Monsal Trail parkrun - event 147

On the 13th August 2022 I ran the Monsal Trail parkrun which was the 147th event held at the venue, my 90th parkrun and 25th different course I'd attended.

When we were planning our week to the Peak District the parkrun enroute pretty much picked itself (see my last post), whereas the parkrun on the homeward bound journey could have been one of many.

We knew that we needed to head to Liverpool from our accommodation near Buxton where we were heading via the long way home. Gillingham were playing Tranmere and so whilst we were in the reasonable vicinity it made sense at the time (event if it didn't at the full-time whistle!).  From our accommodation to the North West there are an abundance of parkruns to choose from. As there also are to the south with Trentham Gardens and the Isabel Trail coming highly recommend. The latter also having the added bonus of being one of the rare runs that start with 'i'. We could also have selected Ashbourne which is a relatively new event not to far from where we were staying, but we eventually chose the Monsal Trail event purely due to the fact that the course had the most fascinating back story and I wasn't too keen on travelling too far south only to have to return back north again after the run.

Our arrival on the Saturday morning at Hassop station was actually our second visit to the Monsal Trail in less than a week, as only a few days earlier we'd paid our maiden visit to the area and opted for a very different form of transport for which to explore

The Monsal Trail is an 8 mile section of the former Manchester, Buxton, Matlock and Midland Junction railway which opened in 1863 and helped link London and Manchester during more industrious times and is now a recreational area for walkers, cyclists and horse riders. I'd seen several videos on YouTube of people exploring the area and was desperate to see for myself the views from the viaducts, passing through abandoned stations and the tunnels which have all been cleaned of soot from the old steam trains that used to run up and down the former train line.

From Hassop station we hired bikes, Oliver and Phoebe had standard pushbike's, as did I, but with a mini-bike attached to the back where Hayden could peddle along with me. Stephanie had an electric bike enabling her to travel much faster and farther than us with half the effort!

We didn't quite manage the full eight miles to Wye, the end of the route. But we did manage five miles out and five miles back with another mile back in the other direction into Bakewell where we tied the bikes up and explored the town for a bit and picked up the obligatory tart that the town is famous for. It was in this direction that we covered some of the route for Saturdays parkrun.

The cycle ride did not disappoint whatsoever, with the trail providing everything that it had promised. Long winding tunnels that provided some cool relief from the sun, views across valleys and the old factory owners mansions still looking pristine in the distance. It was also fairly deceiving in terms of gradient. What appears to be a flat route is actually on a rise with the ride out being uphill and the ride back being down. It was only riding back that we really noticed the difference and the level of peddling required was much less than the outward journey. It wasn't until viewing the gradient map in Strava that you can really see the increase/decrease visualised.

I was therefore in a reasonably unique situation on the Saturday morning when I rolled up at the Hassop Station again to participate in the parkrun. Normally I turn up not knowing what to expect or get caught out by things being different in 3D versus the perspective you get from YouTube, so I knew pretty much everything I needed and felt more prepared than usual. I was however not quite in tip-top condition with the weeks exertions taking their toll on my legs and suffering from a sore throat which had started that morning.

From Hassop station the course runs south to Bakewell station where I am assuming the original course started from. The event signage still states "Bakewell" as seen from the photograph at the top of this post, but I am still in the dark as to the reasons behind the name change. My working theory is that the start location changed during COVID for safety reasons and has remained that way ever since.

Nevertheless, we made it as far as Bakewell station on our return leg during our cycling adventure, so I knew this part of the out-and-back route, but wasn't quite sure how far beyond the station the route continued on for. As it was, Bakewell station is around the 1.25km mark, so you run the same distance again to the turnaround point before coming back again all the way back to Hassop station.

The route was predominantly covered by trees, so the shade was a real blessing, running on what was the hottest parkrun day of the year for majority of the people in the UK. Again, whilst seemingly flat there was a notable downward incline visible in Strava on the way out, meaning back up hill again on the way back. I can't say that I felt any physical changes in the terrain, or needed any additional effort to run as I am always slower towards the end of the course anyway!

Taking part in the event were several runners from the Good Gym organisation which are a charitable organisation and not your typical gym. It would be worth paying a visit to their website as their premise is an interesting one. One of the participants from the gym and I ran alongside one another for the duration of the event, which sometimes happens. You get into a little bit of a competitive edge with someone unintentionally, all in good nature. But we got a good rapport going offering each other support and encouragement - finishing off with a fist bump at the end. Just what parkrun is all about.

I'd definitely recommend the Monsal Trail parkrun event, but do make sure that you take in the full sights of the venue and explore it on foot or bike - it really is a beautiful day out and an enjoyable run. I finished in 149th place out of a field of 225 runners in a time of 30.16.