Battlestead Croft parkrun
Staffordshire, England
A little gem of an event, hosted by Burton Rugby club at their Battlestead Croft ground. You get an eyeful of the impressive stadium when walking up, and a view of the pitches as you run round the edge of some of the playing fields. The start is at the top left of the map above and yes, you run round that triangular bit at the bottom three times, too. It’s not as small as you might think from the map.
Making a change for me, I headed here with some friends. We were away in Derby for a long weekend and were all hungover. It made for a slightly dazed start, if one filled with gratitude that we had made it there at all. But standing in a field with a group of other people is a good start to the day.
There had been some rain, enough to leave large puddles on the path by the triangular section but not to trouble the fields. Probably, being a sports ground, the drainage here is good, though I am sure that’s tested given more rain and more people running round.
It’s a flat course, but the grass underfoot and tight turn into the triangle make it not the fastest. Still, my group raced off as best we could, and pushed ourselves enough that a couple of us had a dodgy moment as we finished. It passed without embarrassment, but we both had a definite worry that a clean/cover up was going to be needed.
The rugby club’s stadium has facilities, including the very welcome one providing bacon and/or sausage sandwiches at the back. We all tucked in, and even found a patch of sunshine (not pictured) to stand in while we polished them off.
I loved this event. Gratitude I’d made it, the pleasure of running with friends, the excitement of seeing an excellent sporting facility? A mixture of all of those, probably, but I recommend it if you’re nearby.
Results from Battlestead Croft parkrun #38, 10/10/24; 65 finishers