Middleton Woods parkrun
Leeds, England
Inverting the magnificent men in their flying machines, this course goes (tiddly?) down, down then (tiddly) up, up.
The course is in Middleton Park (LS10 3TN), right in the heart of the wooded area. There’s a decent-sized car park right by the bike hub, a short walk to the meeting point and a slightly longer one to the start. I just followed people who were walking there, but there were signs had I been on my own.
There’s a nice variety of terrain, running down on wide paths before the course narrows a bit, goes up and down a bit then takes you back up on grass, open to the air, before turning back into the path in the woods. I found it pretty tough, though none of the hills are overly steep, and they’re a very fair challenge - no false peaks, and doing a second lap means you know exactly what’s coming up (without having to do it a third, or fourth, time, as some courses let you). It’s hilly but without feeling as repetitive as a hill session.
Pictures show it was a grey day, but it wasn’t a cold one and I was pretty warm when I finished. I headed straight off - this was close enough to Leeds that a shower back at base was very appealing. That said, there are toilets and a cafe at the bike hub, so enough to keep you there for a while if you’re in the mood.
This was my last Northern-England parkrun for now, and a lovely one to go out on. Thanks Leeds, thanks Yorkshire, thanks hills. I’ll miss them, but also be glad of some soft, flat, Southern routes.
Results from Middleton Woods parkrun #202, 16/9/23; 123 finishers