The original parkrun plan for this weekend was going to March (in March)- well, I say original plan- that was meant to be earlier in the month but things happen- I think I re-did my parkrun planner about 4 times just for this month alone- however that changed when we got tickets for a gig in Nottingham (Paul Draper who was in Mansun was touring and playing Mansun hits) so we ended up going to Nottingham for the weekend.
We’d been to Nottingham a fair few times before, and I had been to Forest Rec (Feb 2017- my 16th parkrun location) and then a NYD double of Gedling and Colwick in 2019 (here I got a taxi to Gedling, ran it, then ran to Colwick which ended up being further than I thought- I never learn- arrived just in time to parkrun and then Andy picked me up after on the way home). I don’t mind repeating, but when I looked, a new and very central one had started in Nottingham a couple of weeks ago. This was just over a mile from the hotel so it was absolutely perfect for a parkrun sandwich.
The pedestrian suspension bridge by the start/ Poddington ready in the hotel/ the Notts County football ground as seen from the finish area/ the start area before the first timers welcome
The route to get there was very straightforward too, basically a straight line until I reached the river, and from there I could see the embankment path and very soon I could see the parkrun finish funnel being set up. I knew it would be busy as it was only event 3 (and 1 had 573 finishers and 2 had 896) and I could see that the finish funnel was a long one. There is a pedestrian suspension bridge to the other side of the bridge and loads of people were coming over (I think the parking is possibly on the other side of the river) and it had the feel of a place where lots of people were getting active outside (a bit like a place with a seaside prom)- loads of cyclists, people rowing, people out walking and running.
Pop up photo with Poddington
As you can see on the course map below, the start and finish were in slightly different places. The pop up was by the start, but the team were advising people to leave their things by the finish as they said they would move there, however lots of people did leave jackets etc by the start, and because there was a marshal by the start (directing people to either do the loop again or go straight on to the finish) it probably would be OK. After getting a pop up photo (there was a volunteer there who was basically offering to take your phone and do photos rather than the usual thing of asking someone in the line to do it) I went to the finish to leave my jacket and bag. I left my gloves in the bag (as usually my hands heat up quickly and I end up taking my gloves off) but I wished I hadn’t as the wind was strong and cold and my hands didn’t feel like they were working properly.
Volunteers holding up the signs to help people seed themselves/ the path by the start area and then the views of the daffodils and water as we ran
Not many people attended the first timers welcome but I was glad I did, because they had a tannoy for the main briefing but they kept having trouble with it not working (plus of course a lot of people chatting during the run brief). One thing they mentioned was that the river was used by lots of rowers, and they would have their coaches cycling along (which I’d seen when I arrived)- so we were asked to keep left on the lower path as there would be cyclists using the path and going fast to keep up with the boats. They also warned us about the steps (we were not to go on them under any circumstances)- I had no idea the steps were there (they lead from the path down to the river) so I was glad of this warning.
Anyway, the course is very simple- you start and head north-west along the embankment until you reach the turnaround point- here you head down to the lower path (which is right by the water) and go back to the start. You repeat this a second time, and then when you reach the start area again, go straight on (north-east) past the finish area before turning and heading into the finish.
It’s very flat indeed- there is a slight slope from the lower to upper path but that it is. They were trying to seed people at the start by having volunteers hold up times- I stood in the 30-35 min section but I still came across plenty of walkers ahead. However I am sure once more people become regulars here it will become a bit like Preston park in Brighton where the majority of people do keep to the seeding and it means it’s a bit easier to run as you are with people going at your pace.
I really loved this route- running by the river was fantastic and the bank between both paths was covered in daffodils, there were loads of swans and geese on the river, and it was entertaining to see the rowers go by too (and yes the cyclist still surprised some people despite the rowers being clearly visible on the water and people up ahead shouting “bike”).
They definitely did not want us running on the steps- that sign was by the turnaround point/ river views/ views of the front runners heading back on the lower path while I was still running out/ the finish funnel as seen from the lower path before I finished
There was a guy a bit ahead of me running and carrying a proper big camera (one with the big lens) who kept stopping to take photos- he would have taken some fab ones where he was crouched down taking pictures of the daffodils up close with the parkrunners in the background (you can see him below in the top left photo).
The photographer/ the runners nearly as silhouettes on the upper path/ loads of swans/ rowers on the water
This event felt to me similar to some of the bigger London events, or Hove Prom or Southampton Common, in that it felt like there is a big running scene locally combined with great outdoor facilities. The volunteers were fantastic and enthusiastic, and as it’s so central to the city I am sure it will be well-attended by tourists (plus it’s a V). As I finished the funnel was full and backing out onto the route, so the timers had moved up away from the funnel to extend. The funnel managers were doing a great job of trying to keep everyone moving and keeping in order as we got into the funnel. I finished in 535 place with a time of 30:49, 40 people finished between 30:00 and 31:00 so it was a very busy time to finish. I heard one person complaining about the congestion on the course but when there are so many hundreds of people at an event it is to be expected, and it did thin out fairly quickly.
The timers moving away from the funnel (I was just in the funnel here and took a photo behind) and one final pop up pic
It didn’t take long to get through the funnel and the scanners were just past it, so after scanning I decided to get a pop up photo at the end before putting my jacket and gloves on and heading back to the hotel to warm up.
So that was event 444 and location 152 and such an enjoyable one it was too.
Voronoi update:
Up next? Well, after having to rearrange my March planner so many times I have not got anything concrete in the works, but there will definitely be more tourism coming up, just arranged a bit closer to when they happen!
