). In summer (when I visited) road shoes were absolutely fine, but some runners might prefer to use trail shoes in the winter when it's likely to get quite splashy.

It's quite a difficult course to describe in detail because it essentially follows the meandering gravelly paths and there are not really any notable landmarks around the course to point out. The scenery is almost exclusively trees, hedges and meadows. In fact, the route actually goes three-quarters of the way around the lake, but unless you're looking for it, you probably won't even notice that it's there. There are, however, a couple of sections which should be covered...

There's a chicane at around the 1.5km / 4km point and if you hit at a good pace it feels amazing to run around. Then towards the end of each lap there is a slight incline to negotiate - it actually feels like running up a corkscrew as it curves to the right and tightens as you go up. As you'd expect, it feels harder second time around, but it is a fun and unique feature of the course.

At the top of the incline the courses passes the aforementioned mound. It's also worth mentioning that most of the paths the run uses are shared use, so watch out for cyclists on your way around. You'll also find plenty of dog walkers milling around.

The finish funnel is hidden around a corner about 500 metres after passing the start line. It's a good idea to take a look out for it on one of the earlier laps so you know exactly where to turn off of the main loop once you reach the end. When I visited, barcode scanning took place, as expected, next to the finish line.

The post-run social is listed as being at the Croydon Arena. I was going to pop in with a fellow tourist for a quick cuppa, but we couldn't find the exact location. The Croydon Council website says it's officially closed on Saturday and that certainly seemed to be the case as far as we could see, so we both headed our own respective ways back home. [I'll add some more info if it becomes available].

The official results were up online a few hours after the run and there had been 118 participants at event 2. I recorded the run with my Garmin and you can find the GPS data of the course online, on Strava; South Norwood parkrun event 2. Of course, you can also watch the #relive video above to see the course.

Link: The London parkrun venues

Dulwich Midsummer Relays 2017

The Dulwich Midsummer Relay race takes place in Dulwich Park, London. It is hosted by Dulwich Runners and billed as an approx 1 mile relay. We pre-registered our team using an online form and paid the £12 entry fee on-the-night.

As a note on our team - two of us are with Dartford Harriers and one with Dartford Road Runners, so we used Dartford United as our team name for the evening.

dartford united / pre-race [photos: esther / 7t]

The race is a 3 x 1 lap of the main inner loop that runs through the park. Anyone that has visited Dulwich parkrun will be familiar with the route as it uses exactly the same path - the only difference being that you only have to run one lap rather than three.

The loop itself is around 80 metres longer than a mile, so if you run here don't get too disheartened if your time is a little slower than what you would expect over a perfect mile course.

By the way, the route is very simple to follow and there's no way of getting lost providing you stay on the loop and don't follow one of the exit spurs. Underfoot is 100% tarmac and it's flat - you might feel the slight sensation of a tiny upwards elevation change during the latter part of the lap, but that is all.

The start time was 7.30pm and after a team warm-up we were all ready to go. As far as organising our team running order was concerned, we stuck with our tried and tested formula of predicted slowest first through to predicted fastest last.

dartford united [photos: esther]

My recent 1 mile races [2017] had seen me run 5.57 at the Westminster Mile and 5.47 at the Swanley Relays, so I was hoping to continue the sub 6 minute streak. However that extra 80 or so metres made it impossible to achieve and I ended up with a 6.06 time for my leg.

There is, helpfully, a Strava segment set up on the loop which looks to be pretty spot-on a perfect mile, so by using that as a guide it looks like my 1 mile time would have been approx 5.44.

The official results were published the day after the event and our confirmed results were;

Richey: 6.46 (6.46)
Steven: 6.06 (12.52)
Adam: 5.36 (18.28)

Combined time: 18.28
Finishing position: 17th (out of 52)

I recorded the course with my Garmin and you can see the course data here: Dulwich Midsummer Relays 2017

It was a lovely evening for the race and we had a great time being hosted by the friendly folks from Dulwich Runners. We followed the race up with a visited to the Fox on the Hill wetherspoons pub for some well earned food and a drink. Good times.

Swanley Relays 2017

The Swanley Relay race (4 x 1 mile) is hosted by Swanley and District AC, usually on the first Wednesday of July, every year in Swanley Park (aka New Barn Park) in Swanley. I've run this race once before (2014) and subsequently, whilst injured, organised teams for another (2015) during my time at SLGR.

