This post is catching up on the last parkrun I ran in the UK before going away, from the end of September, so the photos may have glimpses of sun that don’t quite fit the time of year.
I drove to Towcester to join some friends who were celebrating a 400th parkrun by a clubmate. It’s not an official ‘thing’, but if you’re more ‘cookie now’ than ‘two cookies when I come back’ then it’s a long old gap between official milestones after the first few, so round numbers are tempting. Despite that, Colin was reluctant to put on the bib and balloons that were celebrating his run - he was more after having friends with him and a breakfast afterwards, but the adornments were the price.
I parked in the free long-stay parking which is just a short walk to the route. The course page has more info, but it’s all very straightforward. The course is oh-so simple, mostly following a path in a loop, with a little jink through some trees (but still on the path), and a bridge to ignore so as not to cut the loop short. The first timer’s briefing emphasised (by repetition, and very entertainingly) the fact that there are four laps, and none of us could claim to have not heard it.
It’s as flat as you’d like, with just enough variety in the loop to keep you interested despite running the thing four times. Four! One long straight at the start, then a quick bend and that tree-jink, then a long curve to bring you back to the beginning. For the finish, you peel off onto the field for the last bit, running past anyone who might still be lapping on the path.
Obviously it’s a relatively small space compared to some, but it’s all so open that there’s a real sense of space, as I think you can see from the photos. With over 100 of us, we were soon spread out and there was room for most to run on their own, if they wanted. I caught Colin and ran with him for a while. The run director had been tipped off that he was there to celebrate, and gave a shout-out to “Clive”. The happy congratulations for Clive kept me company for a particularly enjoyable lap and a half.
Towcester itself is just a short walk, across the park and over the road, from the run, and you’ll have a choice of cafes. We sat in the sun chatting and eating and it was all very easy. Towcester - lovely. Watermeadows - straightforward. Parking - entirely free. Great.
Results from Watermeadows parkrun #166, 30/9/23; 129 finishers
Thanks for the update. The path is new since it started. When we set it up we had hoped to go into the next field but never got permission. Lovely to be reminded of one my babies!