For the first Saturday of 2024 we headed for Gloucester City parkrun. It was their event 210 which has a nice ring about it. Also many parkruns had been cancelled due to flooding. This was one that didn’t involve much travelling (and an increased risk of not getting back home if there was more rain). Also it is a tarmac path – meaning we knew it wasn’t too wet and dirty.
Getting to Gloucester City parkrun
Gloucester City parkrun is easy to find. We park at the Go Outdoors where there were a couple of parkrun marshals in attendance. There are many other parkrun/parkwalk participants who also park there so you can just follow them if you do not know where you are going. But it is really simply across the main road (which is traffic light controlled), then follow the park path until you see the start sign.
Family friendly parkrun
Apart from the fact that Gloucester City parkrun is all on path (so great for pushchairs) there is also a park and an aviary. There are also toilets and a café available.
My Experience of Gloucester City parkrun
First thing to note is that they have changed the course slightly since we last went. Now there’s 3 large laps first and a short one at the end. This was much better as it spread out the runners/walkers more quickly. It also felt less tiring having a shorter one last – and was easier to sprint finish. Although still not the easiest to jeff or sprint – and definitely not a PB parkrun course for myself.
I jogged the first lap and then jeffed the rest. Son lapped me what felt really early on! When jeffing I was aware of faster runners wanting to pass so I had to look for a gap and really go for it so as to get back into a new gap to move out of their way. Son and who I was running with I saw went on the grass in order to overtake.
Gloucester City parkrun Statistics
The week we attended there were 287 participants ranging from 17:22 to 1:03:15. Of those 150 were through in under 30 minutes. The highest age grade that week was 87.08% by a female in the age 50-54 category.
Our fastest son came 23rd with a new course pb of 21:24. Youngest got a new course record with 29:29 and Husband got a new course record of 30:24.
There are an average 197.9 finishers per week, with an average finish time of 29:04. The female course record 18:25; Male record 15:25 and Age graded record 90.63%. The Average finish time 30:30.
Gloucester Park, Park Road in Westgate ward, Gloucester, GL1 1LY
Gloucester North (1.4m), Kingsway (2.9m), King George V Playing Field (6.4m), Stonehouse 7.6m), Stratford Park, Stroud (7.6m), Cheltenham (7.9m), Newent (8.5m), Tewkesbury (9.6m), Mallards Pike (13.2m), Cirencester (14.8m)
Well done to everyone for their fast times! Gloucester City is a nice parkrun. It’s interesting that they’ve changed the course a bit. I did it on New Year’s Day in both 2019 and 2020, but haven’t been back since.