Ian Runs

With the summer weather returning, I decided that this week would be an ideal opportunity to run at Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun, as it would also mean spending the day at the seaside during nice weather! The area Located on the northern bank of the River Yare, Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun has a reputation as being one of the more challenging parkruns in the UK, owing to being run entirely on a sandy beach. Thanks to its reputation, many local runners tend to steer towards Gorleston Cliffs parkrun on the southern bank of the River Yare, which is run entirely on tarmac, although it too has a challenging hill! While Great Yarmouth's history is tied to the fishing industry, the modern town is both a popular holiday location, with many people visiting the beaches, piers, and other amusements, while staying in the many local caravan parks, as well as supporting the offshore renewable industry, with the port providing a base for the construction of components for win...

After running Brighton Marathon last week, I was in desperate need of an easy recovery run this week, in all senses! Flegg High parkrun ticks all of the boxes I was looking for, in that it is a flat, small event, with some off-road surfaces to help with the recovery. The area Flegg High parkrun is hosted by Flegg High Ormiston Academy - an academy in the village of Martham, near Great Yarmouth, in Norfolk. The village of Martham is a primarily residential area, while also being home to Martham Broad - a nature reserve slightly north of the town. The course The route at Flegg High follows three laps of the perimeter of the school grounds, taking in the playing grounds as well as the school's playground. The course is run on many surfaces, including tarmac, gravel, and grass, but can best be thought of as 2-thirds off-road (mainly grass) and 1-third on-road (gravel and tarmac). Toilets are available in the school, and free parking is available on site. The run Tod...