With the rise of running in social media, it can be hard to know where to start (or if you should even start at all!). Sometimes it’s best to go back to what has always worked, and that’s Parkun! If you’ve never heard of Parkrun, it started 20 years ago and is a free, volunteer led 5k run held every Saturday at 9am with events taking place in 1,288 locations within the UK. The great thing about this, whether you’re new to running or an OG Parkrunner, is that you don’t even have to run – you can jog or even walk, so there’s no pressure to be the best straight away! As this is an event held within communities, and is run by volunteers, there’s an extremely friendly, relaxed atmosphere, with all age groups taking part. It is the perfect way to begin your weekend! As students in Nottingham, we have two great Parkruns to choose from, both of which I have thoroughly enjoyed running, and I’m here to give my thoughts on them!
We all know and love Wollaton Hall and Park, but did you know that Parkrun is held there? Wollaton is such a charming place, and you run right through the park, down by the lake and around the hall, with amazing views of the whole area. This has definitely got to be one of the most beautiful Parkrun routes out there! As someone who enjoys running, but is by no means good at it, this route is quite hilly which can be tiring but they’re nothing extreme, and again, the atmosphere of Parkrun means that there’s absolutely no pressure to run the whole way or gain any new PBs. It’s all about getting outside and enjoying the scenery, of which Wollaton certainly provides! If you fancy a treat after the run, there is a cafe on site which sells yummy hot drinks and food, and also provides free water, making it a lovely place to sit and chat to your friends or any new people you meet. If you live in Lenton, it can take about 40 minutes to walk there, or 15 minutes on the bus, which is something to bear in mind, especially as students who don’t want to wake up too early! I love Wollaton Parkrun because of the setting, and running with my friends makes it even more enjoyable – it is undoubtedly not one to miss!
The other option is the Forest Recreation Ground. This is perhaps the less well known event but is just as much fun! Forest Rec is definitely closer to Lenton than Wollaton – there are no buses, but it takes around 10-20 minutes to walk there, which means you don’t have to wake up too much before the run! It seems to be a bit of a theme with Parkruns in Nottingham that they love a hill, and Forest Rec is certainly not the exception, but there is only one this time and it’s quite fun to see how far up you can run so it should not put you off this option! The rest of the route is pretty much flat, which makes for a nice rest after the hill. Compared to the Wollaton Parkrun in terms of route difficulty, Wollaton’s hills are more frequent but less steep, whereas the Forest Rec hills are far and few but steep, so it depends what you’re looking for in that respect. In terms of views, Forest Rec is a lovely, green space but, in my opinion, just doesn’t compare to the sights offered by Wollaton. There is also a cafe which is a great place for a post run treat and chat!
Both Parkruns are great options and I’ve had many an enjoyable run in both places. I’d say it’s worth going to both and seeing which you like more as everyone has different preferences and these routes do offer different things! Parkrun is such a great organisation and makes running far more fun and entertaining as you run with other people, and the atmosphere adds something special to it. It feels like a community, adding a sense of relaxation and ease to running, as opposed to what we see on social media, where running is something that should be taken seriously and that you should always be trying to improve. As students, it’s often hard to find the time to exercise, but Parkrun takes only a small amount of your day and is so much fun, so grab your friends, or go solo, and go for it (it’s especially entertaining going after an Ocean Friday, although this isn’t for the weak!).