Brierley Forest parkrun

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Date of Visit

25/03/2023

Number of runners

151

Event Number

256

Visit Number

1

We were visiting friends and this parkrun was kind of in the middle and had good breakfast options!

Results

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/brierleyforest/results/256/

parkrun Link

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/brierleyforest/

Facebook Page

https://www.facebook.com/brierleyforestparkrun

Strava Segment

https://www.strava.com/segments/15368285

Weather

Chilly but only bad because of the wind which was a bit biting. One of those where you needed a jacket beforehand but could probably take off for the run itself. Rain was threatening but just about held off until we’d finished.

Getting There

I put Brierley Forest Park Car Park into my mapping app. NG17 2PL will get you in the area too if you look for Skegby Road.

I was this specific as the parkrun page said if you use the park name sometimes mapping apps can take you to the other end of the park which is much further away.

We had no trouble finding it from M1 junction 28. A38 is nearby too so it’s well connected.

Visitor centre is directly next to the car park so easy to get to.

There’s a bus stop at the top of Skeby Road with services that get there for 8.20 and 8.30 so certainly doable.

No mention of train services on the website but Google Maps suggests you can get to the Skegby bus stop by 8.20 by taking a couple of buses from Alfreton train station.

Should be no problem cycling too as it’s behind some housing estates so easy to get at.

Facilities

Free and plentiful parking in front of the visitor centre. Same visitor centre also had a couple of small toilets and very good cafe for afterwards. I had full English for the second week in a row as well as some very fancy white chocolate and raspberry fudge afterwards.

Briefings and Volunteers

Possibly the youngest person doing a first timing brief I’ve seen so far! He did a good job though and even did a sweep of the car park to round up any stragglers.
RD apologised as loud hailer but as she was a teacher she’d have to put her teacher voice to good use. Very friendly group after the event and the RD was keen to grab as many pictures of tourists as she could for the facebook page.

Start line and finish funnel

Path for the start line was a bit narrow which meant a bit of a queue down towards the car park which meant people towards the back would have struggled to have seen the RD (Bryony did)

Finish funnel was really well marked out. They some very snazzy portable fence “things” (I have no idea why they are called!)

Lots of space for hanging around after and a short walk to the visitor centre.

Course

I told this was the winter course so not entirely sure what was different but it’s straight forward enough route. Starting on the path next to the visitor centre it’s then two laps around the park with the finish funnel being on the path in front of the centre. It’s described as undulating and for once this description didn’t just mean lots of hills! Not flat but no excessive climbs. Very nice park to run around with lots to look at. Little bit twisty in parts but not much that would slow you down too much if PB chasing.

Shoes

Road most of the time. Path is solid gravel type surface you always get at this kind of park but leaves and mud can cover it. In the middle of winter may need to be careful with it being slippy.

Short or Long? (based on our watches and checking out other Strava profiles)

A few people I spoke to after said they thought it was a touch long. I got 3.18 miles on my watch.

Andy Stats

parkrun number:

84

Tourist event number:

38

Official time:

19:44

Position:  

2 (70.25% age grade)

Bryony Stats

parkrun number:

70

Tourist event number:

33

Official time:

55:28

Position

144 (27.73% age grade)  61st Female

How did it go?

Andy – Worth the drive as we had a great time. Was good to catch up with the friends we’d met there. Pleased enough with my run though the person who finished ahead of me was gone pretty quickly and the person behind me finished a minute after me so I’d gone off pretty quick but ended up totally on my own. I always struggle to keep a harder pace going when I don’t have someone to hang on to. No complaints at all though.

Bryony is parkwalking at the moment and Brierley Forest was a much nicer route for this compared to York! Much of the walk was without any sight of other runners and walkers due to the bends and twists, so it was a less pressured walk, not seeing others get further and further away ahead of you. As the second lappers started to overtake it was a little tight for space in parts, but overall a very pleasant walk!

Return Visit Likely?

Potentially. As we’d planned this one specifically to meet friends it’s one that would work for that again, especially as the post run food and drink facilities were good

Pictures and that.