Sittingbourne parkrun

Sittingbourne is a town in the county of Kent with a population of around 62,000 people. Throughout its history the town's name has been recorded as Sedingbourne, Saedingburga and Sydingeburga, meaning a hamlet by the bourne or stream. The settlement sits directly on the route of the Roman Watling Street and this was directly responsible for some of the town's growth, notably from the 12th century when it became a popular location for inns and hostels catering to people making their pilgrimage to Canterbury Cathedral following the murder of the Arch Bishop of Canterbury, Thomas Becket.

The growth of modern-day Sittingbourne started around the time of the industrial revolution when paper mills, brickyards and barge building industries were established locally. An interesting fact is that the London Bridge - Greenwich railway viaduct, the first elevated railway line in the world, was constructed from bricks made in Sittingbourne. As Sittingbourne grew, it consumed some of the adjacent settlements which are now suburbs of Sittingbourne. However, before the 18th century one of these suburbs, Milton Regis, previously known as the Manor of Middleton Regis, was in fact the largest and most powerful manor in the local area, and Sittingbourne was one of its hamlets.

Milton Regis was recorded in the Domesday Book as Middleton Terra Regis. It was known as a port of wealth, which is probably why William the Conqueror claimed it as his own. The area's use as a settlement may go back to the Mesolithic age. It is certainly known that there was a Roman presence here as artefacts and foundations of their buildings, possibly a fort, have been found. A Roman villa once existed next to what is now Holy Trinity Church, which was founded shortly after the 597 arrival of St Augustine. This makes it one of the oldest churches in Kent. Some of the villa's Roman bricks were used in its construction.

Milton Regis sits next to Milton Creek, which is an arm of The Swale (the stretch of water that separates the Isle of Sheppey from the mainland) and much of the area is marshland. The area to the south and east of the church was historically known as Church Marshes and was also home to Church Farm. It was also home to some of the area's brickworks which took advantage of the naturally available materials such as clay and chalk. The holes that were created by the clay and gravel extraction were back-filled with the domestic waste from London which was brought back on the barges that delivered the bricks into the city. The landfill site was eventually closed in 1973.

By the time the new millennium came around, the decision had been made to transform the former landfill site into a country park. Work began on decontaminating the site in 2001, and this included capping the filled areas. It was initially opened as Church Marshes Country Park, but was later renamed Milton Creek Country Park. It features many different areas including open grass, rough grass, scattered trees, woodland, an orchard, scrubland, ponds and marshland. The majority of the park has a country feel, but the far western section has more of a structured layout, and also contains a children's play area. In February 2016 the park became home to a free, weekly, timed 5k event called Sittingbourne parkrun.

The parkrun is open to all abilities including people who wish to walk the course. It is of course primarily a community event and is a great place for locals to meet and become part of the volunteering team, even if they have no interest in walking or running the course. I first visited in March 2016 where I took part in event number 3, I then revisited with the rest of the family in October 2024, where we took part in event number 376. It is this later visit that this write-up is from. In the years that have passed the park's flora has really become more established and I found most areas unrecognisable from what I remembered from my first visit.

There is a free-of-charge on-site car park which can be accessed from Saffron Way / Mill Way (B2005). Should alternative parking be required, there is an Asda with a large car park just a short walk away. There are also some residential roads which appear to be free of restrictions. If using sat nav or an app for directions, I found that entering Milton Creek Country Park resulted in directions being given to the opposite side of the park, so I set my Google maps planner to head for the new Greggs Drive-thru which was constructed right outside the car park entrance in 2022. Incidentally, the construction of the building also included an upgrade to the car park entrance and this resulted in a change of the parkrun route.

Travel by public transport is possible by using Southeastern National Rail services and alighting at the main Sittingbourne station which is in the centre of the town. The station is on the Chatham Main Line with services running between London Victoria and Dover Priory / Ramsgate. It is also on the High Speed 1 (HS1) route which runs between London St Pancras International and Ashford International. Lastly it is on the Sheerness Line which is a branch line connecting Sheerness to the main line at Sittingbourne. The onward walk from the train station is approximately 1.1 miles. If you happened to be on the Sheerness Line, you could alight at Kemsley and the onward walk is just under a mile.

If using the buses, the 347 service stops not far from the park's north-west tip. In addition to this the parkrun course page says that the 344 bus stops nearby, but I cannot find any information on this particular service, so it may be that it has been discontinued since the page was last updated. If visiting from afar, there are few large chain hotels present in the town, notably a Holiday Inn, a Travelodge and a Wetherspoons all located on Sittingbourne High Street. There is also a Premier Inn, but this is located just outside the western boundary of the town. Finally, cyclists can find a bank of cycle racks within the car park.

Once at the park, the place to head for is the open grass area at the western end of the park. It is located to the immediate north-west of the car park. I found that there was a split of people gathering - some had congregated near the finish area with most of the volunteers while others had gathered near the start area which is on the path which faces the Holy Trinity Church - both areas are in line of sight of each other. The park has toilets and these are located just behind a cluster of trees in-between the parkrun finish area and the children's playground. Their advertised opening time is 8am. Should you happen to pop into the Greggs for a pre-parkrun snack or drink (it opens at 6am), there is a customer-only toilet available here too.

The first timers' briefing and the main briefing are both held at the start area. As of my October 2024 visit, the parkrun takes place over a lollipop-style course with two clockwise laps around the sweet part. However in no way, shape or form does the actual shape of the course resemble a lollipop! As I noted above, the course was changed in 2022 and although the new one uses many of the same paths as the original, the configuration is quite different.

Although the course features the ocassional minor change in gradient, this remains a flat course and my 2024 GPS data reported the elevation change as zero. The surfaces underfoot are a combination of hard-standing paths, dirt tracks, some grass and some gravelly sections, quite possibly a hoggin path. It is worth bearing in mind that the local area is historically marshy, and it doesn't take much rain for the ground to become wet and muddy. So unless it is the height of summer I would strongly lean towards wearing trail shoes here. People participating with buggies are more than welcome, but do take note regarding possible splashy and muddy conditions. For wheelchair users, I'd say this is not the ideal course, but it should be possible to navigate with a heavy leaning towards avoiding the winter months.

The start area is on the park's most westerly path and begins with the participants heading directly towards the church. The course very quickly turns and follows the northern border heading towards the east. The surface underfoot gradually changes to a track-way as the path curves around the adjacent housing. Take note that just to the left of the path the ground drops away quite steeply underneath the line of bushes, so stick to the path. At around 800 metres into the parkrun, the route turns off of the northern border and goes deeper into the park. All the turns are well-marshalled and signed, and to be honest they need to be, because the park features a network of intersecting paths and the course would be difficult to navigate without them.

