Northamptonshire Parkrun Diary Part 12: Corby
Saturday took me to West Glebe Park in Corby for the last of the 12 parkruns in Northamptonshire, and the completion of the Northamptonshire Parkrun Diary.
With the temperature dropping and the leaves changing, dragging myself out of my warm bed to run 5km on a Saturday is a more daunting proposition than during the summer months, but with one parkrun yet to complete in Northamptonshire motivation was decidedly higher than usual.
This week, Corby Parkrun held its 608th event, with 149 finishers collecting a token and completing the 3.1-mile distance.
Two loops around West Glebe Park, and a short section to the finish make up Corby Parkrun, which is run on a mixture of tarmac paths and grass during the 5km route in the shadow of the Corby Cube.
Though Corby is far from a hilly course, the prolonged grass section makes the run vary drastically depending on the weather, and in winter when the ground is soft, even the slightest incline can feel like a leg-wrecker. It keeps the event interesting and makes the faster times feel all the more earned, and thus rewarding. It also means that, at least while the weather is still so changeable, that trail shoes would offer more grip that standard road shoes, though this will depend on the day, and the runner.
Volunteers are fantastic, offering encouragement, praise, and motivation to runners from the very front, to the final finisher.
Corby Parkrun is easy to get to for those close to the town centre and makes very effective use of its space.
Parking at West Glebe is free and plentiful, making the trip to Corby Parkrun a breeze by car, and plenty of public transport connections, including the train, make coming from a distance is simple.
Corby Parkrun is a great course with superb connections to the wider town. It keeps runners guessing and never feels stale, even on a second lap. Perhaps more importantly however, it’s incredibly accessible, and goes a long way to offering a free, fun means of exercise and community at a time where finances are tough, and meaningful social interactions can feel hard to come by.
Critically, however, the coffee at the West Glebe pavilion is perhaps one of the best I’ve tried in Northamptonshire. It puts fancier, more expensive coffee shops to shame, and after a 5km run on a tough course in the height of October, that is perhaps a more worthwhile victory than any PB or podium.