Great to be back again having a parkrun mini holiday break for the first time for me in nearly three years with a visit to the quintessential of English seaside towns in Margate, Kent 🙂

Special Mentions

Huge congratulations today go to Kylie running her 50th parkrun and Hi-Vis hero Holly who tail walked on her 25th volunteering event, top work ladies!

Course

The course starts at the shelter, then you run 500m west, run around the bandstand and back past the shelter run 2km until the pumping station you then run around the bend onto a small grass loopback section onto the main footpath again and finish back at the shelter.

The course steady undulates in elevation along the cliff top footpaths and apart from a short, small grass loop back section is run on well-maintained wide tarmac paths!

Points to note

• I have been told the short grass loop back drains well and never get that muddy
• As they state on their course description always kept on the left at the junction points on the course

My time was 33:44 that I will happy take that especially as somehow, I ran 5.11 km 🙂

Facilities

We stayed in rented suite on Ethelbert Crescent with all the mod cons, so my journey on the morning was just a half mile walk away from the start of this event.

If you are driving, they state there is free street parking on the B2051. Update I have been informed that you can use the toilets at Walpole Bay Hotel that is very close to the start of this event!

For the post run coffee, we retired to the Palm Bay cafe where I had to indulge myself with double scoop of vanilla ice cream 🍨 and a flake, how lovely and refreshing treat that was to behold.

An alternative if you want a more substantial breakfast, I can highly recommend the well named builders’ breakfast from the Rendezvous Bistro.

I didn’t need to eat for the rest of my day after that monstrously beautiful, cooked meal I had for dinner later in the day, but they are open from 9am.

Other Attractions

There are a lot of things to do in Margate if you plan to stay for the whole day or longer after the parkrun.

Walpole Bay Tidal Pool

If you wish to cool down after your parkrun, why not don on you bathing gear and try the grade 2 listed Walpole Bay Tidal Pool that is 4 acres in size. The tidal pool is located directly below the finish line of Margate parkrun, so you have no excuses 😊

Shell Grotto

We went to the fascinating Shell Grotto that has 4.6 million shells studded into the limestone walls and was discovered by luck in 1835.

A truly breathtaking sight to behold!

Conclusion

I would like to thank this week’s run director Allison and her team of hi vis heroes for an excellent job and the nicest compliment I could give to you all are one of my most favourite parkrun communities that I have ever had the pleasure to visit 🙂

I would say apart from my home parkrun of Luton, Wardown I could not find a more lovelier bunch of people to spend my parkrun morning with. Top work guys 🙂

So, if you are looking for inspiration for a seaside mini break with a top parkrun community, then Margate must be on your parkrun touring to do list, you have been told!

Best

Mark aka Silent Runner