The opening stick part of our lollipop course lasts 1.2 kilometres, and at this point the course joins the loop. The two laps of the loop are themselves also 1.2 kilometres each in length. The surface remains largely a light gravel most of the way around. It passes an additional children's play area with brightly coloured posts, and every now and then various picturesque views present themselves - quite often with the tower of the Holy Trinity Church in the distance. There are plenty of turns to negotiate which keeps the course interesting to navigate around. I was pleased to see the carved tree trunk dragon called Gladys is still on the route, however it is not quite in as good condition as it was on my previous visit.

If you happen to notice a weird, foul smell in the air, it is likely that this is coming from the local recycling plant or the local sewage treatment facility. News reports suggest it is common for sewage to be released into Milton Creek at high tide and this may be the source of the unpleasant smell wafting through the air. 

When the loop has been negotiated twice, the course rejoins the stick section where it follows the exact same paths all the way back to the original start point. If you've done your maths properly, you will note that the total so far is only 4.8 kilometres, and that means that there are another two hundred metres to go before reaching the finish. So when reaching the start area, the course simply follows the park's main path around the edge of a circular landscaped feature and then heads along the path adjacent to the car park before reaching the finish line.

Barcode scanning takes place immediately after the finish line and when the event has finished the team head off to 'a local cafe', which just so happens to be the Greggs just outside the car park entrance. It really is perfectly placed for the post-parkrun refreshments and has plenty of indoor and outdoor seating. The results were published a short while later and on this visit there were 216 finishers while 21 people were credited with a volunteering role. The number of attendees is usually in the high one-hundreds or low two-hundreds so event 376 was quite representative. I recorded the course using my Garmin and the course GPS data can be found on Strava. There is also an accompanying Relive course fly-by video which can be viewed on YouTube.

If you are looking for something to do after the parkrun, Sittingbourne isn't a particularly tourist oriented location as it is largely residential and industrial. A notable exception is the Sittingbourne and Kemsley Light Railway which is a narrow gauge heritage railway, first constructed to move materials between the early 20th century Kemsley Mill and Ridham Dock on the Swale. It now operates on quite a restricted timetable, generally running over the summer or for special events, and not very often on Saturdays. A section of the railway line crosses the Milton Regis Viaduct which is believed to be the longest concrete viaduct in the UK. The line also passes along the southern border of Milton Creek Country Park.

Overall it is a nice event with a very friendly and welcoming team of volunteers, I was surprised at how much the country park had changed since I was last there. I made sure to thank the day's run director before leaving, but would also like to add a wider thanks to all of the volunteers who made us feel welcome during our visit.

Related Links:

• The course GPS data (12 October 2024)
• The course fly-by video (12 October 2024)

• The original course GPS data (12 March 2016 - course no longer in use)
• The original course fly-by video (12 March 2016 - course no longer in use)

• My original Sittingbourne parkrun write-up

• The Kent parkrun venues (blog7t)

Whitstable parkrun

Whitstable is a coastal heritage town in the north of the county of Kent with a population of around 32,000 people. There is evidence of occupation here since palaeolithic times. The town's name is thought to be made up of the Old English words 'hwit' as in 'white' followed by 'stapol' as in a pole, pillar or post and essentially means 'white post'. However it could also have other meanings and the simple fact is that no-one actually knows the truth.

It was recorded in the Domesday Book as Witenestaple which then evolved into Whitstaple by the early 13th century and into its current form by 1610. It was for some time also known as Whitstable-on-Sea. In the mid-eighteenth century, the town was served by the hoys boats which brought in visitors from London. It was also the northern terminus of one of Britain's first passenger railways, the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway.

It is known that the Romans were present in Whitstable, as remains of a Roman-era building have been found in the centre of town. It was apparently the Romans that popularised Whitstable's famous oyster beds just off the coast of the town and as they were regarded as a delicacy, they had them shipped all the way to Rome. The oyster industry continued to prosper long after the Romans left and at its peak in the 1850s around 80 million oysters per-year were transported to London's Billingsgate market to be sold. At this time Whitstable was regarded as one of the world's premier oyster producers. The industry lives on into the present day and the town also hosts the Whitstable Oyster Festival every year during the mid-late summer.

Another large and highly prosperous local industry began in 1588 when a mine was opened in the suburb of Tankerton, and this created the local copperas industry. This substance was used as a fixative for dyes and in the manufacture of ink. Incidentally, in 2017 the wreck of a Tudor-era merchant ship was discovered on Tankerton Beach, which is thought to have been connected to the copperas trade - it is unique as being the only medieval shipwreck to exist in south-east England. The wealthy owners of the business, also holders of the Manor of Tankteron built themselves a large house which over the years went on to evolve into what is now known as Whitstable Castle. It still stands and although the castle itself is only open for events, the gardens and playground can be visited free-of-charge.

Tankerton has north-facing slopes that run down to the shore which provide ideal growing conditions for an aromatic flowering plant called Hog's Fennel. In fact, it is the largest area of Hog's Fennel in the whole of Britain. The presence of this plant makes it the perfect breeding ground for two rare moths called Agonopterix Putridella and Fisher's Estaurine Moth, whose respective caterpillars feed exclusively on Hog's Fennel. This led to the Tankerton Slopes being designated as a Site of Special Scientific Interest in 1986. Tankerton itself became popular during the seaside heyday in the late 19th century and its design largely dates from this period. The seafront once featured a pier but this was demolished the early 1900's.

It is the seafront at Tankerton that provides home to the town's free, weekly, timed 5-kilometre event called Whitstable parkrun, which has been in operation since 6 November 2010. The event is open to all abilities including wheelchair users and to those who wish to walk the course. This parkrun is significant as it was the first to be held in Kent, and this was thanks to the efforts of the former event director Jacky Macdonald who is quite a legendary figure in this part of the country. It flew the flag as the county's only parkrun for almost two-and-a-half years until in 2013 there was a fast-paced explosion of new Kent events, supported by Jacky in her role as parkrun's Kent ambassador. By the end of that year there were eight parkruns in the county. At the time of writing there are twenty-five 5k parkruns in Kent.

I first took part in the event back in February 2014 and wrote about it in my original Whitstable parkrun blog (note: an alternative course was used, but not the current alternative course). I revisited in April 2024 which gave me the opportunity to produce this much-needed updated write-up. On both occasions I travelled to the event by car and parked for free on the local streets; Marine Parade is the obvious street to aim for as this is adjacent to the course. The parkrun meeting point is next to the Tankerton Ice Cream Parlour (opposite St Anne's Road), so the favoured parking spots tend to be those closest to the parlour and the adjacent tennis courts. However, the free parking stretches all the way to the east along Marine Parade, so finding a space shouldn't be a problem. The adjacent side-streets also have some on-street parking bays, but please note that these tend to have a 1 hour maximum stay.

