Digested read: parkrun tourism took me to Cusworth Hall parkrun this Saturday. It was relay nice!
Undigested read:
Cusworth Hall parkrun is a relatively new addition to the parkrun family. It takes place at Cusworth Hall Museum & Park, Doncaster. Were it not for this parkrun, I would never even have heard of Cusworth Hall, let alone taken the trouble to go and visit it, and my life would have been the poorer for it. Turns out, it’s a gem of a location, less than an hour from Sheffield, and I can only assume it has its own glorious microclimate, because on a day when zillions and squillions* of parkruns were cancelled due to forecast high winds, storms, and apocalyptic rain, and others because of the rugby (no really – some people have trouble prioritising) yet Cusworth Hall parkrun was going ahead and the venue was bathed in autumn sunshine. A little oasis of sun, sanctuary and calm. A.Maz.Ing. I like to think the volunteers put this on especially – they were very welcoming, it seemed nothing was too much trouble. I’m pretty confident therefore that they guarantee similarly glorious weather every time or your money back. This is a pleasing reversal on my most common local parkrun weather experiences, which involve me peering out of the window on a Sunday morning in Sheffield pre Graves junior parkrun, establishing it’s lovely out – if necessary through a process of triangulation which involves sticking my arm out of an attic window … and then traveling to Graves park having crawled along in the car behind a snow plough (should have guessed that might have been an early warning sign), only to find stepping out of the car on arrival I can’t even see my hand in front of my face because of, if not total white out, then hail coming down on the earth like a vengeful deity hurling down shards of broken glass. Don’t get me wrong, it can add a certain frisson to the parkrun occasion to be conducting it in extreme weather, but Cusworth Hall it seems has a microclimate which is altogether more welcoming and benign. Reet nice out in fact. Go find out for yourself. If you go next week, Mr parkrun himself is going to be there, so it won’t only be glorious weather, but the parkrun route will be paved with gold. I don’t know if volunteers have to go out with little brushes and paint gold leaf everywhere, or if just Mr S-H stepping on the ground gilds the paths around him by magic. Like King Midas, but only his feet on the ground. Even if it doesn’t work like that, there are plenty of golden leaves adorning the paths right now, so the effect is broadly the same. Here, by way of illustration, is a parkrun he visited earlier. I think this one is possibly in Narnia, and it was a trial run, but worth keeping an eye on the exit route at the back of your wardrobe over the next few weeks, as I imagine it will be going live soon.
Mind you, there was gold at Cusworth Hall parkrun this week too, but only as a taster. I’m getting ahead of myself though, let’s start at the very beginning instead, it’s a very good place to start. Apparently.
Oh, by the way, there was an event photographer at Cusworth Hall parkrun this week, and he shared some pretty fab pics, which I’m going to use freely in this post. Well, they are fab, would be a shame not to. I did take some pictures of my own, but they suffer by comparison, let alone juxtaposition! I acknowledge my own pictures may add, erm, character perhaps, and sometimes comedic value, but not necessarily fine focus. Each snap a memory nevertheless. Well, I like to think so, and they do say it’s the thought that counts, albeit mostly when the result is pretty horrible. Even so, not gonna lie, it’s brilliant to have some proper shots to immortalise the day, so thanks to Chris Cull for the photos, which you, dear reader, can browse at will here.
Right, so pre-visit prep. My touristing options are getting more limited now winter is drawing in. However, Cusworth Hall is less than an hour from Sheffield, so why not? I checked the official Cusworth Hall parkrun website blah de blah in advance, and established that you head for postcode DN5 7TU but as you get close please ensure you follow the signs to the car park and do not park in the village. Alarmingly, they add, please note that the postcode does not work with all Sat-Nav devices. Uh oh! Since I have acquired a sat nav, I have lost the ability to operate a map, or paper based aids. Oh well, nothing ventured. They say toilets are available (yay) and parking too, free until 10.30 but you need to display a spare barcode. No problemo, my car is littered with spare barcodes, admittedly in various states of sodden decay, but one at least must be laminated and recogniseable. This is testament to the potential benefits of otherwise potentially paralysing and pointless parkrun paranoia re #dfyb (don’t forget your barcode), parking sorted! I knew my precautionary angstiness might one day pay off!
