Back in 2012 Great Britain hosted the Olympics. The Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park was built on part of the marshes of Hackney, which would become home to one of this country's great sporting occasions. Now known as Super Saturday, under the lights in a packed London Olympic stadium, 80,000 spectators roared on Team GB. In 44mins Greg Rutherford in the Long Jump, Jessica Ennis-Hill in the 800m for the Heptathlon and then Mo Farah in the 10,000m all won gold. It was an extraordinary night that I will never forget.
Drawing on this sporting legacy the borough now hosts Hackney Moves, a weekend Festival centred around fitness, well-being, culture and entertainment for all the family. There is the Hackney School’s Challenge a running initiative for 4-11-year-olds, the Hackney 5k and on the Sunday the Wizz Hackney Half marathon weaving through the streets in a carnival-like occasion. It’s a weekend of running celebration in a Borough of running pedigree. And the perfect weekend to do the Hackney Marshes parkrun.
We approached the East Marsh, feeling the pre-festival fever all around. We saw the Festival tent being set up, caterers setting up stalls and the sound system being tested. The weather was good, the vibe was strong. The weekend was going to be a banger.
Hackney Marshes parkrun starts on the East Marsh doing a clockwise loop along the edge of the football pitches before turning right and running over a bridge, with the River Lea beneath then right again heading along a beautiful tree-lined corridor. There’s a left into the north marsh with the course now on grass. You come down the north marsh, rejoining the tree-lined corridor just going the opposite way, back across the bridge and then one anti-clockwise lap of the East Marsh. With a slight incline great views of the Olympic site and the River Lea are offered up before taking a left and roaring round to the finish flag. Our friend Alice was one of the timekeepers keeping her powder dry for tomorrow’s half.
The results showed there were 258 participants with many first-timers perhaps here for the parkrun and then the Hackney Community 5k at 12noon. With the option of the half-marathon on the Sunday Hackney offers an enticing running weekend treble glory!
Heading off we saw lots of other people arriving into the Festival Village for bag drops and to collect their running vests, some seemingly confused that there had already been some sort of running event. I felt proud in my 250 club parkrun shirt feeling very much part of this weekend running bonanza.
The finish arch, a huge balloon affair was erected for the 12noon event and would be where tomorrow’s marathoners would finish. We will be returning tomorrow to cheer and enjoy, making more great memories, like the night of 11/08/2012.
Happy running
Great account that brings alive atmosphere