A big Deal
My friend John came over to Dover at 7 and we headed off with our camel backs loaded up with water, the sun shining and, in John's case, a steaming hangover!
We ran along the river down into the centre of Dover and along the seafront to the bottom of the cliffs and the entrance to the port. At this point a long staircase climbs up to the top of the hill overlooking the ferries and takes you into the White Cliff Park. Lorries and cars filed on and off the ferries below as we skirted the edge of the famous landmark along chalk paths. There were a number of tourists out walking as we made our way eastward.
It isn't a flat route, the trail is is a constant up and down, weaving this way and that, following the cliff edge. After 5 miles John and I celebrated him reaching 1000 miles for the year. We then entered St Margaret's Bay and looked down on the beautiful shingle beach with it's pub and cafes. It was much loved by Lord Byron, Ian Fleming and Noel Coward who all stayed or indeed lived there at some point.
A little further on we emerged above Walmer which adjoins Deal. We could see the pier and castle in Deal and it was a smooth downhill into the town. The last time we ran this route was on the Cliff Top Challenge in June when we had already covered 24 miles. This time we were glad to feel much fresher legged.
Soon we were pacing along the shore and soon spotted the bright colours of the parkrunners gathering at the start line. We had ten minutes to spare and chatted to some friends that had also come from Folkestone. The Race Director welcomed everyone and gave us a course briefing. There was a huge number of people from all over Kent judging by the various place names on their vests.
By 9 o'clock it was getting warm in the bright sunshine but there was very little wind as we were set on our way. The route took us along the seafront, past the castle into Deal. After a mile we doubled back on ourselves at the pier and retraced our steps. We passed the start line and continued west along the way we had come earlier. Half a mile later we turned around again and returned to the start which was now the finish funnel.
There were lots of volunteers marshalling the course, smiling, encouraging and clapping. Without these people parkrun wouldn't exist so we thanked them as we passed. I ran fast but conservatively knowing that I still had another 10 miles to run home and with 10 miles already in my legs, but I felt good. I finished 22nd in 21 minutes. When everyone we knew had finished we walked down to a small cafe and sat outside with a coffee and cake - the parkrun tradition.
The course was pancake flat and is perfect for a fast time. The results page showed that 248 people had taken part - an amazing number for the first week, which shows the demand for more parkruns in this part of the world. Results page
Thankfully Dover District Council had seen the sense of supporting such an initiative. A free, weekly, timed event run by volunteers that provides physical, mental and emotional health benefits and is a community occasion. Paul Sinton-Hewitt who founded parkrun is a legend.
It was now time to make our way back to Dover and after waving goodbye to the others we set off. This time we had a long uphill section first. Water supplies were running low and I needed crisps so we stopped in the golf clubhouse and restocked our supplies, chatting to the golfers and enjoying some banter. It was then back to the trails as we crested the hill and headed back the way we had come 2 hours earlier.
As we ran along I couldn't help smiling and thinking how lucky I was to be spending my morning in the sunshine with a good mate looking out at the ferries and ships on the sea and the bright white cliffs below us. Back in the White Cliffs Park we took a detour down a steep hill through a natural bowl. It was all we could do to keep our footing as we plunged down the sharp incline. It was then quite a struggle to get back up the other side but great fun. At the top were a number of wild ponies munching on the grass.
We took a lower path towards the port entrance this time and passed a number of small caves cut into the hillside. Unfortunately there was no smugglers treasure to be found in them. Also unfortunate was the fact that this path led to a dead end so we had to climb back up again. Still, it added some more mileage. Back on the steps we enjoyed going down them this time and headed for the beach. I plunged into the cold water which refreshed my tired muscles ready for the last couple of miles home.
We arrived back just after midday, tired but in a good way. 24 miles covered, a new parkrun course PB and an enjoyable run memory to add to the many others.
