It was really difficult to tear myself away from the buffet breakfast with a 4th croissant calling out to me, but sadly it wasn’t to be, we had a taxi to catch.
We managed to avoid being knocked over crossing the cycle lane and jumped into Uber to Amsterdam Bos. Covering almost 1000 hectares and situated in the South of central Amsterdam, it’s one of the largest city parks in Europe.
It was a very cold moody morning with a scattering of dog walkers and cyclists around. After the Uber dropped us off at the edge of the park, we trusted our GPS and after 10mins of walking we found the beavering activity of people setting up the event, we had arrived.
Started by Laura Whelpton, previously Co-event Director at Burgess parkrun, with its inaugural event in March 2020. The subsequent Covid-19 outbreak led to the event being suspended but 3 years on it is establishing itself in the local community and being enjoyed by parkrun tourists from near and afar. Laura has an inclusive, straight-talking, big-heart personality that did wonders to make Burgess parkrun a premier event. Her Hull-ian magic was very much in evidence here with a diverse core team and welcoming culture.
The new runner's welcome was welcoming and informative, emphasising not to run on tulip bulbs which had been recently planted and reminders to be mindful of other path users, especially bikes, Amsterdam has a lot of bikes.
We started with a gradual descending tarmac road before breaking onto compacted gravel paths through an expansive wild bushy section which then turned into the woodlands. The path twisted and turned through the 150 species of trees, meaning you couldn’t see those 20secs in front of you. We were transported deeper and deeper into the forest, which was alive with bird song, with the occasional marshall cheering us on. The trees were very tall and a river crossing added further richness to this wonderland. The route eventually brought us back to the start, with a slight incline to the funnel. Laura was near the end roaring everyone in which signalled a lung-busting run to the line and a 70.18% age-graded finish. Crossing the line I certainly wasn’t feeling cold anymore.
As I cheered in fellow runners and walkers I saw a woman wearing a 'striders' shirt and in the congenial atmosphere of parkrun, I asked if she was Ally. Somewhat shocked, she said yes. I explained we had a mutual friend who upon learning I’d be running at a parkrun in Amsterdam said her friend would be too but wasn’t sure which of the events she’d be at, what were the odds 🙂 Ally is a professional photographer and green fueled runner, you can find her work here; https://photogirlruns.blog/
Once the last of the runners finished, along with some of the volunteers we went to the park cafe for some token sorting and chat.
We took a tram back to the hotel for a hot shower and saddled with a rich array of recommendations from fellow parkrunners of things to do including seeing ‘Tomorrow is a Different Day’ at the Stedelijk Museum which included the piece ‘In the World But Don’t Know the World' (2009) by El Anatsui.
We also attended the Fabrique des Lumieres, titled Dali: The Endles Enigma an immersion masterclass of an experience.
Amsterdam is a pretty walking city with long canals, wonderful river boats and ornate wrought iron bridges. Everything is beautifully maintained showcasing a rich history, galleries, restaurants and eateries. It was truly a Boss long weekend 🙂
Happy running
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