Bug Hunter Waters parkrun - event 71

On the 15th November 2025 I ran the Bug Hunter Waters parkrun which was the 71st event held at the venue, my 262nd parkrun and 179th different course I'd attended.

Big Hunter Waters is a relatively new event, and it was due to that fact that found me travelling up the M11 nice and early on a Saturday morning. I was looking to run an event that filled a gap in my Wilson Index.

For those not paying attention the Wilson Index is the maximum number of contiguous event numbers that I have attended. That number currently stands at 59, but I've gaps throughout the 60s and 70s which I am trying to fill with a longer term goal of getting a Wilson Index of 100.

This does mean, with events being fairly few and far between at lower ends of the event number spectrum that to achieve this goal that I may need to travel a little bit further than perhaps is sensible.

I am fully aware that travelling distances on a Saturday morning, just for the pleasure of running 5k for half an hour of my time is veering towards the slightly mad end of the spectrum. My usual coping mechanism for this behaviour is to combine parkrun with football. But Gillingham were at home, so I couldn't use that excuse this week.

Although, with Gillingham not kicking off until 5pm I was able to make use of the extra time afforded to me and kill two birds with one stone. As Bug Hunter Waters wasn't too far from Newmarket I thought I'd reach out to family who live in the town and have a much needed catch-up. So that was the plan. Run parkrun, drive to my cousins house for breakfast, a shower and to catch up with family I hadn't seen for a while.

So what and where is Bug Hunter Waters?

A new town north of Cambridge is currently being built, called Northstowe. As part of the flood protection work developers needed to build lakes to manage water levels and prevent the newly built houses from floddingo. In a competition to name the lakes that were created, Bug Hunter Waters was chosen as one of the winning entries.

The parkrun venue takes in two laps of the lake and nature park built alongside an impressive new housing development as part of the wider Northstowe development programme. Similar if you like to what's happening at Ebbsfleet, which itself has now got its own new parkrun and one I'll be visiting in due course.

Parking at the park and ride besides the housing estate, participants have a fair walk ahead of them to get to the meeting point and starting line. The walk takes in part of the parkrun course, but is taken in the opposite direction.

Meeting next to the wooden bridge that crosses the narrowest point of the lake as it tapers into a point. The weather had been horrible for two days with heavy rain and the morning threatened more of the same. Views over the lake were not.as nice as perhaps they would have been under a blazing sun. But the grey clouds were keeping us dry for the time being so promising views were a nice to have at.this point.

Starting on the wide tarmac path that ran alongside the lake, participants are advised to self-seed and we were called to head to the start line in reverse expected finishing order. This did seem to work reasonably well as majority of people followed the simple instructions easily enough.

Running clockwise we ran along the flat straight footpath retracing the steps I took walking from the park and ride. At the exit, instead of leaving the estate the route swing a 180 and came back upon itself on a gravel path that took us through the nature reserve that ran alongside the path we'd just left.

This path meandered slightly in narrow 's' shapes whilst ever so slightly dipping up and down. The path took us all the way back up to the opposite side of the wooden bridge before taking in a wide lap of the lake back around to the start where the lap is repeated again for a second time.

Yes there are various elevation changes along the course, but they are subtle, gradual and I'd still describe the route as flat.

Once the lap had been completed for a second time, the finish is on the grass where the meeting place was at the beginning of the event.

I finished in 150th place out of a field of 227 participants in a time of 29:40. The course does have huge potential for fast times as the surface is primarily tarmac, or packed gravel and only one real corner. The rest of the course consists of long sweeping bends, so pace can remain consistent for longer.

From the finish line it was back down the course again for a partial third lap. Instead of swinging right, I head for the exit and to Newmarket where I had a great morning eating a lovely breakfast and spending time catching up with family we spend too little time with.

Amazing what the power of parkrun can do.