Tonbridge junior parkrun

There has been a 5k parkrun in Tonbridge since November 2013 and in July 2017 this was joined by a 2k junior version. We had good intentions to visit shortly after it started, but for one reason or another, we never managed to make it, until now.

The venue for Tonbridge junior parkrun is Tonbridge Farm Sportsground (please note: this is not the same venue as the 5k event) which occupies around 16 hectares of land just to the north of the town centre. You can access it by heading along Shipbourne Road before turning onto Darenth Avenue and dropping down the hill and into the sportsground car park, which has ample space and is free-of-charge to use.

The sportsground and adjacent area consists of a playground, a skatepark, five-a-side football pitches, basketball court, Tonbridge Bowling Club, and an open sports field which is marked with five football pitches and a cricket pitch. This open area is also used for the parkrun. There is a clubhouse which I understand contains toilets, however it didn't appear to be open when we visited (this may have been Covid related). The nearest alternative public toilets are near Tonbridge Castle just off the high street.

The sportsground is also the location of Longmead Stadium - this is home to Tonbridge Angels Football Club, Incidentally the football club used to be based at 'Angel Ground' which was right in the town centre but it was demolished in 1980 to make way for a shopping centre, which forced the move to the new stadium.

The parkrun takes place over a two-and-a-bit lap clockwise course around the almost-rectangular playing field. It's a flat course and underfoot is a combination of beautifully kept lush grass and paths. You only actually use the grass for one of the four sides of the rectangle, with the remaining three on hard paths. The good thing for parents is that as it is a large open area, you can easily see the entire course from the main congregation point / finish point.

Things to note around the course: There is a little camber while on the grass which drops downwards towards the adjacent bushes. Also, the adjacent field to the west is home to a flock of sheep, so it's nice to hear the background sounds of them bleating away while plodding around the course.

At present, the event attracts an average of 87.9 participants each week (add the parents and you are likely to have around 130 or so people moving around the course). Once the initial pack has spread out, there is ample space for everyone. We had visited at event 142 on 15 August 2021 where my daughter took part with her friend and there were 89 finishers, so almost spot-on the average.

The results were processed swiftly and we received our notifications while we were still in the playground. My daughter commented that she really liked this venue, part of this was down to the fact that she found that the course felt shorter then some other junior parkrun venues she has visited. I reckon that had something to do with the fact that she took part with her friend who she hadn't seen since before the Covid lockdown, and her attention was distracted by chatting about Minecraft instead. We've all done it!

I did my own freedom run/walk around the course so I had some GPS data to share, and here it is: Strava - Tonbridge Junior parkrun. I also uploaded the data to the Relive app which created a nice little fly-by video, which can be found here: Tonbridge junior parkrun fly-by video. It was a nice venue for the event and expect it won't be the last time we visit, especially if her friend is keen to do it again.

Related post:

Tonbridge parkrun

Ifield Mill Pond parkrun

Ifield is a neighbourhood within the West Sussex town of Crawley. Its name is derived from 'Yew-field' owing to the numerous yew trees found in the area. It was recorded in the Domesday book as Ifelt and contains some of the oldest buildings in modern-day Crawley. It was originally a village, but was absorbed into the town of Crawley shortly after the latter was given New Town status.

This area of West Sussex was once home to many corn mills, and the Ifield Water Mill was a significant one. By the 18th century it was the largest in the area, and survey conducted around this time showed that it could supply 16 sacks of flour per-day when others could only manage 4 sacks. This replaced an earlier iron forge on the same site and in order to provide water to drive the wheel, the Ifield Brook was dammed in the 16th century. The dam is responsible for the formation of the Ifield Mill Pond.

ifield mill pond parkrun

The present-day Ifield Mill Pond is a Site of Nature Conservation Importance (SNCI) and is considered to be the most important wetland site in Crawley. It supports many species of birds including kingfishers and swans, and also frogs, toads, newts and dragonflies to name a few. The banks are home to many types of trees, all of which can be seen via the extensive network of footpaths that run adjacent to the pond.

