The Macc Pack

 

Macclesfield 15 June 2024

 

It’s my third time running at Macclesfield and the second time on the new course.  Now, I’ve no idea if the ‘new’ course is hillier than the old one but as my PB on this is over a minute quicker than the time I ran today, I’ll take it as read that its at least 200 metres hiller and about 1 ½ miles longer.  (Don’t come back with all your jibber jabber  about the parkruns being accurately measured or I shall take my pen home with me)

South Park is a beautiful place, about 1 mile or so out of the town centre with a small free car park and plenty of parking around the local streets, it’s a perfect setting for parkrun (if you are parking in the car park, head out of the exit that leads you to the tennis courts and you’ll see the bandstand which is where the run brief is, as opposed to going past the playground like I did and got a bit lost)

Macc is now very well established, they’re approaching their 5^th birthday, today being #242 and it shows, Tim the RD and his team have everything running perfectly.  Run brief is given from the bandstand on a loudspeaker so everyone can hear and the first timers just in front on the grass.

As with every parkrun, we have to give so much thanks to the brilliant volunteers.  One of the most important roles are the parkwalkers.  These are such an important part of the concept that is parkrun.  Idea is that it is for everyone, you do not have to run it if you don’t want to.  You are more than welcome to turn up and walk round.  It’s your event, you do what’s good for you.  The parkwalkers are there for those that want to do this and really make the whole thing so much better.  (I was quite rightly corrected when I thanked one of the ‘tailwalkers’  they are parkwalkers are rightly proud of it)

Macc is one of the parkruns where you need a bit of local knowledge before deciding what shoes to wear.  Even though most of it is on paths, there’s some grassy bits which may get a bit puddly if the weather decides to do its thing.

Today, however, wasn’t one of those days.  Today was a dry today.  Today was not puddly.  Today was a day to run as a fast as I could and see whether my Duracell batteries would run out before the end.

203 people set out today to take on the upwardly slopey 3 lapper that is Macclesfield parkrun.  It starts off at the top of a hill and straightaway you have a full on run down the grassy bank to a left hand turn.  On the first lap this is a bit narrow but soon enough it spreads out into a mixture of undulating trail, flat paths and a couple of climbs, which you repeat twice and a bit.

It is such a varied course, from the tarmac, the downhills, the sharp turns, and the climbs but the two main hills are just about spaced out enough to let you get your breath back before you have that great downhill charge to the start of the next lap.  It’s hard to think of a better course design.  Don’t make the mistake I made today and ‘kick’ for the end before the end.  When you turn towards what appears to be the finish, you then have to run around the corner, its only about 20 metres or so but when you’ve sprinted past about 4 people only for them to glide past you, you do feel a bit of a tit : )

One of the things I love about parkrun is that it is spread out in so many different places that not only will you see people from local clubs but you’ll also see those from running clubs from ‘back home’.  I’ve been up here for over 20 years but my ‘home’ is the Gnoll parkrun (if you’re ever down in South Wales, pay it a visit, you’ll not be disappointed) so when I saw a chap with a Porthcawl Runners vest, Julian Straker Jones, I, like any self respecting Welshman had to go over to say hello. 

We’d not met before, we live 4 hours apart, but the power of parkrun meant that we were instantly connected.  Talk of home, parkruns around Porthcawl that we’d both done, the best marathon in the world, Marathon Eryri (Snowdon) and the fact that his dad was from Neath, my home town.  I only realised when I was driving home that I forgot to ask his dad’s name as my dad, who knows everyone, probably knows him.  Hope you enjoyed the run Julian

Now.  The local Maccaberies may try to suggest that these are proper hills.  The ‘Upwards Flat Section’ may instil a sense of respect an awe into you Cheshire folk and to those who haven’t ventured further afield may feel likewise.  However, they are those who haven’t had the pleasure, the sense of awe, the fulfilment of all parkrun tourism  of visiting the holy shrine of ‘Up North’ parkrunning, the venue parkrun truly began….Woodbank.     We have proper hills, and proper mud and our coffee and cake are even better than the Tatama Coffee Trailer at the end of the run today  (Very much recommended)