Race Report: Bushy Parkrun 18/02/2012

“Bushy Park” parkrun – 18/02/2012 

Parkrun started in 2004 with just 13 runners here at Bushy Park in south west London. Today’s race was the 398th race, a very slick and well organised event. 

Bushy Park is a fabulous 1099 acres of parkland with red and fallow deer, woodland

gardens, water gardens, boating lake, 5 sports grounds including football, rugby, cricket and hockey. There are tennis courts, a bowling green and a swimming pool. This used to be my playground as a child as I grew up less than two miles away, today was my first time back at the park in maybe 35 years.

Grew up here Born here I arrived early fearing chaos in the car park and I’m glad I did because ten minutes or so later there were cars and people everywhere. There were 749 runners today but the organisation was first rate. I lined up near the back and noticed a sea of people in 50, 100 and even a few 250 club vests, this lot certainly love their parkruns. It was bitterly cold mainly due to the wind but thankfully after a very short safety briefing it was 3, 2, 1 and we were off. 

The route was all grass and gravel paths, I gradually made my way through the field determined not to make my usual mistake of going off too fast. At numerous points I noticed familiar places, the boating lake where I used to canoe, the river we used to fish etc. 

I looked at my Garmin to find I was going faster and faster as the kilometres passed and before I knew it the finish was in sight. I wondered how the organisers were going to cope with so many finishers but the two funnels were brilliantly marshalled, I was handed my token and within 30 seconds my barcode and token were scanned and I was out into the car park again. There was a mobile café at the finish area but Debbie and I decided to go to “The Pheasantry Café” and few hundred metres away for a warming coffee. 

An hour or so later a text message arrived giving me my time of 23:02 a new PB. This is a fabulous run that I would recommend to anyone finding themselves nearby on a Saturday.

For more information check out the Bushy Parkrun Website.

Perry