Bushy junior parkrun 73

In the past we were regular volunteers at Bushy junior parkrun, but when we moved to Dartford it was just too far to travel so we stepped back from our regular roles. Somehow two-and-a-half years flew by and we still hadn't been back for a visit. The first Sunday in April is Bushy junior parkrun's birthday and 2016 marked six years since the first one. So we thought this was as good a time as any to pay that long overdue visit.

first outing in her new balance fresh foam zante v2 shoes [photo:7t]

The last time we were at Bushy Park, Matilda had only just turned three years old and had never actually run at the event. So our return was more than one of visiting and volunteering. It would be Matilda's first official run there (in total her twenty-third junior parkrun and her ninth junior parkrun venue). However, there have been a few changes since our last visit.

run briefing [photo:7t]

Firstly, the run used to start at the Teddington Gate entrance and consist of an out-and-back alongside Chestnut Drive. The route is still run on exactly the same ground but now in the opposite direction. The start/finish area is now located in the centre of the park next to the Diana Fountain and the car park (which is free-of-charge) and the runners head off in the direction of Teddington Gate for 1 kilometre before turning around and heading back towards the start/finish. Another big positive with this change is that the toilets are much closer to the new start area.

off we go. starting at the back to avoid getting tangled up in the crowds

The other big change is that the event now starts at 10am rather than the 11am start that it used to have a few years ago. This event still only takes place once per month, so if you're planning on visiting make sure it is the first Sunday of the month that you head over.

keeping good pace [photo: dani]

So we arrived about an hour before the event started and lent a hand at getting some bits and pieces sorted pre-run. I had already had a chat to Matilda and she wanted me to run with her, so Dani had volunteered to be a marshal while I kept Matilda company on her run. This was also the first time she had had the opportunity to wear her brand new New Balance Fresh Foam Zante v2 shoes which she is currently helping me to review.

always time for some fun and games [photo: dani]

Bushy junior parkrun attracts a lot of runners and for this event there were 230 children taking part. The standard junior parkrun warm-up started at about 9.55am and everyone was raring to go by the time the clock struck 10. Except I had lost Matilda in the crowd - fortunately we had already agreed to start near the back and I eventually found her exactly where we had planned to be.

p174 [photo:7t]

Due to the unavoidable congestion that 230 children plus a good number of parents cause, we had a really slow start. But as the field of runners started to thin out we got into our stride. It was a nice steady pace and as the turnaround point came into view I was surprised that we hadn't slowed for a walking break. We continued our nice pace, chatting and jumping over small branches and twigs that had fallen from the line of trees that create the avenue which the course is run along.

scanneroos [photo:7t]

Matilda got a high-five from her marshaling mum and before we knew it the finish line was coming into sight. I teased Matilda by saying that I was going to enter the finish funnel before her and she reminded me that grown-ups are not allowed to enter the finish funnel and that Nicki had earlier threatened to poke me with sharp stick if I went anywhere near it! So as we reached the end I sensibly pulled off to the side and allowed her to complete her run in style.

clearing up. this was actually a race. i lost. [photo:dani]

After collecting her finish token, we went off to get her barcode scanned. During our days as regular volunteers here, my favourite role was as barcode scanner. So it was nice to experience Bushy juniors barcode scanning as a parent. It's still very busy and the four barcode scanners worked tirelessly to scan the barcodes of the 200+ children that all crossed the line within the space of just over 10 minutes.

helping to wind up the finish funnel tape [photo:7t]

Once that was done we headed over to the finish area to clap in the last few runners and then we assisted with tidying up the finish area before heading off for a well deserved coffee, lunch and a sweet treat from Caffe Nero in Teddington. Once the results had been processed we learned that Matilda had run 15.34 which is only 13 seconds off her 2km pb, that is pretty good considering we had a very slow start and were playing and chatting all the way around. We had a fantastic time and Matilda really wants to go back, which we will do. It's just a shame it's such a long drive for us.

Bushy juniors parkrun freedom run

As you may know, I volunteer at Bushy juniors parkrun. But something I had never done before is run the course to see what the runners have just experienced by the time they reach me to have their barcodes scanned.

It's a 2 kilometre course and this run is only open to junior age category runners (please remember to register and print your personal barcode beforehand - your barcode works at any parkrun worldwide). Parents that run with their children are asked to peel off at the very end to ensure that they do not cross the finish line as doing so may mess up the results!

