Adam Bird - My Personal Blog

On the 10th October 2026 I ran Endcliffe parkrun, which was the 733rd event held at the venue, my 307th parkrun and 218th different course I'd attended. I had been waiting for a chance to visit Sheffield for a parkrun for some time. My work has an office in the Steel City and so with six parkrun events in the vicinity I have ample reasons to make the commute up to South Yorkshire.  The problem is, Friday's aren't the best day for office attendance as not many people want to end their working week with a commute. I choose Friday's for accessibility purposes and don't have much choice. But with Gillingham playing Rotherham and an invite from my line-manager to make the trip north we hatched a plan. I'd visit the office on Friday for a strategy day, stay overnight and do parkrun. Reaso would drive up on the Saturday morning and I'd meet him with Hayden in Rotherham for the match The last decision outstanding was which of the six venues should I visit? I ended ...

On the 19th September 2026 I ran Letchworth parkrun, which was the 383rd event held at the venue, my 305th parkrun and 216th different course I'd attended. Running had been catching up with me over the past few weeks. A mixture of not keeping up the habit of twice weekly runs as well as no longer walking twice a day up to the school and back all contributed to a disappointing parkrun I also had a medical problem the week before last which has seen plenty of tests and Drs appointments in the subsequent days.  Saturday mornings normally see me jumping out of bed with a spring in my step as I look forward to driving somewhere new and running somewhere different. It's not the running that gets me out of bed, it's the journey and exploration that I love. Running is just something that gets me there. There are some mornings I take some convincing to go. A mental battle of wills with myself where I know what the conclusion will inevitably be, but I still try and talk myself out o...

On the 12th September 2026 I ran Haverhill parkrun, which was the 346th event held at the venue, my 304th parkrun and 215th different course I'd attended. Parkrun tourism is very much a game of contrasts. This week's event and last week's event could not be more physically opposite from one another. Watergrove in the North West, on the outskirts of Manchester was hilly, scenic, challenging, beautiful and an experience you could talk about for hours. Haverhill was green, pancake flat, slightly repetitive and one of those events where you almost feel bad having a negative thought about it, but is ultimately what it is and as a course, leaning towards boring. But, and it is a huge but here. Whilst the courses and overall experience are polar opposites, all parkrun events no matter where they are in the world all have that consistent and permanent vein that runs through each and every one of them. Community. The volunteer team at Haverhill had that joyous infectious enthusiasm...

On the 5th September 2026 I ran Watergrove parkrun, which was the 537th event held at the venue, my 303rd parkrun and 214th different course I'd attended. Two weeks after our first away game of the season Gillingham returned to the north west for their second. Hayden and I were travelling solo to Rochdale as both Reaso and George have already visited Spotland and had other plans for Saturday night. I was following the guidelines of The parkrun 92 Club Challenge group on Facebook which determines a successful visit to a football ground and it's closest parkrun in the same day as a 'Grail'. I've managed to collect a few different ones over the last few years and was looking forward to achieving another one. There was one downside though. The closest parkrun to Rochdale is Watergrove, the UKs fifth toughest parkrun. My dislike for hills is well voiced on these pages and with the early realisation that the event was going to be difficult I didn't let it bother me. ...

On the 29th August 2026 I ran Gadebridge parkrun, which was the 514th event held at the venue, my 302nd parkrun and 213th different course I'd attended. Visiting different parkrun venues means taking the rough with the smooth. Or in the case of parkrun not every event is flat, so have to accept a few hills. I don't arrive at a parkrun venue unprepared. I've often read blog posts, watched a video and read the course description on the app. I knew Gadebridge parkrun was going to be a challenge and it was going to be taxing After Crosby last week it was definitely going to be different swapping the flat beach hills and undulations. But what my research and preparation hadn't informed me was the challenge in getting to the venue itself. Swindon is well known for its Magic Roundabout. I've navigated it many times whilst visiting the football ground and it never gets any easier. A roundabout with a series of smaller roundabout around it with individual roundabouts around...