In September 2019 the area became home to Ifield Mill Pond parkrun, which we first visited on 19 October 2019 to take part in event number 5, we revisited the venue on 6 May 2023 and took part in event number 114. It's a good idea to read the course page before visiting as there are some important details to take note of. Firstly, there are no facilities on-site. Actually, there is a tiny car park next to the parkrun start area, but this is not for the use of parkrunners. Instead, parkrunners are directed towards either Waterfield Gardens or Gossops Green Community Centre for free parking. Both are around 5-7 minutes walk from the start.

main out and back section

On both of our visits, we went for the second option for parking as this is where the closest toilets are located. For the record, the toilets are just beyond the shops at Gossops Parade (behind The Windmill pub) - officially open from 8.30am, but since the parkrun started they should be open from 8am. The walk from here to the start area is found by heading downhill along Gossops Drive - it's a straight line, so very simple.

If you were to travel by train, you will find Ifield Station conveniently placed approximately a kilometre away from the start. If you happen to be local enough to use the bus, you can use the Metrobus numbers 1, 23 and 200 buses totally free of charge by showing your parkrun barcode. I wasn't aware of any proper bicycle racks on-site, but there were a couple of bikes secured to various posts in the car park and lampposts near the finish area.

around the loop

The next set of important details to note is that the course has been deemed unsuitable for buggies and dogs. This is due to some of the paths being narrow, which on it's own may not have been a problem. However these same narrow paths are also used in both directions during the event, and at some points there are parkrunners on either their first or second lap going in both directions. So while I really don't like to see any specific sub-groups of runners/walkers face bans or restrictions, I can understand why they would feel the need to put this policy in place. The surface underfoot is tarmac all the way around and the course is pancake flat.

I will note here that the course used on our first visit was different to the one used on our second visit.

Our first visit (2019) consisted of a two-and-a-bit lap anti-clockwise (keep to the right at all times) course, but on our return visit (2023) this had been changed to a clockwise course where participants keep to their left at all times and the configuration had been changed. The start and finish are now on the path adjacent to the car park (the one that's not for parkrunners). The course consists of an initial out-and-back followed by two laps of the park. However the laps aren't loops around the park because this park isn't shaped like that. The lap starts by following the first part of the original 'out' section followed by a left-hand-turn which leads into a different section of parkland where a large triangular loop forms part of the course. Returning to the original section of park, the participants continue to complete the remaining section of the full out and back section.

The second lap is identical to the first and the finish funnel can be found right back at the start area. Please note that this is quite a tricky course to describe so I think it would be better to take a look at my 2023 GPS data or the Relive course fly-by video, both of these are from our 2023 visit. I've left the links to the 2019 data below just in case anyone wishes to compare the courses.

the rest of the out and back section

It's actually very simple to follow plus it is fully marked with arrows and very well marshalled. The paths themselves are tree-lined and generally meander in a very pleasing way as you follow them. If you look in the right place you can spot glimpses of the picturesque Mill Pond through the trees and that is very nice indeed. It's worth keeping an eye on your footing during the return section of the main out-and-back section as leaving the path could result in a slip down towards the water's edge - for me, this added weight in favour of the decision to not allow buggies on the course.

As of May 2023 the event has an average attendance figure of 95.5. This event is the second in the Crawley area, giving locals an alternative to the busier Tilgate parkrun which now attracts around 400-500 attendees per week. 

It's a peaceful and pleasant place to come and spend some time on a Saturday morning.

the finish, the big community relay baton and ifield water mill

The post-event coffee venue is advertised as being at the Tilgate Forest Golf Centre which is on the other side of town, so probably not the most convenient option. We didn't make it on either visit, as we had plans elsewhere.

In 2019, once we had finished (and after we'd had a photo with the Big Community Relay baton), we made our way over to the northern end of the area to have a look at the 17th century Ifield Water Mill building which is still standing. It's only open for visits on the third Sunday of every month, so we had to make do with admiring it from the outside.