So about 20 minutes before the runners arrived, I positioned myself on the start line, put my finger on my stopwatch start button, gave myself a 'ready..... go', hit the start button and off I went!

The first kilometre is run along the avenue of trees between Teddington gate and the fountain. This avenue is nice and wide, allowing the hundreds of runners to spread out and jostle for a comfortable position.

The run is entirely on grass apart from the times where you must cross the four tarmac paths that cross the course - people are usually kind enough to wait for runners to pass but remember they have as much right to use the park as we do. So keep an eye out and remember to say thank you to anyone that does stop.

As you near the 1 kilometre point at the far end of the avenue you will see some cones on the ground and a marshal with a big smile on their face! When you reach them you will do a 180 degree turn to your left around the very last tree.

The second kilometre heads back towards Teddington gate under the adjacent avenue of trees and is slightly narrower than the first, but as the runners would have spread out by this point there won't be any congestion.

After a while you'll soon be longing for that first glimpse of the finish line, but it takes ages to appear and by the time it does it still looks so far away!

The course is flat but you will find a few uneven bits where the ground dips down suddenly, so look out for them to avoid twisting your ankle. Also try to keep an eye out for stinging nettles - they tend to grow under the trees so if you keep to the centre of the grass path you should avoid them.

Finally you'll hear the encouragement, cheers and clapping from the parents and volunteers as you reach the last few metres.

Then you'll cross the line, the timer will log your time and another volunteer will give you your finishing token. After this you will take your finishing token and your own barcode (you did remember it, didn't you?) to one of the volunteers at the tables behind the finish line.

Your result will appear on the bushy juniors parkrun website a few hours later. If you forgot your barcode you won't get an official time in the results but please remember to give your finishing token back!

Once all of the runners had left, I ran it again (and was a tiny bit slower) and thanks to the wonder that is the 'freedom parkrun', I was able to log both efforts on my profile even though I ceased being a junior runner many years ago.

Bushy Juniors parkrun

On the first Sunday of every month I have been finding myself at Bushy Juniors parkrun in Bushy Park, West London. It differs from a standard parkrun in a few ways.

• It's for juniors only (ages 4-14)
• First Sunday of every month at 10am
• 2km course
• Runs do not count towards the club t-shirts. However they do count towards the junior wristbands.

The start finish area is on the grass near Teddington Gate the Diana Fountain (note: the start/finish was previously at the Teddington Gate end of the park). The course is run parallel to Chestnut Drive and involves simply running one kilometre in a straight line until you reach the end of the trees (towards the Teddington Gate). At this point runners do a u-turn around the last tree and run another kilometre back to the start/finish area. It is all on grass and is flat.

The event has grown steadily and has had an incredibly strong start to 2013 with all three runs attracting over 200 runners - The event in March was only two runners short of 300. It is one of four junior parkruns, the other three being at Savill Garden, Forest of Dean and Woodley - If you are considering attending one of these please take a look at the relevant webpage before leaving home as the timings of the runs vary between locations. (update: the junior parkrun series has grown considerably since this post was first published - check the junior parkrun events page for the latest info).

Our involvement in the event is purely as a volunteers, so far I have been photographer, marshal and seem to now have a permanent position on registration along with the littlest volunteer, and mrs7t has been photographer on all of our visits. Volunteering here is very rewarding and I highly recommend it. The event does sometimes struggle to get a full compliment of volunteers and I believe that the majority of them travel quite some way to make sure the event happens (for me it's a 50km round trip on my bicycle).

Just a personal observation here but there are hundreds of parents at the event, and if just a few volunteered each month it could make such a big difference to the event, especially if it continues its current rate of growth - of course they should only do so if they actually want to and not because they feel under pressure to do so.

If volunteering sounds appealing to you details can be found on the Bushy Juniors volunteering page or have a chat to Nicki and Peej on the day.

What else do you need to know? There is a car park. The closest train station is Teddington. The closest toilets to the new start/finish are next to the playground. There are additional toilet facilities at the Pheasantry cafe (approx ten minute walk away).

There's a lovely family atmosphere at the event and everyone seems to enjoy it immensely - especially the kids.

(update: since writing this post, I have moved house and am no longer within a reasonable travelling distance so have sadly had to step back from my regular volunteering role here)