Dusseldorf is a lively place, and another Germany city with a lovely park to run in. Though if you’re not near it, head for the riverside, from where you can go for miles. Still, for parkrun, this works well. 2 laps, anti-clockwise, on a course that wiggles enough that I didn’t really know where I was. Not that it mattered, as it was marked with cones throughout and easily navigated. The only hazard was a lone cyclist, who saw me coming and paused while I ran in front of her path.

Once again, I have found myself at a relatively new parkrun, without having targeted it. Dusseldorf was a little easier to reach from Holland, for friends, so we went there rather than Cologne (that also made the decision for me, as to whether to get the train home, or the ferry from Holland – the latter is now nearer, and cheaper). Event 7, with 15 of us running. Three of us tourists with a number of parkruns to our name, one a semi-reluctant tourist who isn’t fussed about a result, and happy to appear as an unknown in results.

We also had a new course record; some might say it’s a female course record, but given that Hannah ran faster than anyone has yet on this course, for now at least, it’s one for everyone to beat. I lowered the 45-49 best, but given I was beaten by both Hannah and a local in the over 50 bracket, it’s a properly pyrrhic achievement, if there is such a thing.

The marshals and organisers were as friendly as ever, the low numbers made it easy to chat to people afterwards, and on a sticky early morning, running in well-shaded park was a pleasure. It’s a quick course, with only the twists and one small incline toward the end of the lap to slow you down. You can see the terrain in the banner picture at the top – hard-packed paths, with a little covering of gravel. There was the odd patch of mud and puddle, after morning rain, but it is a good surface generally.

It’s also easy to get to. I jogged 2.5kms from accommodation near the central rail/bus station, but the S-bahn (Düsseldorf-Oberbilk is slightly nearer the start than Volksgarten) and U-bahn (Kaiserslautern-Straße) are nearby if needed.

Results from Volksgarten parkrun no. 7, Düsseldorf.