The toughest parkrun in parkrunworld?! Beach clean & running the stunning Woolacombe Beach parkrun.
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- čas přidán 29. 08. 2022
- In my role as a Weleda Challenge Ambassador I set off the find out if the claims were true: Is Woolacombe Dunes parkrun the toughest parkrun in parkrunworld? Half of the challenge was the trip to North Devon as it is definitely not close to Leeds! The Dune of Doom and running on the soft sand in the dunes were the other challenges.
Whether or not this is the toughest parkrun in the UK became secondary to our visit once we saw the beach. I would recommend this parkrun to everyone as it is one of the most beautiful parkruns I have ever done. The primary reason to visit here should just be to experience this incredible place. Everything about running here felt special. The team were fantastic (and such a funny First Timers Welcome!) and I honestly can't think of anywhere I'd rather be running on a glorious summer's morning.
Be aware that parking is expensive in the summer so check the course page for details as if you visit out of season then parking is free (it is currently £10 for the day in the summer). We felt it was worth it as we spent the whole day at the beach. The ice creams overlooking one of Britain's best beaches just further enhanced our parkrunday... as did the showers behind the café and toilets! We finished our day with an amazing Sri Lankan curry... I will remember this parkrunday for the rest of my life. What an incredible trip! Huge thanks to Weleda UK for supporting my trip here.
If you've run at Great Yarmouth North Beach parkrun and at Woolacombe Dunes parkrun (or other tough UK parkruns) then comment below what your thoughts are on what the UK's toughest parkrun is. Sand makes running a real challenge but it was one of the most enjoyable challenges we've taken on in parkrunworld. We even added in a beach clean so that we left the beach looking even more spectacular than when we found it. What a parkrunday!
Happy running,
Nicola :) - Sport
What a halcyon day! Can’t wait for a summer park run.
Really good watch
Thank you 🤗 It really was! Roll on the summer 😃☀️☀️☀️
Magical ! Definitely added to my (ever expanding) wish list :0)
Lol... My list never gets any shorter despite all the travelling around we're doing! 🙃 But we're lucky to have these awesome events to do so I'm not complaining 😃
Love love LOVE IT! 😍 Soooo glad you and Poppy had an amazing time… knew you would! 🤣 Totally agree, you can’t beat running by the sea, and the beaches in North Devon and Cornwall are absolutely breathtaking! 😍 Loved watching as always Nicola, you must be super proud of Poppy, she is an absolute diamond with her compassion for wildlife, all down to you! 💚(Oh and both rocking the surfer chick look in your VW camper! 😍 I want one!) 💕
Thank you, we want one tooooooo! Not cheap though! 😱 This was our first time exploring North Devon and just WOW! It was an awesome trip to a stunning place. I'm super proud of my little eco warrior. I hope she doesn't lose her love for the planet and all its creatures as she gets older... she shouldn't as long as we keep spending lots of time outside 🥰
Look how far you have come with cows, your now rushing over to them to say hello ;-) well done to you and poppy on what looks like a fab parkrun to do
Somehow I don't think it will last! 😜🤣🤣🤣🐄
I loved it here, such a different challenge and the view is lovely. Tough parkrun and my slowest by 6 minutes. Would like to try it in wetter weather but glad we got to do it at its toughest.
Well done for collecting rubbish, was amazed to witness this.
It's a spectacular parkrun for sure 😍 We always try to litter pick, especially in beautiful places. I really want Poppy to want to look after the world and know that she can make a difference 🌍
Wow looks amazing there - you pick all the best ones! I am feeling it that it would be difficult sand running. Loved the van BTW. Thanks for sharing.
This is definitely one of my favourite ever parkruns. Just an incredible place to run! 😍
Wow! I’d heard it was beautiful there but now you have completely sold it to me! I’m now off to look into hiring a camper to follow in your footsteps 🤣. Thank you!
I wasn't prepared for how stunning it was either! It's just breathtakingly beautiful 😍 hope you get it booked and enjoy your adventures 😃
Very nice place for a run. The dune of doom, ha, ha. Best wishes.
It wasn't too bad if you walked up it litter picking but to run up it super hard then it is definitely the Dune of Doom! 😂🙂 An incredible parkrun though 😍
Woolacombe is where we spend our holidays most years. We were there in July. Isn’t the beach to die for. Me and the boy always have a race to the top of the sand dunes. I generally cheat and pull him back down 😂. Anything for the win 😂Anyway wonderful video Nicola. Glad you all had a fab time.
Lucky you! It's the first time I'd ever been there! I've been missing out! 😍😍😍
@@NicolaRuns it’s a wonderful area of England. You also have Ilfracombe, Combe Martin, Lynton & Lynmouth and the steepest village in England, Cloverly. When Al builds that camper these are a must visit 😀
@@tonystrange7224 that would be the dream 😍
Fantastic vlog - and lovely to see my favourite island (Lundy) in it too! And the family rule of always removing at least 3 pieces of plastic is wonderful - if only more people would do this.