On the 22th August 2026 I ran Crosby parkrun, which was the 483rd event held at the venue, my 301st parkrun and 212th different course I'd attended. Two Saturdays ago saw the long awaited start to the 2026/2027 football season. Like season was a monumental one for me as it was the first time in 46 years where i had attended every single league game, both home and away. The lure of football combined with parkrun tourism has proven to be an addiction I've not managed to shake and one I'd been waiting a long time to resume. The release of the seasons football fixtures takes place at the end of July and I was eagerly awaiting their publication so I could start planning my weekends for the next 9 months combing them with parkrun events I'd not done yet and have wanted to visit. Planning is not always straightforward, for example Newport away has been scheduled for a Tuesday evening, depriving me of the opportunity to tick off another Welsh parkrun. Notts County got promoted...

On the 15th August 2026 I ran Maidenhead parkrun, which was the 527th event held at the venue, my 300th parkrun and 211th different course I'd attended. A common theme across these posts is about geography and how without the power of parkrun I would never have visited the places I do. Maidenhead can be added to that long list. Previously a place I'd pass on the way to a football ground in the west country along the M4 corridor or the birthplace of Nick Hornby and Peter Jones. I never thought back in 2014 after my first parkrun event that I would be celebrating my 300th in a Berkshire market town. But that's exactly where I found myself, on a yellow field, parched due to the lack of rain and intense summer temperatures at the rare of a leisure centre ready to enjoy whatever a new parkrun course had to offer. The leisure centre is actually Braywick Leisure Centre on the outskirts of Maidenhead itself. An impressive building, only 6 years old looked like a modern and excessi...

On the 8th August 2026 I ran Preston Park parkrun, which was the 612th event held at the venue, my 299th parkrun and 210th different course I'd attended. We are almost into September and I've fallen a bit behind with my parkrun travels reporting. Having accumulated a fair amount of leave during the year taking some time off during August has messed with my routine. I normally run parkrun on Saturday, create a draft when I get home and write the post on Mondays train trip home from the office. But with no office attendance throughout August I've not found an alternative window to sit and type. My visit to Preston Park was without drama, a straightforward Saturday morning of rolling out of bed and making out towards parkrun. No hangover, no traffic and nothing else to note. Preston Park is in Brighton and was the fourth of five events that I've taken part in the city. It's the second oldest event after the OG Brighton and Hove and takes place in a part of the city I ...

On the 25th July 2026 I ran Egham Orbit parkrun, which was the 76th event held at the venue, my 297th parkrun and 209th different course I'd attended. Back in May when I was researching Egham Orbit parkrun I came across a cafe in town named Egham on Toast, which I was thoroughly impressed by. As puns for cafes go, that's certainly up there and I felt obliged to visit after my parkrun had finished. Of course back in May we never ever made it as far as that, being stuck in traffic on the M25 meant no parkrun at all that morning. So when it came to rearranging my visit for another day it became a perfect birthday weekend venue. Over the past few years we've turned my birthday weekend into a celebratory family breakfast. Last year was Markshall Estate, where we all trudged along to, kids against their wills and wife not exactly enthusiastic either. The breakfast trumps parkrun which is 30 minutes that they have to endure as an aperitif. At least this year they got to enjoy wat...

On the 18th July 2026 I ran Oaklands College parkrun, which was the 70th event held at the venue, my 296th parkrun and 208th different course I'd attended. Last week I missed my second parkrun of the year and only my seventh in the past four years. Whilst I got stuck in traffic back in May, my absence this week was for much better reasons. My nephew Elijah was turning 18 and my sister wanted to celebrate as a family. A few ideas were thrown around from a trip to London, to Dublin before someone lobbed the word Ibiza into the mix. As soon as that was mentioned I developed a severe case of FOMO and so a plan was born. A flight out Friday afternoon from Stansted to Ibiza, a night on the tiles, a club overnight and a flight straight back to Stansted early Saturday evening. No hotel, no change of clothes, a proper no fuss, no thrills visit to the party island of Europe. To say that the weekend went well would be an understatement. Elijah, least expecting his boring Uncle Adam to be boa...

