N is for Northampton, 16th letter on my alphabet challenge. This parkrun also took me to 20 different parkrun venues and meant I was able to join the UK parkrun tourists group on Facebook. It also ticked off 'North' on the Compass Challenge. In case you are wondering what all these challenges are, then visit https://running-challenges.co.uk/ where you can learn about the above challenges and many more.
Northampton is a pleasant two lap course running around the circumference of a park, and has been on my to-do list for some time now, ever since I started doing parkruns back in 2015, but for some reason I never got around to it. I was informed by many other runners that it was a fast and flat course with PB potential. The reality is that there are some inclines to deal with, but it is a quick course and does have PB potential. It is located on an old horse racing venue, but these days it is a large park with tarmac paths running around the circumference, this course is run entirely on tarmac. It was VERY windy on the day I visited it, which did slow my down when I was running into the wind, but I still somehow managed a good time. It also reminded me a lot of Cassiobury parkrun which is very similar in a lot of respects.
[I visited this parkrun on 9th February 2019]
Difficulty
This is a 2 out of 5 course, there are some mild undulations but really nothing major, and the course is fully tarmacked and straightforward to follow. Fast and Flattish with PB potential. It's a popular course with nearly 500 runners on an average week.
The Course
This is a two lap, anti-clockwise lap of 'The Racecourse' with a shorter second lap which cuts off the East end of the park the second time around. The start is fairly flat, and you proceed North East, toward the east end of the park, before taking a left turn to head north towards some residential streets on the North side of the park, you then take another left turn to start the long straight on the north side of the park, heading south west towards the far west side of the park.
From the start you are basically going downhill for the first 1400m or so, by which time you are nearing the west side of the park, still heading south west but now going uphill you are heading towards a left turn to head south back towards the south side of the park, you then have a more sweeping left turn to take you east and you are now on the south straight still heading uphill, until you pass the start area. Once you pass the start point, at the cross roads this time turn left heading downhill, and you are now on the smaller of the two circuits, follow the path round to complete the second loop, as you pass the start area the second time, this time carry straight on at the crossroads and look out for the finish area.
Elevation & Terrain
This is a mildly undulating but well surfaced parkrun. It is the 251st flattest parkrun according to https://jegmar.com/stats-hq/fastest-races/parkrun/ out of the 519 they have ranked. With approx 90ft total climb, there is some work to do, but it is not a difficult parkrun by any means.
Parking, Facilities and Coffee
Parking can be found at the Pavilion Carpark, which is on Kettering Road and very close to the start which is located behind the Pavilion Carpark. Postcode for Satnav users: NN1 4LG. Allow time for parking on street and walking 5-10 mins. The official coffee venue for this event is The Good Loaf, NN1 3JL. There are toilets in the Football Association building, located next to the car park, between the start and finish. These open before parkrun at around 8.30am (However, I have been informed that due ongoing maintenance issues these toilets are now often closed).
Summary
I enjoyed this one and it's very similar to Cassiobury which I also enjoyed for the same reasons. Those being that it's a quick course and straightforward to run. Despite being very windy on the morning I visited I set a very good time.
Other Points of Interest
There is a restaurant next to the carpark called the Medieval Fort. I have no idea what the food is like, but the theming is certainly interesting...
Link to official parkrun site for this course - http://www.parkrun.org.uk/northampton