Bexley parkrun - event 596

On the 25th June 2016 I ran the Bexley parkrun which was the 229th event held at the venue, my 10th parkrun and 2nd different course I'd attended. On the 23rd November 2024 I returned back for my second visit at the 596th event held at the venue.

I'm very fortunate to be able to parkrun every weekend and even more so to visit a different parkrun each week. It's only through Stephanie and her commitment to running the children around on Saturday mornings at their various clubs that allows me the freedom to continue doing what I do.

Inevitably though, the two sides collide and neither of us are able to be in two places at the same time and so compromises need to be made. Phoebe had a singing assessment day in Maidstone early on Saturday morning and Hayden had his football training which finishes anywhere between 10:15 and 10:30. Stephanie was able to drop him off but I needed to pick him up so I needed to choose a parkrun that allowed me sufficient time to get back for the end of training.

We are lucky in Gravesend at having a good few events within a 30 minute drive away. So when I knew I had to stay local I immediately chose Bexley as it was an event I've been meaning to return back to for a while.

My first visit was with my Dad back in 2016 when Dad was taking parkrun seriously. I had done a few parkruns at Great Lines at that point but was no means a regular and no means was I aware of parkrun tourism and all that it entailed. I'm fact I'd you'd have told me then what my statistics would look like in 8 years time I would have laughed at you.

On my first visit I finished in 251st place in a time of 33:46 out of a field of 354 participants. Dad was further up the road than me finishing 182nd in a time of 30:08. That was his second visit to Bexley which set his new PB at the event, beating the 31:58 from his first visit the year before.

Some events change over time, subtle course tweaks or in some cases complete transformations, but Bexley remains the same now as it did eight years ago.

I was joined again by Foordy who returned back from Canada for what I understand is an extended stay. I explained my past history and explained that my objective for the morning was to a) beat my previous time and b) beat Dads PB too of possible.

I knew that the course wasn't going to be easy and I knew where the pitfalls were even if my memory was a little bit hazy. But we also had the added complication of the weather conditions. My first visit was in June, so the weather was warm, the ground dry and hard so the trail and grassy bits of the course were firm and fast. With a lot of run during the week there was a lot of puddles around and the ground was very soft and slippery in places.

Starting on the southern perimeter of the park next to the lake on the lake path, the course runs around the lake and up towards to boat shed on the eastern side in an anti-clockwise direction. Running parallel to the main road into Welling from the A2, the path heads uphill to the northern end of the park and follows the path around all the way in front of the main house. 

The route passes the house and dips downwards on what is now known as 'woo hoo hill'. I thought the name was a bit of a misnomer as it is only very short and not particularly steep and so.nothongbtongwt excited or carried away with. But the marshalls here were very enthusiastic and screamed 'woo hoo' as we ran by. All great fun!

After woo hoo hill, the course turns right, back up hill again to the edge of the park on the far western side. The course then cuts through a short section of woodland that is a nice downhill stretch. Although participants are advised to be cautious here as there are a couple of small steps at the bottom and potential to slip on them is quite high.

Once out of the woods at the bottom of the hill the course transitions across a short stretch of grass back onto the lower lake path where it rejoins the start for the second lap and finish funnel. The grass area was really rather slippery on my second visit and a little precarious. I wore road shoes, which was the right choice as 95% of the course is on firm paths.

I finisher in 132nd place out of a field of 266 participants in a time of 30:05. I had achieved both of my goals and beaten both my own time from my previous visit and my dad's PB by a fine three second margin. I might just add though, Dad was ten years older than me when he set his time, so I can't fully claim bragging rights just yet!