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Original poster

How far do you travel for Parkrun?

36 replies

NatMoz · 26/03/2022 20:46

I am very fortunate that I live close to around 4 local Parkruns (although 1 is usually in the top 10 hardest in the UK due to elevation).

The one I usually go to is only half a mile from my house which is the one I frequent the most.

I know they encourage people to take public transport/cycle where possible to the start line, how close are you to your local parkrun and are you a parkrun tourist?

OP posts:

Lady0racle · 26/03/2022 20:50

I walk to my nearest parkrun as it only takes 15 minutes. I drive to others on occasion and tourist when on holiday but I prefer my ‘home’ parkrun.

Aroundtheworldin80moves · 26/03/2022 20:56

15 minute drive usually.
We had to give up today after a 15minute diversion meant we arrived on the outskirts of the park at the start time. ..

parkrunner1977 · 26/03/2022 20:58

We are 15 mins walk from our local one but we like to go to different ones as and when we can. Most of our trips away are planned around parkrun to be honest, even when we go abroad 🤣

CMOTDibbler · 26/03/2022 21:00

The nearest two to us are 7 and 8 miles away. 20-30 miles to the next nearest after that

SushiGo · 26/03/2022 21:00

15 minute drive, no public transport unfortunately so a lot of runners drive.

It's good businesses for the coffee shops etc in that town though.

Traumdeuter · 26/03/2022 21:05

There are plenty to choose from in my city and once I’d done all of them once, I settled on a few favourites which are within a mile and a half of my house, although the nearest one is very challenging terrain, steep hills and woodland trails. I will occasionally drive to a further afield one if a group of friends are attending.

Jonny1265 · 26/03/2022 21:15

2.5k away so 10k to run there, do parkrun and run back.

Sunshineandflipflops · 26/03/2022 21:16

My nearest one is about 15 mins by car, which is one of the reasons I have only been a few times. I can’t get my head around driving for 15 minutes each way to run for 30 minutes. I can run from my house and be done in half the time.

I know that’s not the point of PR but I don’t much like my local course either as it’s v hilly.

xsquared · 26/03/2022 23:24

I've still not been to either of my local Parkruns yet, but one is 3 miles from home, so I suppose I could bike or even run it. The other is about 5.5 miles from home, again easily accessible by cycling or running.

I would go, but my long run day is on a Friday so I'm usually resting on Saturday so that I can go for an easier run on Sunday. Perhaps I should try them sometime!

lljkk · 27/03/2022 08:08

I am unwilling to drive to one -- but tbf, park-run doesn't appeal to me anyway. Way too public & competitive.
DH & DS often go to one 7 miles away.
It's at a NT site so you're supposed to pay £5 parking each time.

DH & DS drive 5 miles & cycle last 2.

Friend cycles 17 miles, runs his 5km, & cycles back posts it all on Strava

AuntieStella · 27/03/2022 08:18

I don't like the one closest to my house (gets too crowded, and it's a place where I run the whole time anyhow). Also, it hadn't started up when I started parkrunning

The next nearest is also within running distance, so my normal is to do a sandwich to there.

And I'll tourist quite often - usually when I'm away from home, but I'll sometimes drive to one just for the fun of it.

My lovely running companion is about to give up parkrun because of his unsafe their decision about dogs is. She won't risk her balance or jerking her dog around on a hand-held lead (which is of course no shorter than a proper running waist lead) nor risk dropping it and having a loose dog. So I suspect that'll be no more tourism for me, and perhaps less parkrunning, as chances are I'll keep running with her on Saturdays

itssunnyyay · 27/03/2022 08:19

10/15 minute walk from my local one

Stylinson · 27/03/2022 08:22

10 minute cycle to my nearest, 2 others within a 15-20 minute cycle

Original poster

NatMoz · 27/03/2022 08:25

I've never quite made it to one on holiday as usually Saturday is travel to location day OR if we're there for the weekend I want to visit the local area doing things my husband enjoys as well. For example we're going to the lake District in April but the Saturday morning we'll go hiking together rather than me drive solo to a parkrun and take up half the morning doing that

OP posts:

iknowthismuchis · 27/03/2022 08:29

35 mins drive away, likely an hour by bus

emmathedilemma · 27/03/2022 13:12

It’s about 6 miles to my home one, I usually drive as the bus takes forever and times don’t work out well, but occasionally I’ll cycle if I don’t have other stuff to take and the weather is ok. There’s one closer but I don’t enjoy it. I’ll drive up to around an hour from home tourism on a Saturday morning (usually car sharing) and try to do one when I’m away if I can. We usually plan a weekend or two away a year around a parkrun or parkrun and race with running club or parkrun friends.

