The elevation gain is zero, it's flat as a pancake. You'll still not be running a pb, running through flood plane is not easy. Lets call it multi terrain.
The elevation gain is zero, it's flat as a pancake. You'll still not be running a pb, running through flood plane is not easy. Lets call it multi terrain.
Black Park park run 52ft elevation gain although it always seems more , Great location as it is run through beautiful pine forest.
One point of intrest or draw back is that you often find yourself running past film sets being built in the park, as it is next to Pinewood studios. The draw back is the film workers are an ignorant bunch and tend to ignore the rules and often drive their cars on the course or leave lorries parked on the run route.
Thankfully that doesn't happen too often and the good course and great sceanery make it the best Park run I have done and attend regularly.
PJAZ - North Norfolk is pretty hilly...I can believe it could be 105 metres.
Twisted Sole - if you want flat, get down to the Norwich one. Pretty much dead flat. I don't think it's the quickest course though, as there are several 90 degree turns and they are hard to take at speed, particularly in the winter when it's a bit slippy. Or towards the start when it is quite congested. But at least it's flat!
I've done Alice Holt which has some playful hills - I'm not sure how it compares with QE Park, but suspect it's a little easier. The easiest one I've done is Newport, though I did a variation on the Reading one on the Longest Day parkrun and that looked pretty flat. The most difficult one was the temporary Killerton course - 3 laps downhill and then all the way up again and you couldn't capitalise on the downhill as it was too slippery. Really hard - the usual Killerton route is a lot more humane.
RicF having done Black park from race 8 and living next to I know the old start wasn't flat, not such a long climb admittedly but not flat . Due to the increase in numbers though they had to change the course start I actually like it as it makes it a bit more of a challenge and any PBS a bit sweeter.
Black Park is the only one I've done so that's good news for me to hear that it's got a 52 ft elevation gain as I might be able to get a PB if I try another course! Lovely scenic route though and nice and cool with all the trees.
My home run is Richmond parkrun - a beautiful place and one of my favourite areas to run. No idea of the elevation but it has a long steady down hill followed by plenty of undulations and a tiring uphill not far off the finish. Still have my 5k PB on this course. My local one is Bedfont Lakes, a couple of bumps but otherwise flat. Not as nice a location as RP but pretty good.
"105m seems like a ridiculously hilly parkrun to me- are you sure it is not a fellrun ??!?"
The course is pretty much 'W' in profile, descending for the first mile before climbing over the mid section, ending with a progressive gain to the finish line. The good news is that the coffee shop is just around the corner!
Flob, haven't tried fell running, so join us at some stage, and let me know!
RicF having done Black park from race 8 and living next to I know the old start wasn't flat, not such a long climb admittedly but not flat . Due to the increase in numbers though they had to change the course start I actually like it as it makes it a bit more of a challenge and any PBS a bit sweeter.
Well not flat as in road flat, its off road after all. But any course that changes from an over all drop in elevation to one that involves going up is bound to be slower.
I might do Blackpark again one day, but since I've already won that one (sorry, first finisher) maybe not.
Cheerful Dave, that seems a bit harsh. Obviously the run directors were feeling particularly cruel when staging that event.
I know. I took my 10 year old boy to do it: he ran up the hill, ran down and promptly threw up in the finish funnel. I was so proud.
But it's not cruel. In fact I would go as far as saying it's one of the easiest (slow but not hard). When you're nice and fresh you're running up hill then in the second half when you're tiring you get the gravity payback. What would be cruel would be starting at the top of the hill running to the bottom then back to the top. Hmm now that's an idea
Comments
The elevation gain is zero, it's flat as a pancake. You'll still not be running a pb, running through flood plane is not easy. Lets call it multi terrain.
Sounds more like a swim than a run
Black Park park run 52ft elevation gain although it always seems more , Great location as it is run through beautiful pine forest.
One point of intrest or draw back is that you often find yourself running past film sets being built in the park, as it is next to Pinewood studios. The draw back is the film workers are an ignorant bunch and tend to ignore the rules and often drive their cars on the course or leave lorries parked on the run route.
Thankfully that doesn't happen too often and the good course and great sceanery make it the best Park run I have done and attend regularly.
Well run by all the Organisers and volunteers.
There are an increasing number of well run Parkruns in Sheffield and the elevantion gain ranges based on my Garmin from:
Sheffield Castle - 70m
Graves - 46m
Rother Valley - 5m
Twisted Sole - did you mean 105 feet or meteres? Seems a bit hard to believe a Norflok Parkrun would be that steep.
PJAZ - North Norfolk is pretty hilly...I can believe it could be 105 metres.
