Parkrun can be a run, it can also be a walk and perhaps, for some people a cult 😀 If you complete 20 different parkruns you can join a facebook group and request a code to buy Cow Cowl merchandise, which is distinctive but has no parkrun branding. It’s a way for the ‘hard core’ parkrunners to recognise each other. So as we walked along the Thames path and heard two people with Welsh accents looking lost but wearing cow cowl buffs we knew what they were looking for. They explained they were in London to complete the London Landmarks Half Marathon on Sunday however were taking the opportunity for some parkrun tourism too with there being so many London parkruns. Keen parkrunners they told us about the amazing events in Wales which include spectacular Castles which I hope to do. Â
Fulham Palace parkrun is tucked between Craven Cottage, home to Fulham FC and the Fulham Palace Walled Garden. It is a rectangular 3-lap course around Bishops Park with one stretch of it along the river Thames and the opposite side being Fulham Palace, the residence of the Bishops of London from AD 704 to 1973 - 1,300 years and 133 Bishops! And what this Palace lacks in spectacle is eclipsed by the power it has contained. The Bishop of London is one of the most senior members of the Church of England and retains a seat in the House of Lords.
As we assembled at the start area by Bishops Park, today it was the Run Director, not the Bishop calling the shots. He welcomed all the tourists and the campaign ‘This Girl Can’ which is about inspiring women and girls of all shapes, sizes, skills and backgrounds to get active on their terms; https://www.thisgirlcan.co.uk/about
Fulham parkrun operates a penned start system, with runners being called to line up by estimated finish times.Â
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The course had been repaved since my previous visit in November 2021 meaning the pesky tree roots were no longer an obstacle for this otherwise flat and fast course. Starting nearer the front I wasn’t caught in any ‘traffic’ and a free-flowing run commenced.Â
It was a welcoming event and with the estate transferred to the Fulham Palace Trust in 2011, the area is now awash with cafes and facilities with the Palace offering events, tours, exhibitions and gardens to explore. Fulham Palace parkrun is a good day out.Â
Fulham Palace parkrun is also one of the three London parkruns run at a Palace, the other two being Crystal Palace and Ally Pally (Alexander Palace). I’m hoping the 5k app will make this the Palace Challenge 🙂
Next week we’ll be returning to our home parkrun for some running and volunteering.Â
Happy running
What an interesting read. Must go to Fulham Palace one day.