Posts tagged Run
parkrun Compass Club: Global

The parkrun Compass Club Challenge involves completing parkrun events that contain the words North, East, South and West. I’ve documented the UK parkrun Compass club in this post and this page includes all Compass Club events outside of the UK region.

To be eligible for the Compass Club badge the event name must have the words North, South, East or West in the title. It counts even if the word is part of the name rather than a compass position (e.g loWESToft). parkrun challenge apps tend to use the short name of the event so if the compass position is in the long name it might not count on the app that you’re using. For the purposes of this page I’ve included all compass positions in both the long and short names.

This page shows parkrun events that are open to the public. Note that Mount Pleasant, the most southerly parkrun event in the world is a closed event on an MOD facility and not accessible to the public so it is not listed here.

Russian parkrun events were suspended in early 2022 following the invasion of Ukraine. Prior to this Russia was home to the most northerly parkrun event in the world at Vorkuta Borodskoy Park and two events containing “north” in Russian language: Lesopark Severny and Severnoe Tushino.

I update this page whenever I spot a new one pop up and do an annual check. Let me know if I’ve missed any or you spot any errors and I’ll donate £1 per update to parkrun.

Global Compass Club

Antique style map showing the most Northerly, Southerly, Easterly and Westerly parkrun events in the world

Local Language Compass Club Points

Local language spellings of the compass positions typically don’t count to the badges on the apps. I’m no language expert but I’ve done my best to include local language Compass Club events where I’ve noticed them. Let me know if you have any corrections to the table below or if you spot any additional local language events to include.

parkrun Country Local Language North South East West
Austria German Nord Süd / Sud Ost West
Denmark Danish Nord Sør / Syd Øst Vest
eSwatini Swati Nyakatfo Ningizimu Mphumalanga Nshonalanga
Finland Finnish Pohjoinen Etelä Itä Länsi
France French Nord Sud Est Ouest
Germany German Nord Süd / Sud Ost West
Ireland Irish Thuaidh Theas Thoir Thiar
Italy Italian Nord Sud Est Ovest
Japan Japanese Kita Minami Higashi Nishi
Lithuania Lithuanian Šiaurė Pietūs Rytai Vakarai
Malaysia Malay Utara Selatan Timur Barat
Netherlands Dutch Noord Zuid Oost West
New Zealand Māori Raki Tonga Rāwhiti Uru
Norway Norwegian Nord Sør / Syd Øst Vest
Poland Polish Północ Południe Wschód Zachód
Russia Russian Sever Yug Vostok Zapad
Singapore English North South East West
South Africa Afrikaans Noord Suid Oos Wes
Sweden Swedish Norr Söder Öster / Ost Väster / Väst

Compass Club by Global Country / Region

In order of country or region from North West to South East

North America: Canada and the USA

East

North

West

South

A map showing the most northerly, easterly, southerly and westerly parkrun events in Canada and the USA. Also shows parkrun events with Compass directions in their names.

Europe

Excluding the UK and UK Overseas Territories. See the UK parkrun Compass club post for these.

East

North

South

A map showing the most northerly, easterly, southerly and westerly parkrun events in Europe. Also shows parkrun events with Compass directions in their names.

South Africa

North

West

South

A map showing the most northerly, easterly, southerly and westerly parkrun events in South Africa. Also shows parkrun events with Compass directions in their names.

Singapore

Singapore is significant as all of the 5 parkrun events either have a compass direction in its name or is the most northerly / southerly /easterly / westerly event in the country. The most southerly event has “East” in its name.

East

North

  • The most northerly event in Singapore is Bishan

  • There are currently no parkrun events in Singapore with North in the name.

West

South

  • The most southerly event in Singapore is Bay East Garden

  • There are currently no parkrun events in Singapore with South in the name.

Japan

East

  • The most easterly event in Japan is Chuo Koen

  • There are currently no parkrun events in Japan with East in the name.

North

West

  • The most westerly event in Japan is Muromi Kahan Koen

  • There are currently no parkrun events in Japan with West in the name.

South

  • The most southerly event in Japan is Oyodogawa

  • There are currently no parkrun events in Japan with South in the name.

Australia

A map showing the most northerly, easterly, southerly and westerly parkrun events in Australia . Also shows parkrun events with Compass directions in their names.

New Zealand

East

North

West

South

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

Featured and popular parkrun posts:

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Richard gowerRun, parkrunComment
2025 in numbers

Distance Travelled by Activity by Year

Distance in KM recorded by activity by year

TOTAL DISTANCE IN 2025

  • Run (outdoor): 273 miles / 436 km

  • Cycle (Outdoor): 456 miles / 730 km

  • Cycle (Zwift): 372 miles / 595 km

  • Walk/Hike*: 734 miles / 1,175 km

  • Total = 1,835 miles / 2,936 km

*Walk / Hike = recorded hiking & walking events, not general steps.

Key Events in 2025

Running

Trekking

Cycling


General Geekery

Richard gowerRun, Cycle, Trek, Zwift, SUPComment
Permanently Cancelled UK parkrun events
 

While there are new parkrun events starting on most weeks, occasionally events are permanently cancelled. The most common reason is due to landowners withdrawing permission, either due to safety or capacity concerns.

There are currently 35 permanently cancelled parkrun events in the UK that were publicly accessible. A further 16 events on closed facilities (e.g. prisons), plus one overseas military base, are also permanently cancelled. There’s a few exceptions which are not included in these numbers and the details on this page.

  • Bakewell parkun started in 2018 and continued until the Covid pause in 2020. It was replaced by Monsall Trail parkun which starts in the same place but runs in the opposite direction. The old Bakewell course headed north to the turning point and The Monsal Trail course runs south to a different turn around point. Both start and finish at the old Hassop Station. I have not counted Bakewell as a cancellation as the event numbers continued through to the Monsall Trail stats.

  • Darley Abbey parkrun started in 2013 and continued until January 2016. It was replaced by Markeaton in March of the same year in a different location. I have not counted Darley Abbey as a cancellation as the event numbers continued through to the Markeaton stats.

