On 2 October 2004, 13 runners and 2 volunteers lined up in Bushy Park, London for a 5k timed run and parkrun was born. 20 years on, there are parkruns in 23 countries (832 in Britain, 495 in Australia) that bring the community together to run, jog, walk or volunteer every Saturday morning. The format is simple and consistent – 5km, free, forever. Last week Bushy celebrated its 1000th run with 6204 runners and 135 volunteers. It was described as ‘Mad, Brilliant, Fun’ by the volunteer team.
I’m so grateful that parkrun got me running consistently in 2015. Those early parkruns laid the foundation for 8 marathons, countless friends, maintaining my physical and mental wellbeing. The opportunity to attend the home of parkrun for event 1001 was not to be missed although I hadn’t realised *quite* how far out of London it is… 45 minutes on the train and a 2km walk at the other end. Thankfully Bernadette and Emma were also up for the challenge, so we headed off early-ish, glad that it doesn’t start until 9:00.
Bushy Park is huge – over 1000 acres and the second largest of the Royal Parks in London. It’s between Teddington and Hampton, quiet little places with little else happening on a Saturday morning. The park was established with Hampton Court Palace in the early 1500s. King Henry VIII acquired the palace in 1520 and enjoyed the opportunities for hunting the wild deer. For me, they were an unexpected bonus after the no-deer experience at Wollaton Park last week.
The mile-long Chestnut Avenue leading from Teddington was designed by Sir Christopher Wren as a formal approach to the palace for King William III and Queen Mary II in the late 1600s. The ‘Diana Fountain’ that forms the large roundabout between the palace and Chestnut Avenue was moved from Somerset House by King Charles I in 1713, a reflection of his passion for fountains.
We arrived at about 8:05 with no sign of parkrun at all – surely I hadn’t missed a cancellation?!?! At about 8:20 the first volunteer arrived and released the pop up signs, ready for the photo queue to form. Some running photo opportunities are not to be missed 🙂 This was Emma’s first parkrun experience, and Bernadette’s second – what an intro!
Everything is exactly the same as my home parkruns at South Bank and Main Beach, just with a couple of Bushy twists… the first-timer’s briefing came with a a great dose of British humour, fellow parkrunners and volunteers were warm and friendly, and Pillie the volunteer rabbit was proudly wearing his 25 milestone t-shirt. Yes, a volunteer rabbit!!!
Of course, there were a couple of Aussies… Maz who recently competed in the paralympic shotput, and Nicky from Springfield runners. I’ve since learned that there was a family from WA and two other runners from South Bank.
There aren’t many parkruns that could cope with the numbers that Bushy gets each week. The starting area and first 100 metres are really wide allowing the crowd to spread out before hitting narrow paths, and they have a finely tuned funnel system at the finish line. The 5k in between is completely flat, and probably gets a little boggy in wet weeks! Volunteers are outstanding, the locals are super friendly, and my running cup was filled to overflowing.
Meanwhile back in London, Mum, Evie and Andree were making the most of a beautiful clear morning with a trip to St Paul’s (coincidentally also designed by Sir Christopher Wren!). One of my Great Uncles was a chorister here, and I remember visiting as a kid not long after the wedding of Charles and Di. I love the smiles in this photo, particularly as all 3 are such reluctant subjects!
By the time we got back from parkrun it was well and truly lunch time, so we headed to Borough Market. There was so much on offer, but a fish and chip sized hole remained in my English culinary journey so it had to be done, consumed while weaving through the massive crowds.
The fresh food looks great, and so much more homely than the Harrods offering – massive sausage rolls, oysters and fish, and enormous pans of paella. Cheese, hams, olives, spices… so much to choose from.
A few hours to go… we shared final drinks in a local pub, and then tripped to St Pancras together for final goodbyes. Family that you’re proud to call friends are the best type xxx
Rachel was a big advocate for the Eurostar from London, and now I get it. It’s SO MUCH EASIER than a trip to Heathrow! I’d booked Standard Premium, knowing that Mum and I were likely to be pretty worn out, and I couldn’t fault the comfort and quality of the whole experience. Despite being a little nervous about the tunnel, the first we knew of it was ‘Welcome to France’ – as incomprehensible as ABBA!
Train to Brussels, train to Ghent, tram to the historical city, topped off with 400m of suitcases on cobblestones! Very relieved to arrive and settle in for the next 5 days and explore where it all began for my beautiful Mum.
Love M & BB xx
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