parkrun Xmas Double, 24th & 25th December 2022

With Christmas Eve falling on a Saturday this year, parkrunners rejoiced at the opportunity to complete a festive double. What could be better than a parkrun at Christmas? Why, two parkruns on consecutive days!

As expected, Leazes was awash with Claremonters, captured in all their Christmassy glory by Mungai’s customary selfies. Shilpa Iyanna and Susan Parker celebrated a unique double of their own, crossing the line together in identical times and matching PB’s, while Nikki Szlovák nabbed another 1st lady finish, equalling her existing PB.

For many, Christmas is a time for family, with several of us further afield, indulging in some Yuletide tourism. Claremont couples were out and about, the Slacks joining their daughter at Penrith, Tom & Gill yomping in Yorkshire, and the Axons’ stepping out at Scunthorpe. Maria Dueñas even persuaded her mother to brave decidedly un-South American temperatures, to complete her first ever parkrun.

Visting the family in Weardale, I ventured back to Hamsterley Forest, following my first trip in February. Despite knowing what I was in for, it was still a tough, uphill battle (literally) for the first half, leaving me so puffed out that I couldn’t fully appreciate the flatter sections later on. The trade-off is it being one of the most beautiful settings for a parkrun, running through majestic pines, with a chance to wave at the Gruffalo just before the finish line.

Christmas Day predictably saw slightly fewer of us indulging (in parkrun at least), but plenty still managed the double, whether running again or giving up their services to volunteer. While some retraced their steps, others were mixing it up doing double-tourism.

Tom improved on his course PB in Northala Fields, as he and Gill found themselves even further south, down in London. Over in sunny Australia, Lucas de Rosa scored a PB on his Bunbury parkrun debut.

Leazes naturally saw the highest turnout again, with numbers no doubt swelled due to the Town Moor being off until New Year’s Eve. Only set 24 hours before, Susan took a second off her PB, but Maria was clearly seized by the festive spirit, knocking a whole minute off her previous, long-standing best. Parkwalking the day before must have been ideal preparation for this monumental effort. Lena Webster-Costella also got in on the mother-daughter duo action.

I headed to the closest available parkrun in Shildon, County Durham, where I had an experience preferable to the horrendous hills of Hamsterley. 3 flattish laps around an urban park with only one real hill to speak of, before a long finishing straight, at the end of which were literally piles of mince pies and Christmas cake provided by the friendly volunteers. Would recommend, apparently they have cake every week…

Roll on next weekend, and the opportunity to double-up again..

Christmas Eve
Cirencester
39:55Julie Dumpleton
Gateshead
21:51Heather Steel
Hamsterley Forest
22:02Laurie Johnson (PB)
Prudhoe Riverside
22:25Chris Jones
Cottesloe, Australia
22:44Lucas De Rosa
23:00Fréd Besse
Jesmond Dene
27:40Luke Woodend
35:46Ann Smith
Millfield
20:23Tom Tinsley
29:43Gill Milne
Rising Sun
26:02Lynne Cornell
33:13Lena Webster-Costella
Scunthorpe
17:35Kris Axon
23:35Maddie Axon
Penrith
25:13Richard Slack
26:09Marie Slack (PB)
26:42Sophie Douglas
Town Moor
23:28Roberto Marzo
24:07David Devennie
24:56Clare McKitterick
25:15Liz Denyer
35:08Elizabeth O’Mahony
Leazes
20:30Nikoletta Szlovák (1st Female)
21:35David Roberts
22:49Mungai Wairia
22:57David Lydall
25:56Tara Hipwood
26:01Rachel Hurdman
26:07Brian Hegarty
29:20Alex Harding
30:55Shilpa Iyanna (PB)
30:55Susan Parker (PB)
47:20Maria Dueñas (parkwalker)

Christmas Day
Guildford
24:07Izzy Neatrour
Hackworth
20:29Laurie Johnson
Bunbury, Australia
20:52Lucas De Rosa (PB)
21:55Fréd Besse
Scunthorpe
17:37Kris Axon
23:26Maddie Axon
Northala Fields
20:16Tom Tinsley (PB)
30:03Gill Milne
Leazes
21:07Maria Dueñas (PB)
22:30Chris Jones
22:53Mungai Wairia
25:04Clare McKitterick
25:16Lynne Cornell
26:48Alex Harding
26:54Marie Slack
26:56Richard Slack
30:54Susan Parker (PB)
31:03Shilpa Iyanna
32:14Joyce Zhao
34:45Joyce Archibold
37:50Lena Webster-Costella
Laurie Johnson -
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