  • Morden Hall, Greater London was held as a one-off on June 6th 2009 as part of the Wandle Valley Festival. Following the event, the National Trust grounds were deemed unsuitable for a permanent weekly 5k, likely due to concerns about the impact of regular footfall on the delicate nature of the park or congestion on the paths.

  • Middlesbrough Stewart, North-East England held 3 events on Wednesday nights.

  • There were 4 bespoke parkrun events that were held in 2011/2012. These were: Bramhall Park (6th Sep 2011), Harrogate (7th Jan 2012), Highbury Fields (26th July 2012), Oldham (16th Sep 2012).

The first UK parkrun event to be permanently cancelled was Little Stoke which ended on May 7th 2016. The most recent is Victoria Dock which closed on December 20th 2025.

Ipswich was the event that had the most event numbers before closing at 574. Wythall closed after only 1 event.

Many of these events retain a strong community who would love to see them return, either at the same venue or nearby. I’ll update this page if any return. Note that although Brighouse has been closed since February 24th I’ve received a lot of feedback that there are plans to restart it. I’ve not included it in the listings but I’ll add it in if it doesn’t come back.

Let me know if you have any corrections or additional information to add to this page either by commenting below or via my Contact page. I’m also looking to add photos of the cancelled events, especially the parkrun event name banner. I’ll donate £1 to parkrun for every correction, additional fact or photo used.

Red crosses indicate permanently cancelled public parkrun events. Orange crosses indicate permanently cancelled parkrun events on closed facilities.

Aston Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. Historic County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: October 14th 2023. Final event: #34 on August 24th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Due a lack of core team. The local football club foundation had invested heavily into the event and made commitments in the process which were then never fully fulfilled. Unfortunately, there is no nearby running club and the local community also didn’t embrace the arrival of parkrun. This meant despite lots of effort by the ambassadors and local other parkruns no core team was ever built and most runners each week were tourists being no regular volunteer base could be established.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Lucas Farls, Paul France, Roderick Hoffman, Amy Louis, Anna McManus, Chris Reeler, Carlo Di Terlizzi, Jo Yarnall

Bodelwyddan Castle

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Denbighshire

  • Inaugural: August 18th 2018. Final event: #35 on June 29th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Closure of the castle and grounds to the public.

  • Replaced by: Nova Prestatyn (maybe not officially but many of the core team moved there)

  • Links: Event Home Page, Wikipedia

  • Photos by: Graham Holland

Caldicot

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Gwent / Monmouthshire

  • Inaugural: July 29th 2017. Final event: #7 on October 14th 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: Suspended due to railway works.

  • Replaced by: Rogiet

  • Links: Event Home Page

Castle Howard

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: September 14th 2019. Final event: #23 on March 7th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The owners (the Howard Family) felt the parkrun got in the way of their daily operation & opening hours. Also - dissolution of the core volunteer team.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Matt Johnson, Michael Ingham, Victoria Knight-Phillips, Siân Siân, Heather Thomas

Catterick

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: June 17th 2017. Final event: #135 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Catterick racecourse management decided they could no longer host it, citing reasons like public liability risks, potential disturbance to the on-site fishing club, and plans for their own redevelopment.

  • Replaced by: Thorp Perrow

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Gail Jazmik, Katherine Richards

Churchfields Farm

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. Historic County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: December 29th 2018. Final event: #41 on October 19th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Churchfields farm business model changed after Covid with an increase in weddings and other events which bought them more money than parkrun. The increase in numbers that this bought meant they could no longer accommodate parkrun. In addition in winter prior to the pandemic the underfoot conditions with it being on a working farm meant it had not run for much of it either

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Carlo Di Terlizzi, Andy Southall, Linda Wheeler

Cuerden Valley

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North West England. County: Lancashire

  • Inaugural: August 10th 2013. Final event: #329 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to financial struggles and a belief by the Cuerden Valley Trust that parkrun, a national organization, should contribute financially to the park's upkeep.

  • Replaced by: many of the core team moved to Worden

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Gail Jazmik

Dallas Burston Polo Club

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: October 16th 2021. Final event: #83 on November 25th 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to ongoing land improvements and development at the estate, which made the parkrun route unusable and unsustainable.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Carlo Di Terlizzi, Lynda Skerratt, Linda Wheeler, Rhiannon Williams, Julia Zimmek

Ellenbrook Fields

  • I completed this event on: June 17th 2017 with a finish time of: 25:52

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • This event was also part of Chilterns parkrun

  • Inaugural: May 21st 2016. Final Event: #203 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Event organizers could not secure the necessary permission from the landowners to continue hosting the event after the COVID-19 pause.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos by: Roderick Hoffman, Claudia Selina

  • The final stetch of Ellenbrook fields course used the old De Havilland (1930's to 1990's) concrete runway.

Epworth Equestrian

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: July 29th 2023. Final event: #59 on October 12th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to low café usage.

  • Replaced by: Vermuyden Way

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Joanna Bailey, Jason Clift-Jones, Paul France, Amanda M-h, Lou Mann, Siân Siân, Alexander J. Thomas, Claire Wilke, Jo Yarnall

Fritton Lake

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: May 5th 2012. Final event: #356 on March 30th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to the venue's new management who implemented charges for event use, which clashed with parkrun's free, volunteer-led model, leading to disagreements over costs, event scale, and health/safety responsibilities.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Lorna Salmon

Gainsborough

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East Midlands. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: May 30th 2015. Final event: #242 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Didn’t restart after Covid as some of the land had planning permission for housing, which went ahead.

  • Replaced by: Thonock Lane Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page

Gibside

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North East England. Historic County: Durham. Ceremonial County: Tyne and Wear

  • Inaugural: February 22nd 2014. Final event: #280 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and changes on the Gibside estate (National Trust property) making the original course unviable.