The results were published shortly after and 114 attendees took part in event 5. When we revisited in May 2023 there were 75 finishers at event 114. I'm very grateful to the volunteers for welcoming us on both occasions, so a huge thank you to you all.

Related Links:

• Ifield Mill Pond parkrun GPS data (2023 course)
• Ifield Mill Pond parkrun course fly-by (2023 course)

• Ifield Mill Pond GPS data (2019 course)
• Ifield Mill Pond parkrun Relive course fly-by video (2019 course)

• The East and West Sussex parkrun venues
• Tilgate parkrun blog (the other one in Crawley)

Greenham Common parkrun, Newbury (formerly Newbury parkrun)

Newbury is a market town in Berkshire with a population of around 40,000 people. Originally named New Burgh, it prospered through various industries such as paper making, brewing, and brick making. The cloth trade was also big in the town. Subsequently it became a convenient and popular stop-over point for the wealthy travelling from London to Bath and many inns were present in the town.

The Inn trade dwindled when the Great Western Railway opened and it wasn't until the 1980s, when Vodafone decided to base their HQ here, that the prosperity truly started again. The town is now a hub for high-tech industries. It is also known for its connection to the world of horse racing with many training facilities being based in the surrounding area, and Newbury Racecourse is situated on south-east side of the town.

greenham and crookham commons

Moving our attention a little further to the south, we find Greenham and Crookham Commons which together cover an area of around 1,000 acres. Together they form the largest continuous open tract of heathland in Berkshire and are a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). It is this area which is home to Greenham Common parkrun, however before moving onto that, there is still a little more history to go over.

Before the Second World War Greenham Common had been common land, but in 1941 it was requisitioned by the Government for military purposes. The land of the common is open and flat which made it ideal for use as an airbase - so despite a brief period of around four years after the war where the site was de-requisitioned, the land became part of RAF Greenham Common.

The base was used by the United States Air Force throughout WW2 and continued through the period of the Cold War. In 1951 the original runway was replaced with a 3km long runway which would have made it one of the longest military runways in the world at the time.

extra spacious start area

There are reports of an accident where a B-47 loaded with a nuclear warhead caught on fire in 1958 when another flying B-47 accidentally dropped a fuel tank containing over 1,500 gallons of fuel next to it - engulfing it in flames (denied by the military at the time). Subsequent studies have taken place that suggest the area was (or still is) contaminated with low level uranium.

In the early 1980s ninety-six 'BGM-109G Ground Launched Cruise Missiles' (GLCM) were based at the site. The missiles carried a W84 thermonuclear warhead which had a potential yield of 150 kilotons (for reference the nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki had blast yields of 15 and 21 kilotons).

The operational missiles were housed within the GLCM Alert and Maintenance Area (GAMA) which can still be easily identified by the 6 large grass-covered shelters. They were designed to withstand an air-detonated nuclear strike, having a 2 metre thick concrete ceiling plus additional layers of titanium, sand, more concrete and clay. More about the shelters later...

through the first kilometre

Naturally, the presence of these nuclear weapons caused an outcry and they lead to a peace camp being set-up around the perimeter of the site. This was known as 'Greenham Common Women's Peace Camp'. It was decided early on that this would be a women-only protest and using their identities as women/mothers legitimised the protests in the name of their children and future generations. Even though the nuclear weapons were completely removed by 1991 and the base closed by 1993, the peace camp stayed in place until 2000.

On 8 April 2000 the commons were reopened to the public. The majority of the concrete from the runway had already been removed for use as aggregate in the recently-opened Newbury Bypass, but you can still see the imprint of the runway through the natural vegetation which is slowly being restored. Some other parts of the base have survived, for example the Control Tower which is a Grade 2 listed building. Its design is one of only six remaining in the UK and is unique in the fact that it has not been significantly modernised internally.

the northern/eastern side of the course

We visited the common on 4th May 2019 and after spending two hours on-the-road we finally pulled into the main car park, which incidentally is right next to the control tower. We had initially tried to park in another car park on the opposite side of the common (Greenham Business Park) so we could be closer to the nuclear shelters for our post-run visit, but we just couldn't locate it despite using the postcode from the parkrun course page. We also couldn't find the toilets which are supposed to be somewhere within the business park...