This time around, a few of us got together to create a team. However we were not all from the same running club (1 Dartford Road Runner and 3 Dartford Harriers), so we needed a team name to run under. I had spent some days trying to come up with a decent one, but it had eluded me until, a few hours before the race one of our team was seriously considering pulling out due to a sore hamstring.

After a bit of a discussion, he decided to proceed and that lead me to proposing the name 'Hurty Hammie and the Hoops' (Hoops being the nickname for Dartford Harriers). So after a bit of post-work rushing around we finally arrived at the venue and headed for the registration desk.

'hurly hommie and the hoops'

We paid out £10 entry fee and began to discuss which order we should run in - this discussion always comes up in relays and over the last few years, I have become a big fan of starting with the predicted slowest runner and getting progressively faster, finishing with the quickest. We all agreed that it was a sound plan and we went ahead with that method.

With our name recorded incorrectly on the official paperwork, for the evening we became 'Hurly Hommie and the Hoops' which sounds a bit like the name of a 1950s/60s band. We all actually ended up liking it despite the spelling errors. The race start time was scheduled for 7.15pm and at around that point the first set of runners from all 28 teams were despatched...

On lead guitar and vocals was 'Hurly Hommie' himself (richey), and while he held back a bit to protect that hamstring, still put in a respectable time of 06.52 (team position 23). He handed the imaginary baton over to the rhythm guitarist (me) for the second leg of the race.

putting in the effort with about 100 metres to go [photo: brian page]

I managed to pick off seven runners on my way around the course, which is mostly on grass and is generally flat-ish, but it does have a little incline and bumpy trail to deal with about half-way through. I went around in 05.47 and was happy to have achieved my goal of running under 6 minutes.

With the race half-way done, we were sitting in 16th position. I handed the virtual baton over to our funky bass player (adam). With a time of 05.21, he had managed overtake six runners and moved us up into 10th position.

Our grand finale was left in the hands of our man-on-the-sticks (jon) who smashed out an amazing drum solo and left the crowd mesmerised with his 04.56 effort. In the process, he had picked off another 3 runners and brought us home in 7th position overall.

The full results were online a few days later and our combined time was 22.56. I did of course record the GPS data of the course and you can view it on Strava: Swanley Relays 2017

Billericay parkrun

Please note that the course has changed slightly since this was written. There is a newer version of the write-up available, here: Billericay parkrun 2024 write-up

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Billericay is a town in Essex with a population of around 30,000 people. It was first recorded as Byllyrica in 1291, but the exact origin of the name is unknown. It has a historical link to the Peasant's Revolt due to The Battle of Billericay in which the King's soldiers defeated and killed 500 Essexmen.

The town was said to have been the meeting place of the Pilgrim Fathers shortly before their voyage to the new world in 1620 and many of the names around the town reflect this historic occasion. In 1655 another group of colonists named the town of Billerica, Massachusetts after their English hometown. The two towns are now twinned.

lake meadows park, billericay

As interesting as all that (and more) is, the focal point of my visit to Billericay was Lake Meadows Park which was opened in 1936. The park covers 40 acres of land and has over 30 species of trees. Its features include formal gardens, tennis courts, swimming pool, children's playground, various sports pitches, skate park, and a bowling green.

There is also a man-made lake and this was commissioned by the Spitty family who once owned the land, then called Hill House Farm. The family were apparently fans of shooting, and the lake was dug to attract wildfowl so that they could host 'elegant shooting parties'. The lake is currently home to a six foot long cat-fish called 'The Beast of Billericay'.

start and first few hundred metres

On 24 June 2017 the park became home to Billericay parkrun. We headed over to the venue for their second event and once arriving, parked in the Lake Meadows car park. The official course page directs attendees to park in the Radford Crescent car park which is just outside the park. Both are free-of-charge on Saturdays but charges do apply Monday to Friday.

A few hundred metres to the south of the park is Billericay train station and bus interchange station - it's only a five minute walk to the entrance of the park from here. I didn't spot any proper bicycle racks but there were plenty of fences that one could use to secure a bike.

first grassy section (up and down)

The toilets are adjacent to the car park, and just next to 'The Wizard and The Dragon' sculpture. The sculpture itself has in interesting story - in 2013 an old oak tree had died and was due to be removed for safety reasons, however the 'Friends of Lake Meadows Park' suggested and arranged for it to be recycled into a sculpture - you can read all about it here and see some before and after photos here.