  • Replaced by: Chopwell Wood

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Siân Siân

Hanbury Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: July 2nd 2016. Final event: #26 on December 31st 2016

  • Reason for cancellation: Its paths and terrain weren't suitable for the large numbers of runners, with concerns about safety on muddy, uneven ground, especially as it wasn't a public park.

  • Links: Event Home Page

Hatfield Forest

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Essex

  • Inaugural: March 21st 2015. Final event: #131 on September 23rd 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: The venue couldn't sustain the growing event, mainly due to a lack of all-weather parking, leading to difficult conditions in winter and limited space.

  • Replaced by: Castle Park

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Roderick Hoffman

Heartwood Forest

  • I completed this event on: January 20th 2018 with a finish time of: 28:00

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • Inaugural: June 29th 2017. Final event: #47 on October 6th 2018

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to challenges with sustainability, traffic, and potential negative impacts on the growing woodland.

  • Replaced by: Jersey Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos by: Roderick Hoffman, Lara Pocock

Henstridge Airfield

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South West England. County: Somerset

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2018. Final Event: #167 on September 2nd 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: The Event Directors decided they no longer wanted to run it, and without their specific site knowledge for ensuring safety, the Landlord required the event to stop, as no one else with the necessary skills stepped up to take over.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Jane Bell, Kay Boorman, Steve Callow, Hayley Southgate, Julia Zimmek

Inverness

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Scotland. County: Inverness-shire / Highland

  • Inaugural: September 3rd 2011. Final event: #432 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Original venue became unavailable

  • Replaced by: Torvean

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Gareth Llewellyn, Paul Watt

Ipswich

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Suffolk

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2012. Final event: #574 on January 18th 2025.

  • Reason for cancellation: Severe weather and overuse (high footfall) damaging Chantry Park, leading to a need to rest the venue and explore route changes, with organizers working with the council for a return, which eventually happened at a new location, Christchurch Park.

  • Replaced by: Christchurch Park which was previously the winter course for Ipswich.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Fiona Earl, Roderick Hoffman, Dominique Sellors, Robert Sprurgeon, Hailey Swailes, Paul Watt

Knockbracken Reservoir

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Northern Ireland. Historic County: County Down

  • Inaugural: February 29th 2020. Final event: #189 on June 28th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Organizers couldn't reach a compromise with the landowner, Let's Go Hydro, regarding the use of their private grounds.

  • Replaced by: Belvoir Forest

  • Links: Event Home Page, Dancing at Lunacy Blog Post

  • Photos by: Michael Conway, Linda Harley Gillespie, Jocasta Williams

Little Stoke

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South West England. County: Gloucestershire

  • Inaugural: November 3rd 2012. Final event: #173 on May 7th 2016

  • Reason for cancellation: Stoke Gifford Parish Council demanded charges (initially £1 per runner, then for park maintenance), which parkrun organizers, said contradicted the event's free, volunteer-led ethos and would set a dangerous precedent, leading organizers to withdraw the event on safety and principle grounds.

  • Replaced by: Many of the Little Stoke core team went to Eastville, Three Brooks, Pomphrey Hill and Chipping Sodbury

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Louise Duggan, Roderick Hoffman, Claire Wilkie

Llanelli Coast

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Wales. County: Carmarthenshire / Dyfed

  • Inaugural: November 19th 2016. Final event: #161 on March 7th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Not due to a single event, but rather its operations shifted to become the nearby Sandy Water parkrun, though the original site faced issues like flooding and changing conditions over time.

  • Replaced by: Sandy Water

  • Links: Event Home Page

Mountbatten School

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: South East England. County: Hampshire

  • Inaugural: March 2nd 2019. Final event: #46 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The company who ran the Mountbatten School Site removed permission.

  • Replaced by: Ganger Farm

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photo by: Roderick Hoffman

Mulbarton

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: March 16th 2013. Final event: #322 on February 8th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The core team couldn't secure necessary landowner permissions and found no viable permanent alternative location.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo By: Amanda M-h (notparkrun during “the pause”)

New Earswick

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: North Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: April 21st 2018. Final event: #241 on August 30th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to unresolved capacity issues and conflicts with other activities at the New Earswick Sports & Social Club, the venue's home, leading to unsafe overlaps, parking complaints, and inability to find a workable solution

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Joanna Bailey, Clare Griffiths, Amanda M-h, Hah Nah, Siân Siân, Claire Wilkie

Skegness Boating Lake

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: East Midlands. County: Lincolnshire

  • Inaugural: December 28th 2019. Final event: #12 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: During covid the main carpark entrance for Skegness was moved, it now goes across the course path whereas previously it didn’t.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo By: Ali Sheppard

Storeys Field

  • I completed this event on: July 15th 2023 with a finish time of: 27:07

  • Region: East of England. County: Cambridgeshire

  • Inaugural: July 31st 2021. Final event: #206 on August 30th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: A new road was built directly through its course in the Eddington development, making the route unsafe and unviable.

  • Replaced by: Brook Leys

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course page

  • Photos by: Jess Furber, Sarah Kimberley, Paul Miles, Terry Robert Spurgeon

Storthes Hall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: West Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: January 19th 2019. Final event: #50 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The Storthes Hall Student Village, its host venue, closed down due to business challenges.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Viki Bee Clarke, Gail Jazmik, Finbar Morley

Stranmillis College

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: Northern Ireland. County: County Antrim

  • Inaugural: February 2nd 2019. Final event: #54 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to increasing conflicts with the college's sporting activities, particularly football, meaning the event couldn't safely run when pitches were in use from late summer to mid-February, leading to a mutual decision to stop the weekly run

  • Links: Event Home Page, Dancing At Lunacy Blog Post

  • Photos by: Linda Harley Gillespie

Tees Barrage

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: North East England. County: County Durham

  • Inaugural: June 23rd 2012. Final event: #378 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Reportedly due to a runner tripping and injuring themselves then making a claim against the water authority who are the landowners. The landowners decided not to continue with permission to allow the event.