Next pre parkrun research is to check out the course. The course description reads thus:
Course Description
The course starts and finishes on the driveway in front of Cusworth Hall. It is a slightly extended out and back route which explores the undulating terrain of Cusworth Hall Park. Following level paths in front of the hall and around the car park, the course drops down to the lakes at the southern end of the park. After running around the lakes the course zig-zags uphill across the main lawn before heading towards the finish.
Nope, that makes no sense at all. Fortunately, they provide a picture, which looks like this:
It may be that this graphic was designed as a visual aid to illustrate the concept of ‘none the wiser’ to a class of students learning English as a Foreign Language. It’s hard to think why else the team came up with quite this route. I meant to ask them on arrival, but then I forgot. I was too distracted by golden baton fondling. It could be entirely intentional, and perhaps a mathematician is available to confirm that this is in fact the most efficient way to fit a 5k route into what is a fairly bijou space. Or, it might be that the night before they had to formalise their route, somebody spilt cooked spaghetti over the map and this is what they ended up with. Obviously, no-one is ever going to admit to such a catastrophe, nor if it was the other option which occured to me. That is, a small child scribbled a doodle over the originally intended out and back route with an indelible pen, and so they were stuck with it in perpetuity. It’s up to you to to choose which version of events to believe. Whatever happy accident brought this about, I can report that the journey is indeed way more important than the destination, and it worked just fine, but lord help anyone heading out intending to do a freedom run on this route when it’s unmarked and they don’t have a small army of cheery marshals alongside pointing the way! I’m sure you’d have a lovely run, and a splendid micro-adventure, but I seriously doubt you’d be able to replicate the route unassisted. And up until now I just thought it was those doing the Bob Graham round that needed navigator guides throughout… Oh well, maybe some people just like a challenge.
So, the morning dawned, and off I went. The roads were clear, and the sky disarmingly clear too. I passed some party goers from last night, walking home through the morning gloom in fancy dress from the night before. Well, I presume it was fancy dress, I don’t see that many hawaiian grass skirts and lime green shell jump suits sported in these parts generally speaking, but each to their own I suppose. The drive was easy peasy, and in fact it was way under an hour, so I was ridiculously early. For parkrun tourists out there who want to know about accomodation options, I passed Halstead cat hotel very near to my destination, which might be handy if you are a touristing feline. I know of a rabbit that is a regular at Bushy parkrun, Peellie – but I’m not aware of any cats as such. Perhaps it’s a bit chicken and egg, why would they tourist if there are no suitable facilities to meet their needs. Good to know Cusworth Hall parkrun is ahead of them. I don’t think the rabbit always arrives dressed as a pumpkin by the way, I think it was because it was seasonally appropriate what with halloween last week and everything.
So I arrived, following the brown museum signs to the car-park as directed. On arrival, there was a big sign saying you couldn’t pay for parking at the moment because someone had stolen the ticket machine… for the third time! That’s mean, they ask you make a donation instead in the museum. I decided to interpret this as basically an instruction to have post parkrun sustenance in their cafe. Veggie brunch, totally vindicated result!
There were signs for the loo, and signs for the cafe, all basic needs accounted for. The venue was unexpectedly stunning. Lots of mature trees, ample parking – so ample I had to drive round the car park twice to decide on the perfect parking spot. It was just a short walk to the front of the hall – to the start area, but as I followed the path round I was distracted by the wide vista with mist rising from a lake below the hall. It really is very nice indeed. The back of the hall looks like this (photo stolen from facebook somewhere, but captures it really well, thank you Facebook photo sharer 🙂 ). Yes, those are busy bee marshals setting up the course in the morning sunshine too. Not bad for the back porch is it? My exposed backside is nothing like as photogenic, and, for the record, has fewer people dancing attendance on it as well.
