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Date of Visit
14 May 2022
Number of runners
56
Event Number
463
Visit Number
1
Results
https://www.parkrun.dk/amagerstrandpark/results/463/
parkrun Link
https://www.parkrun.dk/amagerstrandpark
Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/AmagerStrandparkParkrun
Strava Segment
https://www.strava.com/segments/12573014
Weather
Aside from it being a bit windy it was lovely. Blue sky, minimal clouds. Cool enough for running but not warm enough to be a problem for running. I went with my long sleeve running top as I was using public transport and it wasn’t quite t-shirt weather for walking about in.
Getting There
Being Copenhagen public transport options are good and locals will more than likely cycle there (because just about everyone does!) Take the M2 metro line to Øresund and it’s short walk across the bridge. The parkrun page gives you options for driving though I can’t imagine too many people are doing that for this parkrun.
Facilities
There is a little hut where people gather to stay out of the wind or swimmers use for getting dry as it’s a popular open water swimming spot. You can leave coats and bags in there too (at your own risk of course!) There are toilets nearby and there were a couple of drink stands on the way in.
Briefings and Volunteers
Amazing! Such a friendly group. This was their tenth anniversary event, which I didn’t even know was happening beforehand so there was a bit of an extended briefing (in English which us tourists were appreciative of) while we heard about the last ten years, some of the people involved and how this was the first parkrun outside of the UK. To celebrate there were snacks and bubbly for after! I ended up hanging around after and chatting to some of the volunteers too. They were very nice people.
Start line and finish funnel
Start and finish in the same place on a path behind the hut. Like most events that start on a path if it got busy you’d end up a big queue to start but this isn’t a massively busy event so not a problem.
Course
Two loops around the park with a slight twist. At the end of the first lap there is a turnaround point and you do same route but in reverse. I’m not sure if any other parkruns do this but I quite liked the idea. No one is getting lapped, you can see (and wave) at people coming from the opposite direction and it adds a bit of variety over just repeating the same lap.
The route goes over the bridge back onto the main pavement at the entrance to the park, up to and over the next bridge where it takes you through the park itself with the sea on the right hand side. That park was very pretty!
It’s also basically flat. The two bridges have a bit of a curve but nothing serious. The turnaround point does slow you a touch but other than that this is a course with really good PB potential.
Other interesting thing about this is that other than the start and the finish the course isn’t marked at all. It’s not a particularly complex course but this was new to me. Every single parkrun I’ve been to has something to let you know where you’re going or at least marshals at the turns. None of that here. Does mean the whole thing is really easy to put on though. There were six volunteers at this one and looking at the previous results they’ve done it with as few as three.
Shoes
Road. Whole thing is on pavement so even in bad weather you’re not going to need anything else.
Short or Long? (based on our watches and checking out other Strava profiles)
Spot on. I had 3.10 on the watch and the usual cursory glance at other all had them around the same
Andy Stats
parkrun number:
52
Tourist event number:
24
Official time:
19:27
Position:
2 ( 70.69% age grade)
Bryony Stats
No Bryony today.
How did it go?
Well if you’re just looking at the stats it went great. A second place finish in a time that a month ago would have been one of my faster ones. But….
The reason I was in Copenhagen was for the marathon on Sunday. My original plan was to sit somewhere between my half marathon and 10k pace so that I wasn’t going too hard. As we started I ended up in a group with two other guys and wasn’t a million miles away from the pace I’d got planned. I quickly realised the guy in front was a local and next to me was another British tourist and we were both sitting behind the local as he knew route! Once we hit the turnaround point (and we knew were we going) we both pulled ahead of the local. Pace had gone up a bit at this point and I really should have been sensible and dropped back but as I was in first place at this point I kept at it. I’ve never been first finisher at a parkrun and as I wasn’t still quite going flat out the the stupid competitive part of my brain decided it was going to jump at the chance.
I had a small lead as we were coming to the final turn and I realised the tourist was sitting behind and he was likely planning to step it up for the final straight. At this point common sense prevailed as getting into a sprint finish the day before the marathon was a monumentally stupid idea and I dropped back. (though having looked at his parkrun stats after I don’t think it would have changed the outcome anyway 😅)
So not the ideal race prep! That aside this was one of the best tourist experiences I’ve had. It was a really nice course. The locals were so friendly and there were a fair few tourists there who I spent ages chatting to at the end including lots from the facebook parkrun tourism group. Snacks and drinks were also a massive bonus!
Return Visit Likely?
No, but only because of where it is. Coming back to Copenhagen with Bryony isn’t out of the question though as we both love the city so if we’re here again I’d love another go at it.
Pictures and that.
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