Foots Cray Meadows parkrun

I returned to Foots Cray Meadows parkrun in September 2025 after my original first visit in 2023. Last time, I had forgotten my camera, so I had no video of this location. Now I do! Most of the write up below is unchanged, but I have added and adapted a few bits and peaces to make sure it is still current.

—- adjusted, original write up below —-

Back in London after my short mid-week Swedish parkventure, somehow randomly I picked Foots Cray Meadows parkrun to get me one step forward on my route to Lon-Done.

Today is supposed to be the first day of a week or two of real summer, so the idea of going deep into the ‘countryside’ part of South East London appealed to me. I had also never been to Bexley and if it was going to positively surprise me as much as Bromley did, then I would be in for a treat.

The day started well… somehow I woke up before 6am without any need for an alarm, which is extremely unusual for me. But at least my fears I would not make it in time to the other side of London were unwarranted.

So here we go: let’s get on the way for Foots Cray Meadows parkrun.

Trip to Foots Cray Meadows parkrun and parking

Foots Cray parkrun is pretty far from where I live and not exactly in the most well served area of London, so car it is. Early in the morning, Waze suggested to cut through Croydon and Bromley and it was pretty quick.

Up to Bromley, it is mainly normal urban roads, so luck is required to avoid bottlenecks, then the last 10K are mostly on motorways and things become faster.

The turn towards Beck Evans farm is straight off a local motorway, so pay attention or you might miss it. If you don’t miss it, you are suddenly transitioning from a large, fast high capacity road into what is essentially a country lane large enough for 1.5 cars. The transition is actually pretty mind-blowing.

Beck Evans seems to be a pretty nice place. Once you turn into it the new restaurant looks appealing, with a lot of outdoor seating, there is a lot of outdoor seating and the parking lot is large and spacious. Toilets are also available and open before parkrun time.

Then you have to walk to the start area. The main course page says it is approx 10 mins away, Google maps told me 8. It is all through little paths and across a picturesque stream. It is not obvious, but it is extremely well signposted.

Foots Cray Meadows parkrun: start and briefings

The meeting point is less than 10 minutes walk from your recommended parking area. It’s not a busy parkrun, so depending on what time you get there, you might not have a horde of other runners to follow. I didn’t. But it is incredibly well signposted so, as long as you start walking in front of the restaurant outside seating area, you cannot miss it.

It’s not a desert though, it seems to be a favourite location for dog walkers, so you will meet quite a few four-legged explorers with their mums and dads while you walk towards the start. Remember to say hi to all those good doggos 🙂

Shortly after crossing a bridge on a little stream covered by lush vegetation, you will exit near a children playground and immediately see the meeting spot. Not sure if it was because of the sun, but when I was there the team was congregating at the side of the field next to some trees providing shade. Then I saw the parkrun sign about 150 metres away all alone in the middle of the field. I felt sorry for it, it looked lonely and ignored, so I went to take a picture.

It’s a location that still has a relatively low of regular runners for a London venue, so the team felt very friendly, close-knit and welcoming. On the day I was there, there were 80 runners vs the average of around 70 per week. The RD said they don’t usually have that many, so I assume during cold months the running average must be quite a bit lower.

A nice touch, the RD made a point of asking all tourists were they were from, possible because of the smaller field. I do enjoy mega events, but the atmosphere of a tiny, local venue is something special, similar what Huddinge parkrun in Stockholm felt.

After the briefing, it is just a short walk across the field to the start. One word of caution for visitors during summer months: the course at Foots Cray parkrun is very exposed to the sun, so bring a hat and sunglasses.

Foots Cray Meadows parkrun course review – star ratings

Foots Cray Meadows parkrun course review – route highlights

Foots Cray parkrun’s route is easier to follow than its description might suggest and more fun than the written description on the course page suggests (out and back with a loop). If you look at the course map below, you start at the very top and go straight to the end of the course, then follow the large loop, back up, run the small loop inside the larger one and turn left to go back home.

