Kingston parkrun (#125)

This parkrunday, I interrupted my recurring touristing and visited Kingston parkrun for the 6th time.

One of my long-term ‘half objectives’ when it comes to parkrun challenges is to increase my P-Index from 5 to 6. For that, I only needed one more run at Fulham Palace and Kingston. Now I only need Fulham Palace. 🙂

Fulham was suspended this weekend and after running a 5-lapper last week, I craved less repetition, so Kingston parkrun was the perfect candidate.

I had been at Kingston parkrun only once after the COVID break, so I had already experienced the ‘new route’, which seems to have stuck with the event and become the long term option. I liked the older route more, but I understand why this is more practical. More on this later.

Kingston parkrun is a great event. It is the original parkrun event on the London Thames Path, around well before the also great Thames Path Woolwich parkrun started, becoming the new official curly wurly. 🙂

One more reason why I picked Kingston is the ridiculous amount of rain that has been falling over the last few days. Kingston can get muddy, but most of its route is on a paved path, so it is usually pretty manageable. Even with hybrid shoes.

Let’s dive into some more info about Kingston parkrun: how was my latest visit to this beautiful run on the Thames Path?

Trip to Kingston parkrun and parking

Kingston parkrun would probably not be named this way if it started today, given stricter naming conventions. Technically, it does start in Kingston, but it is about 1/3 of the way towards Richmond along the Thames Path. And its out and back route goes towards Richmond, not Kingston.

This area is lucky to have many wonderful venues, including Bushy and Richmond park. I am lucky to be based on far away, just by Wimbledon Common parkrun. However, the wonderful parks we enjoy around here and the river make travelling by public transport within the area potentially slightly awkward.

This means that even if you are as lazy as me or if you take personal pleasure in killing trees and bunnies, public transport will most likely be the most convenient option even for you.

There are no tube stations in the immediate area around the start. If you want to use public transport and you are not a local, Either Kingston mainline or Richmond will need to be your targets and then it’s either a jog along the Thames Path or a bus ride. If you are local, a bike ride is often a great option, if the weather is not too miserable.

On the day of my last visit, the weather was indeed miserable, so I drove. The area is not far from the South Circular, so while not busy on the way to the event, there is a good chance it will be very busy afterwards.

Parking is plentiful at the YMCA Hawker Centre, unless you are coming during a very busy event or half the parking is taken away by Christmas tree sellers. I would recommend not to get here later than 8:30/8:40, just to avoid the risk it might be full. Also, the ‘new’ meeting area is about 5 minutes walk from the Centre.

At the time of my visit, parking here was still free. And it has been for as long as I can remember.

Kingston parkrun: start and briefings

Kingston parkrun slightly changed its route after the COVID break. No major change to its traditional riverside out and back concept, but the start location moved 5 minutes downriver and a grass field loop was added to make up for it.

Originally, the meeting area used to be on the river path immediately after the Hawker Centre and the start line just a few 100 metre walk upriver from it. This meant people could be very bunched up at the start, since the path is fairly narrow. Also, I assume it generated complaints from other path users, since you cannot credibly say you are not blocking the path when you have 300 people all at the same spot for a while. Congestion used to last about 1K as far as I remember, until things thinned out.

Now, once you pass the Hawker Centre and get on the Thames Path, don’t be confused by the volunteers preparing the finish funnel there: turn right and walk downstream. In about 500 metres, you will reach a clearing with a bench on the left and the opening to a large grass field to the right. Unless you are very very early, the parkrun name sign will be here and you will see people preparing the start funnel on your right.

Enjoy the view of the Thames for as long as you want (or can), then walk over to the field for the briefings.

The New Runners briefing happens a few metres away from the start funnel, inside the field. The team is always very friendly and the volunteer who gave the briefing on my last visit peppered it with a few funny jokes and made it quite enjoyable.

Once that’s done, people move inside the start funnel to hear the main briefing and get ready to run. On the day of my last visit, they were not using a megaphone and I could not hear a word. Suddenly, people turned towards the start and off we went!

Kingston parkrun course review – star ratings

Kingston parkrun course review – route highlights

There were 214 parkrunners on the day I visited. Looking at historical results, it looks like attendance hovers around a 180-250 range, so average to moderate levels for London standards. I remember higher numbers before COVID, but on this course, hopefully we stick to these moderate levels. This would help keeping the event enjoyable and avoid creating issues with the particularly touchy locals and park users. I also think the approvals here come with a maximum number of attendees, which is reasonable.

In the past, the start always felt congested and it remained like that for a while, sometimes more than 1K. The new start managed to solve that to a large extent, thinning participants out during the initial loop. The only other major choke point is at the turn-around in Ham Lands. Immediately after turning away from the Thames Path, here you will find a very narrow trail and you might have to go in single file for a short bit. The fact that this section can turn into a muddy swamp also doesn’t help and it might be a good reason for wearing trail shoes.