Travel by public transport is also possible as the town has a mainline train station, Whitstable, which is just under 1 mile away from the parkrun meeting area. The station is served by Southeastern train services on the London to Ramsgate trainline, running primarily out of London Victoria station. If using the bus, the closest bus stop is located at Tankerton Circus on Tankerton Road, and this seems to be served by many services including the 660, 903, 904, 906, 922 and the Triangle. There also seem to be other services that stop in the centre of Whitstable, such as the number 5 Stagecoach Southeast bus. Cyclists, who have good links from Canterbury via the Crab and Winkle Way, and to other local seaside towns via the seafront path, can secure their bikes at one of the bike racks outside the ice cream parlour.

Once at the meeting point, the toilets are advertised as being open from 7.30am and can be found within the same building as the ice cream parlour. Should these toilets be closed, the closest alternatives are next to Tankerton Bay Sailing Club, to the east or within the lower floor of The Bubble cafe, to the west. The first timers' and main briefings take place on the grass area next to the toilets and once complete, everybody heads down the steps or slope onto the promenade. A handy thing to note is that in general, those who are likely to be within the first half of the field may find it better to take the stairs which join the promenade closer to the front of the start line. The slope (Kiosk Hill) is a better route for those likely to be participating further back in the field as this joins the promenade to the rear of the start area.

The Whitstable parkrun 'regular course' takes place over an almost-two-lap clockwise route taking in both the lower promenade and the upper grassed area, and it is this course that is covered in this write-up. The course is essentially flat, but the slopes used to change between the different levels obviously add in an incline/decline element. The surfaces underfoot are a mixture of the concrete promenade path and the grass on the upper section, so the best footwear may vary from week-to-week. If it's lovely and dry, road shoes are ideal, while if the conditions have been wet, the grass can hold onto quite a bit of water and could be muddy and quite splashy, and this could swing the preference towards trail shoes. Please note that if the conditions on the grass pass a certain threshold, the event team may switch to the alternative course (also known as the lollipop course) - there are some notes on the alternative course towards the bottom of this page.

So, at 9am the parkrun starts and the field heads off in an easterly direction. The promenade has a fixed width due to there being a retaining wall on the right between it and Tankerton Slopes, and on the left-hand-side this part of the prom is raised about half-a-metre higher than the beach. The point is that if you happen to line up a bit further back than you would have preferred, you'll have to be patient and filter through as the field thins out. Eagle-eyed parkrunners looking out to sea will spot a couple of interesting things. Firstly, there is the Kentish Flats Wind Farm, which is 10 kilometres off the coast and consists of 45 turbines. Secondly, and these are a little harder to see, are the Maunsell Sea Forts. These were anti-aircraft defensive positions which would have housed searchlights and anti-aircraft guns during the Second World War.

The parkrun course continues along the prom, which is marshalled at regular intervals. However, the path is also part of the National Cycle Network, so keep an eye out for cyclists. Initially the scene stays the same with the Hog's Fennel growing on the adjacent slopes. After a while the foliage gives way to an area of beach huts which are painted in all sorts of wonderful designs and colours. These are highly desirable and are currently selling for anything between £50,000 and £86,000.

Just after the beach huts is Tankerton Bay Sailing Club, where you'll find plenty of boats lining each side of the path. Once past the boats, the prom section of the course comes to an end and the route bears off to the right with a climb up Fraser Hill, incidentally this is usually marshalled by a volunteer called Fraser. At the top of the hill there is a sharp right hand turn onto the pavement where the parkrun course then moves onto the grass.

The elevated position at the top of the slopes gives a wonderful view across Tankerton Beach and onwards with the eastern side of the Isle of Sheppey visible in the far distance. The grass underfoot is generally in good condition, but I will note that it does have an interesting feature where pools of water seem to form in random positions. Also, it can be quite difficult to spot them in advance, so it would be very easy to end up with a soaking wet foot (hint: have spare shoes and socks with you if it has recently been raining). There were also some sections that were a little muddy, but as noted above, if the underfoot conditions get too bad it is likely that the event will switch to the alternative course. There are a few shelters to pass and some paths to cross, but soon enough the familiar sight of the Ice Cream Parlour can be seen and the course reaches the original briefing area.

On the first lap, the course goes through this area and then heads down Kiosk Hill, which I'd note as being particularly steep. My GPS data reports the slope as being a -10.9% gradient at its steepest point. At the bottom a sharp right-hand turn feeds the parkrunners back onto the promenade and past the start line where the lap is completed a second time until reaching the original meeting/briefing area, which is now the finish area. The barcode scanning area is well organised with separate queuing areas marked out with rope and small buckets for participants to deposit their finish tokens once scanned. The results are processed and are available online a short while later. As a guide, expect to find somewhere in the region of 350-450 participants at this event, but it can occasionally exceed 500. On the day we visited in April 2024 (event 643), there were 366 plus 51 volunteers.

As noted above, I recorded the course (regular course) with my Garmin and the GPS data can be found on my Strava account. The data was also used to create a Relive course fly-by video and it can be viewed on YouTube. Should the need arise, the route can be changed to the 'alternative course' which is a lollipop-style course and takes place over a single lap.

For the lollipop course, the parkrun starts in the same way but continues past the Fraser Hill turn-off point and instead heads right to the very end of the prom. The lollipop part of the course is within the adjacent nature reserve, called Long Rock. Interestingly, Long Rock Beach used to be a Nudist/Naturist beach. The ground with the nature reserve can be muddy and rutted, plus there is also a pinch point and a small step up onto a wooden bridge. Once the loop is completed, the route follows the prom all the way back, then turns up Kiosk Hill and the finish is found at the usual place next to the Ice Cream Parlour.

At time of writing (April 2024), I have not personally taken part on the lollipop course, but I have acquired the GPS data for it, so that can also be viewed on Strava and the course fly-by on YouTube. I would also note that the continued use of this alternative course is not guaranteed as the Long Rock area may be undergoing some changes including the installation of a shingle path.

Post parkrun, the Whitstable parkrun family heads off to either the Marine Hotel or sometimes one of the other local cafes on Tankerton Road. We had brought some food and drink with us so we didn't partake in the official refreshments. Instead we got started with our planned day out in Whitstable starting with a trip to Whitstable Castle where our five-year-old spent ages playing in the playground. The day continued with a walk over to Whitstable Harbour before continuing along the seafront path taking in all the sights including the famous Old Neptune pub which stands right on the beach. We also found the house of one of Whitstable's famous former residents, Peter Cushing, star of many of the Hammer horror films and who also played the part of Grand Moff Tarkin in the 1977 Star Wars film.

