event #53 parkrun #219
I’m not sure if this one qualifies for the longest name of any parkrun, but I’m sure glad I didn’t have to get it to scan or rhyme in my “50 Ways” video!
Having missed out on Crissy Field last year (I may have mentioned this a couple of times….) I literally whooped with delight when I discoverd that a brand new parkrun was starting up which was reachable from New York, and that I would be there on a Saturday! And so for their event number 3, I set off to join them on my first one outside UK and Ireland.
Access:
OK, so it’s doable from Manhattan, but only by the really dedicated and serious tourist! It’s in New Jersey, so the NJ Tranist system is your first friend. We were staying on 35th Street, just a couple of blocks from Penn Station, and I’d timed how long it would take us to walk there in time to catch a 7 am-ish train. Your next and most important friend is the Facebook page. So far, this has been outstanding at giving advice and and arranging station pick-ups for visiting tourists, and it was from FB that I contacted Neil, who offered to pick us up from New Brunswick station. A return train ticket cost $28. If you were going to get a taxi or Uber from there, it’s about 8 miles away.
A fellow tourist travelled out from her more southerly Manhattan base via the PATH, getting a lift at Bridgewater. There definitely needs to be a volunteer credit for these fabulous local folk!
Facilities:
The Park is huge, and there is good parking and some restrooms nearby. No cafe on site, and the usual meet-up spot was closed for Labor Day when I was there. It was very hot and humid in September, so do bring some water and maybe a small towel. Start and finish are very close, so it’s easy enough to leave coats and bags there.
Course:
The pre-run brief takes place by the lovely wooden bridge across the canal, and the start is on the far side. From there it’s an out-and-back along the side of the canal, with a turnaround point well marked, and across the bridge to finish. There’s one section of brick slipway, where you need to watch your step, but it’s flat the whole way.
Crowd:
Young and enthusiastic! parkrun is still just getting going in the States, and there were only 36 runners there on my visit. I’m sure it will be a “must do” for dedicated tourists, in the future, as well as attracting more home grown participants.
Time:
Running in the heat and humidity is hard work, especially for an Irish woman more used to the wind and rain. But I was happy enough with my 32-ish time, and even more delighted that I grabbed a new age-category record.
Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:
I was running with no music, enjoying the sounds of the cicadas, but I did use the old Perry Como hit “What did Delaware” as my Cracker Says Facebook post.
Filed under: New York, Parkrun, running, Uncategorized | Tagged: Delaware and Raritan Canal |
Dancing At Lunacy 
[…] Delaware and Raritan Canal […]