Two Years Anniversary

It is hard to believe it has now been 2 years since I started seriously my parkrun tourism adventures at Dulwich parkrun on the 25th June 2016, now since then I have attended 85 new additional events of a current total of 91 🙂

Why – tourism

I needed a way of getting my running mojo back as I was seriously thinking of quitting completely due to a plantar fascia injury! So I decided I love parkruning an what ideas I could come up with to reignite my love of running and the rest is now history 🙂

Capital Adventures 25/06/16 – 04/06/2017

The originally idea was of running all the 47 parkrun events as it was then in the Greater London region for charity namely Keech Hospice Care!

These were some of the best times of my life touring our great capital every Saturday morning in making new friends for life, uncovering interesting facts about the parks I visited, wow I was one lucky man!

Cowell Club (current)

Decided after London then on 53 events I had to reach the hallowed parkrun tourist total of attending 100 different parkrun events, namely joining the unofficial Cowell Club named after Chris Cowell who was the first person to reach this great feat and I was very lucky to meet him!!

Me with Chris Cowell — With Chris Cowell

Parklife

The Fun

At Wimbledon Common one regular quipped, “I bet we are much better looking than last weeks lot”, well maybe but I have been using that line nearly every event since 🙂

Then at Mile End with the famous green bridge after the parkrun I had try the local delicacy of Pie & Mash, so we partake this feast at Maureen’s Cafe and lovely it was too, her son Jason even let us into the kitchen to see where the magic pies was made!

Finally the legendary run reporter Duncan at Pymmes likened me and my friends as a travelling Circus coming to town, I was branded the man who had an insatiable urge to have my photo taken with everyone that I meet!!

Dedications

Sadly we have lost very good parkrun people in Lisa Langford and Mark Sherwood who I have dedicated my adventures in their names and my dad who very sadly passed away back in February!

Communities

I have met so many brilliant parkrun communities on my travels that I can only say are outstanding and you are all credits to parkrun UK

One story will always still sticks in my mind is at my last parkrun on my Capital adventure at Pymmes one of the locals a lovely lady but the name of Jennifer asked what we were celebrating, I explained my adventure too her and she replied brilliant have you got cake to celebrate this feat, which I replied no unfortunately !!

The next part was truly amazing she said that at home there was a test cake for her son’s wedding and she would run home and bring it so we could all celebrate with cake, wow!!!!

For the record the cake was beautiful and not caring she came last in that week’s event, amazing and just one story of how parkrun is so brilliant in bringing local communities together!

What next…

I will finish of my Cowell club adventure, regain my London regionnaire status (2 to go), looking forward to being a run director at our new event Wardown Juniors!

Final Verdict

I would like to thank all my friends with whom I have toured alongside with a special mention to my buddy Martin Ball! To all the parkruns that I have visited you all have been brilliant to me guys!!!