Originally posted by Southport Zeb
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You must have done Carlisle on the 'summer' course, the 'winter' course is all on tarmac but five laps not three (and actually clocks in at 5.2KM). I'm one of the few people that prefers the winter course cos I hate running on grass, particularly long wet grass. However, Carlisle is one of the least enjoyable courses I've done, and I only continue to do it out of discipline and convenience (I live less than a mile away).
Penrith is at least flat but there is a grassy section and also I never like (at any distance) where additional 'bits' are thrown in to make up the distance, so those little shuttle run sections at Penrith pissed me off.
Highbury Fields I quite enjoyed, the only one I've done in London and I went and had a look at (and a run round) the Emirates afterwards, before walking back through Islington to the hotel.
Wepre I'm doing in a couple of weeks with my sister, she wants to do a parkrun in Wales and we are at Cheshire Oaks for the day.
Others I've done:
Warrington - this was my first, fairly flat and pleasant enough, round Victoria Park - I went back there last year and did a 15K which was essentially three laps of the parkrun course.
St Helens - similar to Carlisle without the running on grass element, post race refreshments provided in a bandstand afterwards.
Stretford - one of my favourites as it was dead flat but varied - once round an athletics track, twice round a park on paths, then another lap of the track - it was also at the time my best ever parkrun but I suspect it measured short.
Drumchapel - worst ever, like running on an old style BMX track, up and down on forest trails where it was difficult to run the downs as they were so steep. This was however my highest ever parkrun finish, at 14th, on account of only 24 people doing it.
Delamere Forest - fairly pleasant lollipop route through the forest, I caught it on a nice day but can imagine it can get messy.
Prudhoe - fairly flat, basically two laps of forest paths, again weather was kind.
Riverside (Chester le Street) - pleasant setting and flat, but far too busy for a course that was narrow in places.
Workington - done mainly on cycle paths, fairly rural out & back, so no laps, nice straight finish on tarmac.
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