I have a memory from my Mardyke Arena UCC days of my brother talking by chance to one of my stroke rehab patients about GAA. The patient was a huge hurling fan followed everything that was Cork Hurling. He had followed my brothers Senior Hurling career with great interest. We had all met in a corridor in the Mardyke Arena UCC a conincidence more than anything deliberate. After a few pleasantaries my patient burst out I was never a great Hurler all I did was watch it was all I wanted.. sorry. My brother was quick off the mark replying ‘Playing it’s not for everyone you did what you enjoyed that’s what matters’. My brother has achieved huge success winning both Senior Hurling and Football County Medals. What he said is the same message I am trying to communicate. I want to move as fast as I can at parkrun you may get your enjoyment and sense of achievement by walking, volunteering or other means. For some reason and maybe it’s got to do with sports history but the speed and winning have dominated the narrative to the point of they are considered the most important. At parkrun they are on equal footing take it all in.

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Porterstown parkrun. For Julie and I this was location 40 on our journey around the parkrun world and we have now completed every Dublin parkrun.

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I wasn’t feeling the love from parkrun HQ so then I went somewhere that might be a bit more laid back and the love returned. As usual it was my family, the parkrunners and volunteers who brought the lust for life. The RD Paddy excitedly told us on the morning of our visit the full course was open for the first time. Immediately, I forgot PSH the competitive capitalist market, Karma or both would take care of him. In Laytown living a full life was in front of me and I wasn’t going to let anyone take that away. Even when I was pushing my now one year old son Edward against the lash of the Laytown beach wind I was laughing.

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With all this in mind nothing will stir your soul to be awe inspired like the views at Ardgillan parkrun. This course is the hardest parkrun I’ve ever completed but I can see why people come back every week. The amazing view of Irish coast is the backdrop to your run. At times I was jogging along pinching myself wondering if this was real.

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The hidden beauty of Ballincollig is how much of Cork city’s parkrun history flows from it. It became the main parkrun destination after Tramore Valley was shut down in 2016. I imagine the disappointment was huge back then. And yet like the bloom in Ballincollig park the parkrun grew and then supported Glen River. When it came time to resurrect Tramore Valley I couldn’t help but notice regular Ballincollig runners and volunteers lifting up another parkrun.

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Considering that Julie and I were baptised in the intervention parkrun Brimstone fire of Glen River parkrun on the North side of Cork City this felt like a bang average Saturday in many ways except most importantly we could see a community binding together and rising in Darndale. The RD brief spoke of the rise of Coolock Running Club. We spotted the men and women arriving with the gear, brooms and bins bags. All the same effort helped Glen River rise up and thrive. Local interested groups of people helped Glen River bring up the health of the area. Darndale is at that inflection point. I could see how Darndale parkrun was pulling the community up. Darndale parkrun is on the up and if anyone in parkrun HQ or politics is reading now is the time to resource it with everything we’ve got.

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The course is a simple out and back. I remember at the Kenmare 10 km in 2018 the Race Director jested that the course is sign posted and marshalled at every turn if you get lost you need your head examined. The same applies at Vicarstown parkrun.

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As one challenged closed another one met us in River Valley. A parkrunner completing a parkrun in every European country. After today Finland would be his only remaining destination. Maybe this is what Julie and I will do next? Another volunteer told us how she had completed a half marathon with her double buggy. Later on Julie and I would stuggle to get a single buggy up the River Valley hill. As if that wasn’t a remarkable feat this woman had also for a time been training with a triple buggy and raising money for Down Syndrome. These are the things I enjoy about parkrun. You’ll hear a million stories of triumph if you have a moment to listen. I try to soak in positive in the face of tough challenge and use the stories to push myself forward during the run.

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The RD brief was amazing referencing the current land purchase which could see Castletown House parkrun lose it’s parking from next week the RD reminded us that whilst this might seem like a threat the real threat was no volunteers next week. The confidence was reassuring. I’ve seen parkruns take their eye off the ball like this. No matter what rain or shine it’s a free, weekly, timed, social 5k run led by volunteers. Shoehorning in extra tasks is likely to take your focus away from the real focus ….COFFEE after parkrun.