On the 4th July 2026 I ran The Plens parkrun, which was the 83rd event held at the venue, my 295th parkrun and 207th different course I'd attended. Had it not been for parkrun I would never have heard of the Plens, Desborough or Desborough Leisure Centre. But there I was, two hours from home on a Saturday morning outside a shiny new leisure centre slap bang in the middle of a new housing estate ready for another 5k run. The Plens was celebrating it's 83rd event and in my quest to reach 100 on the Wilson Index I took an opportunity to fill a gap. After all, with no football to rush home for, and long warm summer mornings what better things to do with my time than driving up the M11 and A14 in persuit of a place is never been to before and likely never will. Some courses are simple and straightforward to explain, others are a little more complex but achievable with the clever use of words. Others are batshit crazy and require seeing to understand them. In simple terms the Plens ...

On the 27th June 2026 I ran the Ben's Yard parkrun, Ely which was the 65th event held at the venue, my 294th parkrun and 206th different course I'd attended. Working through the event numbers attempting to visit all events from 1-100 requires a little bit of planning and a lot of patience. There are elements of luck involved too. For example, event 65 and Ben's Yard coincided nicely with the hot summer months. Running a trail course on a farm during the winter would be great fun, but avoidable where possible. It was also lucky in that after the event I was able to pop in again and see Auntie Sue, cousin Nick and his wife Jenny. Eating breakfast in the garden under a gazebo isn't something we can do at home, so to be able to do it with the company of family we don't see often was a bonus. With the hot weather continuing and my ankle still showing levels of discomfort after my twist at Dereham two weeks ago I wasn't planning on full beans attacks. The course, mos...

On the 20th June 2026 I ran the Clair parkrun which was the 609th event held at the venue, my 293rd parkrun and 205th different course I'd attended. I had been putting off Clair parkrun for the longest time. It sat out quite obviously on the map as I visited parkruns around it and left it increasingly isolated as I avoided it like the plague. Originally I had planned to visit St Alban's parkrun, but Foordy didn't fancy another trail course and he rightly pointed out that my ankle wouldn't appreciate it if I twisted it again having still been in recovery from the week before. By rights I shouldn't have ran at all, but my addiction needs to be fed and so I compromised with Foordy. I'd fine him a nice tarmac based course, but found him a course I could walk around if the need may be. Clair parkrun fit all of the criteria. What was four laps on tarmac around an undulating course which a former work colleague had labelled disgusting was an opportunity for me to walk...

On the 13th June 2026 I ran the Dereham parkrun which was the 99th event held at the venue, my 292nd parkrun and 204th different course I'd attended. Dereham parkrun isn't exactly around the corner and with a 2 hour and 15 minutes drive ahead of me I questioned my life choices more than once whilst turning off my alarm clock at 5:45.  I've debated the pros and cons of traveling distances to get to parkrun on these pages before and have attempted to ease my guilty conscience by combining it with trips to football. That could almost be true with my trip to Dereham, afterall the event parking is located at Dereham Town Football club who play in the Eastern Counties Premier League Division (Step 5). I even entered the stadium both before and after parkrun to use the toilet although I can't claim a stadium visit on the basis that no football took place. Sadly I couldn't really see much of the ground as it was surrounded by fencing, and was surrounded on each side by sma...

On the 6th June 2026 I ran the Meon Valley Trail, Wickham parkrun which was the 62nd event held at the venue, my 291st parkrun and 203rd different course I'd attended. Socially speaking my life plans are formed around parkrun on Saturday mornings, football and how I can combine the two. Sometimes real life gets in the way and I have to juggle a dilemma or live with the consequences. This week my aim of driving almost two hours to a parkrun event on the basis that it was hosting it's 62nd event collided with Hayden's end of season football presentation evening. Do I change parkrun plans to allow for a heavy nights celebratory drinking, or do I remain sober and go to bed early like a good parkrunner and deny myself a good night out? The end of the season football presentation is a celebration for the parents as much as it is for the boys. The achievements that they've shared together after a long season. The parents have put in the hard yards, getting boys to training on...

