Ian Runs

Today was a strange day. Rumours of petrol truck driver shortages had triggered a run on petrol stations, and so I questioned whether I should tour locally, or whether I should continue with my original plans and run at an "E" event. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I would take advantage of the fact I have a number of relatively close events that I'm yet to run if I couldn't refuel before next parkrunday, and so I went ahead and made my way to Evesham parkrun! The area Perhaps best known for its fruit and vegetable produce, Evesham is a small town situated on a peninsula of the River Avon. The town retains much of its historic roots, as well as picturesque housing along the bank of the river. The town's Abbey, as well as its high street are pleasant settings to explore after your run, each with histories dating to medieval times. The course Evesham parkrun's route follows two laps of a two-legged out-and-back along the River Avon's t...

There is, surprisingly, only one single "D" event in the East of England, and so today's decision to attend Dunstable Downs parkrun was a relatively straightforward one. The area Dunstable Downs is located outside Dunstable, at the northern tip of the Chiltern Hills. Dunstable is situated at the intersection of Watling Street and the Icknield Way - some of the oldest roads in Great Britain. The Downs forms part of the same escarpment I ran at both Wendover Woods and Tring parkruns. The area is mainly farmland, with a number of smaller woods spread amongst the open meadows. The course Given the possibilities for a very lumpy course in the area, the event team at Dunstable Downs parkrun have been extraordinarily generous, and kept the lumps to a relatively mere uneven surface! The course is run entirely on grass and trail. The route initially traces the outline of the field next to the visitor centre before following the ridgeline to two fields which can s...

There are a number of "C" events I could have considered attending this week, but after the pleasant weather of the summer, we have started to reach the turning point, and so I wanted to try to make the most of the last warm weather with a run along the beach. The area Chalkwell Beach is located in Southend-on-sea, a seaside resort town located on the mouth of the River Thames. The town has many amenities one would associate with a seaside resort, including amusement arcades, a theme park, and the world's longest pleasure pier. A large granite obelisk known as The Crowstone can be found near to the start/finish area, which historically marked the boundary of Port of London Authority, and symbolising the point where the River Thames joins the North Sea. The sea is also very popular with open-water swimmers and sail yachts. The course Runners follow a simple out and back route, along the beachfront, first heading eastwards towards the Southend pier, before ...

This week I was planning to run another "B" event to get started on my East of England alphabet after realising that there was a possible "A" I could have run last week. There were a number of contenders to consider, however, when I realised that Brandon Country Park is set in a forest which makes the previous forests I've run in look small, there wasn't much more thought needed! The area Brandon Country Park is situated in Thetford Forest, near the towns of Brandon, and Thetford. Brandon has been populated for many centuries, with the local Grimes Graves excavation providing evidence of mining activity dating back to at least 2300 BC. The forest which now makes up the country park was planted in the early 1900s, when the flint industry slowed down as the site was previously used for flint extraction during the Napoleonic wars. The country park also houses Brandon House - the former residence of the Bloom family who used to own the land, now used as ...