Northamptonshire Parkrun Diary Part 3: University of Northampton
After some time off on annual leave and severe storms last week forced the cancellation of Parkruns across the county, I eagerly laced up my shoes for another 9am start last Saturday (October 11), this time at the University of Northampton.
Deciding which event to attend can be difficult as many of the Parkruns in Northamptonshire can offer a drastically different experience.
However, with the University of Northampton (UoN) event taking place at the Waterside Campus just a few minutes’ drive from home, it felt like a suitable place to return to Parkrun (a weekly, free run organised by volunteers at more than 1,300 locations in the UK) after a short break.
Runners from Liverpool, St Helens, Pontefract and even Australia made it to the 9am start, and were met with happy faces, despite the plummeting temperatures.
Volunteers at the University of Northampton Parkrun were fantastic, especially during the first timers’ briefing which seemed to be attended by most of the 199 runners who attended the event’s 101st showing.
Marshals line the 5km course offering support and direction, though the latter wasn’t as necessary as other local Parkruns as this event takes runners from the UoN campus, over a footbridge, and around three loops of Becket’s Park before a slightly longer route back to the finish in the university.
Because the course is multiple loops it’s very easy to follow – even for those at the front – however by the third time around it can get narrow as faster runners will find themselves getting caught up with those towards the back. It’s a small issue, and the positive atmosphere and encouragement from marshals and other runners means it doesn’t present a big problem, albeit one still worth mentioning, as the volunteers did when the run began.
One short, but somewhat steep hill heading towards the traffic lights (which falls on the loop segment of the course, meaning it has to be tackled three times) may hinder those looking for a shiny new 5K personal best, but the rest of the circuit is relatively flat, so those who are able to push through can do so knowing where exactly the going will get tough.
Save for the footbridge (which is very secure), the course is laid out entirely on permanent paths, so no trail shoes are needed, even in tricky conditions.
To my surprise, parking in the nearby Midsummer Meadows car park is free for two hours during the weekends (though a ticket must still be taken and displayed), so I was able to save my ever-important pennies for the post-run coffee at the Engine Shed Bar and Cafe nearby, which recently began opening on Saturday mornings.
The overall experience was lovely and a reminder to those of us on the north side of Northamptonshire that there’s much to be gained by occasionally crossing over to the west.
It was confirmed yesterday by volunteers that the University of Northampton Parkrun will be one of the few to take place on Christmas Day this year, and I feel confident saying that those looking to swap presents for PBs and overstuffed stockings for speedy super shoes will have a very happy Christmas indeed.