We then headed away from the seafront and found some of the wonderful alleys that Whitstable is well-known for, including Squeeze Gut Alley and I can confirm it really is a squeeze to get through one section of it. This led us through to Whitstable Museum and Gallery (£4 entry for adults, under 18's free) and here we learned about Charles and John Deane who invented the deep sea diving helmet while living in the town. This equipment led to John becoming one of the first people to recover artefacts from the Mary Rose. We also learned about Whitstable's ship building and repair trades, which existed for about 400 years with the last one closing in 1985. One of the highlights of the museum is 'Invicta' which is the original steam engine which ran on the Canterbury and Whitstable Railway. We also saw some of the filming locations for a recent TV show called Whitstable Pearl which is filmed almost entirely in the town. We had watched the first series during the week leading up to our visit (it's currently on UKTV Play).

In preparation for our visit, I had also checked the Whitstable tide times as I wanted to see a quirky natural feature on the seafront called The Street. This is a shingle strip which is exposed at low tide and stretches about 750 metres out to sea. We arrived about 90 minutes before the low tide was due, but already The Street had started to emerge, so even though the full length hadn't been revealed, we managed to take a walk to the end as it was at the time. By the time we arrived back at the car, we had covered a total of 10 kilometres during our walk and were well and truly exhausted.

We had a brilliant time in Whitstable and that of course started with the wonderful Whitstable parkrun. As I mentioned in my original blog, it is a well-oiled machine, and you are sure to receive a very warm welcome. A huge thanks goes to the 51 volunteers that made it all possible.



Related Links:

• GPS data for the regular course (April 2024)
• Relive fly-by video of the regular course (April 2024)

• GPS data for the lollipop course (February 2024)
• Relive fly-by video of the lollipop course (February 2024)

• GPS data for the double out-and-back alternative course (February 2014)
• Relive fly-by for the double out-and-back alternative course (February 2014)

• The Kent parkrun venues

• My original Whitstable parkrun blog (2014)

Pegwell Bay parkrun

The Isle of Thanet is the area in the far north east corner of Kent, home to the very well-known seaside resorts Margate and Ramsgate. Although now part of the mainland, it was historically cut off from the rest of Kent by a strait called the Wantsum Channel, which is thought to have formed somewhere between 5000BC and 2000BC. The channel started to silt up during the 12th and 13th centuries, by the 16th century the channel had completely dried up and the Isle became fully connected to the rest of Kent. Part of the area at the southern end of the former channel is now known as Pegwell Bay.

Pegwell Bay is a shallow, sandy inlet that sits at the southern end of Thanet District on the east coast of Kent. The villages of Pegwell and Ebbsfleet are adjacent but the bay itself is within the Civil Parish of Cliffsend (Cliffs End). The bay contains seashore habitats such as mudflats and salt marsh which are essential to migrating waders and wildfowl. Some of the land that overlooks the bay was used during the 20th century as a landfill site. In the 1980's the landfill was capped and 29 acres was landscaped into a park, which is now called Pegwell Bay Country Park.

The Wantsum Channel existed at the time of the Roman conquest of Britain and the immediate vicinity is home to a couple of places with notable connections to this period. The Roman's full scale invasion of 43AD is believed to have landed at Rutupiae (now called Richborough), on the mainland side of the Wantsum Channel. Rutupiae became a supply base for the Roman army before evolving into quite a large civilian town. A large triumphal arch (it was the largest in the entire Roman Empire) was constructed here and this effectively marked the entry point into Roman Britain. It also marked the starting point of Watling Street, the main road towards Londinium.

Almost a hundred years earlier Julius Caesar had landed his exploratory fleet on two occasions, first in 55BC and again in 54BC. The exact location of his landings had been a mystery until in 2017 archaeologists found evidence of a large Roman fort near the hamlet of Ebbsfleet in Thanet. This has led many to believe that the area around Ebbsfleet / Pegwell Bay is the location of Caesar's 54BC landing. This may cause some upset over in Deal as they have a stone plaque on the beach claiming the landing point.

The same area is also thought to be the landing point for Hengist and Horsa, the Germanic brothers who led the Angles, Saxons and Jutes when they arrived in Britain in the years following the Romans' withdrawal. Hengist went on to become the first Jutish King of Kent in 455. To commemorate the 1500th anniversary of their arrival, a Scandinavian longship called 'Hugin' was built and sailed across the sea where it was presented to the people of Thanet by the King of Denmark. The ship now stands on the clifftop overlooking the bay.

In 597 a monk called Augustine arrived via the same route after the Pope sent him to Britain in order to lead the 'Gregorian mission' to convert Britain's Anglo Saxons to Christianity starting with the monarch of Kent. He was ultimately successful and Æthelberht became the first Christian King of Kent. Augustine went on to become the very first Archbishop of Canterbury and is known as one of the founders of the Church of England. There is a Celtic Cross near the village of Cliffsend which marks the spot where Augustine first met King Æthelberht. After his death he was canonised and is known as Saint Augustine of Canterbury.

In Victorian times it was quite fashionable for the well-to-do to visit coastal resorts in order to escape the dirty city and take in the sea air. An effort was made to turn Pegwell Bay into a resort similar to its neighbour Ramsgate. A pier was constructed, but this venture failed and the pier dismantled just a few years later. An area of the bay contains a large concrete structure which used to be Ramsgate International Hoverport. Four hovercraft provided services between Pegwell Bay and Calais from the port which operated between 1969 and 1987. Although the site remains, it is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

On 11 May 2013 Pegwell Bay Country Park became home to a free, weekly, timed event called Pegwell Bay parkrun. I first took part in the event on 22 February 2014 which was event number 39, I returned 10 years later to take part in event number 492 which was held on 24 February 2024. On both occasions I travelled by car and parked in the on-site car park. As of 2024 the cost to park here at the weekend is a flat charge of £3 and this covers the entire day. Payment can be made by cash or card at the payment machine, but I could not get it to process my payment. Fortunately payment can also be made by using Park Buddy, PayByPhone or Ringo apps (the apps may cost slightly more as they will include a booking fee - Ringo cost £3.20). Holders of a Kent Country Parks season ticket do not have to pay to park. The parkrun page mentions the car park at the Viking Ship Cafe (1.2km along the coast) as an alternative, but this was closed when we visited in February 2024 (probably a seasonal thing).

