Parkrun Birthday Tradition

We have a parkrun birthday tradition in our household, where the birthday boy or girl gets to choose where we go and parkrun on the weekend nearest their birthday.  This weekend was my turn, I won’t say how old, I stopped counting a while back, but the honour was mine.

A couple of years ago we had spent a few days in Amsterdam and den Haag whilst taking in the first Zuiderpark parkrun for my wife’s birthday, so when I saw there was to be a second iteration at Hoogeveen my decision was made. As a bonus, this was to be the sixth running of the event which ticked a box for my son’s Wilson index challenge (if you are unfamiliar with what this is, you can find more information about it, and other parkrun challenges.

Due to my sons increasing dislike of flying we decided to drive across from Bristol, rather than fly.  Whilst this does add quite a few miles to the odometer it also allows for a more leisurely journey.  Unlike our hard core group of friends in ‘Airey Airways’ who visited Zuiderpark last week, driving there and back in 48 hours, we spent 4 days making the adventure way more relaxing and also allowing us to do a spot of Junior parkrun volunteering on the way home.

As we arrived at the event the finish funnel and most of the course set up was already set up. There was also a table with a few post event drinks to which we added a couple of tubs of flapjacks as a birthday treat. By the time the run director started her brief a further two cakes had arrived on the table which now had enough post event treats for all participants, volunteers and then some. This really added to the community feel of the event.

We had been advised by friends that the course was ‘pancake flat’ which proved to be the case with the two laps taking in both the park and a dykeside path. The previous two weeks we had been at trail type courses which were extremely muddy, so the tarmac and soft gravel footing of the course was most welcome and made for a quick run.

Sadly due to our hotel checkout time we were not able to stay too long after the event, but it was great to see participants chatting happily around the table, cake in hand as we left.