team kerr

OMAGH

The Parkrun starts and finishes on the gravel running track in front of the leisure centre in Omagh. There is plenty of parking at the leisure centre, the toilets are inside (the building is a bit of a maze for a newcomer but staff very helpful) and the first timers brief and overall brief were very welcoming and helpful.  The course starts with a lap of the gravel track - there are some very deep patches so it is a slow push and would be tricky with road wheels. You leave the track and head along an internal road passing a bowling green and small duck pond. A very steep but thankfully short hill brings you into the park where there is a steady uphill drag for a few minutes before a good downhill stretch brings you back to the original short hill - this feels even steeper on the downhill & I was using brake and pulling back hard to keep the buggy steady, I'm not sure I'd feel confident with the buggy on it in greasy or icy conditions. From here, you return to the start for another lap of the running track and repeat the course again.  The run finishes with a 3/4 lap of the track. It is a very pleasant, well supported Parkrun with a genuinely warm welcome for visitors and lots of encouragement from other runners and volunteers. Ben had plenty of high 5s and really enjoyed himself. It is a slightly tougher run than I expected - the hilly sections and gravel track pose their own challenges - but the friendly buzz and enthusiasm around the course helped make it easier.