Thanks Ali, spread the word! I think we just need to share these ideas... we stole it off another family and adopted it as soon as we heard it 😃😃😃
That shot of people streaming along the beach reminds me of the lemmings in the computer game
wow that's a throwback! it made my brain go "Oh no!" in a super high pitched lemming voice 🤣🤣🤣
I never thought I'd ever watch one of your videos and hear you say that you're excited to see the cows!!!
lol... neither did I! what a lovely surprise that was 🤣🥰🐄🥰🤣
What an amazing venue! Now we're going to have to take a trip West...
It's a brilliant course! You'll love it! 😃
Thanks for sharing. It certainly looks a challenge & felt your pain of possibly going wrong!
Definitely a challenge and oh my goodness I was convinced we'd gone wrong but nope... It's just a long hard parkrun 😂😂😂
What a parkrun! Would love to give this one a go sometime. Nice job 👍
what a parkrun indeed! 😍 one of the very best!
Awesome video 😁😁😁
thank you 🤗
Love you loving the cows!
Honestly such a super vlog, although lord only knows how long it would take me to complete this parkrun.
3 bits of plastic is a great family rule 🧡💛
isn't it a beauty! it's one of our slowed as we definitely did not want to leave the beach! 🙃 and thanks for the kind words ☺️
That looks absolutely amazing. What a setting! What a day! Also well done for collecting so much plastic in the middle of a parkrun :)
thank you 🤗 we love litter picking! We sometimes do it on the way home from school too with proper little pickers. It gives you such a sense of satisfaction 😃
Ah wow!! I have to get here! Not done a beach one yet. Well done on the litter picking too. 👍🏻👍🏻
thank you 🤗 yes definitely try to get here if you can! It's beyond beautiful! 😍
Wow what a stunning vlog , those views!!
We honeymooned in Sri Lanka 🇱🇰 and the curries were yum
Oh cool! we'll have to chat Sri Lanka next time I see you 😃 Woolacombe is just stunning isn't it?! 😍
I've seen other people's vids of Woolacombe but was still very much looking forward to seeing yours, and it didn't disappoint. Mount Edgcumbe is the toughest one I've done so far but that's 'only' got hills; no sand!
ooh that's one I'd love to try for sure! I'm really pleased you enjoyed the video 🤗
You discovered the sting in the course's tail then - going downhill while the finish is already way above you! This is one of my favourite places in the world, I haven't been yet this year so I think I'll nip down towards the end of the year for a winter run :) Barricane Beach curry is just the best isn't it?
Oh my goodness it was such good curry and an awesome little baby and I can totally see why this is one of your favourite places, it quickly became one of mine too 🥰
Unicorn ice cream, psychedelic cows and a shower......almost makes up for running on sand
thanks Rich, this really made me laugh 🤣 loving your sense of humour 😂
Looks a good parkrun Telford is a good one
it's one of the best I've seen or done 😃😍
Lovely sea views xxxx our parkrun doesn't traverse it but we live next to Chesil beach which is shingle leading to pebbles.... I think if it became a parkrun it would be up there with the tough ones.. We had to run a section during a marathon challenge.. The first half mile was fun but by mile 2. I was less amused.. Thankfully we then had a lightning storm with driving rain which distracted us from shingle gloom, I think you might enjoy the jurassic coast challenge very much, its stunning and there are a lot of distance options xx
By mile 2 I was less amused 🤣🤣🤣 Shingle gloom 😂 absolutely love this comment! thanks Emma 🤗☺️
Did this back in April - it is tough! I wondered whether to do this barefoot - but yes, the gravelly bit at the beginning and end - perhaps an excuse to buy some barefoot shoes to add to my collection 🤣
New shoes sound good 😜 she struggled more on that first downhill than the path at the top. Kudos to her for giving it a go, it looked ouchy! Although it would have been glorious on the beach ☺️
Amazing! If you and Poppy find yourself in the South again, you have to try Durlston Country Park (Swanage) the hardest and most beautiful PR in the UK. It's so tuff and beautiful it's nicknamed 'Brutiful' - Danny lost his drone there too.
That's right, well remembered. It's on my list for sure 😃
I love my Altra road shoes! I must get myself some trail ones but never taken the plunge
They're literally the most comfortable shoes I've ever worn which is why I had to get Poppy some too 😃
@@NicolaRuns I already tried one pair that was too narrow for my fat feet 😭 got a pair of the Lone Peak 6 coming this week in a different size so 🤞
@@statsmanruns they have a few different fits so hopefully these are better for you 🤞😃
Wow, that is hard, I am wanting to do Rip to River here all on firm sand
Firm sand is the dream! Soft sand... Definitely a nightmare when it comes to running! 🤣
I've done Hafan Pwllheli (100% on the sand) but it didn't feel as hard as some that I have done, e.g Wepre. Woolacombe Dunes looks brutal though!