The main meeting point for the run is on the large open grassed area near the Cafe in the Park, and the run itself takes place over four gently undulating, anti-clockwise laps of the park. Underfoot is roughly a 50/50 mix of tarmac paths and grass/dirt. I visited in the summer when the grass was fairly dry and road shoes were fine, but there is a possibility that it could get a little muddy in the winter. I suspect a pair of multi-terrain shoes would work well here during the winter months.

second grass section with low branch

At time of writing, the official course map does not show the start and finish points correctly (this is quite common). The actual start line for the run is tucked away on the entrance spur at the southernmost point of the course where the park can be accessed from Lake Avenue. With the first timers briefing and the main run briefing both already having been held over on the main grass area, as soon as all the day's participants were in place we were quickly sent on our way.

The lap itself is fairly straight forward, and it goes a little like this... You head off from the spur on the tarmac path, which is at the highest point of the course. It's not very noticeable but the elevation drops a little as the route passes the tennis courts. The course then bears right onto grass. The course heads ever-so-gently uphill through this part of the course and the most easterly point of the course brings you back to a high point.

path around the lake

After swooping down the grassy, and only really noticeable downhill section of the course (I saw one person slip here, so be careful), the runners rejoin the tarmac path for about 50 metres before crossing onto the grass that follows the northern perimeter of the park. This section has a slight hint of trail about it and comes with a warning sign to watch out for tree roots and low hanging branches (seriously, watch out for the branch!).

The route then rejoins the path and the participants head around the curved path that circumnavigates the western bank of the lake - watch out for the drop to the left onto the bank of the lake. Sadly, and despite looking, I didn't spot the beast. Whilst heading around the curve, flanked by the blue, iron fences eagle-eyed runners may spot the conservation area to the right, which helps sustain the park's wide variety of wildlife.

final part of the lap

The playground is passed next and the path leads directly into another slight incline - not terribly noticeable, but it does start to feel a little harder as the laps progress. Heading past the finish area and the Cafe in the Park, the incline becomes slightly more noticeable and once the runners pass the sensory garden (it smelled amazing) they emerge back where it all started just a short while earlier.

The full 5k is covered by completing just under four full laps, so upon reaching the cafe for the fourth time, the runners can swing a left onto the grass and follow the cones for about 100 metres until reaching the finish funnel. During my visit, barcode scanning took place right next to the finish line and it was then time to head off to the 'Cafe in the Park' (which was a little expensive and cash only, so come prepared) for some post-run refreshments and a chat about the morning's very enjoyable run around Billericay's beautifully landscaped and picturesque town park.

breaking off of the lap and into the finish stretch

With a relatively high number of laps comes the inevitable flurry of lapping, but if everyone pays attention there's no reason that this should be a problem. I've done a bit of maths and everyone running over 25-26 minutes is likely to be lapped. To give you an idea of what to expect, I ran 20.55 and I estimate that I lapped everyone slower than about 28 minutes meaning that I lapped around 100 people out of the 171 that took part. Whichever pace you run at you will either be lapped or lap someone else.

Back to the park itself, and since 2001, the park has been home to a bronze statue, named 'Child in the Park' and I was planning to take a look. However the statue was not there during my visit as it had recently been stolen. Fortunately, it was found (in a wheelbarrow) and will be reinstated once repairs have been made to both the statue and its plinth.

finish and post run

Another couple of notable points are that the park hosts the largest fireworks display in the whole of Essex, and it also hosts up to 5,000 people for other outdoor events such as music concerts. I imagine any events of this size could lead to the parkrun being cancelled so be sure to double check the Billericay parkrun webpage before travelling to ensure you don't have a wasted journey.

So with all the chatting and the selfies-with-the-wizard-and-the-dragon and the playing-in-the-playground done and dusted, it was time to carry on with the rest of our day. As we were about to leave, I had a notification that the results for event 2 had been published. So I had a quick gander at them before hitting the road. I had also recorded the GPS data from the run and you can view it on Strava if you would like to see the course in more detail.

As the 18th venue to start in the county, Billericay is another fine addition to the set of parkruns in Essex and well worth a visit. It's deceptively undulating, but still a pretty quick course. When I showed my brother the relive course video, he spotted that the shape of the course resembles Totoro with his hand out while he's waiting at the bus stop in the rain, and after watching the video, I have to agree!