Facilities

There is ample parking available at this parkrun event, located just south of the town centre in Comber. Given its central location though it is also easily accessible for town residents and would be very easy to walk or run to rather than driving to. There are good bus services in the area that will drop you off in the town centre and the run is s short walk from there. Toilets are available in a local clubhouse close to the start line, I did not see any changing facilities however.

Course

This is a four lap event of a figure of eight course. The route is entirely paved, is well sheltered, and is very flat, making this an excellent place for a PB attempt. There is one hairpin turn, which of course must be covered four times, but there is plenty of room around the turn making it possible to take it at a wide berth. At the cross-over point of the figure of eight, the path is very narrow and there is a contra flow of runners at this point, which may possibly slow you down if you encounter any traffic. The park itself is pleasant, being secluded from surrounding traffic, and having lots of mature trees around the park.

Coffee

After the run the parkrunners gather in the local clubhouse where they enjoy coffee, tea and donated treats and have a chat after the run.

X Factor

One of the best things about parkrun is that it is for everyone, and one of the most striking elements of this is the inter-generational quality of the participants. At the run in Comber I overheard an older runner in his late thirties talk to a younger runner in his teens as they discussed their times. The teenager had just achieved a PB, though was still slower than the older man. To see how that relationship would evolve over time, as the teenager gets faster and the older man gets slower, would be an interesting study in the passage of time and the way in which one generation passes the mantle on to the next.