5k Free At Kingston

I did my first 5k at Kingston (Hawker Centre by the River), a good a picturesque course. And being a parkrun.com course it was free.Another bonus.

I think the course was set up recently as an overspill to the hyper-successful parkrun in Bushy Park. The event was very well organised with the usual efficiency and friendly smiles. The course in on the towpath which was almost perfectly firm today but would in winter get a little muddy – but that’s winter wherever you go in this country I guess.

However the one unique selling point for this course is the wind. Or lack of it. Today was quite a windy day however the route is flanked by sizeable trees on most sides of the path for most of the course. Thus the wind effect was mostly negated. So I would strongly advise Richmond Park, Bushy Park and other parkrun runners to use this course on a windy day if they intend to run anywhere nearby. And even if it’s not a windy day it is a great course for a change. The level of general difficulty is low, like Bushy Park so a good one for PBs – especially on a dry day. Certainly 20-30 seconds faster than Richmond Park.

My performance? That would be telling but needless to say it was a PB as it was the first time I ran the course! I was pleasantly satisfied as I had 3 pints last night whilst watching the 0-0 England World Cup draw with Algeria