Woodgate Valley Country parkrun – The One With Horsey Hill

We headed to Woodgate Valley Country parkrun despite the fact that we knew the founder of parkrun, Paul Sinton-Hewitt was going to be at Cirencester parkrun. There were two reasons for this. One being that without going abroad for yet another extra day I wouldn’t get my Cowell by the end of the year. Secondly, because this parkrun is near where I experienced domestic violence. With the abuser potentially being nearby.

Woodgate Valley Country Park, Clapgate Lane, Bartley Green, Birmingham, B32 3DS

Facilities

There are currently no open toilets at Woodgate Valley Country Park parkrun. However, there is a free carpark and play area.

Please note that the finish is near to where the carpark is. There is a sign directing you, and a bit of a walk to the start. Thankfully a kind volunteer took our bag of waters bag up Horsey Hill with them!

This is also where you will find the Woodgate Valley Park parkrun sign. At the end there was a lot of people around it.

You can also get there by the number 23 bus or by walking.

Course at Woodgate Valley Country Park parkrun

The first timers briefing was really brief in its description as it is a relative simple course. Lovely gentle downhill for 2km. Followed by the “Bonnie Tyler Turnaround.”

Unfortunately, it’s then 2km back up that gentle hill! If that wasn’t enough there’s an even steeper “horsey hill.” Thankfully the end is a horseshoe shape of around the field. This is a left turn at the top of the hill.

Apart from the field at the end, the course is on solid hard paths. The weather had been good so it was all dry when we went.

This is a no dogs course. It can be quite narrow in places and we were asked to keep left.

My Experience of at Woodgate Valley Country Park parkrun

As always such lovely volunteers. As I have already mentioned, a lady kindly took our water back up. But there was lots of praising milestones, DofE participants and a very special mention to the RD on 250 volunteers. He got a poem and a badge for it!

As I said I was worried about being in the area. There’s absolutely no reason why he should have been at a parkrun but still my husband stayed with me the whole time. Of course I ran too quickly, then slowed down! Walked a lot and of course a sprint finish at the end!

My Stats

Finishing in 27:27. Not bad considering the hills, the fact I took photos, oh and walked a lot! Fifth in my age category out of 14. First in my age was an incredible 22:09.

Our Boys

One of the boys hung on in third place until the hill. But he came 5^th and 1^st in his age category. It was his first time in the 18-19s. Okay he was the only one! This also meant that he didn’t share an age group with his brother, so he was also able to come first in his age category. At least there were two!

Woodgate Valley Country Park parkrun Stats – Event 208

• 174 participants.
  • 87 male, 77 female and 10 unknown.
• Ranging from 18:05-1:03:43.
• First female was the lady who was first in my age category! Her age grading was 71.71%. This was the highest female age grading. The highest male age grading was 79.66% in a time of 26:23 (VM80-84).
• With 90 sub 30.
• Well done to those 28 PBs – just for returning to do those hills!

• Thanks to 20 hi-vis heroes.
• There were 3 people completely new to parkrun and 27 tourists on their first visit to Woodgate Valley County Park parkrun.

Other parkruns we have completed nearby:

Cannon Hill parkrun (4.5m), Sandwell Valley parkrun (5.1m), Dudley parkrun (6.1m), Brunswick Park parkrun (7.4m), Oaklands parkrun (8.0m), Walsall Arboretum parkrun (9.7m), East Park parkrun (9.8m), Sutton Park parkrun (10.2m)

Visit these other bloggers who cover parkrun: Sarah at Mum of Three World, Jackie at Never Imitate and Chrissy at It’s Me Chrissy J