Mole Valley parkrun - event 220

On the 2nd September 2023 I ran the Mole Valley parkrun which was the 220th event held at the venue, my 144th parkrun and 72nd different course I'd attended.

Occasionally I manage to convince a friend to run parkrun with me and as a result my friend Mark has inadvertently become a parkrun tourist. But with his work schedule, my football schedule and our holidays we've not managed to run together since Bevendean Down back in June.

Knowing this date was coming up in the diary I saved Mole Valley for this very occasion. Mark prefers a one lap course and I knew it was going to be a gorgeous venue so if you are going to run, why not run in the best locations?

Upon arriving at Denbies estate where the Mole Valley course is located you are immediately struck by how scenic the surroundings are.  The house at the end of the drive to the estate is imposing and reminded me of a scene out of a mobster movie with a house at the end of a tree lined driveway.

Just like Squerreys Winery, Mole Valley is ran around a winery with the grounds of the vineyards of the Denbies Estate playing host to the course. Part of the South downs the vineyards are perfectly located on the side of a valley with imposing south facing views which are great for wine production but a nightmare for a parkrunner on account of the elevation.

I knew beforehand that Mole Valley was going to be a challenging course and so I spent a full week ahead of the event mentally trying to prepare myself for it. I don't cope very well with hills and my performance on the hillier parkruns in the past has left lots of room for improvement.

I hadn't quite told Mark all of the details, other than that Mole Valley was going to be a 'good one'. From my brief description he took from that that it was likely to be hilly, but he didn't know just how hilly it would be.

I've watched YouTube and seen Strava recordings so I was fully aware what I was letting myself in for. I had a plan, it was just a case of could I fulfill it? Unfortunately I couldn't, and was beaten.onve again by the hills!

From the start, participants run around a small field to help break up and spread the pack out before the going gets tough. The field is run clockwise and is taken a full 360 degress around the whole perimeter before turning left once the field is successfully circumnavigated.

The left hand turn takes participants onto a pathway which rises up the valley alongside a field of vines which had grapes fully in bloom, almost ready for harvest. The path is fairly narrow and was dry and dusty underfoot. It was also fairly rutted and so not the easiest of terrain to run upon.

I knew from my research that after the first hill that the course evened out a little bit and so my first goal was to make it to the top without stopping. I did okay, taking it slowly but surely up what is a long gradual drag. Towards the top with the end in sight the gradient changed and become a lot steeper and as a result I ran out of determination and slowed down to a walking pace much to my own annoyance.

Once at the top the edge of the field is reached and the path follows the field around to the left. It flattens out allowing you to catch your breathe back and to pick up a little bit of pace again before tackling the next incline.

The course undulates at this point, dipping slightly but rising again a little bit more before turning right and climbing upwards once more all with the vines and abundance of grapes to your left. After I've been beaten, I lose my head completely and rather than concentrating on beating the next hill and the one after that I feel sorry for myself and walk at the soonest opportunity once the terrain starts getting tough going.

In my mind I know that the course is a course of two halves and that the second part is all downhill. I know that I have to overcome the hills and then it's all plain sailing. For a little bit of effort I can trade that in for a little bit of joy but my legs lost the mind battle and I continued to walk as the course reached its highest point.

Getting to the top was supposed to.be my greatest parkrun achievement, but it wasn't to be. The hills may well have beaten me, but what a amazing place to run, walk or jog! With vines aplenty, green and plump under a blue summer sky with views across the south downs it was arguably better to take it slower to give yourself more of a chance to take it in. But I'm competitive and the way up might have won again this time, but the downhill won't beat me.

Just like the first part, the second continues in the same way, following the path around and through the fields of vines, downhill rather than up. With more beautiful views and scenery to admire the grimace became a smile and I started to enjoy things again.

The course winds it's way back down towards the start and rejoins the path at the bottom of the first hill where you run a small part of the course in reverse. At the bottom of the path you turn right and rejoin the perimeter of the starting field but run anti-clockwise where the finish funnel is now set up in the far corner.

I finished in 177th place out of a field of 324 participants in a time of 30:31. It certainly wasn't one of my quickest events, but it was certainly one of the most memorable. I definitely recommend anyone to pay the venue a visit, even if it isn't for a parkrun. The facilities and surroundings are worthy of exploration all by themselves and I hope to revisit again one day.