100 Different parkruns… Here Are 12 I’ll Never Forget

Set within the UNESCO World Heritage Site at Fountains Abbey, every turn seems to reveal another stunning view. The course winds through beautiful parkland with plenty of memorable features, and the whole morning feels like an event rather than just a run.

You’ll want to arrive early—the walk from the car park to the start is longer than you might expect—but it’s worth every minute. As with many National Trust events there’s good parking, decent facilities and an excellent (if slightly wallet-testing!) café afterwards.

If someone asked me for a single parkrun that feels genuinely spectacular, this would be high on the list.

Official event page: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/fountainsabbey/

National Trust seem to have mastered the art of hosting brilliant parkruns, and Wimpole Estate is another favourite.

It’s a single lap that packs plenty in. The enormous climb halfway round certainly gets your attention, but you’re rewarded with one of the most enjoyable downhills I’ve run, sweeping through glorious parkland with views across to the grand house and its striking folly.

Afterwards we explored the working farm before rewarding ourselves with one of the café’s outstanding sausage baps and a warming chai steamer. That’s pretty much a perfect Saturday morning.

Some parkruns are memorable before you’ve even crossed the start line.

To reach Bressay you first catch the ferry from Lerwick across to this small Shetland island, timing your whole morning around the sailing schedule.

This one is special for reasons that have nothing to do with finishing times.

We ran Nidda during a family trip to Germany to celebrate my dad’s retirement, making it one of the few occasions we’ve all taken part together.

We also arrived ridiculously early… which led to my brother somehow getting trapped inside the cleaning cycle of an automatic revolving public toilet. Some memories simply refuse to fade.

Fortunately, the parkrun itself more than lived up to the occasion.

If woodland running is your thing, Salcey Forest is difficult to beat.

It’s another satisfying single lap, weaving through one of the loveliest forests in Northamptonshire over a constantly changing mix of surfaces. Woodland trails, forest tracks and a few gentle undulations mean there’s always something changing beneath your feet.

There’s enough variety to keep every kilometre interesting, balancing challenge with plenty of opportunities to run well. Every time I finish I wonder why I don’t visit more often.

Sometimes simple is perfect.

Flat. Fast. Sea air. Endless views across Morecambe Bay.

It’s the sort of course where you can settle into a rhythm and simply enjoy running beside the water. Afterwards there are plenty of cafés, ice cream stops and shops within walking distance.

I even managed to exchange a quick hello with Tyson Fury while out on the course—definitely not something I expected when I set off that morning.

Top tip: bring 40p if you need the toilets!

There’s something wonderfully calming about running beside water, and Talkin Tarn offers that and a whole lot more.

The course sits next to the beautiful glacial lake across a real mixture of terrain. Some sections are delightfully runnable; others are… shall we say… a little more mischievous underfoot.

It’s one of those parkruns where you’re constantly looking up because the scenery keeps demanding your attention.

Daventry has quietly become one of my favourites because it ticks what I now consider the holy trinity of parkrun tourism:

• Free parking
• Free toilets
• A single-lap course

Throw in wonderful views from the reservoir dam, stretches through woodland and open parkland, and you’ve got a fantastic Saturday morning.

Then there’s Benjy’s bakery afterwards. Their Chelsea bun is honestly good enough that I’d happily drive to Daventry purely for breakfast… the parkrun is just an added bonus.

Another National Trust gem, this time in North Wales.

The route takes you through the beautiful Erddig estate with plenty of scenery to admire along the way. Don’t let the surroundings fool you though, the closing hills have a nasty habit of reminding you they’re there just when your legs are beginning to tire.

A wonderfully Welsh parkrun with bags of character.

I know some runners aren’t huge fans of out-and-back sections, but Frank’s Farm completely won me over.

The countryside views are superb, the atmosphere is wonderfully welcoming and the whole event has a lovely rural feel.

The farm shop afterwards didn’t exactly help my willpower either. Outstanding Scotch eggs, an irresistible bakery and several treats that absolutely weren’t on the shopping list somehow found their way home with me.

No parkrun has changed around me quite as much as St Albans.

I’ve experienced more different course layouts here than anywhere else, but I still remember the old three-lap route around the lake with enormous affection.

These days the course ventures over the rolling golf course instead, but this will always be special as the place where I set my parkrun PB and spent countless Saturday mornings running alongside friends.

Some places simply become part of your running story.

Every list like this needs a beginning.

Shrewsbury was my very first parkrun.

Back then we started to the sound of the clock tower chiming before tackling the infamous hill… twice. The course has evolved over the years, but my memories of nervous excitement, brilliant volunteers and discovering this incredible Saturday morning community remain exactly the same.

Without Shrewsbury, there probably wouldn’t have been another ninety-nine.

A few parkruns narrowly missed the list.

Sadly, Ellenbrook Fields, Tring and Hertford Forest are no longer with us, but each had something wonderfully quirky. Ellenbrook and Tring both had resident cows to negotiate, while Tring’s opening kilometre up a muddy hill remains one of the toughest starts I’ve ever encountered. Hertford Forest, meanwhile, had the lovely feeling of running through a woodland still growing into itself.

I’d also be doing a disservice to Gadebridge, Leavesden and Sixfields Upton if I didn’t mention them. These have all been “home” parkruns at different stages of my journey and have provided countless Saturday mornings, friendships and memories.