Ooh I'll have to add it to the list and check it out! 😃 The hills and sand definitely make this hard! 💪
Great video, yes a stunning beach, I've run it 15 times now and the problem with the question as to which is the toughest, is that it's all so weather dependant. Here I've run 25.10 in good conditions, but 33 mins into galeforce winds. At GYNB I ran 29.40, average conditions, but I'd say on average GYNB is tougher. As for Whinlatter and Durlston, both just over 26 mins for me, less variable regarding weather, both stunning and steep! What I would say is the mile from the foot of the Dune of Doom to the finish must be the toughest/slowest mile of any parkrun?
Ooh I think you might be right there about the toughest parkrun mile! I'd hate to see a mile that would beat that one! 😳😳😳🤣
did the change the course to 1 lap thought in other vlogs it was 2? also why are there cars on the course this is not allowed.
Oh I've not seen a vlog with it as a 2 lapper! That would be HARD! Imagine the Dune of Doom twice! 😱 It's just a 1 lapper thankfully 😃 yes they did tell the car they couldn't come through but the driver didn't listen 🤦🏻♀️ It happens every now and then in races too, I've seen some shocking footage! No accounting for common sense 🙃
The Marshall reckoned it was the most beautiful parkrun?
What's your opinion,better than Keswick?
Out of interest,what's your usual time for a park run?
I havnt done one yet,was going to do Nostel Priory yesterday,but was cancelled due to the passing of the Queen.
I don't really have a usual time as most often I'm running with my daughter so we just run her pace as the most important thing to me is that she enjoys it. My PB at parkrun is 23 minutes but 25 minutes is more likely if I'm on my own. With Poppy anything between 28 mins (her PB) and an hour 🙃 Woolacombe Dunes is breathtaking, I think it's up there as one of the most beautiful in parkrunworld. Keswick parkrun is also stunning... They're both so different. For me I prefer Woolacombe Dunes for beauty as there's those moments when you feel so small in the beauty of nature... Keswick is on a relatively busy cycleway so you're unlikely to have long stretches to yourself like you are at Woolacombe. And at Woolacombe you're in it, actually in nature... With Keswick you're almost being taunted by nature as ideally I'd be running up those mountains and through the rivers if you know what I mean. Woolacombe is immersive and Keswick is observational. The tunnel at Keswick is definitely unique though and super fun to run through. Plus Keswick is pretty flat and fast and Woolacombe the absolute opposite so it's pretty hard to compare the two 🙃
I hope you manage to get to a parkrun soon... They're pretty awesome events! 😃
@@NicolaRuns lovely
Poppy is amazing.
Reminds me of my daughter when she was about 7,she shot up Scafell Pike like a goat.
@@alanrobinson2229 it's nothing to outdoor kids is it?! I ached after doing Scafell Pike with Poppy... She didn't bat an eyelid! 🤣
Well done , nice van , did you like driving it ?
oh my goodness I loved it! I drive a Corsa so was worried it would feel big but it was nippy and a pleasure to drive 😃😃😃
@@NicolaRuns cool , id love a van , i have a meriva and its so versatile especially for the car boot , always enjoy your videos , thank you .😃😃
@@bren70ssss94 me tooooo... That's why I rented this for a week, to see if I'd get on with van life and I must say it definitely agrees with me! 😃 And thanks for the compliment 🤗
Sorry to jump on your video... But where did you park? Hoping to do this tomorrow but looking at the closest car park, it's £12! Also appears not a very nice bloke running it! Is there an alternative?
No worries for asking... I'm afraid we did park in that car park (although it was only £10 last year). We then stayed the entire day because there's the most incredible beach, an awesome café with delicious lunch and ice creams and there is a shower round the back of the cafe/toilets so we just accepted the charge and made a day of it. If you're just going for parkrun then that's tough as it's a ridiculous charge for an hour or so 🤦🏻♀️ Sorry not to be more help 🙃
@@NicolaRuns Thanks for the quick reply. As much as I'd love to spend the day, sadly I can't! From what else I've found you can park on the road for cheaper, so I'm aiming to get there early and grab one of them!
Thanks again and thanks for the content, love your videos.
@@davidmcnae good luck 🤞 yeah totally understand not wanting to pay that just for parkrun! Thanks for the kind words 🤗🤗🤗
@@davidmcnae oh and enjoy! It's one of my most favourite parkruns! Let me know your thoughts as it's a different feel when the tide is in as opposed to when it is out! Let me know what you get 😃 the forecast looks perfect for it! ☀️
@@NicolaRuns Thank you. My local PR is flat!! So will be interesting for sure!