We headed to Victoria Embankment parkrun in Nottingham. Although popular with alphabteers for the letter V, we headed there was it was on event number 18. This, of course, I needed for my Wilson Index. Plus it is near the football ground if you are ticking off that challenge!
Victoria Embankment, Nottingham, NG2 2JY
w3w: ///really.ropes.remind.
Available Facilities at Victoria Embankment parkrun
Victoria Embankment parkrun has the following facilities:
- There is free parking at Nottinghamshire County Council’s County Hall NG2 7QP. This is a short walk from the start (there’s a cut through from the carpark that gets you to the start quicker than leaving the carpark and walking out and around.
- Also accessible on foot, bus, train and tram.
- Toilets are available at the start but there was a long queue.
- We headed to the nearby McDonald’s afterwards which was a short walk from the carpark.
- Plus there’s also a café (again see above).
Course at Victoria Embankment parkrun
Victoria Embankment parkrun is a fast course. Obviously I think the runners attending make a difference with this too and I could tell from those warming up they were going to pull us along.
Two and half laps on tarmac. Mostly flat but with a tiny bit of incline. Strava says the elevational gain of the course was 5m.They joked about their “hill” because it really is nothing.
When reading it I was confused about the bit where it asks you not to overtake on the steps but when you arrive you will clearly see that this is because someone may be at risk of falling into the water!
We were also asked not to climb on the wall to overtake either – however there still was a guy that did!
My Experience
Personally I believe that Victoria Embankment parkrun is another lovely parkrun and definitely one I would consider doing again if we ever start repeating. Especially as the lovely Rotary Club of Nottingham were cheering us on and gave us chocolates at the end!
Think with it being fast and a v it will definitely be popular.
Am assuming it was because they were low number hunting too but it was nice to see other parkrun tourists that I knew.
The Briefing
Unfortunately people started talking during the briefing making it hard to hear. There was someone signing but it was really busy so I couldn’t see her properly (if I had been able to understand). The course description sounded over complicated and I knew to just follow the people in front. However, I did think the finish was going to come a lot sooner than it did. Not helped by people speeding up when I thought it was a good distance to do so from the finish.
The Start
Think it would have helped to have the briefing a little way away then walk to the start to line up in order of finish time.
Lining Up and Self-Seeding
As lining up you could tell it would be a slow start as there was grass at the edges for people to go round and cut in front of you. Plus I could see those I knew to be slower further forward than me. Then someone with a 30 minute sign stood further forward than we were and several of us tried to move so that it was behind us.
However, there was a great clear count down to the start. Plus, even though slow to start moving we did go quickly.
My Run
The weather had cooled and my first 2km I did really well. But then I started struggling with my breathing. A nice lady tried to help me by telling me to breathe in through my nose and out through my mouth. Giving that my all I managed to hang on a bit longer but soon I just couldn’t keep with her.
Next I tried to keep going with another man. Again I was fine until I told him that he was pacing me for a PB. Then he said about going off too fast. But by 3km I gave up and walked. From then on in I walked a lot.
Obviously not an overall parkrun PB but my fastest time this year with 26m 51s (60.96%).
Event 18 Victoria Embankment parkrun Stats
- 585 participants at Victoria Embankment parkrun event 18
- 333 male, 232 female and 19 unknown
- 16:20-1:10:26
- Fastest female 18:32 (80.76% – SW18-19)
- 108 PBs
- 16 first timers
- 249 tourists
Age Gradings
Impressive highest age gradings with 91% in the VW55-59 category (19:38) and 81.82% highest male in the JM10 category (19:59). As the question is usually asked, yes he had an adult with the same surname finishing at exactly the same time as him!
First in my age grade was a time of 20:42 and that wasn’t even her course (and overall) PB of 20:20!
Finish Times
- 580 within the hour
- 574 less than 50 minutes
- 549 sub 40
- 398 sub 30
- Personally I was one of the 261 sub 27 (26:51)
- My husband one of the 220 sub 26 (25:51) – with only a minute between us he couldn’t get out the finish funnel quick enough to get my finishing picture.
- 177 sub 25
- 101 sub 23
- 51 finished in 21 minutes and quicker
- 26 sub 20
- 16 sub 19
- 2 sub 18
- And 1 sub 17
Once again I haven’t done any of the nearby parkruns.
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 and Nickie at I am Typecast