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Edward is on the parkrun tourism trail. At the time of writing he’s seven weeks into his young life and he’s already bored of hanging around the apartment. He has started leering at the sun and dreaming that of what might be over that horizon (milk maybe). I can see the curiosity growing in his eyes which are now showing a feint brown. I have a feeling he’ll have his mothers eyes. He definitely takes after his Mom and Dad by chasing down what he finds interesting, enjoying that which he finds for a time and then going after something else he’s interested in all the while building up to something great

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No matter what your mood might be I’d let rip for at least on long loop on this course. Whilst on the downhill you should be cautious even if you’ve jumped into light speed out of sheer enthusiasm for being alive and parkrunning you’ll still be on the flat and running straight for the most part. You’ll have less to worry about than some other places where a monstrous hill might suddenly sprout up in front of you sap your legs and lash your lungs.

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Cabinteely parkrun beings with one short loop. You start by running down approximately half of the brutal Cabinteely hill pan right circle around and then back to your first crack at the infamous hill. Over the hill you’ll pass the finish funnel. The team will rouse your weary legs. I’d advise you to hold back on lap one. After you pass the finish line you’ll enter the long loop. Again this will begin with a drop downhill through some beautiful woodland. Be careful here your quads take a hammering on prolonged down hills and you’ll have two more 400 meter climbs to complete. You’ll need to save your legs. Coming around by the Old Bray Road the course flattens a little you’ll pass a house and soccer pitches before coming around for your second crack at the monstrous Cabinteely hill. On your third lap (repet fo lap two) by all means listen to Clarence DeMar and ;

Run like hell and get the agony over with.” ~ Clarence DeMar

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The parkrun commences right in front of the water feature. Swallow the mental health benefits of running next to water whole. There was a discount on coffee here at Bru coffee (if you present your barcode) outside the Trinity Sport and Leisure club. I can confirm that the Americano was great but if you’re more adventurous Julie confirmed the Flat White was also delicious. At some point during the run you’ll see the planes flying into Dublin airport. I had a bit of chuckle to myself at the British Airways plane with the tail draped in the American flag coming into Dublin airport at the end of the same week US President Joe Biden came on a four day visit to Ireland and the UK press spent the whole week sniping at Biden for snubbing the UK. On a lighter note at this time in 2020 we where at home on Zoom terrified and those flights and squabbles were what we dreamed of having back.

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I couldn’t help but notice the small army of volunteers at St.Anne’s they were everywhere and one quite literally paced me over the line for my best finish in 3 years. The RD the epitomy of calm reminded participants of the ‘No Barcode No Time’ but then insisted that paper, mobile devices and neck tattoos will be fine. Neck tattoos was new to me and I was so taken by the idea I volunteered as fourth scanner. Unfortunately no neck tattoos were scanned and I received no bribes for PBs.

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ou don’t have to look far to find a parkrun money scandal. And the recent of board of trustee appointments have kicked up a huge backlash in parts of the UK. Most of the parkrun teams I’ve encountered are lucky to have people volunteer for an hour a week. They’re into running not corporate finance. You can’t tell people on one hand the run is free, weekly and timed and on the other hand apply stealth payment terms and conditions when it suits you. We didn’t sign up to run, pay casual donations, timed and weekly. We definitely don’t enjoy being told fundraise while the now former parkrun CEO collects a kickback.

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The singing and dancing Marshall was a new one on me. On the first lap it was Five’s Keep on moving, the second lap was Kanye’s stronger and the third lap I’ve forgotten but the marshall kept this up whilst jogging on the spot and generally doing a jig to an almost flawless tune. This was remarkable skill and I enjoyed it immensely.

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I can’t emphasize volunteering at parkrun enough. parkrun is a free, weekly, timed, social 5km walk, jog or run. It should be fun every week that’s why we need you. We’re convinced more volunteers means more fun. I always tell people about Glen River parkrun. At one point it was almost the case that parkrun was pinned on two people in Glen River. They asked for help, Julie and I couldn’t just say No we went wide and high with that volunteer base and now Glen River thrives. We’re developing the same idea in Tramore Valley but faster. Tramore Valley is much bigger and we need that team strong and resilient. On the last day of 2022 our friends in Ballincollig had to cancel. We had 70 more parkrunners divert too us. The Tramore Valley crew took on the challenge and made it look like a soft breeze on summers day. There is something great in teams that can roll like that.

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