I’d harboured a bit of a question mark over whether I’d be able to make this one. All my nearby easily accesible events have now been done, so any additional ones require a bit of effort and sacrifice. I knew I could squeeze Edinburgh into my week at St Andrews summer school, but it would mean missing one class. I’d applied for some financial assistance to attend the course, and would have felt morally wrong in doing this had that been forthcoming. As it was, it was with a clear consience that I boarded the X60 bus which took a lovely leisurely journey along the Fife coastal route to the capital.
Access:
Aside from the scenic bus route, the Edinburgh course is sited at Cramond promenade. Car park spaces are few, thought there is plenty of additional space at the Silverknowes approach. Many people chose to arrive by bike, and it’s also a short stroll from the no.41 bus route.
Judging from the lowness of the planes passing overhead, it would be a short taxi ride from the airport, should you find a suitably early flight. Don’t forget, it’s a 9.30 start in Scotland!
I was staying in a lovely Air BnB a short distance away, and my 10 minute stroll to the start line went along the Almond river, where I heard a woodpecker, and saw this little chap chewing some nuts and spitting the shells into the water below.
Bobbing among the boats was a craft called “Sea Dancer”, and as this run was putting the E into my spelling out DANCER in parkruns, I smiled at the congruence.
Course:
This is a dead flat route, out and back with a loop at one end, named in honour of a departed and much missed local runner.
The views are just magnificent, and I was stopping to take photos as I went. As a bridge afficianado, it was inspiring to see the tips of the now 3 Forth bridges to Fife, the latest Queesnferry crossing being a stunning creation.
The course is fast, and as I hit the 2km marker, the top runners were passing me on their return leg. The male course record is 14.31, the female 16.35.
Facilities:
There are some clean toilets near the start line, and a choice of nearby cafes for coffee afterwards.
Gear:
I was wearing my cow cowl, and met up with some fellow tourists, celebrating birthdays and anniversaries. 
My earphones died just at the start, so I ran with my phone in my hand, ready to take pictures along the way.
This allowed me to hear all the great support from marshalls and others.
People:
It’s not Scotland’s oldest parkrun, but it is by far its biggest attended. There were nearly 600 running the day I was there, but their record is 731. The numbers increase during Edinburgh Festival season…
The first timers brief was one of the most energetic I’ve ever experienced – the guy delivering it and I worked out we’d met before when he’d been in a group of Scottish runners doing all the Norn Irn parkruns in a weekend, and I’d been at Wallace dishing out haribos.
He threw away anyone’s water bottles, named and shamed those with no barcode, and asked questions at the end of the brief!
I was most impressed by the support outside the cafe, calling out cheery encouragement to many runners by name, and reminding us that we were “living the dream! Scotland’s Bondi beach!”
There were a couple of 250 shirt wearers.
And as I’m spelling my way through the word DANCER, I’m trying to get someone with the correct inital to affix the letter to my tracker. I asked around at the first timers brief, and found a willing Emily (who only went on to be 2nd lady!)
Strangely Approrpirate Song On Shuffle:
Music I had none, so I just had to listen to my breathing. Which I reckoned was in jig time, (as opposed to jog time) and the tune going through my head was Brian the Laundry Boy, by Maureen Rutherford, which Adam Brady had played most beautifully during the demonstration team performance earlier in the week. The tune starts at 2:57.
Time:
33.31
Well, I had no Minnie, no music, kept stopping to take photos, and hadn’t run all week. Yes, I’d been dancing morning, noon, nad night, but that’s different muscles and different breathing. And anyway, as I’m fond of saying, don’t knock yourself out on a first visit – leave yourself room to grab a PB on a return visit. Of which I truly hope there will be, some day.
Filed under: Dance, Parkrun, running, Scotland, Scottish Country Dance, travel | Tagged: Edinburgh parkrun, parkrun DANCER |
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