Southall parkrun - event 81

On the 26th August 2023 I ran the Southall parkrun which was the 81st event held at the venue, my 143rd parkrun and 71st different course I'd attended.

After two weeks off enjoying a family holiday to Corfu where parkrun is yet to reach, I had a choice to make. Enjoy a other weekend parkrun free or get back on the running horse and keep up the habit.

Fortunately for me I got back in the saddle. Routines are easily broken and as I'm not a natural runner there's always that fear that I'll simply stop one day and just not run again. I run because I need to, my body needs exercise and parkrun helps me maintain some semblance of an active lifestyle - the touring part is all just trying to make it more enjoyable.

I had chosen Southall back one day when I was writing my schedule based on the fact that it was a flat course and that after two weeks of gyros, Mythos and Ouzo I'd need something gentle to break me back into it.

Southall was actually my second post holiday run. I ran on Wednesday during the week during Wednesdays Wellbeing Hour at work and surprised myself that I managed to last the distance. Proof if I ever needed it that I must be doing something right.

Upon arrival at Southall, I parked on one of the roads perpendicular to the park and had a walk along the back part of the course for a little warm up stroll and took some photos for the Facebook tourism group. I noted that there were a lot of people walking around chatting, which isn't necessarily unusual in a public space, but there were lots of groups of people all doing the same route spread out in little communities which set the scene for the main event itself.

Every parkrun has a community feel to it, fostered by the volunteering element and the gathering of friends who run together on a Saturday morning. But due to the relative lower numbers of participants at the Southall event that community spirit felt stronger, helped as well by the number of people who were there just to walk around and chat like those I passed earlier. There's no pace restrictions at parkrun, you can run walk or jog!

The park itself, again another London green space, an oasis in the midst of miles of concrete. Made up of various areas. Sporting pitches, open spaces, children play areas, wild meadows and formal gardens were the parkrun route traversed them all.

Three laps, clockwise around part of the perimeter of the park, but taking in all the park has to offer on tarmac paths which in places weaved and turned around tight bends to make things interesting. There is a small area through the meadow/wild garden where the path changes from tarmac to compacted gravel and includes a small bridge. And the final few meters the finish is on grass but all of it is delightfully flat and just what the doctored ordered.

I may well not like running, but upon finishing the course I was filled again with that buzz of achievement and wouldn't have missed it for the world! I finished in 30th place out of a field of 105 participants in a time of 27:26. I was back and parkrun and wouldn't have missed it for anything!