I love Lyme Park, I love parkrun, so running my favourite event in my favourite place is always going to be special.
Lyme, along with Watergrove parkrun in Rochdale is the hardest parkrun I've ran out of 49 different events, but I keep coming back. Maybe its the scenery, maybe its the forever varying terrain, maybe it's the run to the cage, or the deer, or the killer start or finish...whatever it is it is my favourite parkrun in parkrun land (along with my 'home home' the Gnoll)
Today was my 530th parkrun and my 28th at Lyme Park. My plan when I ran here on NYD was to come every Saturday to try to incorporate hills into my regular training and get back into really good running shape and try to get my overall parkrun times down and get in proper form for Wilmslow Half later in the year.
Unfortunately, the past two weeks' cancellations due to the weather put the kibosh on that somewhat so it was with a lot of excitement that I put on my trail shoes and made the short drive up to Lyme Park this morning.
For those that haven't run here before, firstly have a look a Nicola Forewood's vlog A parkrun You Won't Forget! Running at the Stunning Lyme Park parkrun. National Trust Lyme Park. A great representation of this spectacular run.
Don't arrive (if you are driving in) before 8.30as the gates open automatically then. When you drive through, you are met with a beautiful drive into the grounds, seeing the cage looming high ahead of you. I take this place for granted but for someone who hasn't been here before you are in for a treat.
Normally it costs £7 per person to get into the park but it's free for parkrunners and the parking is plentiful. There are toilets in the grounds and the very friendly marshals and RD is on hand for the 1st timer's briefing.
In the summer, you can run in road shoes, but this time of year, trails are a must, it wasn't so bad today, but can get very muddy.
You start off and immediately face an off road, uneven off road climb up into the woods. This, I think, is the hardest part of the course. (You can venture off to the left on the grass which is slightly less uneven but I find sticking to the path is shorter and enables you to run a bit quicker) You continue the climb up through the woods before you pass the gate and turn left (where the infamous Bowstones NYE race keeps going up) onto the moors.
This is where the fun starts and you can get a bit of speed going. After a bit more of a climb, you suddenly drop down, but you need to watch your footing as it is again, very uneven, but proper, proper running. You turn left again and run down past the archery fields (again can pick up pace but very uneven).
After you get back on the path, you begin the climb up to the iconic Cage, down the other side, (you need to know the best route) doing an 180 degree turn before the final killer ascent.
Grab you token, have a lie down on the grass bank and get scanned.
Just in time then to visit the café, fill up on lost calories and plan to do it all again next week.
Lyme Park really reaches those parts other parkruns cannot touch
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