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Kettering parkrun

After the celebrations and hectic schedule of the festive break, this week was to be the first "normal" run for a while. My goal this week was therefore to make more progress towards completing the alphabet challenge, and so I headed to Kettering to tick off a "K".

The area

Kettering is a market town located in the Midlands of England, historically famous for its shoe industry, but now a major distribution centre due to its central location.

Wicksteed Park is one of Kettering's greenspaces, located in the south of the tow, and is home to the second oldest theme park in the country. In addition to the theme park, it also has a rose garden, a lake, and a miniature railway.

The rose garden at Wicksteed Park

The course

The course follows two laps of the main tarmac paths around the park, running alongside the miniature railway for a section, before crossing the lake over a wooden pontoon.

There is free parking near to the start, and toilets and a cafe in the building a short distance away.

The run

There was a bigger than expected crowd at this week's event, probably owing to the swell of resolutioners.

The course was slightly flooded aroung the miniature railway crossing, and so we were told during the run briefing that it was ok to run along the railway itself, although this was easier said than done, as like any railway, there was a lot of loose balast, as well as sleepers to consider for every footstep.

The wooden pontoon across the lake was an interesting experience. It felt stable enough, but each step was slightly cushioned, making it slightly bouncy.

I didn't really notice it until the end of the first lap, but there was a definite incline to contend with, which added an extra dynamic to the run.

Thank you to all of the volunteers this week. We were fortunate to avoid any rain during the run, but it seemed like it could rain at any point!

Links: Results | Strava

References: Wicksteed Park

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Location: Wicksteed Park, Barton Rd, Kettering NN15 6NJ, UK

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