30 Parkrun Challenge – 1 to 5

So I’ve set myself the challenge of completing 30 Parkrun’s before I turn 31 in December. For those who don’t know, Parkrun is a weekly 5k run which takes place on a Saturday morning. There’s thousands of courses worldwide, all run by volunteers, meaning it’s free to take part!

I’ve not been very consistent with attending Parkrun for a few years, despite collecting up 43 finishes since 2017. It’s been a pretty good start to the challenge though with extra runs over the festive period. Here’s the first 5 runs I have completed to so far, and a little diary entry of how the run went:

Parkrun 1 – Market Bosworth Country Park – 16/12/2023

I started off my challenge of running 30 Parkruns in one year by visiting a new course. Growing up less than 30 minutes away from Market Bosworth we spent so much time as kids visiting the waterpark, swimming in the lake or floating out to the island on a rubber dinghy.

I’d never been to the Country Park though, and that’s where I found myself at 8.45am this morning with a group of other shivering runners. The run director jumped up onto a bench and informed us all that the route has been adjusted due to part of it currently being underwater. I was glad I was wearing my trail shoes.

At the sound of a slightly deflated horn, we all set off on our shared mission of getting around the park twice whilst avoiding getting wet feet. We dodged puddles and muddy paths, finally warming up about a mile into the run.

The sun occasionally peaked through the clouds and we got to enjoy the park light up in that misty, pink glow that you only seem to get in winter.

The run was slow, and I chatted to a friend who had joined me as we made our way around the course. I’ve not cared about Strava for a long while, so was in no hurry to get to the end.

On the final lap, and just as the sun finally crept behind the clouds, we took the last corner and peeled off down a funnel of cones to collect our finishers barcode. No adoring fans, but we were greeted by some young people doing their Duke of Edinburgh, who were handing out cakes at the finish line.

Stuffing my face with cake, we headed back to the car, stopping off for a coffee at the little drinks van. As first Parkruns go, this wasn’t a bad one to start things off, and I can imagine I’ll be revisiting it a few times over the next year as I try to complete 30 Parkruns before my birthday next December.

Parkrun 2 – Hastings High School – 23/12/2023

It was a dash out the door today to make it to Hastings High School Parkrun. There’s something about heading to school that means you’re guaranteed to be late and rushing.

I wasn’t particularly looking forward to today’s course after the beautiful run around Bosworth Country Park last week. 4 Laps of the school field. It felt very much like I was back in school doing cross country, trying to find an excuse to skive off.

The run was simple enough, although the mud was thick and at times it was a slog to keep the feet moving and not get stuck. The repetitive route meant I could just switch off and have half an hour moving without thought or worry, taking in the fresh, winter air and starting the day well.

It’s going to be a busy week now with Christmas and New year, although there are plans for a few more Parkruns over the festive period to well and truly put me on the way to my target of 30!

Parkrun 3 – Braunston Park – 25/12/2023

A first this year, completing Braunston Parkrun on Christmas morning. For years I’ve been for a run on Christmas morning in anticipation of the amount of food I’m going to consume that day. It was nice this morning to meet up with a mate and 300+ other runners to do 2 laps around the park.

With plenty of fancy dress, it must have been a sight to see us all starting off at 9 o clock. A couple of laps around the park, past the pond and up the hill to catch sight of a Christmas rainbow.

Parkrun 4 – Abbey Park – 30/12/2023

It was a pretty bleak morning as I drove through the city centre, under overcast clouds, to this morning’s Parkrun. Having grown up in a town which felt too busy, I’d been desperate to move into the countryside. Cities in comparison feel hectic and I tend to avoid them.

I wasn’t going to the city though. Having parked up in an industrial estate, I crossed the River Soar and headed into the park where there was a collection of people in hi-viz stabbing parkrun flags into the grassy field. It was only a stones throw away from the city but felt an escape back to nature. The start line was near a little duckpond, with a little gated garden behind it and the rumble of the city was lost to all the chatter from the other runners.

The new runners briefing was short and sharp, with the run director explaining that there was no point trying to explain the course route and we’d all just be better off following a regular and listening to the marshals directions.

After a couple of cross country Parkruns it was nice to have tarmac back under my feet for the whole course as we made various loops around the park. We crossed the river again and again, looping round old buildings converted to cafes and jogging past the remains of the Abbey. I made a mental note that we should come back for a coffee after the run.

The run finished back at the exact point it started, with most of the runners who had already finished have stopped to cheer people into the finish. That’s the sense of community that parkrun brings out in people and the reason I love it. A park full of strangers, varying from club runners to strollers, all encouraging and supporting each other to spend time outdoors exercising.

Parkrun 5 – Sense Valley Forest Park – 06/01/2024

As I attempt to run every parkrun in Leicestershire my journey to the start line gets further and further each week. After a half hour drive I pulled up into Sense Valley Forest Park, somewhere I have never been before, for the muddiest and most beautiful parkrun I’ve ever completed. A relatively new parkrun, only 10 weeks in, myself and another hundred runners completed a very wet lap around the park on a wonderful winters morning.

The park is surrounded by a forest, filled with Corsican pine trees which gave a sense of being in the middle of nowhere. The run included a lap around a couple of lakes which make up the main area of the park, followed by a slog up some muddy hills which made me glad to have a spare pair of shoes and socks in the car. I had to walk in areas as the mud swallowed my feet and I stumbled through the field to avoid the boggiest of patches. I was glad to finish the run, in a very slow time, and reward me and my muddy legs with a coffee from the van in the carpark.

Although a new parkrun, and not exactly a close one, I’ll definitely be heading back to enjoy the view. What a brilliant discovery this morning, and a park I’ll continue to enjoy.

If you would like to keep up with my Parkrun Challenge, and all the other adventures I take on in an effort to spend more time outdoors, then why not follow me on my social media!