The only unsettling image on my way to the gathering area, was seeing some caged trees. It just makes you wonder what it is these trees might do if free to roam. Are we talking triffids, or Birnam Wood, or the Whomping Willow a la Hogwarts and Harry Potter. All are terrifying in their own way. They didn’t look like triffids, but then they’ve probably evolved since the original documentary in the 1980s, like antibiotic resistant bacteria, they could have been reincarnated in near unrecognisable forms. I mean, what better cover could there be than to look perfectly innocuous? Quite! Must be dangerous then. Then again, the volunteer team will surely have done a pre-course safety inspection, and I guess if they’ve herded this dangerous, wayward wood altogether like this, maybe their potential for violence had now been neutralised.
Mind you, You’d have thought they might have put a marshal there just to be on the safe side. Oh my gawd! What if they had, and that marshal was no more! Gulp. I crept on by. There were other scary things in the woodland area too, but I didn’t see those until later…
After the caged trees, I glimpsed my first sight of the marshals, going about their important business of setting up the parkrun. Turns out, this was only their fifth event. This was handy for me, as I ‘need’ a 5 for my Wilson index, not badly or keenly enough to actively seek one out, but it was pleasing to acquire one by chance. I generally love the Running Challenges, but the Wilson one seems to require a bit too much planning and or serendipity to be worth actively investing in. Oh, you don’t know what it is? Hang on:
Wilson Index: The maximum contiguous series of parkrun event numbers you have attended (at any event), starting at 1. To start off your streak, this requires that you have run at an inaugural event (controversial!), and then to increase the value to 2 you need to run at event #2 somewhere (not necessarily the same event as you ran at the inaugural event). They do not have to be in order, so you can go back and fill in numbers later.
See? Doable if you are in at the beginning of a local parkrun, but as most of us – barring the original 13 parkrun pioneers were late to the party, a bit out of reach for the many. Kudos to those who can be bothered to play with their excel spreadsheets creatively enough to keep that number rising. Anyway, where was I? Can’t concentrate properly until I’ve had my precautionary pee, now, let me see, loos were promised… and delivered! Great facilities, open, lit and with toilet paper as well as washing facilities. Hurrah. I could breathe easy now.
Then, next stop, spy on the hi-vis heroes. Here they are, volunteers in action. Getting ready for the parkrun party in the morning sun. Team work. Excellent.
I was early, and a bit awkward. I never know whether to offer to help when you early as a tourist, people who don’t know what they are doing can get in the way. Then again, I didn’t want to be unfriendly, and I did want to take some pictures and not in too stalkery a way. So I went and said hello, and asked if I could take photos, and that was OK apparently so then I tried to take some only it’s harder than you might think, especially as the sun was bleaching out loads of shots. It’s so hard being me and self-conscious, honestly you have no idea. Here’s one attempt at photographing Cusworth Hall – which dates from 1740 I believe, although the parkrun flag is a later addition improvement.
After I’d busied myself with taking rubbish photos, other parkrunners began to arrive. There wasn’t a huge crowd. Whether that was because of Rugby, forecast inclement weather, new kid on the block or the catchment area of the parkrun I don’t know, but people were slow to surface. Still, it’s quality not quantity, and there were some quality arrivals. Not least, some brandishing a golden baton, part of the Big Golden Baton relay extravaganza, which probably is ultimately pointless, but it’s also fun, so why not. These fine folk had collected the baton at Wythenshawe parkrun, and excitingly, were passing it on to some fine folk from Millhouses parkrun. That’s extra exciting as it’s one of my nearest, and another brand new and shiny parkrun which so far has only had its test run and its inaugural, where I joined them a couple of weeks back. It’s therefore especially pleasing that it’s already networking more widely in the parkrun family, and that by happy coincidence I got to share the moment too. Yay.
The arrival of the Leeds Building Society golden baton generated the kind of excitement that only a golden cylinder can bestow on an event. You probably had to be there to fully appreciate it. Obviously, everybody present had to be photographed either appreciating the baton; comedically fondling or flourishing the baton; in close proximity to the baton; doing a staged hand over of the baton; reverentially holding the baton or otherwise interacting with it. These things take time. There were surprisingly few quips along the lines of ‘is that a golden baton in your pocket or are you just pleased to see me’ but some things are best left unsaid, and anyway, people were thinking it loudly enough that the sound of the phrase echoed round the courtyard as only infantile quips can. parkrunners were exceedingly pleased to be bestowed with the honour of having the golden baton in their grasp. There was some debate about whether or not it is constantly tracking its whereabouts like surveillance equipment, and nobody really new. This is how surveillance societies come about. We don’t ask the right questions and anyway are too distracted by the shiney new baubles that come our way to really notice that we should.
Some people were more intuitively gifted with the re-enactment relay shots than others. Check out this sequence.
Respect.
The posing for photos necessitated a certain amount of garment removal for best display of running related tees and parkrun clothing. Any unwatched running jacket was scooped up by an enterprising junior sweeper and offered up to his dad. I think this may be an innovative fund-raising initiative on the part of the parkrun. Some very nice running jackets were collected and I’d certainly have put in a bid for more than one of them if eagle eyed original owners hadn’t been so quick off the mark in retrieving them. Good work though, he’ll go far, missed nothing!
I was a bit confused as to who would actually run with the baton, or indeed if anyone would. It wasn’t that user friendly to hold, being of wide girth. Fret not dear reader, all will be revealed. First though, I had to check out the tail walker. Excellent. I desperately want a tail like this for our junior parkrun. One day perhaps, one day. Well, assuming we aren’t allowed an actual dinosaur, which would be my preference, but I recognise might be incompatible with the animals kept at Graves park. With the possible exception of the highland coos, I think a T-rex would make short work of the other residents.
The team were still busy with set up, meanwhile I was busy finding the tourist dog with the softest silkiest ears. Which I did:
Busy as they were, the volunteer team were easily seduced into posing for a team shot with baton and sign. I tried to get them to jump in the air, which they did, but my camera failed to capture the moment. Again. Oh well, thought that counts remember dear reader, tis the thought that counts.
and then suddenly, it was all action stations. First timers’ briefing. Lots of first timers, it being a newish run.
and then there was the official run briefing. Including a mini ceremony with the baton being transferred, and documented for posterity by many a mobile phone and camera shutter.
And there was a special round of applause for the tail walker who was having a birthday I think, and someone else who was either having a 250th birthday or running a milestone today. I forget which. And volunteers were thanked, and the announcement made about PSH coming to Cusworth next week. He’ll have missed clutching the golden baton, but I think he’ll have a nice time anyway.
And then we all mustered on the tarmac path, facing towards the arch in the start area. It was all good natured, maybe a little crowded, but it didn’t take too much exertion on the common sense front to get into a reasonable spot depending on estimated time. I tucked in at the back. And then a count down and off! The official photographer took some ace shots of everyone storming down towards him. He is not only brave, and a good photographer, but has a telephoto lens to keep him at a safe distance when taking such action shots.
so the 140+ runners stampeded towards him, and then veered to the side at the end. Some runners (see if you can guess which) spotted him en route, but others were focused on their run. It may be a run not a race, but that doesn’t mean speedy runners can’t give it their all.
Oh, and check out the fun factory bringing up the rear. A quartet of talented tailwalkers, keeping us parkrunners safe and on track.
Clearly I could do a sub 17 minute parkrun if I a) had the prerequisite physiology, and b) did the necessary training, but added impeding factors today were that I’ve still got a dodgy back and also that I needed to stop and take photos en route. Pleasingly, a couple of kindred spirits appeared to be doing likewise, documenting their runs. As long as I stayed out of the way and ahead of the tailwalker I am fine with my approach which charitably might be referred to as jeffing, but more accurately is linked to poor stamina and a propensity to be distracted by photo ops at any and every given moment. So, for your information and merriment, please find below my photos from start to corner one. I don’t think there is any risk of confusion with the ‘proper’ photos.