On the 2nd May 2026 I ran the Whitecliffe Lake parkrun which was the 26th event held at the venue, my 287th parkrun and 199th different course I'd attended. My routine right now is a fairly simple one when it comes to choosing a venue on Saturday mornings. Is it the closest one to me that I've not done yet and does it coincide with an event number that I've net yet completed. When things come along that upset my routine I get more precious about it than I should and have to remind myself just what the hell it is that I'm getting anxious over - absolutely nothing at all! 6 months ago a new parkrun popped up on my radar, a brand new parkrun in Kent, bringing the number of venues in my home county up to 26. It also meant that I had a new NENDY, and even more was that I didn't have far to travel to get there. A mere 4.7km as the crow flies in fact. I had therefore planned to visit the new Whitecliffe Lake parkrun in Ebbsfleet at the soonest opportunity, providing that ...

On the 25th April 2026 I ran the Upton Court parkrun which was the 625th event held at the venue, my 286th parkrun and 198th different course I'd attended. What makes a good parkrun and why do we enjoy some events much more than others? I'm not sure anyone knows the answer to that, but I found it fascinating that both Mark and I really enjoyed this parkrun when all of the clues suggested perhaps we might not. Upton Court parkrun takes place in Upton Court, a public recreational space in the town of Slough. The surroundings were nice with some rather fetching houses lining the roads leading up to the entrance of the car park. But the course primarily is a two lap affair which takes in majority of the perimeter of the space and is mostly ran on grass. I think part of the lower expectations were due to the grassy nature of the course. But the weather played a crucial part. Not only have we had a long dry spell, but the temperature was warmer than recent days and the sun was out. ...

On the 11th April 2026 I ran the Stretford parkrun which was the 448th event held at the venue, my 284th parkrun and 197th different course I'd attended. Salford City vs Gillingham might not be the most glamorous of football fixtures, but Hayden and I have attended every historic fixture between the two teams - all 8 of them. The away games in Manchester have given me.the opportunity to tick off a few of the cities parkrun venues at the same time. In recent years we've visited Heaton Park, Alexandra and now this time around we chose to visit Stratford. Joining us again this weekend was Henry, Hayden's friend who had enjoyed weekends with us at Morecambe and Port Vale and is infinitely more enthusiastic about partaking in parkrun than Hayden is. It was with Henry and Hayden in mind that I chose Stretford over one of the other Manchester venues as it has an additional novelty factor - part of the course takes part on an athletics track. Majority of the course takes part arou...

On the 4th April 2026 I ran the Tamworth Castle Grounds parkrun which was the 114th event held at the venue, my 283rd parkrun and 196th different course I'd attended. Being able to combine football with parkrun has been a real blessing and has made supporting the Gills more enjoyable as well as broaden the pool of available parkrun events for me to visit. This week with Easter and games being on Good Friday and Bank Holiday Monday I hadn't anticipated a parkrun/football double. Originally the plan was to visit Walsall away in a day, drive up watch the game and come home again as is the typical way. But talking with Steph I suggested we could make a weekend of it. Driving up and down the M1 this season and seeing signs for the National Space Museum had whetted the appetite and I really wanted to visit. So I formed a plan that meant we'd travel up to Walsall the usual way, watch the game and stay overnight somewhere either close to the National Space centre or somewhere in b...

On the 28th March 2026 I ran the Colchester Castle parkrun which was the 600th event held at the venue, my 282nd parkrun and 195th different course I'd attended. Upon arrival at Colchester Castle parkrun my heart sank a little. Our car was parked at a leisure centre at the bottom of the park and my eyes scanned upwards towards the castle in the distance and knew straightaway that I was in for a difficult morning. Hills and me are not compatible. With Mark and Foordy otherwise engaged I had expected to be travelling solo. But Hayden was on a punishment as a result of not doing as he was told. He therefore had to forfeit football training for accompanying me to parkrun. He was free to not join in if he didn't want to and he took that punishment with good spirit. The starting point for the event is three quarters away up the hill towards the castle on the southern end of Castle park. There is a flat thoroughfare with a bandstand and some ornamental gardens which makes for a good ...