Ekebergsetta parkrun
Oslo, Norway
Ekebergsletta parkrun is in the South of Oslo, up on the hill overlooking the city, and exposed to any wind that’s passing through. There are buses to avoid climbing the hill from the city, or to whizz you round from the North of Oslo (we caught the 23 to Simensbråten (top right of the map above). That’s the last stop, from where it’s a short walk onto the course, and not much further to the start at the NW corner).
We arrived early, 8:15 for a 9:30 start, but the course was already laid out. I was convinced that must mean the signs are left up but no, just an early start for the course layout. It’s very reassuring if you have any doubts at all that you are in the right place.
The event is a two-lapper, fairly flat though with a little grind heading uphill at the far end of the field, then dropping down as you head on gravelled paths towards Ekebergveien. Running alongside that road you’re on a long tarmacced section, possibly the quickest section of the course, though with an uphill incline for a while.
The course changes with the seasons, as you might expect. Here in Norway in April/May, with a few piles of snow still lasting despite sun and double-digit celsius days, that means the grassy sections can be boggy as the snow melts and sinks in. Just after the ‘lap [mile] 2’ marker on the map above was very soggy for us, though we all just ran round it on the right (quite a long way round, but worth it to avoid soggy shoes).
Straight after the start, and again when you come round on the second lap, there’s a left turn, to take in the shark’s fin section at the top of the map. When you come round to complete the second lap you just continue straight on - you may be lucky and have excitable youths in hi-viz cheering you on, as we did, though one of them had to dash off and do some barcode scanning, too.
Finish on a slightly downhill section, onto the grass where everyone met at the beginning and you’re done and can chat to fellow runners and walkers. Time flew by and then we wandered to the café (actually, I accepted a lift, from a lady who wasn’t actually going to the café, just happy to offer a lift. I felt guilty). It’s the Søylehuset café, just next to the petting zoo, which has food and drink you might expect, and sold a lot of their great range of ice cream - it was 10° or so, more than warm enough for Norwegians to be outside and hankering for ice cream.
Afterwards we wandered past the petting zoo, along some scenic viewpoints and past the Walking Woman sculpture (Sean Henry), which here sits on a lovely trail (there are others). At that point I knew I’d been here before, but in 2017 I found it at random. Here I knew where I was, and we had a destination - the railings and view over Oslo immortalised in Munch’s The Scream.
Results from Ekebergsletta parkrun #32, 29/4/23; 109 finishers