Surface is mixed, even if mostly on paved paths. The first 500 metres are on a loop on grass. It can get slippery and moderately muddy. Then the out and back on the Thames Path is all paved: there will be puddles, but road shoes are totally fine here. Finally, the Ham Lands turn-around loop is on trails and grass, as just said. Here, trail shoes or at the very least hybrid shoes are a necessity if you don’t want to slow to a crawl. All in all, you can get through this course with road shoes if you want to, but I would recommend trail shoes in autumn and winter. I was wearing hybrid ones and it was ok(ish).

Elevation-wise, this course is pretty flat. There is a bridge and an incline transitioning paths, but besides those two short humps, you barely feel any real elevation. The little elevation there is is very gentle, so it will feel flat. On a dry day, this can be a fast course.

In terms of course design, it is, mostly, an out and back. You start with a ca. 500m loop on a grass field that you will run only once. Than you get on the riverside path and run it all the way to Ham Lands. Here the turn around will not be sharp, but via a mini loop around this swamp (ehm, park) and you are back on the riverside path. On the way back, pass the start point, leave the field to your left and keep going up to the Hawker Centre, where you will reach the finish funnel.

A quick Relive route plot is on my YouTube Channel, with longer video highlights embedded below.

As said above, you will listen to the briefing already positioned within the start pen. There are markers to help positioning according to expected pace, but I don’t think they are really needed unless it’s a very high attendance day.

The start is on grass. Literally, one loop around a field for approximately 500 metres until you are back to the start funnel and keep going and join the riverside path. I really don’t enjoy this initial loop, but I have to admit it serves its purpose very well. The start is less congested and by the time crowds transition into the Thames path, people are not all bunched up anymore.

Once you get on the riverside path, you turn right and start running towards Richmond. It is essentially a straight line alongside the river up to the turnaround point. The first section will be on the inner path, about a metre higher than the path immediately next to the Thames and maybe 2-3 metres inland. This means that for about 1K you will alternate sections with an open view of the river with sections under tree cover on both sides, with no/limited view of the river.

At the end of this section, there is a sharp but short descent to the left and then you keep going towards Richmond passing Teddington Locks. From here on, you will be on the lower (and I guess only) path. A few 100 metres will be on excellent surface by the locks, then again on under the trees. Until you get to a bridge that will create some mild elevation. On the way down, you turn left with faster runner coming out from the right: that’s the end of the turnaround loop.

You probably have to keep going under deep tree cover for about 200 metres, before you will see a volunteer telling you to turn sharp right into a narrow, muddy path. This is the Ham Lands turnaround loop: listen to the volunteer and turn right, unless you want to go have breakfast in Richmond. It would still be a nice experience, but you would miss your parkrun credit. 🙂

Here you have about 50/100m straight on a narrow and usually muddy path, then you turn right again. On the day I visited this turn had turned into a little lake, so a volunteer was positioned there to suggest going around a tree to avoid the lake. Most people listened to him, but a few decided to turn parkrun into parkduatholon and elected to have a brief swim.

I think it will be another 150/200 metres, until you are the one coming out of the exit of the loop, smiling at other parkrunners just leaving the bridge and coming down the slope. Now you climb the short uphill to the bridge and enjoy the longer, gentle downhill that come after it.

Time to run the same route the opposite way, reach Teddington Lock and climb back up to the inner path. Here you will continue until you reach the start area and enjoy another short stretch to reach the finish funnel. The funnel will be on grass and can be slippery, but it is a very short section.

Funnel and scanning activities were fast and efficient, with plenty of volunteers available.

Congratulations on completing Kingston parkrun!

Facilities at Kingston parkrun

Facilities are all concentrated at the Hawker Centre, so remember to use them before heading off to the start area. Or walk/run/cycle to it rather than stopping at the meeting point if you are coming from Richmond.

The centre offers a lot of activities and it seems to be pretty popular and busy with locals on Saturday mornings. That said, it is very nice to have it there and available pre and post run.

Toilets are open and available before the run.

The cafe is not a fancy affair, but it is very functional, with outdoor and indoor seating catering for different weather situations. I don’t think they offer any warm food and the selection of fresh sweets is fairly minimal, but there will be some tasty options available.

As a competitor to the McDonald’s index, I am continuing to collect data for the parkbreakfast index: how much is breakfast at each location?

At Kingston parkrun, I ordered a single espresso, a diet coke and a lemon drizzle. This cost £4.7, which is extremely cheap for London and, probably, the cheapest parkbreakfast I’ve had to date.

Kingston parkrun: Video Highlights

As usual, I’ve taken a 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 🙂

The other parkrun videos on my YouTube channel are all linked on the course review and video highlights summary page.

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Achievements and performance

Conclusions

I have been at Kingston parkrun several times: it is fairly local and I enjoy it.

In SW London we are spoilt for choice, but this offers a rare riverside option, without the awful congestion of Fulham Palace. And, anecdotally, also less wind because of the tree cover.

It is a great venue with a very nice core team. Come check it out, it is worth it. I will certainly be back.

See you next time, Kingston parkrun.

And obviously, thank you, Kingston parkrun team for your hospitality once again!