Thursday 2 February 2012

parkrun Course Description: Roundhay parkrun

Posted on behalf of Richard Irvine (@richard_irvine on Twitter)

Roundhay is perhaps one of the most challenging but picturesque parkruns and takes in 3 laps around the central area of the park in front of the mansion.

It all begins with the obligatory 8:50 rendezvous at the Victorian shelter (bandstand) close to the mansion at the top end of Roundhay Park (North East Leeds), before walking 100m downhill to the start line. A few announcements later and we're off!

It's a slog from the outset, heading back up Carriage Drive towards the Mansion house. A left turn takes you along the main promenade in front of the mansion and visitor's centre for about 500m and almost to the Street Lane entrance. This stretch is relatively flat before another sharp left takes you down the slope (referred to as Hill60 although I have no idea why!) to the cricket pitch and then left again round in front of the pavilion. By this point you've just about caught your breath from the initial climb.

The path curves left, away from the cricket pitch and then turns to the right as it drops down once more to the children's playground, Lakeside Cafe and the corner of Waterloo Lake. If you're having a gentle stroll around the park, this is the place to be. However, on a Saturday at 9:05 for those 100+ runners this is the point where things get a bit tougher.

You've perhaps run just over 1km at this point before taking the final left hand turn to head back uphill towards the start.

Lap 1 is okay, lap 2 is harder and you just dig in for lap 3! It's always the 500m uphill stretch that hurts, and on the final lap you run through the start and continue back up to the bandstand at the top of Carriage Drive to the welcoming sight of the finish line.

It's a fantastic and scenic route that's now run for nearly a year and gathers new momentum each week.

Of course, as you've been so virtuous in leaping out of bed and into your running shoes early on a week-end morning, you can feel completely justified in dropping by the Roundhay Fox for a post-run breakfast.

Good run. Good company.

3 comments:

  1. Always enjoy a walk around the park and a coffee in the Cafe when we travel up to see our son. Will have to try a run next time.

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  2. Its called Hill 60 due to the 60 degreees its meant to be at

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  3. As from Saturdsay 6th April 2013 the Lakeside Cafe is going to open half an hour early, at 9.30am, so Roundhay parkrunners are very welcome to grab a post-run breakfast/coffee and chat there. This will be a trial early opening for parkrun through April, so the more support the better.

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