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Evesham parkrun

Today was a strange day. Rumours of petrol truck driver shortages had triggered a run on petrol stations, and so I questioned whether I should tour locally, or whether I should continue with my original plans and run at an "E" event. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that I would take advantage of the fact I have a number of relatively close events that I'm yet to run if I couldn't refuel before next parkrunday, and so I went ahead and made my way to Evesham parkrun!

The area

Perhaps best known for its fruit and vegetable produce, Evesham is a small town situated on a peninsula of the River Avon. The town retains much of its historic roots, as well as picturesque housing along the bank of the river.

The town's Abbey, as well as its high street are pleasant settings to explore after your run, each with histories dating to medieval times.

Evesham Abbey behind the local war memorial

The course

Evesham parkrun's route follows two laps of a two-legged out-and-back along the River Avon's tow path, with a short section on grass near to the start/finish funnel. Road shoes are fine for this course, and even though the course is flat, it's not really a PB course owing to runners sharing the path while running in opposite directions at several points, and some sharp turnarounds at each end.

Free parking is available near to the start, thanks to the owners of the nearby cafe, which is well attended after the run. Paid parking is also available at the far end of the course, in a car park which also features a toilet block.

The run

I planned for this to be an easy effort, as I was recovering from a more intense running week, and the damp weather didn't do anything to change my mind. The start was on an uneven grassy area, which allowed the field to immediately spread out, which was useful, as the main tow path didn't lend itself to overtaking.

As I emerged from the bridge half way along the first loop, the leaders ran past on their return leg. As I continued, I eventually reached two smiley marshals at the turnaround point, and headed towards the start area.

Thank you to the whole event team for a great event, and an extra thanks to the marshals at the far turaround point for being so cheerful despite the poor weather!

Links: Results | Strava

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Location: Hampton Ferry, Boat Ln, Evesham WR11 4BP, UK

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