So after you turn away from the arch you do a little zig zag, and end up running alongside the car park. That was a tad odd, to be fair, but I like that you could see faster runners coming back in the other direction on the opposite side of the car park. Don’t worry, faster runners also get to see slower runners coming in the opposite direction too, it’s quite fair, but they haven’t necessarily got the time to turn their heads to enjoy the view, let alone take a load of pictures. Fortunately, other parkrunners were on hand to perform this service.
One of the (many) things I really liked about the course, is that the twisty turny route meant there were lots of opportunities to see other runners of different speeds running around in the general vicinity. It made it companionable, without the stress of being lapped. It isn’t really a multi-lapped course as such, you do run twice round the little lake, but that’s sufficiently far on round the course that speedy runners were long gone by the time I set foot on it. The course does however require super versatile marshals, who were not only fabulously helpful and particularly photogenic to a tabard, but also had the ability to teleport. You’d see them at the start, and then they’d pop up somewhere on the course as well, and then magically reappear at the finish. It was quite remarkable, I don’t think they were clones, though what with the caged trees maybe there are powerful magical forces at work that keep this parkrun show on the road. There is a lot of creative cone placement too. It’s needed, fine as the route is, I think it’s fair to observe it isn’t especially erm, let’s go with ‘intuitive’.
So you cross the end of the car park, and up the other way, round a muddy field. I always wear my trusty inov-8 parkclaw to new events, and I was glad of them. They are good for a mix of tarmac and grass. Don’t be scared non-grass lovers though, the field bit wasn’t too horrific, it had trees and things and so did not induce flashbacks to the trauma of cross country or school sports days or anything like that. It was brief, and jolly, and there was the joy of watching other runners, and supportive marshals. One latecomer and child was sprinting to catch up with the tail by the time I got back to the corner of the field. All good.
So back, past the car park again, and this time you run round the back of the house, through some railings and past the amazing rear view of the stately home. You can see the view of the lake and Doncaster vista beyond – I’d love to go inside the house and see the view from the upstairs windows there one day. Not mid-parkrun though, that would be a bit much of a diversion even for me. I did stop to take some pictures though, obvs.
The photographer had either teleported or being transported by golf buggy, pack horse or his own two feet to a new position. I think he may possibly have taken photos before as they were jolly good, and he is clearly used to both this venue and photographing runners as there were some brilliant pics. He even got not one but TWO photos of me multi-tasking by apparently running AND smiling AND waving AND having flying feet all at the same time, without even using photoshop. I was impressed. In other news, he also answers the question about what happened to the baton during the run. Dear reader, people ran with it, and later on, different people person and/or persons unknown have it with them, so either it was freely surrendered and passed on in good-humoured parkrun tradition, or there was an almighty scrap and the winner took all. All there to be pored over though. Exciting isn’t it? Check out the barkrunners too. Having a grand day out indeed. Oh, and the leggings. This was a very good parkrun for colourful leggings, personally I’ve only ever had black, and as they are basically indestructible, and can accommodate a changing body shape due to the genius that is stretchy lycra, I’ve had my current leggings for almost a decade I think. If they do ever give up the ghost, maybe I’ll go wild and go technicolour. It’s tempting.
Also, the RD had relocated and was looking exceptionally busy and important. There’s something about the intoxicating combination of a unique high vis AND a clip board that bestows great power on the person in possession of the same. With great power comes great responsibility. He wore it lightly though. Good job!
So through more railings, and then you get a joyful downhill scamper. It was a tad slippery and a bit of a test of nerves, but fun. You go down through a nicely planted erm, shrubbery I think, and down towards the lake. The field had spread out by now, so you also get to have a little companionable chit chat with other runners of your pace at this point, should you wish to do so.
Marshals are on hand to shoo you round the right way, and round the lake you go. At the far end is another marshal with a lap 1/lap 2 sign so you know you get to see him again later on.
Come to think of it, there were faster runners coming through at this point, because I saw some of them sprint up the hill, along a woodland trail and back towards the house, as I turned to go around the lake.
and then from the other side of the lake, you can see the faster runners streaming along against the backdrop of the sunlit house. In the foreground swans a-swimming, it was pretty god-darned photogenic I don’t mind telling you.
