Lingwood parkrun is a masterpiece of wiggling around, particularly on the paths at the back (right on the picture above) of the playing field and nascent park behind the Lingwood Village Hall. It’s three and a bit laps, which was no hardship – it took me that long to get it clear in my head how exactly we were moving on that back section in such a way as to be close to people ahead and behind, yet never in their way.
Frankly it isn’t easily described, so I’ll leave the picture there, but suffice to say that if you come, you’ll not get lost. It is very clear when you do it, whether for the 1st time with no idea what’s coming up, or the 3rd, when you know what’s coming but may have forgotten one path. My mind certainly simplified it at some point – no, you fool, it’s simple, just out the back of the fields, round one path, round another on the outside of that and back again. That misses a bit.
All the facilities you could want are in the village hall, which is lavishly appointed compared to other such halls. Plenty of parking, too, while attendance is under 100. The finish is right next to the hall (on the right as you look at it), with the start a short walk to the other side of the field away, so the whole thing feels compact and accessible.
There was a definite community feel to this event, too. It felt as though many people knew each other and had strolled to their local event which is always a good sign.
The course is a mixture of gravelly paths – I wouldn’t run them barefoot or in minimal shoes – and grass, so despite being pretty flat, it isn’t necessarily especially fast. Because of the twists and turns it’s always interesting, though, with your view constantly shifting, and it makes sense to check where your feet are going. It kept my mind busy, for sure.
I enjoyed both the challenge and the atmosphere at this lovely event, as well as it not being as big in number as some. Attendance hovers around 100, which is a nice number, and they have once had over 200, which must have made for a great sight, heading off round the fields. Lingwood station is a short walk away (0.3 miles), there’s a Spar in the village if you need more than the Hall provides, and Norwich is 9 miles to the West, Great Yarmouth 12 to the East for extra sight-seeing.
Results from Lingwood parkrun, event 91 2/4/22, 57 finishers.
Round the world tour 
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