If you are interested in completing the Alphabet challenge then it can mean some early starts. I was certainly questioning my life choices as i picked up my running buddies at 6:30 in the morning to get the 6:55 train from Milton Keynes to London. We were all in hunt of a V and decided to go and do Victoria Dock together. This was course number #54 for me and to be fair it was actually a very easy and relaxed train ride down to London from MK and we also got to ride the new Elizabeth line, more on that later. Victoria Dock parkrun itself is a very quick twice out and back run along the dockside and is very popular with tourists.
[I first visited this parkrun on 19th November 2022]
Travel
The group of us that met up to do this parkrun, travelled in a few different ways. Three of us took the 6:55 train from Milton Keynes to London Euston, then took the Northern Line to Tottenham Court Road, before switching to the Elizabeth Line (which was very clean and new) to Custom House before taking a 15min walk down the dock to the start (we arrived at about 8:30 without any need to rush).
It's also possible to take the Docklands Light Railway to Royal Victoria which is a little closer to the start but it's a slower route overall. Another group of ours came from Bedford. And the other two in the group stayed overnight in the Good Hotel which is on a floating hotel in the dock right next to the start of this parkrun (literally about 200m from the start). You can even arrive via Cable Car if you come via Greenwich, the cable car is free for parkrunners before 10:30am on Saturday (we decided to take a ride after the parkrun instead).
Arriving at parkrun
Leaving Custom House Station we headed south past the Excel centre, and took the high level Victoria Dock bridge (great views from up there), and then headed West towards the end of the Dock and the start of parkrun.
You don't have to take the bridge, but we did so just for the views. We arrived with plenty of time at about 8:30 so chatted to some other tourists while we waited for the core team to arrive. The core team arrived at 8:50, so I don't think there is much to set up at this parkrun.
Briefings
We weren't aware of there being a specific first timer brief, but the course was covered in detail in the main brief anyway. The main instruction was to keep left at all times on the out and back course.
The Course
One of the more straightforward courses, a simple two times out and back along the dock. This is one of the flattest parkruns in the country, so good times are possible here. Starting outside the City Hall, you turn right to head down the side of the dock past the Entrance to the Cable Car and then you'll pass the Good Hotel on your right. After the Good Hotel you'll come to some buildings in front of you where you need to take a right turn closely followed by a left to continue along the dock, you'll then pass under some of the docklands winches, and you'll soon come to the 'Sunborn' a hotel in the form of a docked cruise ship. After the Sunborn you'll reach the Excel Centre, where you will need to take another right and then left turn, to continue along the dock, keeping the Excel Centre on your left. You will soon come to the end of the course and a marshal with a cone. After the turn you head back the way you came all the way back to the Cable Car Entrance, where you will turn around again and repeat the course. After the two times out and back the finish is close to the start at City Hall. Being an out and back course this is one of those courses where you get to see the rest of your running buddies a few times throughout the course.
Difficulty
Flat twice out and back with minimal corners all on hard surfaced footpaths. This is known for being one of the quickest and flattest of UK parkruns. Remember to keep left at all times and beware of all the Dock Infrastructure, such as bollards, winches, lampposts, benches, etc. There is plenty to look at and keep you distracted while you are out on route, very easy to rate this one as a 1 out of 5.
Elevation
Flatter than flat. One of the flattest and quickest parkruns in the country, all on hard surfaced footpaths. Not even a whiff on an incline here. My Garmin said 6m of total Elevation, but honesty I just put that down to tracking error.
Coffee and Facilities
The Good Hotel, is right next to the parkrun just up the dock from the Cable Car station and it is the official post parkrun Coffee venue. It serves tea coffee and cakes, the cakes in particular are very yummy. There are also toilets here and It's a very friendly hotel, very welcoming to parkrunners.
IFS Cloud Cable Car
Couldn't write about this parkrun without mentioning the cable car which runs between Victoria dock and Greenwich, it is free to ride by parkrunners before 10am if you show your barcode and is definitely worth a ride if you haven't done it before. Great views of the Docks and the Millennium Dome from up here.
A Bit of History
The Royal Victoria Docks have a long history dating back centuries and are an important part of London's Industrial, Trade and Naval past. Today it is an upmarket residential district and is one of the most well known examples of 'Urban Regeneration'. One of our group is a Geography teacher so she suggested we go and visit the Museum of London Docklands after the parkrun which is a short tube ride away in Canary Wharf and is free to enter. The museum is located in a 19th Century Sugar Warehouse, and is packed to the brim with the history of the docklands all the way from the time of the British Empire all the way through to the Modern Regeneration projects. It is a very interesting museum and well worth a visit especially if you are interested in the history of the Docks. It also has a very nice cafe, and you could spend several hours in this museum just on it's own, it's a lot bigger than it looks from the outside.
Other Sightseeing
Too much to list on here really, as there is loads to see and do here being in central London. Pretty much all central London tourist destinations are in reach from here via the Tube, we checked out the Museum of the Docklands in Canary Wharf, but there are loads of other London museums you could visit as well, a number of which are free to enter. You could also visit the Tower of London or take a ride on the London Eye, if the cable car wetted your fancy for elevated views. The Natural History is one of my favourite museums, and the London Transport museum is also worth a visit if you are interested in the history of Public Transport within the city. You could also visit Buckingham Palace, or go for a walk in one of London's many parks and gardens. We decided after doing the Museum of the Docklands, to head to Brewdog at Waterloo station (claimed to be UK's biggest bar) for some food and a well earned Pint, this bar has ping pong tables and a bowling alley as well as an indoor slide which we all took a ride on.
Summary
Honesty what's not to like, a 'V' for the alphabet challenge, an interesting fast and flat parkrun course, where I managed to get a new 'PB' despite having an Asthma attack in the last km. Getting to ride a brand new railway line while it is still new and shiny. A free cable car ride, a trip to a museum, sight seeing walks in London, and a trip to UK's biggest bar complete with an indoor slide. Do yourself a favour, come to 'Victoria Docks' parkrun, bring some mates and make a day of it, you won't regret it.
Links
Link to official parkrun site for this course - https://www.parkrun.org.uk/victoriadock/
Link to the website for the Good Hotel - https://goodhotel.co/london
Link to the IFS Cloud Cable Car - https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/london-cable-car/
Link to the Museum of London Docklands - https://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/museum-london-docklands
Link to Brewdog Waterloo - https://www.brewdog.com/uk/brewdog-waterloo
My YouTube Video Blog of this parkrun: