7 seconds at Wilmslow Parkrun, 6 minutes at ... - Bridge to 10K

Bridge to 10K

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7 seconds at Wilmslow Parkrun, 6 minutes at Stanley - that's the difference between joy and despair "oop north"

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10
24 Replies

Well not really despair, but it sounds dramatic - Blackpool's equaliser definitely spoiled Saturday afternoon :-( , but nothing could spoil the morning after Dexy5 and I successfully rendezvoused with BaddieThePirate :-) and Mr and Mrs lexi6 :-) in Wilmslow. Though 7 seconds less on the watch would have given me another tourist run in my 25 minutes benchmark time …...

Wilmslow is an interesting run in beautiful surroundings, which for a while I thought I could really enjoy. The first 200m is on a narrow path leading to a bridge over the river Bollin. The bridge is about 3 parkrunners wide, but at the far end there are a pair of anti-cyclist barriers which mean only 2 people can exit at once, quite a surprise to an innocent tourist who only spots the barriers 2m before arriving at them. This backs up the field to the extent that from a reasonable position at the start, and a few overtaking bursts down the outside notwithstanding, those 200m took 1'15", where I might hope for no more than a minute. And when the path continued to be narrow the other side of the bridge, I thought a gentle pootle drinking in the scenery might be the order of the day …..

But then things cleared up a bit, and I found my stride, and 1k came up in 5'12", so things became competitive again, dammit :-( . After the bridge, the course runs downstream beside the river for just under a k. Now rivers run in valleys, don't they, and you now turn your back on the river and climb up the side of the valley for about 150m to a turning cone, then back down to the river and back the way you came, upstream. This is the long and easy (really?) climb. When you get back to the bridge, you don't cross it, you turn your back on the river again and climb up the valley side for about 80m to another turning cone - this is the short steep climb :-( , and now you know why the other one was easy :-) . Back down to the bridge, and you're halfway. Downstream again, up :-( and down the long and easy, upstream again, up :-( and down the short and steep (!) and now you cross the bridge and run the last 200m home. 25'07" watch time, 25'14" parkrun time, 86th out of 260 and 1st of 7 in my age group - happy days!

The course layout means you can pass your fellow runners anything up to 4 times in the course of the run, depending on relative speeds, so 3 high fives with Dexy this week. The first cross in particular is very crowded, but everyone was very well behaved, and the normal ;-) human beings (that's normal as opposed to running humans) using the park all seemed very happy to keep clear of the path to let us have our fun. The various turning points and junctions were all well marshalled by very encouraging volunteers, and the RD and finish team were all very welcoming to their guests, including pointing us in the direction of a cracking breakfast. They also had a visitors' book, which I think is a particularly nice touch.

So that's 7 venues ticked off in 89 parkruns, as well as Baddie's pirate ship. Back home in Southsea next week, I think. Onwards and upwards!!

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UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanley
Graduate10
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24 Replies
Oldgirlruns profile image
OldgirlrunsGraduate10

Nicely put UTS!!

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate10

Lovely run report. 👍😊 Such fun to see the detail. And Mr & Mrs Lexi6 have marked another stage in their Royal Running Progress around the UK’s parkruns. 👏🏼😄

Sorry about the footie disappointment. Mr GS and son are long-term Fulham supporters, so know how that goes....

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply toGranspeed

Isn’t it funny how 3 people can post about the same event and you learn about it from a different perspective. I am sure you would like this one Granspeed.

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate10 in reply toDexy5

I agree about the perspectives! As for the course, I think a genuine tortoise could probably cause major chaos on those bridges and slopes! 🤣 Maybe by the time I’ve done my own 10k I’ll be up to braving the crowds for a 5K. 😊🐢

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10 in reply toGranspeed

I think all the tortoises started at or very near to the back at Wilmslow. I started in the middle, and don't remember having to pass any. Whereas at Southsea there are quite a few regulars who always start way further forward than they should :-( . Good for practicing the sidestep, though :-)

Granspeed profile image
GranspeedGraduate10 in reply toUpTheStanley

🤣🤣

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate10

Very detailed report from you UTS, not sure if Dexy would be happy with you lapsing her 3 times.

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10 in reply toAlMorr

No no Al, I meant we passed one another 3 times going in opposite directions :-) . I might just about lap her if we ever come across a course that is five 1k laps, but no chance otherwise!

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply toUpTheStanley

Ooh I can’t think of anything worse than a parkrun with 5 laps and being overtaken by the greyhounds - so I don’t think that will happen.

AlMorr profile image
AlMorrAmbassadorGraduate10 in reply toDexy5

Most parkruns have 3 laps, however, the one I was at on Saturday has two, I have not heard of any which have 5, I think that would cause headaches for volunteers and runners alike.

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10 in reply toDexy5

Highbury Fields is one of my not yet done London parkruns and is a 5 lapper.

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10 in reply toCoddfish

Highbury Fields in London is a 5 lapper. I don’t know of any others.

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10 in reply toCoddfish

You are going to have to do it sometime then - to get your Lon done

Dexy5 profile image
Dexy5Graduate10

Yes my distance was 4.98 - I should have kept running until it reached 5k. 😂😂

cheekychipmunks profile image
cheekychipmunksGraduate10

Sounds like an interesting and varied PR UTS. So it sounds like you’d have been on for another PB if it wasn’t for the congested parts. You’re flying! 👍🏃‍♂️

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10 in reply tocheekychipmunks

I’m certainly happy with how things are going, Cheeky, but even with a clear track I wouldn’t have got anywhere near 24’30” on that course, let alone 24’. The last climb did produce a rude word which I hope the turning point marshal realised was aimed at the hill, not him 😜

Coddfish profile image
CoddfishGraduate10

Great report UTS, shame about the Stanley. I looked at the Wilmslow course and have to say it looks pretty tough.

JonathanP profile image
JonathanPGraduate10

Interesting course layout UTS - that bridge must test the patience of any greyhounds! Well done on being first in your age group 👍

backintime profile image
backintimeGraduate10

I like reading these "same run different reports" : )

Well done on your 25 mins...even if the 7 seconds put you over the sub 25 mins it's still a great time !

I hate those anti cyclist things...I have about 10 on my riverside run...lots of ins and outs.

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduate10

No VAR controversy though!

🐱 Katnap 🐱

UpTheStanley profile image
UpTheStanleyGraduate10 in reply toKatnap

Not in League 1, no - but one tangerine moron chucked a flare at our keeper 🙁

Katnap profile image
KatnapGraduate10 in reply toUpTheStanley

Annoying if they seem to get away with it!

Sandie1961 profile image
Sandie1961Graduate10

Lovely descriptive report UTS although I think Dexy’s description of a boat with a slope at each end was easier to visualise 😂 We’ve got a narrow bridge about 150m from the start in Lincoln and a narrow degraded tarmac path through the trees, which slow everyone down except for the gazelles who are through before anybody else can catch up. That’s my excuse for my fastest run being 2 minutes slower than at Market Rasen PR anyway!

MuddledGardener profile image
MuddledGardenerGraduate10

Lovely report, and great time! 👏👏👏

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