  • Replaced by: “Sure some of the core team set up Wynyard Woodlands as its replacement”

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photo by: Siân Siân

Tring

  • I completed this event on: November 22nd 2014 with a finish time of: 27:01

  • Region: East of England. County: Hertfordshire

  • This event was also part of Chilterns parkrun

  • Inaugural: November 1st 2014. Final Event: #293 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The Woodland Trust, which manages Tring Park, withdrew permission for the event for reasons that both the Landowners, local community and parkrun UK rejected.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photo by: Ken Douglas, Roderick Hoffman, David McKillop, Claudia Selina

Victoria Dock

  • I completed this event on: April 28th 2018 with a finish time of: 24:23

  • Greater London Borough: Newham. Historic County: Essex

  • Inaugural: March 17th 2018. Final Event: #272 on December 20th 2025

  • Reason for cancellation: Per the Victoria Dock parkrun Facebook page: “Victoria Dock has always relied entirely on volunteers. Sadly, despite our best efforts, we’ve reached a point where we no longer have enough volunteers to continue the event sustainably. This has been the deciding factor in our decision to close.”

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page, blog7t write-up

  • Photos By: Victoria Dock parkrun Facebook Page, Richard Gower

Wolford Wood

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: February 11th 2023. Final event: #60 on November 16th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Wolford Wood was a SSSI and badly affected by the weather so couldn’t run for much of the time and the landowners decided to end their support.

  • Replaced by: Fire Service College. Wolford Wool was started when Fire Service College became unavailable so was technically a replacement event itself.

  • Links: Event Home Page

  • Photos by: Jane Bell, Cheryl Currant, Mike Lewis, Paul Miles, Rhiannon Williams

Wythall

  • I did not complete this event before it was closed

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Worcestershire

  • Inaugural: September 16th 2017. Final event: #1 on September 16th 2017

  • Reason for cancellation: “Wythall Park Community Association have voted against allowing parkrun to continue at their venue, as it "would suffer disproportionate damage".”

  • Links: Event Home Page

Yeovil Montacute

  • I completed this event on: September 15th 2018 with a finish time of: 25:41

  • Region: South West England. County: Somerset

  • Inaugural: September 7th 2013. Final Event: #295 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Per the core team: “as the core team put it "Unfortunately we are a victim of our own success - the increasing numbers of people attending prior to the pandemic were having an increasing impact on the Trust’s ability to care for the Grade I listed parkland"

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

  • Photos by: Gail Benghiat, Kelly Croft, Yvonne Faulkner-Grant, Roderick Hoffman, Sue Freegard, Richard Gower

Permanently Cancelled junior parkrun events

Barking and Dagenham juniors

Bold Forest juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Merseyside

  • Inaugural: 13 August 2017. Final event: #119 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Brentwood juniors

Brighouse juniors

Castle Park juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Cheshire

  • Notes: This event closed before starting. There were no actual events held for the public.

Craigswood juniors

  • Region: Scotland. County: Lothian

  • Inaugural: 03 March 2019. Final event: #54 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Daventry juniors

Dixton juniors

Dover juniors

Lakes juniors

Llanelli Coast juniors

Melton Mowbray juniors

Northwich juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Cheshire

  • Inaugural: 27 March 2016. Final event: #191 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Nostell juniors

Park Wood juniors

Peel Park juniors

  • Region: North West England. County: Greater Manchester

  • Inaugural: 12 May 2019. Final event: #39 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Poole juniors

Reculver juniors

Shelley juniors

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: West Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: 10 June 2018. Final event: #151 on 15 October 2023

  • Links: Event Home Page

Strathmartine juniors

West Smethwick juniors

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Staffordshire

  • Inaugural: 15 March 2020. Final event: #1 on 15 March 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Whiteley juniors

Permanently Cancelled parkruns on closed facilities

Altcourse

  • Historic County: Lancashire. Ceremonial County: Merseyside

  • Inaugural: November 16th 2019. Final event: #15 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Bear Brook

Camp Bastion

Cromhall

East Sutton Park

Elmley

Fort Road

Freckleton Road

  • Region: North West England. County: Lancashire

  • Inaugural: November 26th 2022. Final event: #71 on November 9th 2024

  • Links: Event Home Page

Grove

Hollesley Bay

  • Region: East of England. County: Suffolk

  • Inaugural: June 29th 2019. Final event: #36 on June 25th 2022

  • Links: Event Home Page

Onley

Peregrine

Portrack

  • Region: North East England. County: County Durham

  • Inaugural: August 20th 2022. Final event: #104 on December 28th 2024

  • Links: Event Home Page

Prescoed

  • Region: Wales. County: Monmouthshire / Gwent

  • Inaugural: November 13th 2021. Final event: #11 on March 26th 2022

  • Links: Event Home Page

Sands Lane

  • Region: Yorkshire and the Humber. County: East Riding of Yorkshire

  • Inaugural: February 22nd 2020. Final event: #50 on July 15th 2023

  • Links: Event Home Page

Swinfen

  • Region: West Midlands. County: Staffordshire

  • Inaugural: May 11th 2019. Final event: #48 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Wayland

  • Region: East of England. County: Norfolk

  • Inaugural: April 14th 2018. Final event: #93 on March 14th 2020

  • Links: Event Home Page

Contributors

The great people of the parkrun Tourism community who provided input to this page. Photo credits are listed above in the relevant event section.

Tan Ratty Blot, Richard Borrowdale, Kevin Botto, Catherine Brook, Liz, Burkey, Shane Chapman, Jason V. Clift-Jones, Joanne Collins, Cheryl Currant, Ken Douglas, Nicola Douglas, John Flannery, Nicola Francis, Martin Gebbett, Linda Harley Gillespie, Roderick Hoffman, Neil Holloway, Olly Hughes, Matt Johnson, Chris Lillywhite, Anton Mirafsari, Anna McManus, Finbarr Morley, Rob Ogelsby, Charlie Pearce, Ian Penson, Jonathan Webb, Becky Weaver-Clarke, Jocasta Williams, Yvonne

https://www.richardgower.com/blog/parkrun

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland Comments
Completing all Warwickshire parkruns

There are currently 6 parkrun events in present-day Warwickshire of which I have not yet completed any. There are a further 6 parkrun events in the part of the Historic County of Warwickshire which are now in the present-day Ceremonial County of West Midlands.

