Church Mead parkrun - event 78

On the 7th October 2023 I ran the Church Mead parkrun which was the 78th event held at the venue, my 149th parkrun and 77th different course I'd attended.

All week long I'd been preparing myself for the Wendover Woods parkrun and tackling everything that event would likely entail, including the tough uphill climbs. However, a rare last minute discovery changed my mind and I found myself tackling a different hilly challenge in nearby Amersham instead.

Looking through the 5k challenge app on Thursday evening I discovered that Church Mead parkrun would be running it's 78th event on Saturday morning and as that event number is one of those below 100 I'm still to tick off I decided to change my plans. 

I'd known that the Church Mead parkrun was going to be a challenge as I'd seen videos on YouTube profiling the event. As my niece Layla had already agreed to come with me I had another decision to make. Do I show her the video and put her off, or do I take her along oblivious to it and for her to hate me and never go again?

I decided to do the right thing and asked her if she wanted to watch the video on YouTube, which she did. And although she laughed and joked through watching it she came along anyway and knew exactly what to expect.

Two laps in an anti-clockwise direction around a field and through a section of woodland that was on the side of a hill, sounda simple but it was so much more than that.

Starting at a small municipal garden next to a stream behind a church, the beginning of the Church Mead parkrun couldn't have been any more idyllic. 

The first timers briefing was called and three youngsters came over and introduced themselves and proceeded with a synchronised routine that ran through all of the component parts of the standard brief. Except it was interactive, humerous and evidently very well rehearsed. It definitely gave all those watching a smile and I'd suggest aside from the Queen Elizabeth parkrun that it's up there with the best first timers meeting I've attended - one to look out for anyone looking to attend in the future.

From the start, participants wind their way around the gardens for a short spell, before taking a footpath that leads to a wide open field where the path continues uphill towards the trees in the distance. However, the course turns right just as the field comes into view and instead participants have to run alongside the bottom.of the field which undulates gently over rough and bumpy soil.

To the right is a stream and the gardens where the run began and to the left is the imposing hill of dirt that had recently been ploughed and harvested of whatever would have been growing there earlier this summer. But before long the end of the field is reached and the path turns left where the first ascent awaits.

As with most things, watching on TV is a very different experience to the reality and the truth was that this hill was tough! Steep and seemingly ongoing for the longest time I managed to make my way up without stopping which was exactly what I'd set out to do. After the initial steep ascent, the path flattens out somewhat, but is still heading upwards. The path then winds through the woods and continues to rise until there's a point where the path comes out alongside a road. 

This marks the highest point of the course and only runs alongside the road for the shortest time before heading back into the woods and starts it descent. Slowly at first, the path winds through the trees before it starts to dip quite steeply. The long uphill slog is soon forgotten as the downhill.pace increases and before long the exit of the woods is reached and the tarmac path heading downhill is met.

This path is the eastern perimeter of the main field and is actually quite a steep drop down to the bottom where on the first lap you rejoin the undulating path back around the field for the second crack of the hill. On the second lap you continue downhill a little further where the finish line appears.

My second attempt to run up the hill was by no means as successful as my first. I only made it up half-day before I called it quits and ended up leisurely walking the rest and enjoying the views. I was in no rush as Layla was a way behind me and so I could enjoy the views across Amersham and the surrounding countryside with pleasure.

I did enjoy the second descent though and made up quite a lot of lost time. Although running down the main hill does offer a couple of dangers. The first was a few off-lead dogs out for their Saturday morning stroll and the second was the right left hand turn at the bottom for which.a brick wall runs alongside. I felt like I was going to head straight into it, but managed to put the brakes on sufficiently to make it around without doing myself any damage.

Once that last bend is successfully navigated it's a steady 100 meter sprint to the finish. But with the downhill momentum behind me I'd say that was possibly one of the fastest finishes I've ever done on any parkrun anywhere.

I finished in 41st place out of a field of 83 participants in a time of 30:25. Church Mead parkrun was up there in terms of the toughest that I've ever done, but it's also up there as one of my favourites. The views from the top were beautiful and the downhills so much fun! Yes the uphills were challenging, but the payback through to woods and back down again more than worth it!