Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

On the 20th September 2025 I ran the Severn Bridge parkrun which was the 279th event held at the venue, my 254th parkrun and 171st different course I'd attended. There are over 2,000 parkrun events worldwide, with just over 800 in the UK. Each event is unique, but there are some that stand out in the crowd and dare I use the term, grown to become 'iconic'. Events such as Bushey for the spectacle of 1,500 stampeding across the start line like a scene from Braveheart. The painful sand dune ascent as Woolacambe Dunes or the scenic beauty of Fountains Abbey. These are events that tourist groups on Social Media have popularised and so visiting them not only becomes visiting a parkrun event it becomes a badge of honour. When the football fixture list came out and Gillingham were scheduled away at Newport County on a Saturday morning, I knew straight away what my weekend was going to look like. There's an abundance of events is easy reach of Newport, but the one I really want...

On the 13th September 2025 I ran the Barclay parkrun which was the 466th event held at the venue, my 253rd parkrun and 170th different course I'd attended. As well as trying to complete all 65 parkruns in Greater London, all 24 in Essex to match the 24 I've done in Kent I thought I'd pay a visit to my 6th event in Hertfordshire to go someway closer to ticking off all 14 parkrun events in the county. If it all sounds rather obsessive then you are correct and I've made no attempts to shy away from it either. There are plenty worse obsessions and what could be any better for me than running for my health? Barclay park lies on the outskirts of Hoddesdon, another place that I would never have visited if it hadn't have been for that niche obsession of mine. A short drive north of the M25 in what looked to be a rather affluent commuter town. Upon arrival I knew straight away that I was going to be in for a tricky morning. The park revealed in its full 3D glory away from Y...

On the 6th September 2025 I ran the Harrow parkrun which was the 467th event held at the venue, my 252nd parkrun and 169th different course I'd attended. My recent parkrun adventures have taken me far and wide with recent trips to Oldham, Ruthin and Accrington separated by nearer trips to Fulham and my milestone run at Leybourne Lakes. So it was quite nice to tick off another London venue and continue to slowly chip away at my goal of visiting all parkruns in the region. As Harrow (or it's vicinity) is home to a work colleague, it was another opportunity to meet her and enjoy another parkrun event together. We last ran Canons Park parkrun together over two years ago. In-between those two dates, I've been virtually ever present, whilst she hadn't ran at all so I was secretly hoping come the end of the event she'd been bitten by the bug like I have! Harrow parkrun takes place on Harrow recreation ground and is surrounded by housing on all sides. The venue is home to ...

On the 30th August 2025 I ran the Oldham parkrun which was the 697th event held at the venue, my 251st parkrun and 168th different course I'd attended. Last week I celebrated my 250th parkrun event and celebrated the official milestone in relatively low-key fashion. If you weren't already aware parkrun celebrates official milestones at 25, 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 events, with a range of coloured merchandise 'unlocked' and available to purchase at each stage. 3 years on from celebrating my 100th parkrun at Bushy, and five years at least until I reach my 500th I returned to Leybourne Lakes and took part in the event volunteering as a tail-walker. I figured that by walking the event I'd be able to encourage more people to participate alongside me and so I was joined by Stephanie and Hayden who walked around with me. Phoebe joined us in making the trip, but got as far as the start line whilst Oliver couldn't quite get himself out of bed. That was my fourth effo...

On the 16th August 2025 I ran the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun which was the 164th event held at the venue, my 249th parkrun and 167th different course I'd attended. In the early 90's, I spent.time.on holiday with my Grandparents in North Wales and have lots of childhood memories of the times we spent there. Since I've had my own children, I've always wanted to take them back with me so I could share a nostalgic look back at my childhood whilst given them their own memories to treasure. For whatever reason, we've not had an opportunity to do so, until now. With Gillingham playing Tranmere Rovers in August, I was able to peice together a short itinerary that allowed us to spend an extended weekend in the North West. Using an Airbnb style accommodation outside of Wrexham we planned to travel up on the Friday, watch Gillingham on Saturday and then spend Sunday and Monday exploring the best of what North Wales has to offer. It wasn't quite long lazy days ...

On the 9th August 2025 I ran the Fulham Palace parkrun which was the 510th event held at the venue, my 248th parkrun and 166th different course I'd attended. Last weekend, once I'd got home from my trip up north Stephanie called me over and asked me just what the hell I thought I was doing. Dazed and confused I asked her what she was talking about. She explained that she'd opened the parcel that I had ordered by mistake and/or curiosity. It was a long cardboard tube and I was completely in the dark. I hadn't ordered anything and so was completely mystified. I opened the lid and slid out the poster, unrolling it full of excitement as I realised what it was. It was a huge poster with a list of all the parkrun venues broken down into geographic regions. There were checkboxes next to each venue and a roll of 'tick' stickers so I could add stickers next to all the venues that I'd visited  I spent a good hour working through my tick list, oblivious to the origin ...