The first event in Historic Warwickshire was Coventry which started on February 6th 2010. The newest is Holbrooks which started on August 5th 2023. I’m not aware of a collective name for having completed all Warwickshire parkrun events, but let me know in the comments below if you know of one.

Wolford Wood (now permanently cancelled) is sometimes listed in the South West England Region. The actual course was in Warwickshire but it had a Morton-in-Marsh postal address which is in Gloucestershire.

Aston Hall, Dallas Burston Polo Club and Woolford Wood were parkrun events in Warwickshire that have been permanently cancelled.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

a map of all of the parkrun events in Warwickshire

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Aston Hall

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Historic County: Warwickshire. Ceremonial County: West Midlands

  • Inaugural: October 14th 2023. Final event: #34 on August 24th 2024

  • Reason for cancellation: Lack of volunteers ?? Comment below if you have better information on this

  • Links: Event Home Page

 

Babbs Mill

 

Bedworth

 

Brueton

 

Coventry

 

Dallas Burston Polo Club

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Historic County: Warwickshire. Ceremonial County: Warwickshire

  • Inaugural: October 16th 2021. Final event: #83 on November 25th 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to ongoing land improvements and development at the estate, which made the parkrun route unusable and unsustainable.

  • Links: Event Home Page

 

Edgbaston Reservoir

 

Holbrooks

 

Kingsbury Water

 

Leamington

 

 Rugby

 

Stratford-upon-Avon

 

Sutton Park

 

Warwick Racecourse

 

Wolford Wood

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Warwickshire, EnglandComment
Completing all Suffolk parkruns

There are currently 18 parkrun events in present-day Suffolk of which I not yet completed any. The first was Brandon Country Park which started on March 9th 2013 and the newest is Beccles Quay which started on October 4th 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is That’s All Folks (for both Norfolk and Suffolk).

Gorleston Cliffs was park of the Historic County of Suffolk but is now in Norfolk.

Ipswich parkrun closed on January 18th 2025 and was replaced by nearby Christchurch Park which started on June 21st of the same year

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Alton Water

 

Beccles Quay

 

Brandon Country Park

 

Bury St Edmunds

 

Chilton Fields

 

Christchurch Park

 

Clare Castle

 

Felixstowe

 

Great Cornard

 

Harleston Magpies

  • I have not yet completed this event

  • Inaugural: September 25th 2021

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Haverhill

 

Ipswich

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2012. Final event: #574 on January 18th 2025.

  • Reason for cancellation: Severe weather and overuse (high footfall) damaging Chantry Park, leading to a need to rest the venue and explore route changes, with organizers working with the council for a return, which eventually happened at a new location, Christchurch Park.

  • Replaced by: Christchurch Park

  • Links: Event Home Page

 

Kesgrave

 

Lowestoft

  • I have not yet completed this event

  • This event is also part of parkrun Compass Club and is also the most easterly parkrun on the mainland UK.

  • Inaugural: October 31st 2015

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Mildenhall Hub

 

Rendlesham Forest

 

Sizewell

 

Thomas Mills

 

Thornham Walks

 

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Suffolk, EnglandComment
Completing all Norfolk parkruns

There are currently 22 parkrun events in the present-day county of Norfolk of which I have completed 2. The first was Gorleston Cliffs which started on April 25th 2009 and the newest is Fitzmaurice Park which started on March 29th 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is That’s All Folks (for both Norfolk and Suffolk).

Gorleston Cliffs was part of the Historic County of Suffolk but is now in Norfolk. Fritton Lake parkrun, which is now permanently cancelled, was also in the part of the Historic County of Suffolk which is now in the present-day county of Norfolk.

Mulbarton was also a Norfolk parkrun event which is now permanently cancelled.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Blickling

 

Brundall

 

Catton

 

Colney Lane

 

Dereham

 

Downham Market Academy

 

Fitzmaurice Park

 

Flegg High

 

Fritton Lake

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Inaugural: May 5th 2012. Final event: #356 on March 30th 2019

  • Reason for cancellation: due to the venue's new management who implemented charges for event use, which clashed with parkrun's free, volunteer-led model, leading to disagreements over costs, event scale, and health/safety responsibilities.

  • Links: Event Home Page

 

Gorleston Cliffs

Gorleston-on-Sea, including its iconic cliffs, was historically part of Suffolk, with the traditional county boundary running along the River Yare and Breydon Water, placing the land to the south (Gorleston) firmly within the northern reach of Suffolk. This historical county division was noted as far back as the Domesday Book. However, as the port of Great Yarmouth (which was in Norfolk) expanded and became the dominant civic and economic centre of the area, the administrative geography was adjusted. Gorleston was first brought into the Great Yarmouth parliamentary constituency in 1832 and officially incorporated into the Municipal Borough of Great Yarmouth in 1836 under the Municipal Corporations Act 1835. While the borough itself straddled both counties for a time, a final administrative change in 1891 placed the entire borough, including Gorleston, entirely within the county of Norfolk, thereby moving the coastal cliffs permanently to their current county

 

Great Yarmouth North Beach

 

Holkham

 

Hunstanton Promenade

 

King’s Lynn

 

Lingwood

 

Loch Neaton, Wattonham

 

Mulbarton

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Inaugural: March 16th 2013. Final event: #322 on February 8th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: The core team couldn't secure necessary landowner permissions and found no viable permanent alternative location.

