So, bit the bullet and tried my first parkrun, about 5-6 weeks after graduation.
Super day for it, bright and sunny, not too cold and not too windy.
Marshals were very helpful, pointed out the course and the procedure. I thought you had to have your barcode scanned at the start, but no, just at the end.
I've never run in a group or at any kind of event before and I made the mistake of starting quite near the back, which made it difficult to get past people not going at the pace I wanted to, at least initially though things soon opened out.
The course has a bit of an undulation in the middle which wasn't too much of an issue. Amazed at how fast people can run 5k though! I finished 117 out of 163 in a time of 27:37 which is a little slower than I've done 5k before, but not much. There were markings every km and at some of those points there was a marshal shouting out times. Also there was a 30 minute pacer runner, which was useful.
There's some photos at flickr.com/groups/porthcawl... though I'm not telling you which ones I'm in 
So I'd recommend doing a parkrun, though I probably won't do it every week, but it's a nice change of scene and running environment.
First Parkrun!
My first Parkrun - Harcourt Hill, Oxford
First Parkrun
First Parkrun!
First Parkrun!
