As one of the parkruns that had gone ahead the week before despite snow and ice, this seemed a safe bet. It was also near where I stayed. And surrounded by other events that had also gone ahead in bad weather, so to some extent I spun a coin and picked.
I was also swayed by views like the one above, which the event team post on their Facebook page from time to time. Lovely views, and then there’s the long wooded section, too.
The course is two laps anti-clockwise, starting from the clearing just over the bridge. There’s parking up a small hill on the other side of the bridge from the start - it’s a short walk from there, or about half a mile from where buses come into town on York Street.
There were still spots of snow around, but nothing much on the course. One downhill section gave me pause with a bit of visible slidey-looking white stuff, but no one slipped that I heard of. The route is hilly, and a lovely trail run (though I was fine in ordinary running shoes) through trees, with views breaking through to the side.
My pictures were mostly blurry, a combination of movement and slightly damp conditions, but you get an idea of what the place looks like.
I was greeted warmly by several people, and the attendance of 40+ seemed larger, perhaps because of all the chat, and some excited tourists from Northern Ireland bringing even more positive energy. The run is very scenic, even if I struggled on the hills, and the views are great. There’s nothing not to like, in short, even on a cold winter’s day.
Results from Castleblayney parkrun #296, 17/12/2023; 43 finishers