After months of uncertainty, the popular Saturday 5K Park Runs are back. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, park runs are 5-kilometre events that take place every Saturday morning across the country, they are free for registered runners to take part in and organised by volunteers.
The social distancing guidelines have meant that large gatherings have been prohibited in the past year, causing the park runs to be on hiatus.
When the four stage road out of lockdown was announced in the Spring, the organisers have been working hard to confirm the return date for the events, pushing back their original date of after 21st June to after 19th July to coincide with the government's postponement. The first events in England will now take place on Saturday 24th July.
The vast majority of existing location landowners have confirmed the resumption of the runs on their property, but you can check the full list here.
Many of the routes are around the county's finest green spaces and iconic landmarks. We pick out our favourite returning locations.
Manor Park, Glossop
A 3 lap course around Glossop's Manor Park, passing by the pretty duck ponds, mini-railway track and the bowling greens.
www.parkrun.org.uk/glossop/course
Markeaton Park, Derby
Set off by the stone bridge at the top of Markeaton Lake, on a two lap journey of this popular park on a mixture of tarmac paths, gravelled tarmac paths and limestone paths.
www.parkrun.org.uk/markeaton/course
West Park Leisure Centre, Long Eaton
Not a quite figure of eight but a two clockwise lap courses within the grounds of West Park. It's run entirely on tarmac and it's one of the more straightforward runs to undertake.
www.parkrun.org.uk/longeaton/course
Alvaston Park
A flat, straightforward 'out and back' route on tarmac. Setting off from the park, you take in a section of a heritage cycle route and a lake side.
www.parkrun.org.uk/alvaston/course
Conkers Park, Swadlincote
This slightly undulating route in the National Park takes you out on the Ashby Woulds Heritage Trail and onto Donisthorpe Woodlands Park.
www.parkrun.org.uk/conkers/course
Poolsbrook Country Park, Chesterfield
A simple park run consisting of three anti-clockwise of the lake at Poolsbrook. The terrain is compact wide trails and grass, but the proximity to water may mean it's a muddy one on most occasions.
www.parkrun.org.uk/poolsbrook/course
Shipley Country Park, Heanor
Set off from the visitor centre at Shipley Country Park, and traverse a mixture of tarmac paths, gravel paths and trail paths, passing woodland and a large pond along the way.
www.parkrun.org.uk/shipleycountry/course
Millhouses, Sheffield
Three anti-clockwise laps of Sheffield's Millhouses Park, on a fast, flat tarmac course starting near the Abbey Lane end car park.
www.parkrun.org.uk/millhouses/course
Graves Park, Sheffield
A 2 lap course of Grave Park in the south of Sheffield. You pass by a boating lake and the grounds of the Grade II listed Norton Hall.
www.parkrun.org.uk/graves/course
Lyme Park, Disley
A breath-taking run that sets off from the main car park and ends a few hundred feet in front of the house. Along the way, you will pass the iconic Cage folly and you may be lucky enough to spot the resident deer.
www.parkrun.org.uk/lymepark/course
Click here to see what park runs are local to you
Eileen Jones, 68, a former fell runner, discovered parkrun 11 years ago and has written a book exploring why parkrun is so widely loved and – during the past year – desperately missed.
How parkrun changed our lives (Gritstone Publishing) to buy the book, go to gritstonecoop.co.uk/books/how-parkrun-changed-our-lives
