Dunstable Downs parkrun - event 137

Dunstable Downs parkrun

On the 6th May 2023 I ran the Dunstable Downs parkrun which was the 137th event held at the venue, my 129th parkrun and 58th different course I'd attended.

I'd read a blog post about Dunstable Downs parkrun via the excellent blog7t, authored by fellow parkrun tourist Steven Stockwell. The photos looked amazing and so I added the venue to the long list of venues I needed to tick off and visit.

Situated on the top of an escarpment Dunstable Downs, managed by the national trust has quite stunning views across the Vale of Aylesbury. Upon my visit, it was rather cloudy and grey, and so whilst the views I had were stunning they would be even more so on a clearer day.

The course is made up of a single lap which starts outside the visitors centre and is ran in an anti-clockwise direction. From the start, the course heads to the right and participants enjoy a nice downhill stretch which is soon rewarded with a steep return back uphill. The course returns back the way it started and begins its route away from the visitor centre and into the fields beyond.

All on trail, the course undulates for the entire duration of the course meaning that it is a particularly tough course to navigate. It was in reasonable condition when I visited, the ground was hard and I can only remember one small muddy section which wasn't waterlogged, but a little spongy underfoot.

As the course winds it's way across the edge of fields, up and down as it goes it can feel like the course goes on forever. But once the course turns around and heads back to the visitor centre there's a sense of relief that the worst of its over and you just need to make your way back with whatevers left in the tank.

Running along the edge of the downs, with the views on the right hand side on the way out, the left on the way back you are always reminded why you are there. It wasnt too windy on my visit, but I can imagine too that on wintery day the weather and elements will add to the physical challenge and make this event an even tougher prospect.

I finished in 57th position out of a field of 91 participants in a time of 28:44. All in all, I'm massively pleased with that time, which considering the course is a huge achievement and I'd have given up and walked had I run that a year ago.

Of all the parkruns people talk about and recommend online in forums and groups, Dunstable Downs barely gets a mention and I don't know why. It's massively under appreciated and I'd like to champion this one as it's certainly up there with one of the more spectacular locations for a Saturday morning run. So if you are looking for somewhere to visit next - you now know where to go!

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