Looking straight ahead wasn’t too bad either. There is a lot of mature planting in the grounds, and some amazing specimen trees pop up next to the bulrushes and little ornamental bridges or gulls overhead. This is a fabulous venue, not only for a parkrun, but as a public space to get out into and enjoy. I’d definitely come back some time and check out the museum as well. Summer though, when being parkrun fresh doesn’t lead to damp shivering, misery and feeling like death in the chill of winter. There were some muddy bits though, but that’s good isn’t it, it’s not a proper run if you return with clean trainers.
Another marshal, ready to turn you round, so you don’t end up inadvertently heading off to infinity and beyond, which would be awkward – not to say expensive if they had got their parking ticket machine back in operation by then.
Round, by a wall, through more trees, back to some marshals you’ve been before. A test, before you can continue – have you seen me before? If yes go right, if no go left. Not sure how that would work for those with Prosopagnosia (face blindness), just have to hope they can recognise bridges and vegetation instead. This looked like a fun marshal spot, as you had a specific thing to do and also were in shouting distance of another marshal, so they could be a high performing double act, keeping order, and having a laff. Both are very important functions indeed. I think the one enhances the other, if my experience at junior parkrun is anything to go by. Then round back to the stopping you from running to infinity marshal, past 50% of the tail walkers and past the wall again. It was a very nice wall…
and then ‘suddenly’ you are back on the homeward straight, through the gap in the railings, with the house to your right and the lake to your left, and up to lap 1/lap 2 marshal, only this time you get to run up the hill. Yay!
then there was an unexpected (for me) bit. You cut across the grass in front of the hall, to a gesticulating marshal enticing you her way. There is a lot of going back from whence you came, although pleasingly you don’t have to do so on an identical path. I’m sure this was the fourth time that morning I’d met this marshal en route if you count the pre run photos too, which obviously I do. Very versatile as well as photogenic marshals at this parkrun. It is the Cusworth Hall parkrun way!
I got confused again though. Granted it doesn’t take much. It’s just that my internal homing device meant I fully expected to be directed round to the finish by skirting round the side of the house from here, but it was not to be. You head out again, and do a little corner of the field and back alongside the car park again. Praise be to the marshals for keeping us on track, I was completely clueless, even following the parkrunner just ahead I wasn’t overly confident of the path to take!
Got there in the end though.
Oh hang on, what is this unexpected additional scary thing lurking in the woods?
BOO!
Don’t worry dear reader, I sped past without incident. I can’t say whether others were so lucky. I mean, parkruns count runners back in with finish tokens it’s true, but they don’t generally speaking count us out… no cause for concern, just saying for future reference.
And then, before I knew it, it was past the archway, and homeward bound, you get to sprint down a very slight but significant incline towards the house, so you feel like you suddenly get a second wind which is quite satisfying. A posse of hi-vis heros are on hand to cheer you in. As is the parkrun way.
Genius as my photos undoubtedly are not, fortuitously we have the yan to my yin, by way of the official finish shots. Things to look out for here – apart from the obvious boon of runners being in focus – include the ownership of the baton and the gritting of teeth as parkrunners endure their sprint finishes. Did you know swearing can improve your workout apparently. I don’t think any parkrunner would utter an expletive, but their suppression of the impulse to do so might account for bleeding eyes and throbbing neck veins as they finish. Also, check out the particularly adoring look of the barkrunner with his responsible adult running companion. Awwww. 🙂
I also think the official pics capture the inclusive nature of parkrun. It accommodates both very tall people and very not tall people. Although I am wondering if I maybe need to catch up on Father Ted to be really confident I’m reading the situation correctly. That small or far away challenge has never been all that obvious to me to be honest. Awesome buggy. That’s got to be the way to travel round parkrun – maybe that was the transportation of choice for the photographer now I come to think of it. There’d be room for all the photography gear to hang off it too. Very practical.
So I came storming (ish) through the finish, and a very alert junior marshal was on it to make sure no finish token passed him and his tin. Quite right too, it’s important to set clear boundaries from the start!