Travel by public transport is possible and the closest train station is Thanet Parkway (in Cliffsend), which opened in July 2023. Off-peak services are fairly limited with the only Saturday trains running from London being High Speed services from St. Pancras. There is a better selection of trains which run to Ramsgate and Sandwich but those stations are further away. The 45 bus seems to run from both of these stations through Cliffsend where you can alight. The parkrun course page also mentions that the Stagecoach East Kent 87 and 88 buses stop close to the venue. Finally, if cycling, the park is well connected via the local cycle paths and there are bicycle racks next to the car park. The venue's toilets and the parkrun meeting point can also be found here.

When I first visited in 2014 the start was located on the sea-facing side of the park and the full 5 kilometre course ran for two-and-a-bit laps. However, in 2017 work began on the installation of the 1,000 megawatt HVDC sub-marine Nemo Link cable which connects the nearby Richborough Energy Park to Belgium and allows for high voltage electricity to flow between the two countries' electrical grids. The decision was made to run the cable right through Pegwell Bay Country Park. It was supposed to be laid underground, but there was some worry that doing so could disturb the materials in the landfill which could then contaminate the surface. With that in mind the cable was laid on the surface and covered with a 'chalk bund' which resulted in the creation of a berm (an artificial ridge) which goes right through the parkrun's original start area. 

In order for the parkrun to continue the course had to be modified, but owing to the layout of the park and limitations of the paths there was only one option - to move the start, but keep the finish in the same place. This would mean a slightly shorter course, which I understand is parkrun HQ approved. The revised course became active on 27 May 2017.

The parkrun now takes place over a two lap anti-clockwise triangular-shaped course and the surface underfoot is a mixture of tarmac and gravel (the tarmac has been added since my first visit). The route is almost completely flat and it is perfectly fine for those taking part with a buggy. I would imagine that wheelchair users would most likely be fine on the course, but the gravel may make things a little more difficult. As for footwear, I'd say regular road shoes would be fine most of the time, but those of us who like to be cautious may prefer to stick on trail shoes in the winter or after wet weather. The briefings, the toilets, the start and the finish are all condensed into the same grassy area adjacent to the car park. The actual start line is located at the northern section of the grass area.

The start area is wide enough to accommodate a fairly wide start line, but this narrows down into the regular-width tarmac path very soon after. Almost immediately after this, the course has to cross the park's vehicle entrance. This is of course quite rare at a parkrun, but rest assured, this spot is very heavily marshalled and if any vehicles are present, they will be stopped to allow the participants to cross. The course continues to head along the tarmac path until it reaches the south-west corner of the park. Please note that the tarmac path forms part of the Sustrans route 15 cycle path, so watch out for cyclists.

At the corner the course turns to the left and the surface underfoot changes to the gravelly, stony, off-road style path. Now heading in an easterly direction, the surroundings start to open up a little. To the right is the Stonelees Nature Reserve, the salt marsh and the mouth of the River Stour. To the left is the inner park and there are fields that are home to cattle including highland cows (I didn't manage to see any). When the path reaches its next change of direction, the stunning view of Pegwell Bay itself with the backdrop of the white cliffs at Cliffsend comes into view. If there has been rain, it may be a little splashy at points along here as quite large puddles can form across the path. The course continues along the sea-front with the vast mudflats stretching across the entire bay.

The final 200 metres of this sea-front section narrows down into a single file path, so participants towards the back of the field may find that those at the front are lapping them during this section. It's very difficult to pass along here, so it's a case of trying to work together to ensure everyone has a nice experience. If you look to the left of this path you can see the berm running alongside it. I'm guessing it must be made out of, or topped with chalk as it stands out due to being white. Also if you look at the satellite view on Google maps you can see the white scar making its way across the whole park. At the end of this path, there is another marshal and a left hand turn back onto the open grass start area.

The second lap is identical to the first, and once both laps have been completed the finish funnel can be found on the grass where the briefing took place. Barcode scanning takes place in the area just outside the toilets. A really nice touch at this venue was a table set up with facilities to make tea, coffee and hot chocolate, with boiling water provided in urns by one of the volunteers. If you are lucky they may even have some biscuits. I found this set up really encouraged a larger group of participants to linger post-parkrun, which no doubt works wonders for the community side of this event. Anybody that is on the look-out for a more substantial breakfast can simply walk around to the park's on-site refreshments facility, the Salty Seal Cafe. There's also an on-site playground which should keep any children entertained. 

After having a quick drink at the refreshments table we headed off to see the Scandinavian longboat 'Hugin' - sadly because it was winter it was partially covered in order to protect it from the cold weather. We then went and found St. Augustine's cross in Cliffsend. The highlight of our post-parkrun activities was our visit to see Richborough Roman Fort which I can thoroughly recommend.

The results for event 492 were published a short while later and there were 184 finishers which was representative of the current (2024) expected attendance figures. On both of my visits, I recorded the course with my Garmin and you can see the data on my Strava account. The original course came in at the full 5 kilometres for me when I visited in 2014, and the new revised course (May 2017 onwards) measured 4.82km according to my data (I have seen variations from 4.77 - 4.84 km). There are also Relive course fly-by videos for both of my visits and they can be found on YouTube via the links below.

I am aware that the short course could be quite frustrating for many parkrunners, especially if a personal best is recorded that then proves to be out-of-reach in terms of bettering on a full 5km course. However the event still retains everything else you could want from a parkrun, so the short course is a small price to pay in order to retain the wonderful community they have here at Pegwell Bay parkrun. If you are keen to visit but do not want to record an unbreakable personal best, I would recommend just taking your foot off the gas a little and focus on enjoying the park and the views rather than going for a time. Finally I would like to add a huge thank you to all of the volunteers that welcomed us into their community for the morning.

Related Links:

• Pegwell Bay parkrun GPS data (February 2024)
• Relive course fly-by video (February 2024)

• Pegwell Bay parkrun GPS data (February 2014 - ORIGNAL 5K COURSE)
• Relive course fly-by video (February 2014 - ORIGINAL 5K COURSE)

• Pegwell Bay parkrun 2014 write-up (blog7t page)

• The Kent parkrun venues (blog7t page)

Dover Waterfront parkrun

Dover is a town on the south east coast of the English county of Kent, with a population of just over 30,000 people. It famously sits at the point of England that is closest to mainland Europe, however, the location was once joined to France by a chalk ridge which separated the English Channel from the North Sea. It is thought that this land bridge was first breached around 450,000 years ago, possibly due to melting ice from the North Sea. A second, larger, breach is thought to have occurred about 200,000 years ago and by 100,000 years ago, the North Sea and English Channel were fully joined, as they remain to this day. The boundary between the two is now known as the Strait of Dover, which is the busiest shipping lane in the whole world.