  • Links: Event Home Page

 

North Walsham

 

Norwich

 

Sandringham

 

Sheringham

 

Sloughbottom

  • I completed this event on: November 5th 2022 with a finish time of: 25:43

  • Other routes touched (walk): Cross-Norfolk Trail, Marriott’s Way

  • Inaugural: May 11th 2019

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Swaffham

 

Thetford

  • I completed this event on: July 30th 2016 with a finish time of: 25:17

  • Other routes touched (walk): St Edmund Way, Little Ouse Path, Thetford Architectural Trail, Thetford River Trails Purple Route

  • Inaugural: February 23rd 2013

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Norfolk, EnglandComment
Shardeloes 10k Trail

When: September 27th 2025
Where: Amersham Cricket Club, Amersham, HP7 0RN
Organiser: Chiltern Harriers AC
Distance: 10 km
Elevation: +/- 133m
Course: 1 small loop of the cricket club field then a large clockwise loop via Mop End, Beamond End and Little Missenden
Other routes touched (Walk): South Bucks Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail
Other routes touches (Cycle): Chiltern Heritage Trail Hampden Route
Finish time: 1 hour, 36 seconds

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Richard gowerRun, 10k, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
Ales & Trails Creative Juices 10k

When: September 21st 2025
Where: Creative Juices Brewery, Woodoaks Farm Cottages, Denham Way, Maple Cross, Rickmansworth WD3 9XQ
Organiser: Racing Line Running
Distance: 10 km
Elevation: +/- 189m
Course: 3 loops either side of the M25 starting at Woodoaks Farm and reaching to Philipshill Wood
Other routes touched (Walk): Chiltern Way, Chiltern Heritage Trail
Other routes touches (Cycle): Chiltern Heritage Trail Milton Route
Finish time: 1 hour, 38 seconds

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Richard gowerRun, 10k, Hertfordshire, EnglandComment
South West England parkruns

The parkrun Regionnaire status used to be a major part of parkrun tourism, with South East England being the largest region. Changes in the parkrun website in 2019 removed the regions making it harder to track completion status. All is not lost though as here’s the complete parkrun guide to what’s in and what’s out of the counties of South West England.

The South West England region is the largest of England's nine regions by area, encompassing the historic and ceremonial counties of Cornwall (including the Isles of Scilly), Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, and the city of Bristol. It stretches from the border with the South East and West Midlands, down to the far southwestern tip at Land's End, giving it the longest coastline of any English region. The area is often romantically referred to as the West Country and includes ancient landscapes such as Wessex. The key urban centres are the thriving city of Bristol, the historically important naval port of Plymouth, and the coastal conurbation of Bournemouth/Poole.

Map of South West England showing the Historic and present-day (Ceremonial) counties

parkrun event numbers per county

There are currently 88 parkrun events in the South West region. Three of these events were in Hampshire in South East England before the county boundary changes in 1974, however this was a long time before parkrun started. There are currently no parkrun events in the present day / Ceremonial county of the Isles of Scilly.

Notes and exceptions.

  • Numbers of event above exclude prison parkruns and permanently cancelled events.

  • Bournemouth, Highcliffe Beach and Moors Valley parkruns were part of Historic Hampshire and would have been in Historic South East England, but are now part of Present-day Dorset, so would be in the South West England region.

  • Tidworth: South Tidworth where the parkrun takes place was moved from Hampshire into Wiltshire in 1992 but houses there still have Hampshire on their address for post.

  • The course for Tamar Lakes is in both Cornwall and Devon however the start and finish are on the Cornwall side so I’ve included it there.

  • Wolford Wood (now permanently cancelled) is sometimes listed in the South West England Region. The actual course was in Warwickshire but it had a Morton-in-Marsh postal address which is in Gloucestershire.

The South West Counties parkrun pages

Click on each of the images below to go to the page with details of the parkrun events for the county. Bristol is included in the Gloucestershire page.

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Cornwall, Devon, Dorset, Somerset, Wiltshire, Gloucestershire, EnglandComment
Completing all Cornwall parkruns

There are currently 10 parkrun events in present-day Cornwall of which I have completed 1. The first was Lanhydrock which started on January 18th 2014 and the newest is The Lost Gardens of Heligan which started on January 17th 2026. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is CornwALL

The course for Tamar Lakes is in both Cornwall and Devon however the start and finish are on the Cornwall side so I’ve included it here.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

A map of the parkrun events in Cornwall

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Eden Project

 

Heartlands

 

Land’s End

 

Lanhydrock

 

Mount Edgcumbe

  • I completed this event on: October 21st 2025 with a finish time of: 29:46

  • Other routes touched (walk): England Coast Path

  • Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 2

  • Inaugural: January 30th 2016

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Penrose

 

Penryn Campus

  • I have not yet completed this event

 

Tamar Lakes

 

The Lost Gardens of Heligan

 

Trelissick

 

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Cornwall, EnglandComment
Completing all Devon parkruns

There are currently 19 parkrun events in present-day Devon of which I have completed 2. The first was Killerton which started on April 30th 2011 and the newest is Greendale Farm Shop which started on January 11th 2025. I’m not aware of a collective name for having completed all Devon parkrun events, but let me know in the comments below if you know of one.

The course for Tamar Lakes is in both Cornwall and Devon however the start and finish are on the Cornwall side so I’ve included it there.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

Devon parkrun events

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Barnstaple

 

Bideford

 

Bolberry Down

 

Central, Plymouth

 

Cranbrook Country Park

 

Exeter Riverside

 

Exmouth

 

Greendale Farm Shop

 

Haldon Forest

 

Killerton

  • I completed this event on: June 4th 2022 with a finish time of: 25:25

  • Other routes touched (walk): Two Counties Way, National Trust walks through the estate

  • Inaugural: April 30th 2011

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Parke

 

Plymvalley

  • I completed this event on: October 26th 2019 with a finish time of: 28:40

  • Other routes touched (walk): West Devon Way, Plym Valley Trail

  • Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 27

  • Inaugural: September 22nd 2012

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Seaton

 

Sharpham Estate

 

Simmons Park

 

Tamar Trails

 

Teignmouth Promenade

 

Torbay Velopark

 

Woolacombe Dunes

 

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Devon, EnglandComment
Completing all Dorset parkruns

