A to Z parkrun events info

Alice Holt

Date visited: many – it’s our home parkrun
Car parking: lots of spaces. £1.80 up to 1 hour, £3.00 up to 2 hours, free to volunteers. Pay as you leave. Barriers and vehicle reg recognition system.
Number who ran: course record is 353
Course: Forestry Commission site. Hilly forest trail. First loop is one mile, half-repeated then a larger loop. Can be a little muddy and puddly in places.
Shoes: trail
Café: lovely café, serving a variety of hot and cold drinks, cooked breakfasts, sandwiches, cakes and biscuits. A new larger café is being built, due for opening November 2016.
Toilets: in the Visitor centre by the start/finish.
Dogs: yes
Buggies: yes, if rugged.
Peculiarities and specialities: ‘Dragon Hill’ in the second loop. Gruffalo statue and ‘Gruffalo’s child’ to spot on the way round.
How easy to find: follow signs for Alice Holt, sat nav GU10 4LS
Public Transport: train to Bentley from Waterloo, then 30 mins walk along The Shipwright’s Way path to Alice Holt Forest Visitor Centre.
Startline is at: shows.clashing.airbase
Where we stayed: n/a
Which Treasure Trail?: Try Farnham Maltings and Meadows or Alton

Date visited: 10th September 2016 – event #108
Car parking: free and plenty of spaces
Number who ran: 120
Course: two laps of hard-packed trail path around lake, almost flat, a few very shallow inclines. Could be a little exposed in bad weather.
Shoes: road or trail
Café: small café in Visitor centre, serving teas, coffees, bacon sandwiches and other snacks. They only had white bread when we were there.
Toilets: in the Visitor centre by the start/finish.
Dogs: yes
Buggies: yes
Peculiarities and specialities: swans on the course
How easy to find: easy – off the A1068 from North or South. Postcode for Sat Nav – NE61 5BX.
Startline is at: pram.blockage.atom
Where we stayed: n/a
Which Treasure Trail?: Lots around Newcastle and in Northumberland, but we chose Corbridge in the Tyne Valley

Date visited: 1st October 2016 – event #30
Car parking: free and plenty of spaces
Number who ran: 7
Course: two laps of woodland trail, flat and with lots of turns.
Shoes: road or trail
Café: none, but RD brings flasks of drinks. Cafés and brasseries in nearby Gradignan (15 mins walk)
Toilets: near the start, next to nearby car park.
Dogs: yes
Buggies: with difficulty on trail paths
Peculiarities and specialities: course largely marked by tape hanging from tree branches
How easy to find: search sat nav/Google maps – Parc de Mandavit route de Leognan 33170 Gradignan.
Public transport: Bus: Line 8 (stop Barthez), Line 10 (stop Poumey), Line 36 (stop Mairie de Gradignan), Line 86 (stop Parc de Mandavit).
Startline is at: attracts.maple.limes
Where we stayed: Hotel Mercure de Bordeaux Gare de St Jean
Also worth visiting: Cité du Vin, Bordeaux city centre

Date visited: 13th August 2016 – event #130
Car parking: free and plenty of spaces
Number who ran: 364
Course: three-and-a-bit loops of ‘dedicated’ hard-packed running trail exactly one mile long, mostly flat, around grassed areas and cricket pitches. One steep hill, views along the top, then short downhill close to the 1 mile mark.
Shoes: road or trail
Café: refreshment hatch in Pavilion, serving teas, coffees, bacon sandwiches and their famous flapjack
Toilets: in the Pavilion by the start/finish
Dogs: yes
Buggies: yes
Peculiarities and specialities: the short, sharp hill known as ‘Up Pomphrey!’ which everyone shouts out during the briefing (love a mantra!)
How easy to find: glad we had sat nav – BS16 9NF
Startline is at: guitar.composers.dishes
Where we stayed: Clifton, Bristol
Which Treasure Trail?: 5 to choose from in Bristol, we picked Clifton and West End.

Date visited: 17th September 2016
Car parking: lots of spaces. £1 if you show your barcode at the Fishing Tackle Shop after you’ve run.
Number who ran: 125
Course: Out-and-back, very flat, 95% tarmac
Shoes: road shoes
Café: small kiosk in the summer serving drinks and snacks. Large café in the car park.
Toilets: in the Visitor centre by the car park.
Dogs: yes
Buggies: check with team
Peculiarities and specialities: running along the top of the dam for 500metres before turning back.
How easy to find: follow signs for Rutland Water
Startline is at: acclaim.perfected.deep
Where we stayed: Ryhall near Stamford (20 mins away)
Which Treasure Trail?: didn’t do any but there’s a Rutland Water (South Shore) driving/cycling Trail which starts at nearby Hambleton, and also look at Oakham, a short distance away.