Ian Runs

I wanted to continue to take advantage of the pleasant weather this week, by attending another seafront-based parkruns, and Sizewell parkrun was one of the few remaining events in the East of England that fulfil that criteria that I hadn't attended yet, and so my decision was made! The area Perhaps best known for its nuclear power station, Sizewell is a small hamlet on the coast of the North Sea. The hamlet's origins lie in the fishing industry, although neighbouring towns and villages have since transitioned into tourist hotspots, leaving Sizewell (and Sizewell beach) to remain a quiet and relaxed area. The course The event is run on mostly grassy sanddune paths, and the route is a flattened lollipop. The surface is a mixture of sand, grass, and gravel, and undulates throughout, while the sandy sections add an extra element into the mix too! Toilets are available at the paid car park, which is also next to a tea room, and which offers refreshments after the run! ...

This week I decided to make some more progress on the Fibonacci Sequence challenge by attending event number 5 of the new Mildenhall Hub parkrun! The area Mildenhall is a small market town located between Cambridge and Bury St Edmunds. The modern town's population is heavily influenced by the two airforce bases located on the outskirts of the town, with up to a third of the town's residents being born in USA! The town is also where the Mildenhall Treasure was discovered - a collection of Roman silverwar considered to be perhaps the most important and valuable Roman treasure find in Britain. Owing to its importance and value, the treasure is now on permanent display at the British Museum. To the west of the town lies Mildenhall Hub, a newly built community centre, and host of this week's parkrun event! The course One lap of the course follows an initial out-and-back section, followed a lap of the adjoining meadow, with runners following the route two and a hal...

With the summer weather returning, I decided that this week would be an ideal opportunity to run at Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun, as it would also mean spending the day at the seaside during nice weather! The area Located on the northern bank of the River Yare, Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun has a reputation as being one of the more challenging parkruns in the UK, owing to being run entirely on a sandy beach. Thanks to its reputation, many local runners tend to steer towards Gorleston Cliffs parkrun on the southern bank of the River Yare, which is run entirely on tarmac, although it too has a challenging hill! While Great Yarmouth's history is tied to the fishing industry, the modern town is both a popular holiday location, with many people visiting the beaches, piers, and other amusements, while staying in the many local caravan parks, as well as supporting the offshore renewable industry, with the port providing a base for the construction of components for win...

In a rare turn events, I found myself heading westbound this morning, to run at Perry Hall parkrun, which was hosting the With Me Now podcast's second Pow Wow (the first being at Oaklands parkrun last year)! The area Perry Hall parkrun takes place in Perry Hall Park, Birmingham (not to be confused with neighbouring Perry Park, which was preparing for hosting the 2022 Commonwealth games), which is the remaining grounds of the former Perry Hall estate. Perry Hall itself was demolished when the local council had to make a financial decision to save either Aston Hall, or Perry Hall, leaving the moat as the only remnant of the site's history. Modern Perry Hall Park is primarily a recreation ground, counting 15 cricket pitches amongst its many facilities, although it also doubles as a flood-prevention basin for the wider area, storing excess water during heavy downfalls, and subsequentially releasing it as capacity allows. The course The course is run over 3 laps of fla...

With the unsettled weather still continuing, I decided that this week would be an ideal opportunity to run Sheringham parkrun given it is mainly in woodland, meaning mainly sheletered from the elements! The area Sheringham parkrun takes place in Sheringham Park, Norfolk. Sheringham Park forms part of the wider Sheringham Estate - a country house built by Humphry Repton, the same person responsible for the construction of the Catton Estate, home of Catton parkrun, a short distance away. Although originally both the park and the hall formed the wider Sheringham Estate, Sheringham Hall is currently a private residence, although it is still visible from the park. The park, renowned for its rhododendrons and azaleas amongst its many wild flowers, is managed by the National Trust. The course The route follows a single lap of a lollipop-style course, with an initial out section to a loop, before returing along the same path as the out section. The course is run on trail, and i...