There are currently 10 parkrun events in present-day Dorset of which I have not yet completed any. The first was Poole which started on April 2nd 2011 and the newest is Highcliffe Beach which started on December 13th 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is The Dor Set

Bournemouth, Moors Valley and Highcliffe Beach were in historic Hampshire but are now part of present-day Dorset.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Blandford

 

Bournemouth

 

Durlston Country Park

 

Highcliffe Beach

 

Moors Valley

 

Poole

 

St Mary’s

 

The Great Field

 

Upton House

 

Weymouth

 

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Dorset, EnglandComment
Completing all Somerset parkruns

There are currently 16 parkrun events in present-day Somerset of which I have completed 3. The first was Ashton Court which started on April 23rd 2011 and the newest is St Matthew’s Field which started on November 29th 2025. The name for having completed all parkrun events in the county is The Somer-Set

Yeovil Montacute parkrun was active until the Covid-19 parkrun pause and is now permanently closed. Henstridge Airfield parkrun closed in September 2023.

Numbers exclude any events that are not open to the general public such as prisons or armed forces facilities.

The interactive maps below take you to the approximate location for the course, typically the centre of the park. See the course instructions in the parkrun page for each event for specific directions to the start. Course maps show the route at the time that I ran it and may have changed since then.

Ashton Court

 

Bath Skyline

 

Brickfields Park

  • I completed this event on: June 28th 2025 with a finish time of: 26:21

  • Other routes touched (walk): N/A

  • Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 244

  • Inaugural: May 10th 2025

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Burnham and Highbridge

 

Clevedon Salthouse Fields

  • I completed this event on: December 30th 2023 with a finish time of: 28:34

  • Other routes touched (walk): England Coastal path

  • Inaugural: September 21st 2019

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Five Arches

 

Frogmary Green Farm

 

Henstridge Airfield

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled. I did not complete this event before it was closed.

  • Inaugural: September 8th 2018. Final Event: #167 on September 2nd 2023

  • Reason for cancellation: The Event Directors decided they no longer wanted to run it, and without their specific site knowledge for ensuring safety, the Landlord required the event to stop, as no one else with the necessary skills stepped up to take over.

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

Longrun Meadow

 

Marine Parade

 

Minehead

 

Sharpham Road Playing Fields

 

Shepton Mallet

 

Somerdale Pavilion

 

St Matthew’s Field

 

Street

 

The Old Showfield

 

Yeovil Montacute

  • This parkrun event has been permanently cancelled.

  • I completed this event on: September 15th 2018 with a finish time of: 25:41

  • Inaugural: September 7th 2013. Final Event: #295 on March 14th 2020

  • Reason for cancellation: Due to challenges with land access, specifically relating to the National Trust (NT) managing Montacute House grounds

  • Links: Event Home Page, Course Page

 

More parkrun posts

parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, Somerset, EnglandComment
Ales & Trails 3 Brewers 10k

When: July 27th 2025
Where: The 3 Brewers of St. Albans, The Potato Shed, Symondshyde Farm, Symondshyde Lane, Hatfield AL10 9BB
Organiser: Racing Line Running
Distance: 10 km
Elevation: +/- 110m
Course: 2 lap loop of farmland to the north of the Brewery.
Other routes touched (Walk): Hertfordshire Way, The Romans and Nomansland Trail
Finish time: 57 minutes, 43 seconds

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Richard gowerRun, 10k, Hertfordshire, EnglandComment
500 parkruns

Back in 2014 when I got my 50th parkrun Milestone T-Shirt I imagined a time in the far future when I get my 500th. It seemed so far off it was like Science Fiction back then. Based on a rough calculation of completing an average of 45 parkruns per year I worked out that I could complete 500 before my 50th birthday.

That plan would have happened if it wasn’t for Covid thwarting 70 weeks of parkrun opportunities. As we entered 2025, my year of turning 50, I worked out that I would do my 500th run just 6 weeks after my birthday. It also nicely coincided with a planned weekend in Bath with friends.

Having already done Bath Skyline earlier in the year I planned to do either Shepton Mallet or Somerdale Pavilion. My excitement grew when I noticed a brand new event pop up at Brickfields Park. It would also link to another obsession of mine, Disused Railways. With that the venue for my 500th run was set. It also set in motion a series of coincidences that would unfold during the day.

On hearing that my 500th would be in Bath, Paul, a colleague and fellow parkrun tourist, decided to also plan a weekend in Bath with his partner around the event. Coincidence #1 was that their hotel was just round the corner from our B&B. We planned to walk to the event together but after a late arrival on the Friday and some complicated logistics we decided to drive separately and meet at the start.

I arrived at 08:30 with my wife and the friends that we were staying with. Shortly ahead of the First Timers Briefing, Paul texted me to say they had parked a mile away and were on their way. That checked out as we also parked a mile away at the stadium. By the time of the start I couldn't see him but figured that he must be at the back of the group and I’d see him on the out-and-back sections. I didn’t see him at all so I thought that something must have gone awry.

On finishing the run I checked my phone to see a message from him at 09:01 to say “it’s Bath Skyline, right?”. I replied with a Facepalm emoji. He’d travelled from Manchester for a weekend away to be at the wrong parkrun. It was all caused by something wrong with his 5k app not showing new events, so Bath Skyline was the only Bath parkrun event that showed up for him.

The situation also meant that I had two 500 Milestone pre-event shoutouts at two different events on the same day. Yet another coincidence was that Paul had unknowingly booked dinner at the same restaurant at the same time as us later in the day.

The final coincidence was having an accidental race to the finish line with Danny Norman, host of the parkrun With Me Now Podcast. I had met Danny once before but too long ago that I didn’t recognise him. What I did notice was a guy in a 500 milestone T-shirt just ahead of me as I closed in on the finish line. My wife was at the line waiting to video my 500th finish and I thought it would be fun to cross the line next to a runner in a 500 shirt. I sped up a bit to slightly overtake him to get both of us in the video. It was only later in the morning when a different friend of mine noticed Danny in the results 1 second behind me.