All done. I lingered a little while longer to await the tail, and try and nail an atmospheric finish shot.
And that was that. Cusworth Hall parkrun done and dusted. Just a question of adjourning to the cafe. The cafe, was extremely well stocked with generously portioned cakes and scones. The savoury options, especially if vegetarian seemed to be more limited, but to be fair I didn’t have my glasses on so had to fathom options based on limited information. I had a vegetarian ‘sausage’ in a bap. It was alright, quite nice even though more of a vegetable and cheese option than anything sausage like. Coffee, sorry to say – particularly as the setting was glorious and cake and scone options magnificent – was poor. One of those push a different button for a latte/ cappuccino whatever and it was tasteless and a textureless, no depth to the foam. I really don’t know why they don’t have a ‘proper’ coffee machine, it was a mismatch of expectations. The eating area was nice though. Big wooden tables, and the whole place was rammed with parkrunners – always a boon. Friendly service too. So a good option, but if you are a coffee snob, brace yourself for disappointment.
I chatted a bit to other parkrunners. We had the ‘most unexpected parkrun’ conversation. I no longer ask people what their favourite parkrun is. The question is meaningless as each parkrun is unique and it’s like asking someone to pick their favourite child perhaps? Most unexpected seems fair, and turns up some interesting stories. The story from this parkrun was a recommendation for Catterick parkrun, the parkrunner in question had been when a multitude of gurkhas were running it, it sounded amazing. So many elite runners, but also the atmosphere of support and music was extraordinary. That’s been added to my ever lengthening to do list for sure! They aren’t there every week, but with reasonable frequency. You don’t get to go over the jumps though, so do try to contain yourself if you do go.
But this was Cusworth Hall parkrun, so I should conclude by saying it was a relay nice one. No, relay it was, definitely one of my favourites so far – even though we’ve already established I haven’t really got one because each parkrun is unique. This parkrun though was friendly, good facilities, lovely venue and full of interest. Also not too far from Sheffield so I’d definitely come back and do it again sometime. Thank you lovely parkrun makers all, and special thanks to the Cusworth Hall parkrun team for the warm welcome and fab event. It was a memorable day indeed. Especially thank you for sorting the weather. It was fabulous right up until the moment I got back in my car to drive home. Perfection!
Happy days.
Oh, and if you want to read the Cusworth Hall parkrun event report for today, event #5, and I think you should, it’s here, with lots of pictures and some explanation about the baton relay thing too. Hurrah!
Incidentally, it occurs to me I’ve not done a stats link in a while, and I love Elliott Line’s analysis week in week out. So, as a special treat dear reader, check out this link for a snapshot of the parkrun attendance and milestone stats for week of 2/3 November 2019. Honestly, even if spreadsheets and stats aren’t your natural habitat, if you are into your parkrunning you may find this link awakens your inner parkstats geek. You’re welcome. 🙂
By the way, you can waste further hours of your life by reading all my parkrun related posts here. Or not. It’s up to you. You’ll need to scroll down for older entries though. Your choice as well, reading is not compulsory, no sarcy #tldr comments please, it’s unkind and unnecessary I’m not trying to make you read anything, just scroll on by.
Happy running in general and parkrunning in particular ’til next time, wherever your feet may take you. And remember, we live in the age of parkrun, however bad the world seems at time, we got lucky with that! Yay, go us!
#loveparkrun
*well, maybe not ‘zillions and squillions’ as such, not least because I don’t know if they are actual real numbers, but a great many
Running Scared 
Wow! This took me longer to read than it did to actually run the course! Thank you for all the extra photos. That’s a run report and a half! Will look forward to meeting you again. From one of the baton-couriers from Wythenshawe
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Oh wow! How lovely that you’ve taken the time to read and comment too! Thank you so much. And thank you for letting me caress your golden baton, it was was the icing on the cake of a lovely parkrun that you two were there too to pass it on! I’m sure our paths will cross again on the tourist trail, it was lovely to meet you both! Thanks for reading my post – very few people do, so you are in quite an elite club as a consequence! 🙂
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