Dover has historically been the point where people and goods from the continent have entered England, and this goes as far back as the Stone Age when it is thought people would have crossed the land bridge. It is often referred to as 'The Gateway to England'. During Julius Caesar's first attempt at invading Britain, he had initially tried to land his ships at Dover, however, the location was heavily defended and he had to abandon the plan. Once the Romans eventually conquered Britain 100 years later, the area became known as Portus Dubris - named after 'Dubras' the British word meaning 'the waters'. It would also have been a base for Classis Britannica, the Roman naval fleet that patrolled the channel.

Over 50 Roman structures have been discovered in the town by archaeologists, a notable one is known as the Roman Painted House - noted to be the finest Roman house on display in Britain (currently closed for repairs). Another significant Roman structure is the lighthouse, called a 'pharos', which is one of only three remaining Roman lighthouses in the world. It is said to be the most complete standing Roman structure in England. The town did have a second pharos on another hill, but that is no longer standing. Dover also has a river called the River Dour, it is an extremely rare 'chalk stream', of which there are only just over 200 in the entire world. 

As well as being a prime spot for goods, visitors and immigrants to enter the country, it was also at risk from invasion or attack. Fortunately the hills on either side of the harbour made great spots for defensive structures. The west side of the harbour is home to a hilltop fortification, The Western Heights of Dover. Built throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, this site contains The Citadel, The Drop Redoubt, and The Grand Shaft, which has a unique-to-Britain triple spiral staircase. It was built to allow easy movement of troops between the fort and the harbour. The entire complex is noted as being one of the most impressive fortifications in Britain.

Sitting on the opposite side of the harbour, atop the east cliff, is the famous Dover Castle. It was founded in the 11th Century, and may possibly be on the site of an older defensive fort. The castle was always intended to be a defensive structure rather than a residence, and has been modified many times over the years. The site covers 30 acres and, if measured by this metric, makes Dover the largest castle in the country. It is Grade I Listed. The grounds are also home to the Secret Wartime Tunnels which have been carved into the chalk rock, and the remaining Roman pharos. Further over to the east lie the famous White Cliffs of Dover.

The seafront is dominated by the Port of Dover, one of the world's busiest maritime passenger ports. There is also a marina, a cargo terminal and a cruise terminal. Somehow amongst all of that, there remains enough space for a rather pleasant esplanade area with a beach and even a sea sports centre. In fact the whole section of waterfront here has an ongoing regeneration project taking place, and part of this has seen a brand new pier installed. On 9 September 2023 the waterfront area became home to its very own free, weekly, timed 5k event called Dover Waterfront parkrun. It is open to all abilities including wheelchair users and those who wish to walk. The parkrun meeting point is just outside the Dover Sea Sports Centre, on the Esplanade.

We visited Dover Waterfront parkrun on 30 September to take part in event 4. We could have just driven down on the morning of the event as it is only an hour away from home, but we decided to make it an extended trip and we stayed overnight in the Premier Inn which is right on the sea front with free guest parking. On the morning of the parkrun, we simply rolled out of bed and walked 800 metres or so to the meeting point. The seafront walkway was opened in 1960 to 'commemorate the tercentenary of the landing at Dover of King Charles II on the occasion of the restoration of the monarchy'. 

If we had arrived on Saturday morning, there is parking all along the Esplanade for which a fee needs to be paid via RingGo, cash or card (I subsequently heard that they are RingGo only, but haven't verified this). The Dover District Council website has a page showing information for all of their car parks including the available payment methods. The official parkrun course page mentions Union Street car park, but this car park has seasonal restrictions. Only Dover Harbour Board Permit Holders can use it between 1 April and 31 October. The next closest car park is Harbour House car park - this also has restrictions, but according to the Dover District Council website, members of the public can use it at certain times - again a fee applies. If looking for free parking, a couple of options seem to be; the St James Retail and Leisure Park car park which allows free parking for the first hour of your stay (a ticket is still required). I've also heard that the town centre Morrisons has a car park which is free for three hours.

If arriving by public transport, the closest train station is Dover Priory, which is built on the grounds of, you guessed it, Dover Priory. From the station the walk is about 1.5km. The closest bus stop looks to be served by the 64 bus service, but if travelling from outside of Dover, I'd imagine any bus that stops in the town centre area would be close enough. Again the onward walk would be no longer than about 1.5km. If arriving by bicycle there are four bicycle racks near the start, but also plenty of metal balustrade around the start area. I'm pleased to report that once at the meeting point there are public toilets and these are advertised as being open from 7am all year round (just pop across the marina bridge and they are on your left).

The briefings take place at the meeting point and at 9am the parkrun gets underway. The Dover Waterfront parkrun course configuration is quite unique and can be described in a few ways. You could say it has two different out-and-back (OAB) sections, with a total of three out-and-backs needed to complete the five kilometres. The course goes - OAB1, then OAB2, then OAB1 again. Another way to look at it would be to divide the course into two 2.5km sections where the second 2.5km is a mirror image of the first 2.5km section. Underfoot is 100% tarmac, so road shoes are perfectly fine here all year round. It is a flat course, but considering it is on the seafront, I expect it'll suffer from wind coming off the sea at times. Being flat and tarmac, it is of course perfectly fine for buggy runners and wheelchair users. However please note that dogs are not permitted at this event.

From the start, the parkrunners head to the north along the esplanade with the stunning sight of Dover Castle sitting proudly atop the cliffs. The immediate section of path has a small pinch-point where some steps and a ramp are positioned, but it opens up after that. To the right is Dover Harbour which should mostly be quite still as it is protected by the Dover Breakwater about a kilometre-or-so beyond the shore. Dover Beach is also to the right hand side, incidentally it is the name of a poem by Matthew Arnold, said to be the third great Victorian poet. To the left is Waterloo Crescent, which is a conservation area. The late 19th century buildings are Graded II Listed and consist mainly of hotels. There is also a Marco Pierre White fish & chip shop / restaurant. I understand he is a famous chef. The path along the seafront is very well appointed, containing nicely landscaped grass and bushes. There is also a Dunkirk memorial stone here - the evacuation of Dunkirk had its control centre in Dover Castle's grounds.

As the course progresses along the esplanade there are three bronze statues, these are of Jamie Clark who brought the Olympic torch to Dover in the run up to the 2012 Olympics, and Ian Fleming most famous for writing the James Bond novels, who lived locally. The final one is of Dame Vera Lynn, who of course sang 'The White Cliffs of Dover' and was most well-known for her musical performances, and helping keep up morale, during the Second World War. Next to the statues is quite a discreet installation, a start/finish line set into the ground - it marks the beginning/end of The North Downs Way. The two portland stone blocks are called 'On The Crest of a Wave' and commemorate those who have swum across the English Channel. Looking out across the channel on a clear day, the coast of France is clearly visible on the horizon.

