Gullible's Travels: Parkrun Tourism Part 09

Thursday, January 01, 2026

Parkrun Tourism Part 09 - 2025, January to March

All over the place. January to March 2025.

This year we managed 53 (Mark, A3228002) / 52 (Mary, A4975813) parkruns in 32 locations of which 27 were new to us, plus 5 countries of which 3 were new to us. That means over 50% touristing!

So much tourism this year I have broken this summary into chapters.

Parkrun Tourism Part 09 - 2025, January to March. New Year's Day to our New Zealand trip
Parkrun Tourism Part 09 - 2025, March to July. Up to my 100th venue
Parkrun Tourism Part 09 - 2025, August to December. Up to the end of the year including Mary's 100 / 250
Parkrun Tourism Part 09 - 2025, Epilogue. And in conclusion

January to March Tourism:

Faskally Forest
Greenock
Hackney Marshes
Barrow
Fleetwood Promenade
North Sydney (Australia)
Hagley (New Zealand)
Greytown Woodside Trail (New Zealand)
Ōrākei Bay (New Zealand)

Faskally Forest 01/01/2025 33:17 [58 / 91].

Part of our Pitlochry New Year 2024 away break with the in-laws Sandra and George to celebrate the sister's big birthdays. Every parkrun country had the option of an event on New Year’s Day at the discretion of the local volunteer team. Fortunately Faskally Forest just 2.5 km outside of Pitlochry was planned and not cancelled by weather unlike many others around.

A lovely trail through the forest, some horrible hills, a small, tranquil loch and a great bunch of volunteers. George (BIL) reported that breakfast at the hotel was finishing at 10:45 and not midday as per the break itinerary. Luckily we were able to cadge a lift back into town with a couple of volunteers and get our essential post-parkrun bacon butties.

Greenock 04/01/2025 28:12 [85 / 146].

The original plan was to pack up and head straight home from Pitlochry to recover, big birthdays having been duly celebrated, possible fitting in an overnight stay en route for a new parkrun on the Saturday. In the end we decided to go and spend the night with Sandra and George in Erskine and do a local Glasgow parkrun. As it turned out that was a very wise choice. Many possible parkruns were cancelled including Sandra's and our planned locations. We spent the Friday evening watching the cancellations roll in.

In the end Greenock was almost last man standing and only half an hour's drive away so off we went. Still some treacherous black ice on the non-gritted roads so we were very grateful for the 4-wheel option on our Kia Sportage.

A bit blustery, double out-and-back along the River Clyde.

We were amused by this crocheted pillar box topper of "Jesus, Mary and Joseph and the wee donkey"[Line of Duty (YouTube)].

Then it was back to Sandra's for a quick coffee and finally go home to Penrith to recover!.

Hackney Marshes 11/01/2025 30:12 [322 / 419].

We were in London to see Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake at Sadler’s Wells. Of course we fitted in a parkrun at Hackney Marshes.

It was a short walk from our accommodation and the marshes looked very atmospheric in the frosty morning light.

The course runs, in part, along the side of the Lea River Navigation Wikipedia.

Mary got another volunteer credit as parkwalker in her fetching blue tabard with matching (of course) leggings!

Barrow 18/01/2025 29:32 [64 / 143].

Ticking off the Cumbrian parkruns, today it was the turn of Barrow. We are not so keen that we get up at sparrow's fart but prefer to travel the night before and stay in a budget hotel, in this case a Travellodge.

Lovely park, friendly crowd and fortunately no rain, ice or snow. Two and a half laps in a park that must have been designed by Escher, it felt like it was 2/3 uphill! .

Fleetwood Promenade 01/02/2025 29:32 [92 / 186].

We were in Blackpool for UK Blues Festival 2025 so of course Saturday is #parkrunday. We did Blackpool parkrun last year so the next closest was Fleetwood Promenade.

A single out and back on the promenade on a beautiful February day. Chilly but there was virtually no wind, unlike most of the other promenade parkruns we have done.

North Sydney 08/02/2025 29:30 [222 / 460].

Rather than celebrate a big birthday Mary wanted to run away to New Zealand to pretend it was not happening. British Airways do not fly to New Zealand, but we had enough BA miles to get us one business class ticket to Sydney and, with an Amex two-for-one voucher, get us two business class flights to Sydney. We then paid for the short haul flights across to New Zealand. The itinerary was planned using a map of the NZ wine regions and the parkrun map. Full details of that trip at Down Under 2025.

Our Australian parkrun choice was actually North Sydney not the closest to our apartment but chosen in order to give us an "N" for our second alphabet. A three-lapper round the perimeter of St Leonard's park, the course descriptions led us to expect hills but thankfully only gentle slopes.

Big friendly crowd of 460 runners and walkers, almost everyone we spoke to were tourists or expats.

Mary enjoyed a lovely iced coffee in a local cafe afterwards and reflected on how different from Penrith.

Hagley 15/02/2025 27:25 [327 / 930].

Over the "ditch" to NewZealand to continue the trip. After some touristing and wine tasting we were in Christchurch for a couple of days so we did Hagley parkrun.

"It's just a walk in a park".

Perfect weather, lovely park, huge crowd (over 900).

Typically the first couple we spoke to were Brits! Lots and lots of slightly mad and very friendly volunteers - their cheering was loud!

Greytown Woodside Trail 22/02/2025 28:02 [30 / 78].

Staying in the Martinborough wine region for a few days our choice of parkrun was Greytown Woodside Trail. On the drive to the parkrun we had to stop for this fabulous misty morning view.

It is a custom, if Saturday falls on the 22nd of the month, to celebrate Tutu (two-two) day. Mary had packed her tartan tutu but I had decided not to pack mine in the interests of space in the case. Unfortunately for me they had a bag full of spare tutus so I ended up with a fetching green number!