So, as we had left ourselves a little bit of buffer time, we used the facilities in the McDonalds in the retail park at the western end of the common. With that sorted we headed towards the control tower car park as described above (for info, there was a queue of cars waiting to get in). The buffer time we had left ourselves had truly run out and by the time we had found a space, assembled the running buggy and changed into our running shoes it was just a couple of minutes away from 9am.

the eastern section of the course

The start of the parkrun is on the last remaining patch of tarmac right in the centre of the old runway. It is 600 metres from the car park which at a regular walking pace takes around 5-7 minutes. Fortunately the run director hadn't started the event by the time we reached the start point, so we composed ourselves and slotted into a nice place towards the back of the field. So the main points to take away from this would be, if you think you will need to use toilets plan this into your journey and leave yourself plenty of time to park and get to the start line.

If travelling by train the closest stations are Newbury Racecourse and Thatcham - they are both over 4km from the start line with no obvious sign of a connection. I've read that if you happen to alight the train at Newbury main train station you may be able to catch a bus to one of the entrances to the common - however you'll still be 2km from the start area.

the common and crookham athletics track etc...

For cyclists there are some bicycle racks right next to the control tower. At present there are no pre-run toilet facilities available onsite for parkrunners and there is a note on the main Newbury parkrun page reminding attendees to not relieve themselves on the common, as aside from being unpleasant for other users, doing so will put the future of the event in jeopardy.

Greenham Common parkrun is a very well established event which has been held on the common since February 2012. For the first 13.5 years of its existence it was called Newbury parkrun, but the name was changed in September 2025 to better reflect its location and to differentiate it from Victoria Park parkrun, Newbury. Our visit fell on the 390th event. Even from the early days this has been a very well attended parkrun which has always had the number of finishers in three-figures. At time of writing the official average is 361 but this doesn't reflect current day numbers very well. As of mid-2019 I would expect to find around 600 participants (it was the 26th busiest parkrun in the country on the day we visited - out of the 606 UK events that took place)...

The good news is that the start area is vast and there is plenty of room to position yourself where you think you should be within the field of participants. However bear in mind that you have just under 200 metres before the course narrows down to the width of the common's paths. The course here is one single clockwise lap which, with the exception of the tarmac at the start and finish, takes place entirely on gravelly paths. I would imagine that road shoes would generally be ok all year round, but some people may prefer a light trail shoe in bad conditions.

the final kilometre

Once past the first corner I don't remember encountering any marshals or arrows around the course, but there were some cones placed where required that did the job nicely. The first kilometre or so is on a perfectly straight path that heads east along the northern border of the runway. It then turns and the path meanders gently around the Crookham Common end of the route where you'll catch a glimpse of Crookham Athletics track. You may remember I mentioned above that we had the running buggy with us - the gravelly/stony surface underfoot makes for a gentle but bumpy ride for the occupant.

The views are pretty nice all around - expect to see plenty of gorse, heather and bracken. There are also a few ponds and occasionally you'll get a picturesque view over the adjacent countryside. Humans are not the only creatures you will find here - expect to see some cows and horses milling around. Also look out for the small wooden posts with red tops - these signify areas that are out-of-bounds due to ground-nesting birds such as the Nightjar, Lapwing, and the Skylark. Plus the Gorse bushes provide nesting opportunities for the Dartford Warbler.

At the end of the meandering section the course ends up on the southern side of the former runway where a long but extremely gentle incline leads back to the tarmac area and ultimately the finish line. As this is a very well attended event expect there to be some queues for the barcode scanners. Also being a wide open space means it can suffer from windy conditions - while we didn't really notice any on the way around, we did find we got very cold while waiting in the queue.

the finish area etc..