At the end of Waterloo Crescent the grassy landscaped waterfront marina area finishes and the seafront takes on a harsher feel. The beach disappears and so does the grass. Across the road are many more statues and memorial stones. There is one of Charles Stewart Rolls, co-founder of Rolls-Royce. He is commemorated here as he was the first person to cross the channel and return in a single flight. Incidentally, he was the first Briton to be killed in an aeronautical accident with a powered aircraft. There is also one of Captain Andrew Webb, first person to swim across the English Channel. The course continues and soon passes the Premier Inn where the white cliffs now dominate the immediate skyline. The turn-around point at the end of the first out-and-back is found here right next to the traffic crossing.

The course now simply follows the waterfront path back to the start area. The second of the out-and-backs is, I think, unique for an English parkrun, as it takes place on the pier. It is approximately 500 metres each way with a loop around the shelter at the end, and is a brilliant feature of the course. The pier (Dover Marina Pier) was opened to the public in 2019, being constructed as part of the redevelopment of the marina area. The views from the end are great, but you may need to wander back across after the parkrun to enjoy them fully. Once back at the start area, the last thing to do is repeat the first out-and-back again. The finish line is found right back at the original start area. Barcode scanning takes place right after the finish line. I recorded the course with my Garmin and you can see the data/map on Strava. I also imported the data into the Relive app and created a course fly-by which can be viewed on YouTube.

Should the pier be closed, there is an alternative course, and because I like to be helpful, I ran it the night before, so I have the GPS data and a Relive video of that too. The alternative course is a double out-and-back on the waterfront path, but it continues for an extra 250 metres before reaching its turnaround point, which is right at the very end of the path, next to the ferry port. You'll know when you have reached the turnaround point because the path is a dead end, with the only options being to turn around or go down the small steps onto the concrete sea defences below. So you just do this twice and the 5 kilometres are complete.

The results were processed and uploaded a short while later and 218 people took part in event 4. This was roughly in line with the current expected attendances. I would imagine there are still quite a high percentage of tourists within those figures, so the actual long-term weekly average is still unknown. The post-event refreshments are listed as being at the Pedlar on the Port cafe, which is within the clock tower building just next to the start/finish area. It's not the only refreshments option, at time of writing, another outlet called Rebels Coffee was offering a special deal to parkrunners. Plus if you are hanging around longer and fancy some vegetarian or vegan food for lunch, there is a vegan place called Planet Earth Kitchen at the marina.

While in Dover, we visited Dover Castle (it's quite expensive for a one-off visit, but we entered for free with our English Heritage Membership Cards), had a wander around the town centre, and visited Dover Museum and Bronze Age Boat Gallery (free entry). The boat gallery is home to the remains of the oldest known sea-faring boat in the world, which is thought to be around 3,500 years old. We didn't visit the Western Heights, as The Drop Redoubt and The Grand Shaft are only open on select days throughout the year, so we didn't get to explore these. If these are important to your visit, then check the Western Heights Preservation Society webpage where open days are listed. 

Our brief visit to Dover had left us pretty worn out, so we hit the road back home at about midday. From a historical point of view, Dover is a great place to visit as it is full of wonderful historic links, and the addition of the parkrun is of course an added bonus. The view of the castle and the section along the pier were definitely the highlights for me.  Thank you so much to all the volunteers for making it happen and for the very warm welcome!

Related Links:

Dover Waterfront parkrun GPS data (September 2023)

Dover Waterfront parkrun course fly-by video (September 2023)

Dover Waterfront parkrun B course GPS data (September 2023)

Dover Waterfront parkrun B course Fly-by Video (September 2023)

The Kent parkrun Venues (blog7t page)

Margate parkrun

Margate is a town, and popular seaside resort, in the district of Thanet, in Kent. It sits in the north-eastern corner of the county and looks out over the point where the Thames Estuary meets the North Sea. It has a population of just over 60,000 people, rising considerably during the summer months when holiday-makers and day-trippers make this a very busy destination. The town was recorded as a settlement in the hundred of Thanet in the Domesday book, and subsequently also referred to as Meregate. The name is thought to be related to a gap, or pool gate, in rocks where water pooled. Possibly also related to the area's historic salt marsh, which was known as the Mere.

The town's location next to the sea has dominated its history, where it started out as a small fishing village. It was a limb of Dover in the confederation of Cinque Ports, a status which it still holds. In the 18th century, seaside resorts started to become popular, and Margate, with its relatively close proximity to London, was instantly one of the most popular. It has remained that way for the last 250 years. Those early patrons would have most likely arrived on a boat called a Hoy, before steamships took over the roll in later years. This all changed in the 19th century when the railway line to Margate was constructed, enabling easy access from London and other nearby towns. Its sandy beach, Margate Main Sands is of course one of the big reasons for visiting. There is also a lovely Old Town which features many historic buildings including the Tudor House which dates back to c.1525.

Margate's biggest and most famous attraction is its amusement park, which is situated on the site of the Mere salt marsh. The site first became used for entertainment during the 1870's. At that point in time it would have been home to a Pleasure Garden, possibly containing circus animals. The 1880's saw the introduction of some early amusement rides. In 1919 the name Dreamland was introduced and in 1920 the Scenic Railway opened. This is the oldest rollercoaster in the UK and despite partial destruction, multiple fires and a brief period of closure, is still going strong to this day. In fact in 2002 it became the first roller coaster to ever be given Grade II Listed status. Alongside Dreamland, and now bearing its name, is the stunning seafront Art Deco cinema built in 1923. This was used as the primary filming location for the 2022 film, Empire of Light.

Elsewhere in Margate there is a historic clocktower, built to celebrate Queen Victoria's Golden Jubilee. The town is also home to Theatre Royal; built in 1787, it is the UK's second oldest working theatre. In 1835, what is known as, the Shell Grotto, was accidentally discovered during renovation work to a house. The grotto is entirely underground and consists of a long passage with a rectangular room at the end. The walls and roof are covered in mosaics made of approximately 4.6 million seashells. Nobody knows exactly what it is, why it was built, who built it, or when it was built. It simply remains a mystery. It is open to the public where there is a small entry fee to access it. There is also another underground feature which can be visited, Margate Caves, these caves are the remains of chalk mines.

For fans of poetry, the famous poet T.S Elliot spent some time in Margate while recovering from a nervous breakdown. During this time he wrote part of The Waste Lands, which, according to Wikipedia is 'widely regarded as one of the most important poems of the 20th Century'. There is a shelter on the seafront in which he is known to have sat, and where he would have spent time writing the poem. It is called Nayland Rock shelter and is Grade II Listed. In other arts, the painter J.M.W Turner was a regular visitor to Margate. He was drawn by the area's incredible skies and is known to have regarded them as the best in Europe. A large number of his paintings are of, or inspired, by the area. Margate now features the Turner Contemporary art gallery, built on the very spot of the guest house in which Turner stayed.

Over the years I have visited Margate many times. My last two visits have been as part of visiting the town's free, weekly, timed, 5km event called Margate parkrun. My first visit to the event was in December 2013 where I took part in event 33. My second visit to the parkrun was almost 10 years later, in June 2023, where I took part in event number 467. On both occasions I drove to the town, and on both occasions used the visit as part of a longer day out in the town. We included Chas and Dave's classic 1982 tune 'Margate' on our playlist to get us in the mood. The parkrun itself is about 2 kilometres to the east of the main touristy part of the seafront, and the bonus of this location is that the adjacent streets offer plenty of free parking. For the meeting point you need to get to the Cliftonville / Walpole Bay part of Margate. Fifth Avenue is the closest road, but B2051 Eastern Esplanade has a better selection of parking spaces.

Travel by public transport is possible by taking the train to Margate station, which is located in the centre of town. The onward walk is about 2.5km, mostly along the seafront path. There are some buses that run through Margate, but it's probably not worth attempting to use one for the onward journey as it would still involve a fair bit of walking anyway. For the record, it looks like the 8A Breeze, the Loop (runs between Ramsgate and Margate), and the 32 all stop between 600-1km away from the meeting point, which is at the Walpole Bay shelter located on the upper promenade right at the end of Fifth Avenue. If you arrive by bicycle, there are no bespoke cycle racks, but the shelter has some points that can be used to secure a bike.

As for toilets, officially there are none at the parkrun meeting point. The closest public toilet is located in the Harold Road car park which is 750 metres from the meeting point. There is also another option back on the main part of the Margate seafront near the beach, 2km away next to the Nayland Rock Shelter. However, the owners of the Walpole Bay Hotel, right next to the meeting point, allow parkrunners to use the hotel facilities. We popped in to use the toilets and had a lovely chat with the receptionist. Interestingly the hotel is quite a famous and historic place. It was originally built in 1914 and extended a few years later. Original internal features include the Edwardian restaurant, a snooker room, and the original Ballroom with original 1920s spring maple dance floor. It has also featured in numerous TV shows including two appearances on The Hotel Inspector. Needless to say, if you are looking for an overnight stay, this place ticks all the boxes.

Once all of that is sorted, the participants and volunteers assemble on the seafront path next to the shelter. The briefings both take place here and at 9am the parkrunners and parkwalkers embark on their 5km of exercise along the seafront. The course consists of two separate out-and-back sections. The surface underfoot is mostly very wide tarmac paths, but there is a short section of grass/gravel at the far end. For the most part, it is a flat course, but the route does include a long sweeping wave-like undulation. Road shoes should be ok all year round, and buggy runners will be absolutely fine on this course. Be aware that this is a seafront route and can suffer from strong winds blowing in from the sea.  I will point out that the official course map suggests that the route takes place on both the upper and lower proms, however the entire course stays on the upper prom at all times.

The start has the participants initially head off to the west along Queens Promenade, in the general direction heading towards the centre of town. The deal is that participants are to keep left at all times. A memorial fountain is passed shortly after the start, this is a war memorial, which is unusual in the fact that it is dedicated to one person rather than to the people of the town. After 500 metres the route enters The Oval Gardens where the participants complete a clockwise loop of The Oval Bandstand. The ornate iron bandstand dates from 1897 and hosts various musical performances, as you'd expect from a bandstand. During the 1960s and 70s it was also known to host wrestling matches, and these are set to make a comeback in 2023.

Once the loop of the bandstand is complete, the course heads back along Queens Promenade towards the original starting point where the first, and at 1.1km, the shortest, of the two out-and-backs is done. This point marks the start of the second out-and-back, which carries on along the seafront heading to the east and after passing Walpole Bay Lawns, a small bridge over a slipway is crossed and the path officially changes to Princes Walk. The path continues to meander gently as it passes Palm Bay Beach and the tennis courts and passes over another small bridge, crossing another slipway. The gentle wave-like undulation is around this point of the course. After a bit more meandering, the course reaches Foreness Point. This is a low headland (a point of land with a high drop into the water). It is also home to the Margate Wastewater Pumping Station.

It is worth noting that there are fine views all along the course, and at some points the cliffs provide a lovely addition to the scene. On a clear day it is possible to see the Thanet Off-shore Wind Farm. This lies about 12km off the coast and when completed in 2010 it was the largest offshore wind farm in the world. It no longer holds this title (Wikipedia says it had dropped to 14th in 2017). There are 100 wind turbines in the farm and together they generate enough electricity to supply around 240,000 homes (equivalent to 34% of all the homes in Kent). The course works its way around the coastal path until turning inland at the 3 kilometre point where the surface underfoot changes to grass/dirt/gravel paths for around 400 metres. It then re-joins tarmac paths which lead back around to Princes Walk and the route then heads back along the promenade all the way back to Walpole Bay Lawns, where the finish is found.

Barcode scanning takes place in the shelter and once all participants and the tailwalkers have completed the course, the post-event social gathering takes place. The official venue is listed as the Palm Bay Cafe, which is next to the Palm Bay tennis courts. However I understand that Taddy's Barn Tea Room, in Broadstairs, is currently the favoured destination. Being a seaside town, there are of course many other options to choose from.

I should add a special note that I was delighted to see a large contingent of walkers taking part in the parkrun. On the day we visited, over 10% of the total finishers crossed the line in over 50 minutes. I recorded the course using my Garmin and the data can be viewed on Strava. I also created a Relive course fly-by video, and that can be found on YouTube. The results for event 467 were published online later that day and 172 people had taken part. The official average attendance is 91.6, but this of course includes figures going back to the inaugural in April 2013, so does not represent the current average which is more likely to be in the 150-200 window.

We had already made plans to meet my parents, who happened to be in the middle of a seaside break in Margate, so we got changed and took a walk into the centre of town where we spent the rest of the day. We missed breakfast but ended up having lunch in Brewers Fayre, next door to the town's Premier Inn. We also visited most of the places mentioned above including the Shell Grotto, which really is quite bizarre. We did of course also spend a bit of time on the beach where it was much warmer (scorching) than our last visit in December 2013. By the time we left, it was 5pm and we were truly exhausted. However we had had a brilliant day in Margate, which all started with the amazing welcome we received at the parkrun, so a huge thanks to everyone involved.

Related Links:

Margate parkrun GPS data (24 June 2023)

Margate parkrun course fly-by video (24 June 2023)

The Kent parkrun venues (blog7t page)

Original 2013 Margate parkrun write-up (blog7t)