Hello again! With Blickling ticked off the list, it was time to lace up and head for stop number two on my Norfolk parkrun adventure - Brundall! Swapping sweeping estate views for a purpose-built country park and big Broads energy, this one already felt like it was going to be a very different kind of run. I set off to see what Brundall had in store… and it definitely didn’t disappoint!   

Overview

Location: Brundall 

Course Type: Grassy paths 

Terrain & Elevation: Undulating 

Buggy Friendly: Yes 

Dogs Allowed: Yes  

Toilets: Yes  

Parking: Yes – right next to the start area  

Café: No (most weeks there is a coffee trailer with hot drinks and some snacks)  

Play area: No 

Official Parkrun Page: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/brundall/  

Quick summary: A tough, but friendly, four laps around a small country park. The killer is the hill at the end of each lap that makes you question what you spend Saturday mornings doing.  

First Impressions

On arrival, I was warmly welcomed by a friendly marshal who directed me to the nearest available parking space. The car park is a good size, and runners are actively encouraged not to park along the road leading up to the park so as not to frustrate the locals. Once parked, the start area was easy to spot thanks to the familiar parkrun banners and a cluster of high-vis volunteers. The atmosphere was immediately welcoming, with several people saying hello as I made the short walk to the start. As a quick side note - if you need the toilet, they’re shared with the neighbouring allotments, so just be prepared to queue politely at the rather charming little toilet shed!  

A view of the briefing. Plenty of friendly faces even in the rain!

The Run

Laps: 4    

Surface: Grassy paths. Mostly wide enough for several people to run abreast but can get a little bit tighter when runners are heading in both directions in the middle of the loop.      

Highlights: Despite having to run up it four times, the infamous ‘Travelator’ hill is a real feature of this course.     

The Route: Once the pre-run briefing wraps up, everyone simply turns on the spot to find the start line waiting barely a metre behind them, so no dramatic rush to the start is required. It’s marked out with bunting made from old high-vis tops, which is a lovely, very parkrun touch. Then the whistle blows and off you go, immediately sweeping downhill along the edge of the park. It’s a fast, free-flowing descent that lasts for a couple of hundred metres before things finally level out at the bottom.   

Not for long though. A sharp right turn launches you straight back up the hill, followed swiftly by another right about a hundred metres later, swinging you around the end and sending you back down again. This dog-legged section is wonderfully chaotic, with runners charging in both directions, making it the perfect place to dish out (and desperately cling to) a bit of much-needed encouragement.   

Once you hit the bottom again, it’s a right turn along the lower edge of the park, just long enough to catch your breath… before another right throws you straight into the toughest part of the course. A short, sharp climb greets you as you round the corner, and you’ll almost certainly be puffing by the time you finally drag yourself to the top. From there, the route swings back towards the start and then it’s time to do it all again… and again… and again!   

A view of the course, the grassy paths can get muddy in the rain

Stats Snapshot

Average weekly finishers: 96 

Course record (male): Michael Eccles - 16:20 

Course record (female): Colleen Nicole Mukuya - 18:27 

Average finish time: 30:15 

Ratings out of 5

Scenery: ⭐⭐⭐ 

Course Difficulty: ⭐⭐⭐⭐  

Atmosphere: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 

Facilities: ⭐⭐⭐ 

Overall Experience: ⭐⭐⭐⭐   

Bonus Local Fact

Despite having a population of under 5000, Brundall is home to two train stations!