Twisted Sole - if you want flat, get down to the Norwich one. Pretty much dead flat. I don't think it's the quickest course though, as there are several 90 degree turns and they are hard to take at speed, particularly in the winter when it's a bit slippy. Or towards the start when it is quite congested. But at least it's flat!
Ashton Court has an elevation gain of 100m or so, all of it in the first half as it's out and back, straight up a hill. Guaranteed negative split.
I've done quite a few different parkruns as there's loads of them in Hampshire now.
The hardest I've done is probably Queen Elizabeth, although Ashton Court would be a close second.
The parkrun I usually do is Havant, which is undulating enough to be interesting without being insanely tough.
I've done Alice Holt which has some playful hills - I'm not sure how it compares with QE Park, but suspect it's a little easier. The easiest one I've done is Newport, though I did a variation on the Reading one on the Longest Day parkrun and that looked pretty flat. The most difficult one was the temporary Killerton course - 3 laps downhill and then all the way up again and you couldn't capitalise on the downhill as it was too slippery. Really hard - the usual Killerton route is a lot more humane.
Ran Black Park on the old course when only around 140 runners turned up (400 plus now).
The start then was flat to downhill for the 1st km, which was great to get up to speed.
The new start is further down the hill which involves a 600m gradual climb to start with, which is total crap. I hate it.
🙂
RicF having done Black park from race 8 and living next to I know the old start wasn't flat, not such a long climb admittedly but not flat . Due to the increase in numbers though they had to change the course start I actually like it as it makes it a bit more of a challenge and any PBS a bit sweeter.
Black Park is the only one I've done so that's good news for me to hear that it's got a 52 ft elevation gain as I might be able to get a PB if I try another course! Lovely scenic route though and nice and cool with all the trees.
PJAZ, as Freemers points out, North Norfolk does have its share of hills.
http://connect.garmin.com/activity/337597034
Freemers, I've yet to try Norwich as its much further from home than Sheringham, however one day I'll make the effort.
Cheerful Dave, that seems a bit harsh. Obviously the run directors were feeling particularly cruel when staging that event.
Didds rother valley is in Rotherham.
But of the others in Sheffield
Endcliffe - 28m
Concord - 36m
And us at hillsborough - 32m
Millhouses will be -2m
Longley park - 53m
My home run is Richmond parkrun - a beautiful place and one of my favourite areas to run. No idea of the elevation but it has a long steady down hill followed by plenty of undulations and a tiring uphill not far off the finish. Still have my 5k PB on this course. My local one is Bedfont Lakes, a couple of bumps but otherwise flat. Not as nice a location as RP but pretty good.
mine is Tollcross, in Glasgow, with 10 short sharp hills. 79m climb in total.
there isn't any flat. its up or doon
My local is Pontefract, once round the Racecourse, plus 2 laps of the boating/fishing lake
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/pontefract/course/
The course is pretty much 'W' in profile, descending for the first mile before climbing over the mid section, ending with a progressive gain to the finish line. The good news is that the coffee shop is just around the corner!
Flob, haven't tried fell running, so join us at some stage, and let me know!
Well not flat as in road flat, its off road after all. But any course that changes from an over all drop in elevation to one that involves going up is bound to be slower.
I might do Blackpark again one day, but since I've already won that one (sorry, first finisher) maybe not.
🙂
I'm lucky that I have a few available to me:
Reading - flat (a v small bump of 1m)
Basingstoke - slightly bumpy. 2.5 laps with approx 5 slopes/hills in total.
Woodley - flat, one small slope on each of 3 laps
All have v friendly volunteer teams.
It's parkrun rather than Parkrun apparently
SR - I expect the OP was following the convention of capitalising titles but has used lower case within his first sentence.
Mine has a massive hill in it, twice.
And its not a race.
Even though it seems like one.
🙂
It didn't seem much like a race when I did it, Ric, because I wasn't going very fast.
I know. I took my 10 year old boy to do it: he ran up the hill, ran down and promptly threw up in the finish funnel. I was so proud.
I've done the Portrush parkrun on a reasonably regular basis and it's run on the beach.
Times vary hugely depending on whether the tide is in or not!
But it's not cruel. In fact I would go as far as saying it's one of the easiest (slow but not hard). When you're nice and fresh you're running up hill then in the second half when you're tiring you get the gravity payback. What would be cruel would be starting at the top of the hill running to the bottom then back to the top. Hmm now that's an idea
Newark has a few steps up out of the woodland each lap (x3) but still only amounts to 47ft of ascent overall. So not as bad as it seems