Parkrun tourism: Land’s End parkrun

My husband and I recently did Land’s End parkrun. We were on holiday in Padstow in Cornwall. There are just six parkruns in Cornwall. The closest to Padstow are Eden Project and Lanhydrock, both of which we’ve run before. (I love Eden Project parkrun!) Even they aren’t that close to Padstow, so wherever we chose was going to be quite a long drive away.

So I thought we might as well opt for the longest drive and do Land’s End parkrun! We’ve been on holiday to Padstow every single year since my eldest was born in 2001 (plus three times in the 90s), but we’ve never been to Land’s End before.

I’ll be honest, my husband wasn’t keen on the idea of the long journey. He would have been happy to do Eden Project again or to try one of the other less spectacular, but not quite as far away Cornish parkruns. The closest parkrun to Land’s End is Penrose, which is 19.3 miles away from Land’s End.

Google Maps told us Land’s End was 57 miles away from Padstow and a 1 hour 20 minute journey. This was early September, so outside peak holiday season. Clearly in peak holiday season it would take longer.

My husband wasn’t happy to be departing at 7:10am – nor was my daughter, who was coming along with Hetty for the ride.

The good news is, the A30, the main road running through Cornwall, goes all the way to Land’s End. For most of that distance, it is a dual carriageway. Towards the end of the journey, it becomes a single carriageway, with some 30mph speed limits making it feel more like a Cornish country lane than an A road.

It’s not possible to get to Land’s End parkrun by 9am on a Saturday by public transport. But if you fancy a leisurely start, The Land’s  End Hotel is on site.

There is no missing the car park. You literally drive to the end of the road and the large car park is right in front of you. The purple Land’s End parkrun sign is there ready for photos and there is a big, quirky black and white building which says Land’s End on the front. Inside the building is a courtyard with little shops and visitor attractions (including the Aardman Experience, which I would have liked to visit) – all of which were closed at 9am out of season. (They may also be closed at 9am in peak season, who knows?)

My husband wasn’t happy about paying £8 to park. This is the cost for everyone apart from people from Cornwall, who need to prove they are from Cornwall to get free parking. The car park fee allows you to stay on site all day. Luckily, Land’s End parkrun has what my husband described as ‘the best parkrun toilets ever’, so that cheered him up. There was no confusion finding the toilets either. Everything was very visible and very close by.

The briefing (no first timers’ briefing, just a briefing, because nearly everyone is a first timer!) took place in the bandstand inside the little courtyard. There was a very large Morph statue there linked to the Aardman Experience, which I think was a temporary thing. Runners were told not to leave their jumpers and bags by the bandstand, but to carry them round to the finish line – just around the corner.

Dogs aren’t allowed at Land’s End parkrun as it is a narrow out and back course. (Luckily Hetty was only going along to watch.)

We lined up with the other runners on the small road alongside the car park. My husband and I assembled quite near the front of the pack. When we started, we took an almost immediate left, then we were onto the main bit of the course.

The course goes along the coast path. You can’t actually see the sea as you run, but you know it is just over the hedge.

It is very undulating and quite uneven and rocky in places. There is definite potential for tripping, slipping or going over on your ankle. We had been told to keep left, which turned out to be important once people reached the turning point.

There is a marshal at the first turning point and a clear sign pointing out that it is a turning point. He is also holding a sign which says ‘You will see me twice’. But apparently there are runners who still completely miss him and run past him!

Then I was running back towards the start line and passing slower runners on the other side. At this point, I was third female and my husband was visible in the distance.

There is another turning point close to the start line, then we had to do it all again! We were lucky with the weather, which was dry and neither too windy or too hot. In its exposed position on the coast, it can get very windy indeed. By the time I started the second lap, I’d moved into second female position.

Land’s End parkrun is definitely not a PB course. The last little bit before the finish line is very narrow and particularly uneven. I was happy with my time of 23:43 and second female, although I was beaten by a 10 year old girl! My husband was a minute faster than me and was first in his age category, which very rarely happens. There are some very fast 50-54 year old men out there.

There were 114 finishers, which is slightly higher than average for Land’s End. Although, in peak season, the numbers are around 180.

After the parkrun, we went to get some photos at the famous Land’s End sign, which is much smaller than you would imagine. The views are absolutely stunning. We also went into the hotel to get a drink, as did many other parkrunners. Apparently you can get an all you can eat breakfast in there for £10.

I loved my experience of Land’s End parkrun and I’m pleased to say that, despite his initial doubts, my husband enjoyed it too. If you’re in Cornwall, you don’t mind a long drive and you’re looking for a special parkrun, you need to give Land’s End a try!