Sutcliffe parkrun - event 73

On the 21st January 2023 I ran the Sutcliffe parkrun which was the 73rd event held at the venue, my 114th parkrun and 44th different course I'd attended.

I've mentioned on these pages a number of times the benefits of a versatile plan. I'm also a believer in things happening for a reason. This week's parkrun was a combination of circumstances that validated both of those beliefs.

The original plan stated Ifield Mill Pond in order to pick up an 'I' for another step on the alphabet challenge. But Stephanie reminded me that she and the other Bird family females were off to London for a boozy brunch to celebrate my sister's 40th birthday which meant I was needed to be home in time to pick up Hayden from football training and Phoebe from her performing arts class. No problem at all! Let's revert to a plan B - Sutcliffe parkrun which is only up the A2 and meant I'd be home in time to pick up the children.

On the Thursday before parkrun day my friend Mark messaged me saying he was available and he'd join me on the run, which was great news. I love touristing and parkrun, but it's always better when there is someone joining in with you.

But Friday disaster struck. Our car, old and decrepit, a faithful servant who's best days are long behind it appears to have finally called it a day. And with me only being insured to drive it I was stuck without transportation. My plan B was now in tatters and so plan C was to cancel any thoughts of touristing and stick to running locally at Cyclopark instead. All plans to pick up the children had to be changed and alternative arrangements were made with friends, family and strangers.

Letting Mark know that parkrun plans had changed he offered me a lifeline - he'd drive to parkrun so I didn't need to worry! If Carlsberg made friends!

For some reason or another Sutcliffe parkrun has been a bit of a jinxed event for me. It's been on my schedule several times and falling victim to circumstances - either I've been injured or an event was cancelled and rescheduled and taken the place that Sutcliffe had been pencilled in on.

All happens for a reason right?

Sutcliffe parkrun is a flat course, three laps around a green space in Kidbrooke just off of the south circular.

When we arrived it was very cold! A fresh January morning where other events around the country were being cancelled due to icy conditions and I spent most of the journey up the A2 refreshing the events facebook page for news. But the only updates provided were a three day old notice that Saturdays event was a pacer event.

I was looking forward to running with a pacer. On a flat course, in the right conditions and keeping up with a 27 minute pacer I wondered what the opportunities were that would enable me to finish just ahead of them. But on arriving at the event, listening to the run briefing and seeing the pacers lined up I noted a gap between numbers 26 and 28. I had to reframe my strategy!

Bunched up at the start, I found myself in the right place. Ahead of the 28 pacer and behind the 26 which is where I intended to stay. Mark was lined up alongside me and although we do arrive and run parkrun together we don't run together and expect one another to try our best on the course and exchange tales at the end.

Unlike last week at Billericay where the start was narrow and congested, the pathway at Sutcliffe park was wider which accommodated more people and allowed the field an opportunity to jostle around and find their natural position a lot more quickly without getting bogged down for much of the lap.

From the start participants run north in an anti-clockwise direction around the perimeter of the park. Once at the northern most end the path turns right and we heads east on a straight path to the easternmost side of the park before turning right again and due south along another long straight path. 

The simple, direct route made for some easy running and whilst it was fairly straight forward it was also still quite pleasant as there's lots to look at. Inside of the park is a pond of sorts with fallen trees adding interest. Whilst outside the park on the periphery are new blocks of flats, all modern brick and glass facades. The penthouses offering great views across the park for anyone interested in watching.

Once at the southernmost end of the park and negotiating another right hand turn, rather than following the full circumference of the park the course cuts inside via an internal path and meanders around in a circular fashion before rejoining he main path at the start line in the opposing direction.

Runners then head past the start line, come off the main path onto the grass which is marked out in cones to a turnaround point around a wide old tree. I thought this area of the course, although very short and sharp would be tricky and slippery, but with a week of subzero temperatures it was incredibly firm under foot.

After the tree, the route rejoins the main path and heads back down past the start line before going again through laps two and three.

As there is a turnaround point where runners are passing each other briefly in both directions it gave me an opportunity to see where I was in relation to both the 28 minute pacer and to Mark who was running for the first time in a long while and whilst suffering with knee and back issues.

I had no ambition of trying to keep up with or catch the 26 minute pacer who was definitely increasing his distance from me the further the event when on. But so too it seemed was the 28 minute pacer who I was keeping a steady gap behind me.

After the three laps instead of going around the tree, another cone built path directs participants off to the left on the grass outside of the sports centre to the finish funnel where according to Strava I finished in a very respectable time of 27.29 - my third fastest recorded time.

However, that wasn't quite the end of the story. 90 minutes later I received an email from the event organizers saying that my finish token hadn't scanned properly. Could I let them know my finishing position so that they could officially add my result to the records. I duly obliged, but before doing so I had a look at the results to see where I may of ended up. In 121st place, the finishing time was 26:56 and in 123rd place the finishing time was 27:01. I had broken my parkrun record and recorded a new parkrun PB! All I needed to do was wait patiently to see if I'd broken the 27 minute barrier for the first time.

I officially finished in 122nd place with a time of 26:59 in a field of 241 participants. Indeed, things seemingly do happen for a reason!