Earlier on I promised that I would come back to the nuclear shelters, well here we are! Once we had had our barcodes scanned we embarked on what would turn out to be a 45 minute round trip over to the south-west corner to see the shelters. This brings me to the reason why we attended this particular parkrun on this particular day - It was May the Fourth (aka Star Wars Day)...

The shelters were used as a filming location in Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015), and again in The Last Jedi (2017). For these movies they became the Resistance base on the planet D'Qar and it was great to finally see them in real life - sadly you can't get amongst them as the area is still subject to very strict security arrangements. They are also regularly inspected by the Russians as part of the 1987 Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty. Incidentally they were also used in Top Gear as a backdrop for a segment on communist cars, and apparently Beyonce filmed a music video here too.

control tower / nuclear shelter

The Control Tower has a cafe and is open for visits where you can have an elevated view over the former airfield, but I hadn't read up on this before our visit and totally missed the opportunity (noted for when we are next in the area)! Instead we headed back to the car and off to another cafe we had spotted earlier in the day while trying to find the other car park. We had a lovely lunch in the Honesty Cafe which is located in an art gallery at The Base within the Greenham Business Park.

Our results came through a little while later and despite periods of walking and even coming to a complete standstill at points, my daughter (dressed as Rey from Star Wars) ended up with a new 5k personal best which was of course the cherry on top of the very delicious cake which is Greenham Common parkrun!

Related links:

• My GPS data of the course
• The relive fly-by video of the course
• The Berkshire parkrun venues
• parkrun at the movies

Ultm8 Warrior (Vigo) 2018

The Ultm8 Warrior children's obstacle challenge series is a favourite of my daughter's and 2018 marked the third consecutive year she had taken part in this event / location. We had entered online via the Eventbrite app for a fee of £10, and just like the year before, she had decided to go for the 2 lap option.

The course was laid out a pretty much the same design as it was for the 2017 event. This featured four out and backs which lead the children away and back to the main obstacle area just in front of the rugby clubhouse. This works very well as it helps to spread the kids out and gives the parents an up close view of their kids doing the obstacles.

We did of course slap on a bit of the warrior face paint before getting started, which the organisers have available at the main HQ gazebo. 

The obstacles themselves were all the same as previous years with the addition of one new challenge which involved a rope climb over an inflatable obstacle - this was without doubt the most challenging of the obstacles, but no too hard to make it impossible.

The rest was business as usual which included a rope-net crawl, ups-and-overs, a spider's web net, a long crawl through a tunnel, the big rope climb, a slip and slide, and the sponge throw - this is where I got to throw wet sponges at her while she hid behind a warrior shield!

With the two laps complete, she collected her green Year of the Viking themed medal and told me tales of her journey around the mighty course of obstacles. We'd had a great morning out and the time had now come to hit the road back home.

Ultm8 Warrior (Mud Runners Ninjas) 2017

My daughter is still enjoying running at obstacle race events and she is always keen to take part in them as often as possible. We headed over to East Grinstead where she had booked in to take part in the Ultm8 Warrior Mud Runners Ninjas event which was being held alongside the adult Mud Runners event.

It was the second time that we had been to this venue, but the previous time the kids event was linked to a different adult event, Mudstock. The junior obstacle course was set up in the same area as the last time we visited but had a different course configuration and used a different part of the adjacent woods for the muddy sections.

The races/runs are split into age groups of 4-6, 7-9 and 10-13. The main difference between the groups is the total number of laps they run - it's either 1, 2 or 3. Saying that, it is a very relaxed affair and although the kids largely stick to the plan, some kids might end up running more, or less, or something else completely. The main thing is that they are all out there having some fun.

We had also asked one of my daughter's friends to join us and he was keen for me to run with him around the course, so I did that while Matilda headed off at her own pace ahead of us. We all had a lot of muddy fun and the kids were awarded their Mud Monsters Ninjas medals at the end.

Some photos...

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

Ultm8 Warrior (Vigo) 2017

This was my daughter's first Ultm8 Warrior obstacle race running in the 7-9 year old category. This marked a move up from the 4-6 age group who complete a single lap to the 7-9 year old category who run 2 laps of the course.

