event #101 parkrun #374
Back in that London for the second time in a week, this time to see the legend Barry Manilow. After the excitement of my 100th event last week, I wasn’t too bothered whether I ran or not, but the day dawned bright and sunny and so off I went. And a very enjoyable morning it turned out to be.
Access:
Those of us who don’t actually live in London sometimes find it hard to work out which one to choose. It’s all very well looking at a map to see which is closest, but that may not translate into easiest to get to. I toyed with Victoria Dock and Burgess, but in the end decided that Mile End would be the simplest to get to, being only 5 stops on the Central Line from where I was staying near Covent Garden. From the charming tube station, turn left and you’ll soon find yourself at an entrance to Mile End Park. Start and finish is by the stadium.
Facilities:
Loos are in the stadium, bikes can be left there too. There’s a Raggedy School museum and cafe for afterwards, or other cafes nearby.
Course:
The park itself is a long narrow strip crossing over the main road via a bridge. So it’s sort of “out and back” with a tight turnaround point (watch out for those bollards!).
The paths are like a dual carriageway, faster runners tend to use both lanes at the start, but as the crowd thins out keep to the left. Tarmac path all the way, some slight inclines over the bridge, and super views of the city skyline.
Crowd:
I got my first ever “Dolly or Bev” in the wild, from Ruth and Brian, currently on 126 with no repeats. I also chatted to visitors from Manchester and the Netherlands. The crowd seemed youngish in age, and the course is also suitable for buggies or dogs (but not both). Big numbers, so a complicated finish funnel.
Gear:
I had travelled in my blue Hokas, and wore my wind proof black trousers and my With Me Now t shirt, and of course my cow cowl.
Time:
I stopped to take photos, so my time was just under 50 minutes.
Strangely Appropriate Song on Shuffle:
I didn’t have headphones in, but we had put Barry on Spotify that morning, so I was humming Copacabana to myself.
All My parkruns:
NI (and other) parkruns: summary list
Filed under: London, Parkrun, running | Tagged: Mile End, parkrun tourism | 1 Comment »
Dancing At Lunacy 