When it comes to choosing a parkrun it can be really difficult given some of the factors we have to work around. Obviously we could go to our home parkrun but there’s really only so many times you can run around the same four loops and keep teenage boys motivated. Last week we headed to Wyre Forest parkrun.
Wyre Forest Visitor Centre, Callow Hill, Bewdley, Worcestershire, DY14 9XQ
Deciding on Wyre Forest parkrun
Attending the Wyre Forest parkrun was a bit of a last minute decision. My husband had been ill with food poisoning and so he wasn’t confident how he would feel. He had decided that he would walk wherever we went.
This meant that we couldn’t travel too far away as our son needs to be back for work. They also wish to fit in a McDonald’s breakfast too!
NENDY
So of course it made sense to look at our NENDY – next event not done yet. Our closest one was an event number I had already covered and was in the planner for the not too distant future. Wyre Forest parkrun was next on the list.
Parkrun Stats and Challenges
There seems to be a great deal of interest in my post on parkrun stats and challenges. Interestingly I only wrote it to help out a friend to understand some of it. But also to make sense of a parkrun group. Personally I have lots and lots of “challenges” but am not “chasing” any. They just help me to narrow down choices but ruling certain things out (sometimes).
It did happen to be that not only was Wyre Forest parkrun on an event number I hadn’t done but it was also a Prime Number event. Honestly I don’t think this “overwhelmed” the course in any way that I decided that I was going to pick this event!
My Experience of Wyre Forest parkrun
Note that it is in the Forestry Commission so you do need to pay for parking (early bird if you exit before 10:30am, free for members). Why not explore afterwards or even do the Go Ape! The toilets and a play area are near the parking but there’s a short walk to the run briefing. Note that you will have to walk back “up” here after you have finished your parkrun too.
Volunteers
Obviously, I want to give a massive thanks to all the volunteers. Definitely a warm and welcoming event – and I have now visited 65 locations.
The finish was up a hill from the briefing and some kind volunteers help me find the best position for me to leave our bag of waters.
Unfortunately there were only 23 volunteers – which was not enough for the normal course and the alternative had to be used. We contemplated scanning after we had finished but had no real idea of how to do this. Can you just scan for a bit? Like stop before the end – as we were waiting for my husband (and youngest anyway).
Wyre Forest Alternative Course
An out and back which is just on the fire trail path (I think that’s what it is called). Definitely no need for trail shoes and hard with sharp rocks. Not ideal for someone in their Vibram Five Fingers! The usual course is apparently more trail but still road shoes are apparently fine unless it’s been really raining.
It starts up and there was definitely downs but just felt like a lot of ups! Strava said that my max elevation gain was 156m.
My Run
First of all this was a run without music as I use free Spotify and didn’t have any signal. Secondly my speedy son had decided that it was a day for a PB for me. Seeing the hill in front of me, and knowing it was a hilly course I told him it wasn’t!
Off we Go!
So off we go up this hill – staying left as told in the briefing. My speedy son feeling like he was behind me (quite unnerving). He tells me he was by my side the whole time.
Unexpectedly though he tells me to SLOW DOWN! It didn’t even feel like we were going fast! You may recall the last time he decided I was going to get a PB he had his watch in miles and was telling me to speed up!
Not feeling the greatest (my legs hurt from work the night before) I hadn’t even looked at my watch. Then he made the fatal error of telling me that we were running at 4.5km (my aim is 5).
Slowing Down
Honestly it doesn’t matter how fast or slow I start, by 3km, (4km at a push) I will want to give up. Hot, unable to breathe and so on. It is why winter running is easier.
Sure enough we slowed.
A couple of things really didn’t help me mentally (and I did end up walking a few times). One was just before the turning point, near the top of a hill, a man asked me whether there was a diversion. Out of breath I explained and (after thanking me) he just zoomed off. Haha my son was like that wasn’t very helpful. That is probably the first time I gave up and walked. My son trying to encourage me with the fact that it was almost the half way point.
Then of course there was the man pushing his pushchair. It wasn’t bad enough that it seemed like I should be able to manage better (having no-one I had to push but myself!). But then he dropped a tissue and just left it there. Not caring at all. He knew because he told me it was “just” a tissue.
Finishing
The finish I thought was a lot further away and my son hadn’t told me to start sprinting as early as he normally does. Then at the finish the cones there really wasn’t room to go round anyone. This guy nips in front of me just before we entered the cones and just slows down. Had to ask him to keep going. Then turns out he didn’t even record his result!!
My Strava recorded the course as 4.8km and my son’s watch died at 4km. Personally I am going with the fact that the trees altered the ability for it to record properly as the courses are accurately measured.
My Stats at Wyre Forest parkrun
I finished officially in 25:46 – with once again my son letting me finish in front of him. That was behind 11 people over 60!
- A new age grading of 62.23%.
- A new record 1km time of 4:46/km (which is a 7:40/mi).
- 1 mile time was achieved at 7:49. Plus my 2 mile time was at a 8:08/mi (5:04km) pace.
Wyre Forest parkrun Stats Event 421
- 197 participants ranging from 17:53-1:00:46. 109 male, 77 female and 11 unknown.
- 6 first timers to parkrun
- 7 sub 20
- 114 sub 30
- The highest age grade was 83.07% (VM65-69) in 20:46.
- First female finished position 19 in 21:52.
Over 60s Stats at Wyre parkrun for Event 421
There were 35 participants over the age of 60. Making up at least 17%. Of those 15 finished in under 30 minutes. This makes up almost 43% of all participants over 60. But also this is over 13% of all sub 30 participants.
Males
- 8 VM60-64- all of whom finished in sub30.
- 10 VM65-69 – The fastest of which finished in 20:46! 3 sub 30s.
- 1 VM70-74
- 1 VM75-79
- 2 VM80-84
Females
- 5 VW60-64- 1 finished in sub30.
- 7 VW65-69 – 3 finished in sub30.
- 1 VW70-74
Other Nearby parkruns we have visited:
Severn Valley Country (6.1m); Worcester Pitchcroft (12.7m); Dudley (13.1m); Worcester (14.7m) and Arrow Valley (19.7m)
Also there’s a Wyre Forest parkrun Junior event on Sundays – read Chrissy’s blog about it (although it was from a few years ago).