Parkrun tour #2 Frimley lodge

The course

Next up on the Parkrun tour is my second most local run, about 4 miles from home.

Frimley Lodge is a lovely, 24 hectare park in the Surrey village of Frimley. The park boasts playing fields, a pitch and putt golf course, play areas,cafe and even a miniature railway. It also backs onto the Basingstoke canal making it a popular local area.

Panoramic

The Frimley Parkrun was celebrating it's 250th run this weekend and regularly attracts around 300 runners. There is ample parking close to the start and overflow parking if required.

The course starts on the back playing field close to the main facilities. A quick start can be made as the run heads around the perimeter of the field but then comes the first bottleneck and getting onto the canal path.

It's then a 3/4 of a mile stretch along the canal which is narrow, wet and muddy. Unless you've got away at the front then its difficult to pass or run fast along this stretch.

Start line

It's a pleasant stretch of canal path though, with woodland on both sides. At the end of this section its back into the park and through some woodland trails before running back on the grass round the perimeter of a field, heading back to the main facilities on a gravel path and then repeating for a second lap to complete the 3.1 mile course.

Due to the section of the canal being so narrow and dependent on the time of year (this weekend being wet and muddy) it's probably not a PB course. Having said that if you can get away at the front of the pack the course is flat and a PB could easily be achieved for the faster runners but for us middle of the pack runners its a course to enjoy rather than race.

A great setting for a Parkrun, well organised with encouraging marshalls enroute.

Runners 380

Atmosphere 9 out of 10

Scenery 8.5 out of 10

PB potential 7 out of 10