The course was set up a little differently to the last time we visited, but had all the same obstacles plus at least one new one to negotiate. The previous year included a section off in the adjacent forest, but this had been removed in favour of keeping the children out on the main sports fields for the entire event.

With war paint applied she set off on her two laps around the course. She's quite independent and was quite happy going off on her own, so me and the wife hung around in the fenced off parents' area while she got on with her stuff.

She easily completed the two laps and had a great time in the process. A selection of photos is below...

Dartford junior parkrun 27 (Christmas 2016)

My daughter, Matilda's love of parkrun comes and goes throughout the year and in 2016 she has mostly decided not to take part. As an alternative she has spent quite a few Sunday mornings training at Dartford Valley Rugby Club, plus she has also taken part in a few Obstacle Course Races (OCR) which were great fun. In the last few weeks, her attention has, once again, turned to junior parkrun.

Despite being a little on the tired side, the lure of a Christmas-themed event and a few hours with the great core team of volunteers was enough to tempt her out of the warm and cosy bed for a couple of laps of our local park. The weather was really mild for the time of year, so that also made it easier to get up and out.

merry christmas [photo: renee-marie young]

We managed to get out of the house in good time and wandered over to the park where we were greeted by the festively dressed volunteers. Matilda wore her Santa suit (probably a tad on the small side now, so we'll buy a new one next year) and I did my best with a red running top, a santa hat and my favourite festive socks.

Matilda decided that we would continue our Formula 1 themed junior parkrunning, but as it was Christmas, it was mixed with a bit of festive spirit. We spent a good deal of the run with Adam, who was tail running. We did pit-stops every now and then and there were lots of jingling sounds coming from our jingle bells and from Adam's festive jumper.

we were red bull two one this week [photos: renee=marie young]

We had already made plans to go for breakfast in the local Wetherspoons after the run, and it worked out that the core team had also decided to do the same. So we all went over to the pub where we were joined by the third member of our family.

The official results were online a few hours later and Matilda had completed her 29th junior parkrun in a time of 16.06. This was a little slower than her last run, but it was still a decent time for her - the only stops were for a quick breather during the pit-stops. So with 2016 all done, I'm eagerly awaiting what type of sport/activity takes her fancy in 2017. I suspect the OCRs will feature heavily once they start up again, but whatever it is, we'll do our best to have as much fun as possible doing it!

Dartford Junior parkrun 24

Over the last six months or so, my daughter, Matilda, has not really been interested in running at junior parkrun. However, when I suggested we could pop over to Central Park for Dartford Junior parkrun's 24th event, she said that she quite fancied it.

So we made a plan to take part in the parkrun and then go to the pub for a father-daughter breakfast. After what felt like an age of faffing around, we finally got out of the house 21 minutes before the run was due to start.

warm up...

Arriving at the start just a minute before the warm-up was due to start, we got changed out of our coats and Matilda went over to get loosened up while I sorted out our bag. A few minutes later we were at the start line and ready to go.

As soon as we started, Matilda decided that we should play Formula 1, so we picked Red Bull as our team and got to work on our first lap. We had a few slower moments where a rest was required, but by large we kept moving at one speed or another.

junior parkrunner and her v25 t-shirt

High-fives were being handed out left, right and centre by the fantastic course marshals. By the time we reached lap 2, we decided to bring on some F1 themed pit-stops. So every couple of hundred metres one of us would pull into the pits and the other would change the wheels and then release us back onto the track.

I had no idea how much time we had taken to go around the course because I had forgotten to take my stopwatch. We soon reached the final straight and Matilda took the chequered flag while I peeled off onto the grass next to the finish funnel (adults are not allowed in the finish funnel).

finishing token

It turns out that Matilda [parkrun profile] had managed to knock three seconds off her all-time junior parkrun personal best. Her new PB stands at 15.18, which of course, she's not overly fussed about because, well, she's six years old and was more interested in playing with the other children.

