Basildon parkrun - event 443

On the 30th December 2023 I ran the Basildon parkrun which was the 443th event held at the venue, my 162nd parkrun and 87th different course I'd attended.

Before we get onto my trip over to Essex, there's the small matter of Christmas Day and my return visit to the Great Lines where I ran for the 16th time and has now become customary on Christmas Day. I finished in 139th position out of a field of 374 participants in a time of 28:31. My last three visits have all finished within times just 8 seconds apart - Mr Consistency!

Last year I kept to local events and paused the tourism game over Christmas, but with a long streak collected I wanted to keep up the momentum so chose to start working through my list of nearest events not done yet. Top of the pile was Basildon and so that's where I found myself on the last parkrun day of the year.

Also, seeing as it was Christmas my friend Foordy is home for the festive period and he messaged me saying he'd come along again with me wherever I was parkrunning - it's always great to have a running buddy!

I wasn't sure what to expect coming into Basildon as there isn't much content on YouTube showing off the event as there are for many of the other venues I've visited recently. It was actually quite nice coming to an event where much was unknown. Maybe I shouldn't be such a fastidious researcher...

Basildon parkrun takes place in Northland's park, which is a stones throw off of the A13 and therefore makes it easily accessible by road from Gravesend. It's a three lap course and is ran on mixed surfaces, although the majority of the course is on firm or tarmac paths.

The meeting point is next to the main carpark which was free. There is a community building which hosts a small cafeteria and toilet facilities and is where the finish line is located. On the opposite side of the pathway is a small lake which the course circumnavigates on each lap.

The start takes place on the grass behind the community building, next to the outdoor sports court and heads south in a clockwise direction. You can start on a tarmac path and follow it along if you wish. But as the path snakes it's way through the park most people took the route of least resistance and ran in a straight line as the crow flies across the grass which was wet and slippery after heavy overnight rain.

Before the event started Foordy declared he needed a bathroom visit and I was nervous that he'd left it too late. My worst fears were confirmed when we were given our marching orders and he was nowhere to be found. I pondered for a couple of minutes as to whether I should wait around for him. But I figured he was a big boy and would catch up better than I would!

Heading south, the path follows a clump of dense trees on the right hand side and the group of runners starts to thin out as the path pinches onwards. I believe that there must be another area of the park beyond this path, or a route into a housing estate but instead you hit a marshall point who directs you into a sharp right hand turn which starts to take you uphill and around to the highest part of the course.

The path here is thin and gravely, and contained a few puddles which made me regret my choice of footwear. As the path curls around to the right and takes a sharp dip downhill the course boundary is marked by cones and takes you on to the grass which was definitely better suited to trail shoes. I did regret not wearing trail shoes at this point, but at the bottom off the hill the path flattens out and rejoins the tarmac path and loops all the way back around the lake, which was perfect road shoe conditions.

I think road shoes were the better all round choice, but on days where the weather has been particularly bad you might to take trail shoes for better grip in the squishy sections just to be safe.

Once you've followed the path all the way around the northern edge of the lake and back down past the finishing line there's the small matter of doing it all.over again another two more times. Sometimes laps can feel repetitive or boring, but I didn't get that feeling at all as there was always something to keep you occupied or to look at.

After my third lap I'd still not seen Foordy at any point on the course. I crossed the finish line and after my usual post-run dramatics I looked around the lake to see if I could spot him. There he was just a few minutes behind me sprinting for the finish.

I finished in 51st place out of a field of 150 participants in a time of 28:09. I'd really enjoyed the course and despite the laps and debatable shoe choice recommend a visit if you're looking for an event in the area.