My 42nd different parkrun course found me heading east to Fairlands Valley Park in Stevenage, a parkrun that I really should have managed to get to before now. It is somewhat reminiscent of Milton Keynes parkrun, taking place alongside a lake. Parking next to the Lake is free and there are at least two car parks, we parked at the bigger of the two car parks on the south east side of the sailing lake which is a 5-10 minute walk from the start, there are two smaller car parks closer to the start, which could fill up quicker. It is a fairly flat and fast two lap clockwise course, the vast majority of which is on footpath, but there is a short trail section through the woods, there is some elevation to deal with but nothing too major. You'll be fine on road shoes for this course. It is a very pretty parkrun, but like Milton Keynes parkrun can be very windy with not much shelter from the wind if it is a windy day (it was very windy on the day we visited). Stevenage is one of 13 parkruns currently active in Hertfordshire, with Letchworth to the North and Panshanger and Westmill to the South (all of which I have not yet run and are on my to do list). It was event #229 of Stevenage on the day of my visit, and it was dry but very windy.
[I first visited this parkrun on 12th February 2022]
Difficulty
Due to the fact there are some inclines to deal with and it can be windy, I'm going to rate this as a 1.5 out of 5, there is nothing major to worry about here. The inclines come at the south end of the south lake and after coming round the east side of the north lake coming back towards the south lake. There is also a hill at the finish, which you only do once at the end of the parkrun. Unfortunately I had an asthma attack halfway through the second lap, but that wasn't the course's fault.
Briefings
The visitor briefing gave a description of the course, it's a fairly straightforward two lap course, but on the end of the second lap instead of completing the second lap you turn off left and head uphill to the finish. The main brief included the usual parkrun reminders and milestones.
The Course
You start at the top of the big Sailing lake on the path between the Sailing lake and the more nature oriented lakes to the north. From the start you head south heading along the west shore line of the Sailing Lake, after reaching the south end of the lake you turn off to the right and briefly run alongside the Six Hills Way road, before taking a right turn to head North, passing by other runners still heading south along the Lake. From here you head into the wooded section, which is a dirt trail. It is also possible to stay on the path but it's slightly longer if you take this option.
Re-joining the path after leaving the woods, you continue North past the car park close to the start, you'll be directed left and then right to continue North passing the nature lakes on the right. You'll eventually come to the top of the course, where you take a right and head over a footbridge, before taking another right to head south back towards the start. On Lap one, you take a right back to the start and then a left to run past The Sailing Lake again, lap two is the same as lap one, except you don't complete the second lap as you are directed left off the path and up a short hill to the finish.
The map to the left is one I found at the side of the lake and shows a bit more detail of the park and routes around it.
Elevation
According to my Garmin, there are 35m of Elevation on this course, It doesn't seem too bad, I guess you could describe the course as mildly undulating. As I mentioned above in the difficulty section there are a couple of sections where you are aware of the inclines but they don't last too long.
Parking, Facilities and Coffee
Parking is easy and there are two/three free car parks to choose from, both easily accessible from the start. The car park at the East side of the boating lake can be found at SG2 0BL, there are actually two car parks on this side of the lake, a larger one at the south end and a much smaller one at the Costello cafe. The other car park is west of the start can be found at SG1 1LQ. The Cafe and Toilets are at Costello Cafe, on the North East side of the Boating Lake not far from the start.
Other Points of Interest
There are various activities in the park, including various walks, a trim trail, a splash park, a maze and at least two children's playgrounds. Also peddle boating in the summer months. Plenty of wild foul on the Lake if that interests you, the north lakes are much more nature orientated with some marsh lands if you wanted to go for a nature walk after the parkrun.
Summary
Another pretty lake based parkrun, with pretty scenery, a wooded section and a fairly fast mostly path based parkrun. Plenty to look at on the way round to take your mind off of the running. Can get windy here as is often the case with Lake based parkrun's but don't let that put you off, as it is very nice parkrun to come and do. I'm planning on coming back here in the summer months when it is a bit warmer and try and improve on my time after having an asthma attack on this visit which blunted the enjoyment somewhat (although this is not parkrun's fault). It's easy to get to, easy and free to park at, and with good facilities. In summary well worth a visit, especially if you prefer footpaths to trails, as a lot of the other parkruns close to this one are more cross country in nature.
Links
Link to official parkrun site for this course - https://www.parkrun.org.uk/stevenage/
Link to more information about Fairlands Valley Park - https://www.parksherts.co.uk/parks/view/fairlands-valley-park
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