How do you even go about describing the magic, mayhem and memories of an amazing record breaking weekend? I'll start with a few stats and see how it goes from there...
Travel:
Distance Travelled: 390.4 miles (624.6 km)
Average Speed: 36 mph (57.6 km/h)
Fuel Consumption: 57 mpg
Overnight Stay: Enniskillen
The four of us surrounded by amazing BRC members and friends (inc Jim Clinton & Colm McGarry), with many more BRC members off camera. (Picture courtesy of BRC Facebook site). What a welcome to Ormeau, filled with pride!
Tour:
Started: 5:50am Saturday 5th July (left house)
Finished: 8:30pm Sunday 6th July (back at house)
Total Hours: 38 hrs 40 mins
Running:
Distance Run: 90km (56.25 miles)
Parkruns: 1 (Carrick)
Parkrun Courses: 18
Total Time: 8 hrs 43 mins 46 secs
Average Time: 29 mins 6 secs
Time taken by Liam McGarry per parkrun course ran over the weekend, in the order the parkrun courses were completed
Using a base of 15 mins to show greater context of how the pakrun times varied over the weekend
Support:
Total: 17 out of 18 courses – people ran with us
BRC: 14 out of 18 courses – Fellow Belfast Running Club members ran with us
Parkrun: 11 out of 18 courses – local parkrun volunteers ran with us
Non-BRC: On average 3 non-BRC members ran with us at each parkrun
BRC: On average 3.61 BRC members ran with us at each parkrun
Missed Person: 1 - We were late to Derry, so missed one runner... sorry Jonathan!
Picture courtesy of Colin McDowell (far right), who with Joanne and Galye joined us for a glorious Portrush run
Quotes:
“Actually, pretty surprised by how well you’ve all got on this weekend”
Liam to other team members, as we approach 18th parkrun course. Didn’t go down well
“Liam, you and me have very different valuations of craic”
Hotel staff, after being told I was running 18 parkruns not for charity but just for the craic
Notable Memories:
- Ran the first parkrun course in Ireland (Waterworks)
- Ran the first beach parkrun course in the world (Portrush)
- Ran with the first man to run 100 pakruns in Ireland (Jim Clinton)
- Ran with the fastest Zombie marathon runner in the World (Sean McShane, Waterworks)
- Ran as part of biggest field ever at Carrickfergus parkrun (147 runners)
- Received the nicest brownies in the world (courtesy of Liz at Victoria parkrun)
- Having a seven car convoy from Queens parkrun to Falls parkrun (thanks Jim)
- Having over 25 people support us at our final parkrun course at Ormeau Park (thanks BRC)
- We experienced all four seasons in 30 minutes at the most natural parkrun in NI (Ecos)
- Staying off sweets (kind of) and discovering delights of Sweet & Sour Mango (Acti-Snack)
- Arriving 30 mins early at Lisburn and finding volunteer already waiting for us (Linda Harley)
- Having Norman & Raymond welcome us with open arms at 6:30am on Sat (Comber)
- Hearing about the success of so many parkruns and Couch to 5k schemes across NI
- Asking random people to take photos, and then waiting ages until we can sort camera
- Asking random people to take photos and getting variety of helpful reactions
- Getting everyone to contact me for updates & then drop phone
- Running past amazing looking Victorian buildings (Armagh and Enniskillen)
- Liking the inclines, twists and turns (Larne & Falls) and trail elements (Armagh)
- Being stopped dead in Portrush & Craigavon by just how stunning the setting was
- Discovering Morelli’s home flavour ice-cream is banana & smarties (delicious)
- Swapping stories of just how seriously people take their parkruns across NI (various)
- The craic, variety of smells and mis-directions in the car throughout the journey
- Running in great places with great people, purely for the love of running and adventure
- Running Ormeau with my brother, who’d won there for the first time the day before in a new PB
- Being early or bang on schedule for most of the trip
- Being the first people in NI to do all 18 parkruns in under 40 hours
- Having so many people join us and volunteer to help us throughout the weekend
- Seeing a plan come together from inception to completion in less than 2 weeks
- Being totally inspired the entire weekend, and feeling on top of the world