As well as all the funny coincidences, it was a lovely day for the run. It was a bright, warm summer day with a field of 282 runners and walkers. As a Disused Railway geek I loved the out-and-back on the old Somerset and Dorset Railway line.

First finisher was Harry McMurtrie coming in at 17:19 with a good spread of timings through to just over 1 hour. There were 174 First Timers to Brickfields Park and 32 PBs.

As always, a huge thanks to all of the volunteers who made the event possible. If you’ve not volunteered before or it’s been a while since you last did it, please consider signing up for one of your next events.

Thanks to everyone who helped make my 500th parkrun at Brickfields Park a fun and memorable event. A final special thanks goes to Neil Chapman who took me to my first parkrun on Boxing Day 2012. Saturday mornings have not been the same since.

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parkruns are free, weekly, community 5k events all around the world. I started in December 2012 and have been obsessive about it ever since. See my parkrun Collection page for details.

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Richard gowerRun, parkrun, NCN, Disused Railway, Somerset, EnglandComment
Ales & Trails Chiltern Valley 10k

When: May 18th 2025
Where: Chiltern Valley Winery & Brewery, Old Luxters, Henley-on-Thames, RG9 6JW
Organiser: Racing Line Running
Distance: 10 km
Elevation: +/- 167m
Course: 8 km loop of farms and woodland to the west of the Winery 7 Brewery with a 1 km out-and-back from the start/finish. Mostly farm track, woodland paths. Hilly
Other routes touched: Chiltern Way, Shakespeare’s Way
Finish time: 1 hour, 1 minute, 57 seconds

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Richard gowerRun, 10k, Chilterns, Buckinghamshire, EnglandComment
The Lap 75k Ultra Marathon

Ascent of Latterbarrow

When: May 10th 2025
Start and Finish: Low Cunsey Farm, Cunsey, Far Sawrey, Ambleside, LA22 0LU
Organiser: The Lap
Distance: 77km (47 miles)
Elevation change: +/- 2681m
GPX File: get via Buy Me a Coffee
Other routes touched (walk): Windermere Shore Footpath, Windermere West Shore, Dales Way, West Windermere Way
Other routes touched (cycle): NCN 6, 637. Lakes and Dales Loop
Other routes touched (run): Rothay Park parkrun
Summits: Latterbarrow, Loughrigg Fell, Wansfell Pike, Wansfell, Baystones, Orrest Head, Brant Fell, Gummer’s How
OS Trig Pillars: TP4549 - Loughrigg Fell, TP3536 - Gummers How
Map: The English Lakes: South-Eastern Area Map | Windermere, Kendal & Silverdale | Ordnance Survey | OS Explorer Map OL7
Finish time: 14 hours, 51 minutes, 24 seconds
Links: Lake Windermere, Graythwaite Estate, Far Sawrey, Skelwith Bridge, Ambleside, Troutbeck, Windermere (Town), Newby Bridge, Finsthwaite

This was my 14th Ultra and my 5th with my friend Mark. It was also my first big Ultra since the 100k Race To The Castle in 2021. Since then I’d had a few years of local 50k Ultras, waiting for another big one to excite me. After another friend had completed The Lap the previous year and loved it, I signed up straight away.

The Lap is a 75km circuit of Windermere, England’s largest lake. It takes a scenic, hilly route away from the lake with some tough climbs paid back by some great views. With the climbs, I found it hard to estimate what my finish time would be so I decided that finishing would be good enough and coming in before dark would be amazing.

As we arrived at the basecamp for the 06:00 start, the sun was coming up over the hills to the east of the lake. As usual at the start-line, I reminded myself not to get over excited and start too quickly. I need not have worried as the narrow country lanes and single-track through woods kept everyone at a slow, often walking, pace.

After the first feed station at Far Sawtry the pack was more spread out and we could speed up. Latterbarrow was the first climb at 11 km with a short steep climb up to the monument then an equally steep down. Shortly after the descent I saw road signs to Ambleside and decided that we were making very good time and would be there by our target of 09:30. I was wrong. I had forgotten that the route veers away from the lake at its north-west corner and climbs Loughrigg Fell before descending to Ambleside. It was at the second feed station at Skelwith that I realised we were actually an hour behind plan. It was also now getting hot and we still had the 2 big climbs to do. The new plan was “forget the plan”.

The northern section of the route has the 3 big climbs, Loughrigg Fell at 335m elevation and Wansfell at 487m. By Lake District standards, they’re both easy fells to walk but on an Ultra on a hot day they were killers. By the time we were down from Wansfell at the Troutbeck half-way feed-station, most of my running ability was gone.

Mark and I stayed mostly together until Gummers How, the final climb at 57 km. Mark is faster than I am so I generally lose him by the half way point. I often gain a bit of time at feed-stations as I don’t like to stop for long which gives me a bit of distance before Mark catches up with me again. Mark did a great job of encouraging me to run a few extra times rather than speed walk. That probably shaved up to 2 minutes off my total time.

My low-point of the route was a long stretch after Windermere of very similar-looking plantation and not many people around. Mark and I re-connected for the ascent of Gummer’s How. By the time we met Timea, our support crew for the day, we were both a bit tired and grumpy. I was still recovering from a cold and any running was now giving me a headache. Timea saved us with a pasty and some painkillers and we were back on the route.

Timea met us several times on the early evening southern section of the route greatly helping my motivation. After Newby Bridge the route turned back to the north for the final 10 km to the finish line. Although behind my “optimistic” plan, I had some new energy and felt that I could reach the finish before dark. I crossed the finish line at 20:51, well before dark and under 15 hours. Mark very kindly finished 18 minutes ahead of me so that he could be ready to video my finish.

It was in the top 3 most difficult Ultras that I’ve done but also in the top 3 most enjoyable.

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Richard gowerRun, Ultramarathon, National Trust, Lake District, National Park, Westmorland, Lancashire, EnglandComment