Sounds messy, but it’s not. And they have clear signs everywhere and marshals at most turns. Don’t panic, even if you end up being alone during your run.

Elevation-wise, the course is fairly flat, with small ondulations and a slightly positive climbing gradient on the way out with a welcome descending gradient on the way back. It does not feel tough, but average times seem to be higher than average, so it might be at least in part an illusion.

The surface at Foots Cray parkrun is a mix of grass and paths, with a very short paved section. In June, it was dry and road shoes were fine, but even in these perfect conditions there were short sections of wet grass, so trail shoes would not hurt. And they would be needed in muddy weather.

The start is on wide meadows, so no congestion will slow you down. It goes straight for 2/300 metres unti you enter an area with more trees that will be with you for a little while until you are again in open meadows to end your long initial straight.

The views are very open and green and there is no ‘city-noise’ to disturb the illusion that you are running in open countryside. There aren’t many unique features, but the openness of it all makes up for it. It is beautiful.

The one feature other reviews mention is the arches bridge, but that is something you only see twice from the side on the ‘dry course’, while apparently you run on it on muddy months.

The loops incorporate longer tree covered areas, including ‘Tree-lined Avenue’ as the RD called it and a few sections on narrow paths surrounded by wild low vegetation. The former is nice even if not as grand as the name would suggest, the latter is fun. It might slow you down a bit, but it comes at a point were taking a breather is probably welcome.

At the end of the long loop, you will pass by a sign that clearly tells you to take a different turn this time, with a friendly volunteer cheering you towards the right direction. Then at the end of the short loop you cut diagonally to join the straight back for the funnel approach. Apparently, this is where sometimes people can get lost, but I did not feel there were areas where mistake are easy. The only time I took a wrong turn at parkrun so far was at South Norwood parkrun, and it was on my first visit because I was mindlessly following someone else.

You then get back towards the funnel on a long, slightly descending straight which is perfect for a sprint finish. Fun. The small team will be there to welcome you and make you feel at home at the lovely little local event that Foots Cray parkrun is.

Facilities at Foots Cray Meadows parkrun

Cafe and toilets are both by the parking area and about 8 minutes walk from the start/finish, so both very convenient pre and post run.

The toilets are open before 9am, so no panic there if you need to go. They are clean and the low numbers make long queues unlikely.

The cafe is very new and it seems to be more of a restaurant than your traditional parkrun cafe. It has a small supermarket offering some fresh produce, but, at a quick glance, also a lot of mostly Italian delicatessen, spices and sauces. Could be a chance for some interesting shopping.

On the breakfast side, I did not see any fresh pastries, my usual choice, so I went for pre-packaged ones. Delicious even if probably not freshly backed. There seems to be better options for cooked breakfasts, if that’s what you want… definitely not something I fancied with 25 degrees. Lovely outdoor seating area to enjoy your choices.

As a new equivalent to the McDonald’s index, I am continuing to collect data to build parkbreakfast index: how much is breakfast at each location? The packet of Italian lemon pastries, Diet Coke and single espresso were £5.70, which is less than what I usually see around London.

Foots Cray Meadows parkrun: Video Highlights

I’ve returned to Foots Cray Meadows parkrun to complete my tasks. I’ve now taken the usual few video snippets during the run to give an idea of the course. If you like it, please subscribe, it’s a fun past time for me 🙂

If you are interested, you can still see my other parkrun videos on my YouTube channel and an index with individual links on the course review and video highlights summary page.

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Achievements and performance

Conclusions

I enjoyed the location, it is a beautiful park even if I cannot pinpoint why. Probably because of the very open feel it has and the glorious sunny day: I doubt it would give similar vibes in winter.

It is quite far for me, so I doubt I would necessarily plan to come back if it wasn’t for the unforgivable lack of a vide. Foots Cray Meadows parkrun, I will be back to record you in another sunny summer day. Probably next year, though… plenty of parkrun tourism left to do for me in new locations!