What3words start/finish: soil.tower.asserts
A quick rule for you - always check the start time of the parkrun. I thought I had. I assumed I had. I did, months ago. Some of that must be true. But the night before, I checked the start time for a different parkrun, a month hence for me, and was satisfied it would be at 9.
Terry Hershey parkrun starts at 8. And so, as I walked happily from the bus stop (Sandbridge Dr @ Enclave pkwy), I was disconcerted to see the tail walkers heading the opposite direction.
Fortunately, it wasn’t quite 8:20, so I checked in with the volunteers at the start/finish line, and they were happy for me to chase the tail walkers. The run hadn’t started bang on 9, either, so I had a few more minutes leeway. Also fortunately, the course couldn’t be simpler, just following the wide concrete multi-use trail of the kind the US does so well. I ran my fastest first mile in some time, helped by the adrenalin and short warm up hustling to the start. I caught the tail walkers, and all was well. But the buses run early enough (153 from Wheeler station, for me) that this was a needless late arrival. Buses are $1.25 for a single, $3 all-day (!), pay with exact cash (handy if you found a quarter in a car the other day, for instance) or use the Metro Q app and wave your phone at the driver as you enter.
The reason for that early start is obvious even here in early October - it can be pretty hot in Texas. This morning was pleasant, but still warm enough at 8 to be glad that we were moving before the sun was properly up.
The out and back course means you have the chance to cheer people on as they pass. Even more so, if you start late and will have to pass absolutely everyone either by overtaking or seeing them pass on the other side. That said, the trail gets good use, so I had the disadvantage of not knowing who exactly I was running with, so I kept my encouragement to the minimum. Some might say I was out of breath from that first mile.
This is a pretty quick course, with good surface throughout and plenty of space - even if the path is full of people as you go to overtake, there’s space on the grass to the side. There are a couple of undulations, big enough to notice but not to slow you noticeably. And being an out and back, there’s a 180 degree turn. Other than that start, go, turn, go, finish.
The volunteers were kind enough to congratulate me on catching some of the other participants. I was just grateful they’d let me join in! Having missed the start, I made sure to join them in the coffee shop (Minuti coffee, a 20min walk back South towards the bus stop I’d used - many people had cycled to parkrun so they got there more quickly). This was decidedly the most relaxed part of my morning. I was assured the coffee was decent, and can testify that the cookie I had was delicious.
If you’re interested, there’s info on Terry Hershey on wikipedia.
Results from Terry Hershey parkrun #173, 7/10/23; 63 finishers