100th parkrun at Aberdare

I COMPLETED my 99th parkrun at Clair park, Haywards Heath two weeks before Christmas.   Knowing that I couldn't run the following week due to work it meant that my 100th was going to be on Christmas Day, but where?

Working within the emergency services means that I cannot guarantee that you will be off at Christmas, but this year I was and we were going to be in South Wales with family to celebrate.   I had checked out the local parkruns and there were two to choose from either Pontypridd, which I have run on a number of occassions or Aberdare, which I have run once.

We were staying at the Aberdare Premier Inn and my wife volunteered to come with me and help marshal the event.   This was the first time for her and the first time she has seen me at a parkrun!   So, it was decided that the small but beautiful park in Aberdare would be the venue for my 100th parkrun.

We woke up on Christmas morning and got ready for the run.   Staff at the Premier Inn has spayed snowy boot prints along all the corridors in the night, so it felt very Christmassy already.   As we stept out on that morning South Wales was raining, and I mean it was raining.   But we got the park in plenty of time and Mrs. 50+ was given her marshal point for the morning.   I found the big hill (that you have to run three times) and the start line.

It was then that we set off with me passing Mrs. 50+ three times, waving cheerfully through the rain each time.   The email results came in which were pretty good, I made good time around the course and came 1st in my age group.   Very happy with the run and Aberdare parkrun.   Now looking to going back again in the future.

The following day I set off for a 10km run across the main Brecon Beacons, just to celebrate the success of Aberdate.