Some events are really must-do locations and Land’s End parkrun was one of them. So when I found a cheap Sun Holiday deal camp just over half an hour away it seemed the right time to get it ticked off my parkrun Bucket list! Obviously as this is the last parkrun in the UK it took my greatest distance between two parkruns up to 2144.4km (between there and Vingis).
Land’s End, Sennen, Penzance, Cornwall, TR19 7AA
Facilities and Attractions at Land’s End parkrun
- Parking at Land’s End parkrun is free for Cornish residents
- £7.50 for us from 4am-midnight. Believe you can go and come back, we didn’t
- Toilets
- Play area
- Shops
- Ice cream
- Cornish pasty’s
- Crazy golf
- Restaurant
- Hotel
- Model Village
- Picnic area
- First and Last House
- RSPB Hut
- Lighthouse
- Land’s End Signpost – note that the real one you have to pay for, but there’s a smaller one out you can get a photo by before the parkrun starts.
You can get there by bike but to be fair I had never considered just how much of a challenge cycling from John O’Groats would be until I saw a cyclist struggling up a steep hill on our way there!
Land’s End parkrun Course
The Land’s End parkrun course has changed apparently. Now it starts by the carpark. All on path it heads away from the attractions for two out and back laps (both with 2 turn around points each).
Before heading back and finishing by the model village.
There are ascent and descents and some loose stones. People seemed to slow a lot on the down, possibly worried about slipping on the stones.
Land’s End parkrun is a no dogs course.
My Experience Jeffing at Land’s End parkrun
Knowing that it was meant to be hillier than you’d anticipate, and the fact that my husband and son would be walking (or so I thought) I decided to complete it by Jeffing. Opting for a ratio of running for 2 minutes (and 30 second walk).
Couldn’t Jeff at first but was easy enough once crowd thinned. Obviously had to be mindful of the two way traffic and sometimes had to go slower than I would like.
The Local Runner
A young lady (who ended up finishing behind me) was running really well and helped keep me going. When she slowed down I encouraged her and told her how great she was doing. Like me she thought it was still too hot. On an exposed by the water course in October we were hoping for a little less heat!
Looking at the results it appears that she may live fairly locally to me too!
Orange Runner
Another person to keep me going was a man in a nice bright orange top. Obviously I was yo-yoing with him and at points it was tricky to overtake as it was narrow and people going both ways.
After I had a chat with him and he was not only fine with it but had done an endurance race recently and had had a man doing exactly the same!
The Rest of My Family at Land’s End parkrun
Our son realised he did not have his trainers after a 6 hour drive to the holiday camp! As my husband wasn’t well they agreed to walk together. Son was wearing his high tops that blister quite a lot.
However, my husband ended up running half of it – and that was despite the fact that he was also wearing his jeans!
Going Back
Checking with the RD that it was okay first I headed back down the course to encourage them in. Telling people how well they were doing along the way. One lady even slowed to say thank you and that she recognised that it was me also cheering people whilst I was on the course.
My husband ran by and gave me his sweater but I could not see our son. Eventually I got to the turnaround point and a marshal told me what my son was wearing. She didn’t think he wanted to do it – but he was doing it. When I found him he said it was due to the blistering.
By this point my husband had also come back to find us and we all went to the finish.
Almost No Time
Obviously we cut off into the road sooner so that we didn’t confuse the timers. Then the RD asked me where my son was and I pointed at him going across the line. There was some confusion and he nearly didn’t end up with a time because they didn’t think he was a parkrunner. Apparently people just get off the coach and walk through the finish funnel.
In fairness he had his headphones on, although he says that he did say that he had done it. Luckily he was given a time though – we said we weren’t concerned as to how accurate it was.
Land’s End parkrun Stats Event 284
122 finishers at Land’s End parkrun Event 284. Between the times of 20:15-63:30. With First Lady at 24:12.
Highest age grade 77.37% (VM55-59) 20:33
Female highest 69.84% (VW55-59) 25:35
13 PBs
2 sub 21
19 sub 25
44 sub 28
58 sub 30
3 First Timers
43 Tourists
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