I, on the other hand, was very excited about her new PB, especially as it had been six months since she last took part in a junior parkrun. We continued our morning, as planned, with a visit to the pub for some jam on toast and a drink before heading back home to watch the final race of the Formula 1 season.

Mudstock: Mission Mud 2016

On the last weekend of July 2016 there was a weekend of muddy obstacle course racing and other related activities hosted by Mud Monsters Run in the countryside just outside East Grinstead in Surrey. Sadly we found out about it too late to sign up for the whole weekend. However we were able to book Matilda in for her second obstacle race.

mission mud

The children's obstacle race took place on the Sunday of the weekend and was organised by Ultm8 Warrior, who are the same company that organised the first obstacle race that she took part in just a few weeks earlier [read about it here].

The course itself covered about 800 metres [gps trace] as it weaved back and forth from the main meeting area into the surrounding outcrops of trees and back again. There were three children's races on the day. A one lap course for 4-6 year olds, two laps for 7-9s and three laps for the 10-13s.

mission mud

She got to tackle the same set of obstacle that she had in her first race. So we're talking balance beams, various obstacles to jump over and crawl under, hoops, bales of hay to scramble over and of course the pièce de résistance - the cargo net climb.

However, unlike her first outing, this one also featured generous helping of mud. The cargo net crawl took place over an area of thick mud which lead straight into a knee-deep muddy pool. Matilda's feet got stuck in the mud here and she just stood there laughing at her seemingly hopeless predicament.

mission mud

With all the obstacles complete Matilda was presented with her bespoke finisher's medal and we treated ourselves to a piece of cake from The Split Screen Coffee Company who serve refreshments from their vintage VW Camper Van. The morning had been great fun and Matilda is enjoying the obstacle races more than just running alone so I think we'll be looking for more OCR's in the future!

Link: The wife's blog on the event

parkrun du Bois de Boulogne

Please note that parkrun no longer operates in France.

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*Please note that as of 29 February 2020 the course (including the meeting point) is changing - Please see the following links for further information:

Official News Page - Revised course map
Facebook - Notification post (with some maps)

Original post:

During the reign of the Emperor Napoleon III (the nephew of Napoleon), Paris was expanding to both the east and the west, and as the only public parks were situated in the centre of Paris, the Emperor decided to build two new large public parks. In the east he would create the Bois de Vincennes and in the west the Bois de Boulogne.

The Bois de Boulogne [bwa.d(ə).bu.lɔɲ] covers 845 hectares (2090 acres) and sits within the 16th arrondissement of Paris. It was originally part of the ancient Forêt de Rouvray (Forest of Rouvray) which stretched from the western edge of Paris all the way into Normandy. The park was created between 1852 and 1858. The emperor had spent some time in exile in London, was impressed by Hyde Park and wanted to create something similar in Paris.

paris [photos:7t]

He was personally involved in the planning and insisted that the Bois de Boulogne should have a lake in the style of the Serpentine in London's Hyde Park. This plan almost went wrong when the original design failed to take into account the difference in elevation between the two ends of the lake.

If you visit the park today you will notice the two lakes 'Lac Superieur' and 'Lac Inferieur' have a cascade in between them which was created to solve the problem. The park has also been the subject of works of art by Manet, Renoir and Van Gogh.

bois de boulogne [photos: 7t / dani / nicolas vaissiere]

Moving into the present day, the bulk of the park is still forest with paths, allees and avenues that criss-cross their way through the park. There are also various gardens, a complex of greenhouses which contain 100,000 plants, a zoo, an amusement park and boats available for hire on Lac Inferieur - we spent a day exploring the park and hired a 'Canot' (little boat) and enjoyed a good hour on the lake.

The park has strong links to horse racing and features two horse racing tracks on its borders. The French Open (tennis) is hosted at the Stade Roland Garros complex which is situated at the southern end of the park.

start and course [photos: 7t / nicolas vaissiere]

Putting everything else to the side for now, we were here for the park's newest sports-related event and that is the parkrun du Bois de Boulogne, which is a free, timed, 5 kilometre, run which is open to all abilities every Saturday morning at 9am. We had travelled to Paris a few days earlier and were staying in a flat just outside the park in La Muette; it's not the closest point to the start of the run, but it was close enough to travel there on foot.

