Category: running

Europe, running, Sweden

Parkrun Örebro

Mark Scrooby

Explore, always

Running is one of my favourite ways to explore any new place we travel to. It is an easy way for me to get my bearings in a city, town or area. More often than not I do it early in the morning so there are no crowds or traffic to deal with. It’s a great way to get nice photos of tourist attractions and of course its good exercise! Which is especially good when you spend your days sampling the local delicacies and brews, another of my favourite things to do. I also use these excursions to scout potential fishing spots before I head out to them with all my gear.

Parkrun

Whenever we plan to go somewhere new I pour over google maps for a few hours to see if there are any trails to run and any bodies of water to fish. The next thing I do is check the days of the week we will be there. The reason for this is of course is Parkrun, which happens every Saturday. Parkrun is a free, weekly timed event. It is open to all participants no matter your age, gender or ability level. Most are also dog friendly and thanks to the tail walker you can never be the last person to finish.

So for me moving to Örebro was a no brainer. Beautiful Swedish town with a river running through the heart of it, bordering a huge lake and Parkrun Örebro every Saturday. Smiles all round.

Parkrun Örebro
Out on the course, photo courtesy of Malin Wirelam

Parkrun Örebro

Where is it?

Parkrun Örebro is set on the outskirts of the city, a ten minute cycle from the center of town. It starts on the bank of the Svartan river which runs through Örebro and drains into lake Hjälmaren. The course winds though the forest for its first kilometre. After crossing a boardwalk and a few small waterways a spectacular view of the lake is revealed. You then follow a spur of land, that feels like you’re running into the lake itself, before turning back to shore for the second half of the run. This takes you along some more trail through scrubland and back though the small forest to once more cross the boardwalk and get to the finish (start).

Parkrun Örebro
Thinking of the coffee at the end, photo courtesy of Lars Loven

Why you should do it

Parkrun Örebro happens regardless of the weather and has seen very few cancelations since its inception in April 2017. If you stay long enough you can watch it transform through the seasons from a summer paradise to a winter wonderland. The trails are well maintained and always checked the morning of the event to ensure they are in good condition.

Parkrun Örebro
Winter Wonderland

The other great thing about Parkrun Örebro, Sweden in general for that matter, is being able to ‘fika‘ when you’re done. The Parkrun start and finish is conveniently located right next to the Naturenshus coffee shop. Here you can enjoy a bottomless coffee for 25kr and a sweet or savoury bite to eat. It is also a great way to meet some of the participants and volunteers if you were too breathless to chat to them out on the course.

The people who make it happen

Parkrun Örebro, and any other Parkrun for that matter, would not happen without the selfless work of its volunteers. These are people who not only give up their time on a Saturday morning to run the event but also spend time during the week planning and ensuring everything will run smoothly on Saturday morning. The group at Parkrun Örebro are super friendly and helpful and have made my wife and I feel very welcome in our new home town. If you enjoy taking part in Parkruns, volunteering is a good way to give back to the Parkrun community.

If you’re in the Örebro area and want to experience a bit of nature, at a run or a walk, Parkrun Örebro should be on your list of things to do.

You can find more details on their Facebook page or on the official Parkrun site. They are very responsive to messages on their page and if you’re lucky you might even get a tour of Örebro and some local information from one of the event directors.

Korea, life in korea, outdoors, running, South Korea, thelazyfisherman

Running in Korea

Mark Scrooby

Before I left South Africa I’d become quite hooked on running. Particularly trail running. I had done a number of races of varying distances, some stage races and a few road runs. My highlights being a 3h54 road marathon as well as the 73km Golden Gate Challenge (3 day stage race with some massive climbs). Kayley also did her fair share of running back in SA, she actually convinced me to try my first trail run. She has completed numerous trail runs, many 10kms, as well as a half-marathon.

So I duly packed some running kit with road and trail shoes for our time in Korea.
Running here has definitely not been as easy as back home. I first landed in early spring which is colder than the middle of winter back home. After dealing with the jet lag I did finally manage to drag myself out of bed in the morning for a few runs only to realize I was pretty unprepared to run in the cold! Very soon after that I got the worst case of flu I had ever had in my life! This may or may not have been due to the cold morning runs, or exposure to a new environment and lots of children etc.
I did however, eventually find my feet and settled into a rhythm. I was delighted to find a few trails near my apartment that went up and around the hills as well as some single track through some of the parks. Hiking is a big thing in Korea so this has been great for me as a trail runner. There are trail heads almost everywhere, most have a rough map as well. I have had a few startled glances from the hikers on my morning runs but most of them are very friendly.

Road runs have also been pretty good to get some mileage in. Most motorists have, surprisingly, been quite courteous when I’m trundling along where there are no pavements.
I have only done two trail races in my time here. Actually, it was one race that I did twice, last year and this year. It is called the Baekyang Challenge and takes place annually in Busan. 26km up and around a mountain. Lots of fun, tough climbs, great single track. This race is organized by a foreigner who lives and works in Busan so entering it is easy!

Which brings me to road races in Korea, for these you will need help, unless your Korean skills are good. Mine are not. Kayley and I have done a few 10km races and they have been fun. They are really well organized. You have to enter at least one month before online. Your race number, timing chip and shirt get delivered to you about a week before the race date. So on race day you just pitch up and run. If you get there early enough you can enter a lucky draw to win some prizes, this is done before the race and we’ve seen people gong home with TV’s. This is usually followed by some speeches and then a group warm-up coordinated by some dancers/performers on stage to the beat of K-pop. This is quite a sight to see and is hilarious.

Just before the race starts everyone gets a pep talk and shouts of “fighting” and fists in the air are the norm. Sometimes you will also get a shoulder rub from the person behind you and in theory you should be giving the person in front of you a shoulder rub. Then fireworks (for every event) and you’re off!

The routes are always well marked, lots of marshals along the way and decently stocked water tables. Timing is spot on as well. After the race you can collect your medal which will come with a small bag of treats. There is also free food served after the run, fishcakes (odang) and tofu. There are also free bag storage facilities at the start/finish and ample parking. Usually within an hour of the race you get a text message with your official time and about a week later they send you a certificate with a photo of you at the finish, race details and time.
If you are a runner I would definitely recommend trying a race in your area. If you are not a runner I would still recommend doing one just for the experience. There are usually a few events on offer, ranging from 5kms to 42kms. At all the races we’ve attended there has been a very mixed batch of participants. From the super cool, dressed to kill and faster than a speeding bullet pro’s to the loving couple who walk and hold hands and even the first time runner who bolts off, nearly has a heart attack and walks for the rest of the way until he sees the crowds at the finish line type. As foreigners we also get extra cheers and shouts of “Woawaaahhhh”!

Overall running in Korea has been a positive experience. It is a great way to explore new suburbs and trails. It also, for me at least, is a great time to think and reflect or to just zone out completely and forget about everything else. Another benefit is that it keeps off a few kilograms so you can try more of the delicious food!! This is a constant battle as we love trying all the food in new countries, and have really loved Korean food.

Do you have any running stories to share? Have you tried a race in Korea? Let us know in the comments below!