RandomMess · 27/03/2022 13:14

My nearest one is central in a large town. The streets and car parks are utterly rammed with attendees. I'm sure far more could walk there. I find it utterly ironic.

Silverclocks · 27/03/2022 13:22

Mine's 4 miles. I sometimes run or cycle there but do mostly take the car.

It's not 15 mins there to run 30 miles and drive home though. I didn't get home until nearly 1pm yesterday after a lovely morning drinking coffee with friends in the sunshine

Even when it's cold and wet I'll be there good hour and a half, it's about so much more than the run.

Silverclocks · 27/03/2022 13:51

Doh, run 30 mins!

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 27/03/2022 14:08

There’s a junior pr three miles away, but it’s waterlogged all winter and no buses on a Sunday. The next nearest junior is about 8 miles away, still no buses, so if we go, we’ll drive..

There 4 normal parkruns within 10 miles/30 mins drive. 2 are not accessible by bus; one is a 20 min bus journey, but the buses only go once every 2 hours; 1 is a 45 min bus journey and a 15 min walk. Again, if we go to any, we drive. This is why we tend not to go!

BogRollBOGOF · 27/03/2022 18:49

Patkrun 1) Car 5mi/ 11mins or Bike 3.9mi and a hypothetical 20 mins... clearly google is a more proficient cyclist than me! I have cycled it when volunteering, but it's the uphill home that's the killer.

Parkrun 2) Car 6.7mi/ 12 mins or Bike 4.7mi and a laughable "27 mins" that assumes I have quads of steel that can cycle up some nasty hills. Still officially my home run (older than run 1) and we're there most weeks for juniors.

Parkruns 3 & 4 are about a 25 min drive and I'll go occasionally if with DS1 or want a trail.

Parkruns 5 & 6 are 35-45 mins away up the motorway. I go to those sometimes to meet with a friend as they're roughly equidistant from us and it's a lovely way to squeeze in a little semi-frequent catch-up doing something we both love without having to carve out a big chunk of time.

I have done proper touristing occasionally when I've been away.

Noseylittlemoo · 27/03/2022 20:22

When I started parkrun there was none near me and I drove 30 min to go to one with my sister. After about 2 years one opened a km from my home so I used to jog there and back. Now I've moved 5 miles away and I still jog there but either my husband collects me if he's doing any jobs in the area or I run another 2 miles to get the train home . I have one local to me just over a mile away but I haven't tried that yet as its all on grass and I'm not a xc runner! I might try it in summer when it's dry!

randomsabreuse · 27/03/2022 20:31

I drive around 5-8 miles depending on other plans - most often I go to a flat mixed trail one with friends, sometimes I go to an undulating urban park one, both are around 15 minutes drive.

I plan to do some of the other local area parkruns as the opportunity arises because they're all so different and it's nice to go for a run with a preplanned route. I would drive a similar distance for a nice run without parkrun.

Tourism is only when I'm there anywhere for me - if it fits around other plans. At my in-laws it's walk/runnable to the local parkrun which is nice.

Marmite27 · 27/03/2022 20:33

We leave home at 8:50am to get to our local Parkrun.

We’ve done the occasional bit of tourism, but as DH needs our only car to take one of the sprogs to their swimming lesson then we’re mostly at our home run.

OrangeBananaFish · 27/03/2022 20:39

My nearest is 8/9 miles away so have to drive. I have done 31 different parkrun courses and have more planned this year. I did drive 4 hours for one once. It was with friends who tourist a lot. I don't tourist as much as another group people I know, but that's because I'm not as good friends with them as I once thought I was (another story for another day).

I am trying to get back into the tourist thing, but it's a bit daunting on your own sometimes. My nearest one I've not done is 21 miles away.

I do all sorts of courses, hilly, flat, trail, grass, path. I enjoy the different runs. Totally understand why its not for everyone though. We all like different things.

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