Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun - event 164

On the 16th August 2025 I ran the Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields parkrun which was the 164th event held at the venue, my 249th parkrun and 167th different course I'd attended.

In the early 90's, I spent.time.on holiday with my Grandparents in North Wales and have lots of childhood memories of the times we spent there. Since I've had my own children, I've always wanted to take them back with me so I could share a nostalgic look back at my childhood whilst given them their own memories to treasure.

For whatever reason, we've not had an opportunity to do so, until now.

With Gillingham playing Tranmere Rovers in August, I was able to peice together a short itinerary that allowed us to spend an extended weekend in the North West. Using an Airbnb style accommodation outside of Wrexham we planned to travel up on the Friday, watch Gillingham on Saturday and then spend Sunday and Monday exploring the best of what North Wales has to offer.

It wasn't quite long lazy days spent playing on the beaches, scampering up mountains and exploring places with strange names that we couldn't ever pronounce. But it was a teaser, designed to pack as much in as we possibly could.

The other advantage of making North Wales our base for the weekend was the opportunity to tick off another Welsh parkrun venue from the list. The closest parkrun to where we were staying was actually Erdigg, where Hayden and I visited back in 2023 when Gillingham played Wrexham.

Park in the Past was the second closest, but a recently new event meant that I'd already done the event number, although would have been an option if there wasn't any others available. Wepre wasn't far, but I was terrified of the course being one of the hilliest in the UK. As luck would have it, the event was cancelled so I didn't have to consider it for long! 

Eventually I chose Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields on the basis that it was easily accessible from where we were staying, it was Welsh and I hadn't done the event number before. There were others in England around Chester and Birkenhead which were also viable, but I wanted to make sure it was a Welsh event where possible.

With Stephanie and the kids having absolutely zero interest in my parkrun endeavours and sharing absolutely none of my desire to be up, out and active I had to entice them along with me via other means - breakfast. The third and final reason for choosing Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields was the fact that there was a decent breakfast place afterwards would sealed the deal!

Upon arrival, I made absolutely no attempt to convince the kids or Stephanie to join in with me, aside from light-hearted attempts at bribing them into participation that never ever works. Only Hayden joins in with me when it's just the pair of us as he doesn't get much choice. 

Once we arrived, Hayden and Phoebe head off for the park, Stephanie and Oliver stayed in the car and I went off to wander as I normally do around the course to see what's what and where is where.

Ruthin Memorial Playing Fields is a bit of a misnomer in my mind. Yes there are some playing fields, but they are quite small and the route only skirts them for a short part of the course.

Starting on a public footpath behind Ruthin Football Club, which appears to share facilities with a cricket club, which has it's own pitch behind the left hand goal. Heading west then path runs alongside the cricket and football grounds which is behind some wire fencing and comes out into the playing fields section which is open recreation ground and has markings and goal posts for grass routes level of the game.

The route follows the public footpath to it's end which is the first turnaround point and the start of three out and back sections. The entire course is on flat tarmac paths and is virtually flat for the whole duration.

After turning around and coming back the way you come, the course takes a left once teaching the cricket ground. There is an option to keep going back to the start, which is now the finish, but the three put and back routes need to be completed first.

Once you've turned left you run towards a new housing estate and turn right once you've reached it. The cricket and football ground now over your right shoulder. The path winds around to the left, deeper into the housing estate until a short while later you reach the second turnaround point for the first time.

After retracing your steps back to the end of the course twice more, you reach the second turnaround point for the third time. Instead of turning right at the junction behind the cricket club on the third occasion you turn left back to the start which has now become the finish.

Being flat, and fast with a fairly low turnout I was able to complete my fastest time this year. I came home in 56th place out of a field of 108 participants in a time of 28:59.

I was blessed on my completion of the course to be welcomed by Stephanie who witnessed me ignoring her completely and collapsing on the floor with exhaustion after my exertions.

Having recovered and dragged myself back to my feet we head around the corner to Cafe R, the designated post-parkrun venue for breakfast where only I didn't have to feel guilty for gorging on bacon l, sausages and delicious fried eggs.

If parkrun required pace and stamina the rest of our stay in North Wales certainly did. From parkrun it was back to our accomodation to get changed before heading north to Liverpool where Hayden and I met up with Reaso and George to watch the football, for my third visit to Prenton Park. Steph, Oliver and Phoebe went into Birkenhead for some shopping, before we met again afterwards. Reaso and George head back home by train, the five of us head into Chester where we went to Hickories, a Texan smokehouse restaurant that sells great barbecue fare. Steph had a gift voucher and the closest restaurant to home is in Milton Keynes. I'd actually travel all the way back to Chester for another visit it was that good!

Sunday was a day for touring. A drive around Horseshoe Pass, stopping to walk down to Horseshoe Falls and eating breakfast in Corwen. The plan was to visit Betws-y-coed, but as it was Sunday we couldn't find anywhere to park. We managed to stop off enroute at Conwy Falls as Phoebe declared a love of waterfalls. But her expectations were on the Niagara size of thinning so she was the only one of us who was left slightly underwhelmed.

The main draw for Sunday was our reservation for the Snowdon Mountain railway. We could only get tickets for the 5pm train, so had time to kill in Llanberis, which we did in a local pub and had quite the pleasant afternoon.

Snowdon was one of those experiences that lived long in the memory from childhood and it was every bit as spectacular as I remembered it to be. The kids and Stephanie all had an amazing time and we were blessed with perfect conditions, making the views as wide and far as possible. We even talked about coming back, but braving the walk instead of the train. Maybe a few parkruns wouldn't go amiss after all! 

By the time we were back on firm ground it was rather late, so we drove into nearby Caenarfon to hunt for some dinner. We found a rather nice craft pizza place and sat watching Hayden devour slice after slice wondering where he put it all.

Monday was a day planned at zip-world for some adrenaline based activities. Stephanie is waiting for surgery to have her Gall bladder removed so opted this one out. But the rest of us had an absolutely amazing day, first dangling beneath a rail slide as it weaved it's way over the quarry edge before taking on the world's fastest zip-line.

To be honest, the day didn't come cheap. But what was at first an incredibly expensive day out turned into a day of incredible good value. Before tackling the main zip-line course, you are sent down a smaller route first to prepare yourself for the main experience. The drive up to the top of the mountain was also exhilarating as each bend and vertical climb in places raised the heart rate a notch.

It's an odd experience hurtling through the sky at almost 90mph. It's bizarrely serene and almost feels natural, even though there's absolutely nothing natural about it at all! The impression of speed also doesnt appear to exist as you fly through the air. Until right at the last moment when the end of the line up s reached and the braking mechanism kicks in. That kinetic energy is powerful and it's that impact that makes you realise just how fast you've been flying.

If you ever get an opportunity to go, please, please take it - you will not get disappointed!

As we'd missed out on exploring Betws-y-coed the day before, we took the scenic route back via the Llanberis pass and into the beautiful picturesque village which was my Nsns favourite place to visit. 

Despite the 30 odd years since my last visit, everything felt oddly familiar, but different at the same time. I don't remember the area being so built up with trees and being so forestry, but then walking across the rocks and seeing the bridge little Polaroids of time came blinking into my mind.

After a lovely dinner in one of the pubs we head back to the Airbnb where we flopped into beds before 10pm.knackered from a full throttle day.

Before coming back home, just in time to see Gillingham play again, this time at home to Chesterfield. We had a few hours to spare which we spent in nearby Llangollen to tick off another childhood memory in what was a great end to a nostalgic whistle stop tour.