REVEALED: TOP 10 PARKRUNS IN THE UK
Posted on September 25 2024
From the glass biomes of the Eden Project in Cornwall to the remote lanes of Bressay in the Shetland Islands, the best parkruns in the United Kingdom have been named by a new book.
Fountains Abbey in North Yorkshire, a World Heritage Site, comes first on the Top 10 drawn up by author Lucy Waterlow for The Ultimate Guide to parkrun.
The hugely popular parkrun at Bushy Park in west London is second, followed by Severn parkrun in Monmouthshire, south Wales, which has sweeping views over the Severn estuary. The Eden project is the fourth.
Fifth is the challenging up-and-down (and beautiful) jog over the sand dunes at Woolacombe Bay in Devon.
The full list has been released in the run up to parkrun, Britain’s most popular community running event, celebrating its 20th anniversary on 2nd October 2024:
1. Fountains Abbey parkrun, North Yorkshire
2. Bushy parkrun,West London
3. Severn Bridge parkrun, Monmouthshire, Wales
4. Eden Project parkrun, Cornwall
5. Woolacombe Dunes parkrun, Devon
6. Portrush parkrun, Northern Ireland
7. Somerdale Pavilion parkrun, Somerset
8. Bressay parkrun, Shetland Islands
9. Holyrood parkrun,Edinburgh
10.Sheringham parkrun, Norfolk
parkrun (always with a lowercase p) is a weekly free 5km run in parkland or other open space on a Saturday morning.
Since its launch in Bushy Park, London (second on the top 10 list), on 2nd October 2004, parkrun has become a global phenomenon. It is now in 2,000 locations across 22 countries of the world.
The perfect seasonal gift for parkrun fans and wannabe parkrunners, The Ultimate Guide to parkrun: Everything You Need to Know About the Friendliest 5k in the World delves into the event’s heart-warming world as well as some of the top runs in the UK and around the world.
Lucy Waterlow said: 'There are so many scenic parkruns around the UK, it was difficult to narrow it down to a top 10. The ones I have chosen are all in beautiful and/or unique locations where you can take in some amazing sights whilst parkrunning. Many are in locations already popular with holidaymakers so you could tie in some 'parkrun tourism' with a trip away. And don't forget you don't need to be able to run to experience these parkruns. You can also walk the whole route if you want, or attend as a volunteer.'
Read The Ultimate Guide to parkrun to find out more.