The meeting point for the run is in the south eastern corner of the park at a crossroads in the path which is right next to a car park. If you're looking on a map you will see the road 'Route de Boulogne a Passy' which leads into the car park from the south. Then there is a footpath called 'Route d'Auteuil Suresnes' The point where these two meet is where the runners meet - the pre-run briefing also takes place here.

course [photos: dani / nicolas vaissiere]

This parkrun currently seems to attract a high percentage of British parkrun tourists and the run briefing, while being predominantly in French also had the most important parts also relayed in English.

We approached from the north of the meeting point via the entrance closest to La Muette and we (I) got a little confused on the way and arrived at the start with very little time to spare. The easiest way to find the start would be by travelling to the Porte d'Auteuil station on the Metro (served by lines 9 and 10), exiting via the 'Hippodrome' exit and entering the park at the southern end. If driving then you can head for the car park right next to the meeting point (I didn't check to see of you had to pay for this).

bois de boulogne [photos: 7t / nicolas vaissiere]

The start of the run is about 50 metres south of the meeting/briefing point and the runners head south from this point. Underfoot is a mixture of tarmac and dusty forest trails - we ran here in the summer and it was dry but I could imagine certain sections being wet and splashy during the winter.

The shape of this course makes it quite difficult to categorise and depending on who you ask, you'll get a slightly different way of describing it (figure of eight / three laps / heart shaped etc..). I have attached a diagram which I found on the venue's official Facebook page and I think this shows the route better than I can explain. However, I will try.

from parkrun du bois de boulogne's facebook page [image: david rayner]

The first section is slightly downhill and is run on a smooth tarmac path. At the end of the path, the course swings to the right and then right again onto 'Allee Saint-Denis' (there are a few different paths at this point of the park so pay attention to the marshal and look for the arrows).

Underfoot now changes to the dusty, slightly uneven forest paths. At around 1km into the run there is a cycle path to cross so it's worth looking boths ways just to be sure the way is clear. A marshal at a sharp right-hand turn shortly after directs the runners onto ''Route d'Auteuil Suresnes' which leads towards the wide 'Avenue de Saint-Cloud'.

Once reaching the junction with 'Avenue de Saint-Cloud', the runners have completed a 'C' shaped loop of the left/upper part of the course in a clockwise direction and must now complete two full anti-clockwise loops of the right/lower section which is essentially all on tarmac.

bois de boulogne [photos: 7t nicolas vaissiere]

This loop starts at the junction where the runners emerge from the forest path and sees the runners following the avenue towards the southern end of the course where they turn left and head back up along the opening section, pass the start line and meeting area, then follow the arrows back around to Avenue de Saint-Cloud where they continue to repeat this loop a second time.

At the end of the second anti-clockwise loop the runners enter the finish funnel which is located at the aforementioned junction. Conveniently there is a Wallace Fountain right next to the finish line - these fountains provide free drinking water across the whole of Paris [link: map] so it's a great spot to re-hydrate post-run or to refill a water bottle if you have brought one along.

post run [photos: 7t / dani / nicolas vaissiere]

Barcode scanning takes place right at the finish and once all of the runners have finished, they pack up and head north along the avenue to 'Le Café du Bois - Chalet de La Pelouse St Cloud' for a coffee, croissant and a post-run chat to the team and some fellow tourists.

The results for event 25 were processed a few hours later and we are pleased to now be able to call ourselves not only 'international parkrunners', but also 'parkrunneurs'. However, with the strict French rules around what constitutes a 'race' you will not find course records, age category records or a points table published here. Also you'll find everyone's finishing times listed in alphabetical order rather than by finishing position/time which re-enforces the fact that this is a run and not a race - I wonder if this will eventually happen to the UK results pages. 

If you'd like to see the course in detail, my full GPS trace for the course can be found on Strava, here; parkrun du Bois de Boulogne.