Tooting Common today was all about friends and a very important parkrun milestone! As always it’s great to be in the company of such a top Strider chum in Terry Willis! I hope you enjoyed your trip back to your childhood home mate.

Sorry to embarrass you but you are one of the reasons why I think we have such a special club at Stopsley!

Also it is great to cross paths again in my capital adventure with Liam O’Hare who I first met as the run director at Wimbledon Common, always a pleasure to bump into you sir!

Last definitely but not least was Mike Morfey who celebrated the milestone of his 100 parkrun today by selflessly volunteering as the tail runner for this event!

This what makes parkrun a great institution, he even asked at run announcements the Tooting faithful if possible to donate their time to become future volunteers, top man!

Course

After a short stretch run by the side of Tooting Bec common cafe you run 3 flat anticlockwise triangle-shaped laps on almost run entirely on tarmac paths apart from the section by Tooting Bec road is a cinders surface! Once you have finished the final lap it is just a short run back to where you had started!

Couple of points to mention this is a very popular parkrun with just over 400 people running this event today, so as the run director Gemma said in her briefing position yourself roughly in the place on the start line where you think that you are going to finish the run, as for at least the first lap it is difficult to overtake. Trust me it takes a good few seconds to run through the start!

Secondly on the Tooting Bec road section there are 2 sets of bollards that make it difficult for as their website says for wheelchairs and wide buggies access, so be warned!

Personal Stats

My parkrun time was 31:45 not to happy with that after last week, I seem to fall into the trap at the moment of not pushing myself and running 10 minute mile pace for 5K 😦

Important info

If travelling by car there is a small car park at the side of the common but the number of spaces is limited and this is a very popular park, so get there early!

For a nice post run coffee close to the start in the form of Tooting Bec Common cafe!

Other facilities but not for me today beside the park is Tooting Bec Lido in the right weather a great place to swim and relax after a 5k parkrun!

Final Verdict

A very popular event that course is flat and if you position yourself at the correct place at the start you can achieve a very fast time!

Special thanks to the parkrun director Gemma and her team of volunteers who made me and my friend very welcome today!

Also excellently organised event that coped with ease the large number of runners who attended today! Sorry did not capture a picture of the entire volunteer team my fault 😦

Very well done Tooting, top event and community!

Best

Mark aka Silent Runner

Run on 15-10-2016

Extra News

Looking forward to my clubs hosting it’s inaugural Stopsley 10 mile trail race on Sunday and will be participating in it even if it is hilly but fun I think!