This week I had the opportunity to attend another event that would contribute towards the Fibonacci sequence challenge, with Haverhill parkrun running its 144th event!
The area
Haverhill parkrun takes place in Haverhill, a small market town southeast of Cambridge. The town has seen significant expansion since the 1950s, with the town designated as a place for London residents to resettle after the war.
The course
The course follows just over three laps around the perimeter of Puddlebrook Playing fields in the south-west of the town. The course is run entirely on grass, with no significant elevation to speak of.
The event has limited facilities, with no access to toilets, and limited parking available at Green Apples Day Nursery at the entrance to the industrial estate south of the playing fields. There is a cafe nearby however, for post-run refreshments.
The run
There was much fan-fare this week as runners celebrated the Queen's Jubilee. Runners were asked to wear red, white, and blue, bring snacks for a picnic after the run, and the course was decorated with Union Flags. The local Mayor also attended the run this week as part of the celebrations, and after a short speech, he set participants on their way.
In addition to the Jubilee celebrations, the local paramedic cadets were volunteering this week, which meant lots of marshalls all around the course. The course was quite tough to run on if you strayed from the worn paths even slightly, as the grass was long enough to add resistance to every step. Fortunately, I managed to settle into a steady pace, and the laps seemed to fly by!
Thank you to all of the volunteers for hosting such a warm and friendly event!
After the run
One of the most notable sights in Haverhill is Anne of Cleves' house. The house was built in 1540 by King Henry VIII as part of their divorce settlement.