Gullible's Travels: Parkrun Tourism Part 07

All over the place. January-April 2023.

A busy year added 7 more venues in the first four months of 2023 (showing location, date, my time and number of participants) bringing my total to 50 unique locations. Normally I wait to the end of the year to blog our tourism but this milestone is worth its own post.

This year so far, taking me up to event number 50.

Ford
Gateshead
Cleethorpes
Victoria Dock
Ruchill
Monsal Trail
York

Again as last year we had a flurry of touristing whilst we are in the UK which slows down as we return to Italy for the summer.

Ford 01/01/2023. 30:56 [44 / 77]

Staying at our timeshare in Ambleside Ford parkrun was a bit of a drive since we had already done our local Rothay Park the day before. Jolly crowd from many different locations, including a group from Litchfield we had met on New Year's Eve at Rothay Park.

Three and a half laps, muddy and hilly.

First outing also for Mary's brightly coloured new leggings, inspired by a friend who loves this brand (Tikiboo).

Starting off the year right!

Gateshead. 07/01/2023. 30:51 [99 / 177]

Our second attempt (cancelled in December due to ice). Very wet and typically stopped raining as we finished! Friendly crowd and volunteers. More compliments for Mary's new leggings.

Four laps with some inclines:

Nice cafe in the park for coffee afterwards, buzzing with the noise of happy runners.

Cleethorpes. 13/01/2023. 30:13 [75 / 132]

We were at Skeggy (Skegness) for the Great British Rock & Blues Festival 2023. Sadly Skegness Boating Lake parkrun is no more so we had to get up bright and early. For those unacquainted with parkrun challenges one of them is "Pirates" where you run Seven seas and an Arrgh! (seven parkrun beginning with C and one beginning R) hence the fancy dress.

We made the mistake of parking in the Tesco carpark to use their loos and had a very brisk 20 minute walk to the start. We arrived just as the Run Director went "3, 2, 1, Go!" and off they went. I started running and threw my coat over the nearest bench as I passed.

Three anticlockwise laps of the country park lake.

These are our full pirates venues:

It is not mandatory to wear pirate costume but we liked the idea. The RD (Run Director) was a great sport and joined in the fun.

Achievement unlocked, me hearties.

Victoria Dock. 25/02/2023. 28:36 [144 / 216]

We were in London for a friend's birthday celebration. Lots of parkrun choices but it had to be Victoria Dock for a V and a free cable car ride!

An out-and-back twice, nice and flat.

The cable car was reported to be free if you show your barcode but nobody checked and it was hardly necessary, who else would be up at that time on a Saturday dressed in running gear!

There have been some issues in the past with lack of toilets but the security men at the O2 helpfully directed us a set hidden down a side alley near the Tesco Express on the way from North Greenwich to the cable car: https://w3w.co/fried.fool.wipe.

Ruchill. 04/03/2023. 29:48 [74 / 133]

Sandra, Mary's sister, has got the parkrun tourism bug and we often join her as there are a number within striking distance of her home near Glasgow.

Just under three laps. Scenic but not too hilly!

A lovely sunny day with good turnout - lots of tourists.

Monsal Trail. 22/04/2022. 28:27 [68 / 135]

We were back from Italy for a walking holiday in the UK with friends. Bakewell was chosen largely because it has a parkrun. On Saturday morning we didn't want to risk delays with the bus so we had a brisk warm up walk out to the course.

As it was the 22nd (two-two day) we wore our tutus. We had to explain it to the RD and helpfully she told the crowd so we did not get too many funny looks.

The course runs along an old railway line so inevitably a simple out and back. Lovely and scenic with virtually no elevation gain. Later that week we went for a long walk in the opposite direction so we have now walked the whole length of the Monsal Trail.

York. 29/04/2023. 27:20 [301 / 607]

This weekend city break was specifically planned to get a Y for our alphabet. I had never been to York which everyone tells me is a lovely city - and so it was. Mary sporting more colourful Tikiboo leggings called "More Bloody Skulls"!

The course is one and a half laps on a path running just inside the race track.

On the way back into York centre we popped into a local cafe which was doing a roaring trade in bacon butties. Almost everyone who came in, including us, ordered one. That plus a cuppa was an excellent post run snack. The menu prompted a typical Pythonesque response - 🎵 Spam, Spam, Spam, Spam... 🎵