28 runners 🏃🏃 took off tonight on the ‘Arrowe park run’….and ‘RUN’ was exactly what we did 🏃🏃🏃😊 This was a tough one up and down roads, tracks, footpaths and bridleways and being a very warm sunny evening 🌞made it all the more testing💪💪.

There was a variety of routes to take from 4 to 8 miles and it was easy to lose your way…but ‘Boss man Dave’ 😈 made it clear at the start we had to stick together!! so we all looked out for each other and everyone got back safely.

There was some superb running tonight with many pushing for the 8 mile in preparation for the weekend races.

We are lucky have some fantastic places to run in Wirral and Arrowe park is one of them🌳🌲🌿⛳ the ground was perfect due to this spell of dry weather and the pathways are well maintained and clean for us runners.

As always there was lots of encouragement and support shared 👍👍 and the usual cheery welcome at the finish 🙌🙌🙌.

Next stop was the Arrowe park pub for well deserved food and drink….🍻🍜🍔☕🍰 what a great choice 👍 lovely for a big group of sweaty runners to be made so welcome!! 😉.

Best of luck to everyone out race running this weekend …VRR go smash it 🏃🏃💪.

Courtesy of John Brown….

So, a few of us decided, why not have a nice gentle run from the Village , just a gentle one,nice easy pace to see how we get on, joined by Peter Breen,Tessa Beech,Jack Kiley,Charlie Anderson, Sergio Iranzo, Wendy Walsh ,Trish Monks ,Carolyn Brennan and Sally Ann Simpson. All waiting in the foyer thinking “ why are we doing this “ 🤔🏃‍♀️🏃‍♀️. But we were determined, we had a plan to do one of the winter routes combined with a Tuesday one, so off we set on the Brookhurst estate route, but set off maybe at a pace that might have been too quick for some of us because by the time we got past inspirations some of us were blowing for tugs ⛴⛴ but the great thing about this club is the camaraderie, coming back to check on the stragglers and giving out the encouragement needed. All helped with a cheeky little pit stop 🏁🥤🥤courtesy of Ian Evans and Emma Fitzgerald Evans, although we did disturb their quiet Sunday morning, the sight of a man with sooty fingers in a dressing gown is something you don’t normally see in the leafy suburbs 😂 but the water was welcome as we headed to eastham country park and the bromborough pool part of the run, clocking just over 9 miles to the finish, apart from the endurance runners who managed the extra mile. Coffee and breakfast most welcome after that.. now I can have that Sunday relax, the legs are already a sleep 💤 💤💤

Although park runs don’t usually get a write up, this week VRR members have taken part in park runs in Conway, Northwick and Ellesmere Port as the Birkenhead run didn’t take place due to another event there. Here is Steve Leslie’s personal account of his run, in which he came first. 👏🏻👏🏻

Ellesmere Port Parkrun race report

Woke up this morning at 6:30am (Saturday morning lie in? Not a chance) and got washed and ate breakfast.

As soon as I was dressed and ready I made my way to the bus stop to catch the No 2 heading towards Chester. Very smooth journey and I arrived safely at Ellesmere Port Bus Station needing to go to the 🚽.

After a much needed 🚽 visit I headed off to Whitby Park and bumped into Jack Kiley, Mel Mc and Lucy Mc who were all raring to go.

We all had a much needed warm up session of a quick jog and some stretches when none other than Mark Daniels turned up.

Me Jack, Mel and Lucy received some briefing from the race director and got into position.

Race started on time and I was tussling for the lead with 2 fellas in my age category. After starting on tarmac we headed into the grass and through the woods. After one lap I kept breathing down the leaders shoulder and after 2 miles finally overtook him and started sprinting passing all the stragglers at the back. After going passed the playground and the hall I saw the home straight and went into turbo mode and finished in first place with a time of 17:44 (I don’t call it winning because it’s Parkrun, not the Olympics).

After finishing I congratulated the 2nd finisher before awaiting Mark who’s time isn’t showing on the website for some reason, Jack who finished 89th in 29:23, Lucy in 100th with 31:55 and Mel in 105th in 32:45.

After a few photos we all headed to Frankie and Benny’s in Cheshire Oaks for food and drinks. Lovely porridge and pancakes just for us.

Back to Birkenhead Park next weekend but we will return to Ellesmere Port to continue flying the VRR flag. — with Jack Kiley and 3 others.

Good run tonight with Donna Mckeown and Amanda Parkinson and everyone did well. We started off from Morrisons West Kirkby and ran along the Wirral Way – a few of us on the way back ran along the beach. It was a lovely evening – good company and everyone did superb. There was a good turn out and roll on Tuesday! I really enjoying my running and my top m8s. Everyone from here keeps me going.

Here we go again… it was off to West Kirby for tonight’s run we actually set off from Morrisons carpark when Dave finished giving out flyers 📄📄 (thankfully only to VRR ) for the Summer run dates (a very important job!! ) he just likes posing in his vest!!

Eventually 34 runners 🏃🏃🏃 set off along the prom thankfully into a cooling breeze on what turned out to be a very warm evening ⛅⛅ we then picked up the Wirral way towards Thurstaston🌳🌳🌱🌿

At this point we split into smaller groups ranging from fast, longer distance, those taking shorter routes and those just taking it steady following injury. At one point there were VRR running in all directions but the ones who ran back along the beach probably had the best view of the sun set and Hilbre Island… and they certainly had the biggest smiles😊😊 .

Running back along the prom we saw boats loads of flipin boats ⛵⛵⛵⛵ but no sweat bands!!

Great gathering by the beach to cheer each other on as we all arrived back 🙌🙌 💪

As always no run without food 😆 and we descended on Wetherspoons of course it was curry night so the popular choice for most of us .. but plenty of chat, food and drink 🍺🍸🍷🍜🍟🍔🍲 to end a lovely evening run.