Lyme Parkrun was the seventh race in the Championship thanks to the Bollington 3 Peaks being called off. Whilst the distance was shorter than originally planned, the hills and trails were a heavy feature. The weather made for a good morning, it stayed dry throughout and the trails were still dry despite the rain we'd had recently. We were able to enjoy our post-run drinks in the dry, with the rain coming in full force just in time for the drive home. At drinks there was

Co-written by Charles, Alex, Josh and Charlotte. We headed up to the Lakes on Saturday for the Lakeland Trails 15k Derwentwater Challenge, with varying levels of confidence and an impressive collection of pre-race excuses. The day began with a parkrun warm-up alongside Dave, Tom and Briony, where it quickly became apparent that nobody was expecting great things. After parting ways for some well-earned brunch, we reconvened at 12:45pm ahead of the afternoon’s challenge

It was an early start on Sunday as we headed over to Chester for the West Cheshire TEN, the sixth race in the 2026 NWFPAC Championship. After weeks of glorious sunny mornings, runners were greeted to an overcast sky, light drizzle and brisk winds. Maybe that was the real reason for a number of last minute drop outs but I’m sure a few of us were secretly happy for some cooler conditions. The race started at Cheshire County Sports Club, a few miles outside of the city. As u

Tatton 10k was the fifth race in the Championship series and we had a good turnout of twelve on a slightly breezy morning competing for points around the Tatton Park Estate. It was quite an early start time of 8.45 which nearly caught me out. In my haste, I went for technical trail shoes, assuming muddy, twisty trails for what is, essentially, a road race. Note to self. Read Dave’s pre-race emails that helpfully cover such points! It’s a well organised event with ample pa

Race 4 of the 2026 championship took us to Yarrow Country Park in Chorley, and what a day for it. A glorious sunny May morning greeted what was a fantastic NWFPAC turnout. The Yarrow River Bluebell 10k is, on paper, a scenic one-lap out-and-back through woodland following the River Yarrow, with the bluebells in full bloom. In practice, it is a rather more character-building affair: undulating, technical underfoot (for this road runner), and deceptively unforgiving for those w

Our latest race in the calendar saw 14 of us making the trip to Oldham. The weather on the drive down the M61 suggested it was going to be a soggy run and had me questioning, not for the first time, whether there were other hobbies I could get involved in. Alexandra Park in Oldham is a lovely one for a parkrun, with nice wide paths, a few little slopes to dig your feet into, a beautiful pond complete with fountain, and a nice shelter to stow away post run clothing (the rai

It was an early start from the eastern side of the Pennines. Setting off with blue sky and a bit of breeze, I was thinking that the Met Office had maybe gone awry with their weather forecast of near zero degrees windchill and heavy showers. Indeed, the panoramic views of the Cat and Fiddle were fantastic, showing off the Cheshire plains at their spring best. Alas leaving Macclesfield, the weather then turned decidedly grey. Maybe these weather folk know what they’re talking a

After a relatively mild start to February, Saturday morning saw frost with temperatures dropping to -3 for the highly anticipated NWFPAC 2026 Championship opener: Wythenshawe Park Run. Dave’s Friday email suggested a record turnout could be on the cards, though many initial acceptances appeared more likely tentatives. However, the lure of the NWFPAC inaugural appearance at Wythenshawe was strong enough for 26 to brave the cold and in doing so set a new record turnout, beat

Overall stats: · 40 people ran at least one of the 8 set races and another 7 did a marathon o Excludes those marathons that people didn’t tell me about in advance. · Total points scored were 1,387 · 89 people in total ran in the set races · Notable runs included: o Alderley Park Parkrun § We took 5 of the top 10 places, with NWFPAC runners coming in the top 4 male positions, including Steven Henderson winning it. § The ladies had 2 of the

Despite the trip out West for most of us and 2 participant’s cars out of action (1 clamped!), Saturday 18 th October saw 18 NWFPAC members head to Tawd Valley (aka Skem) Parkrun for the final race of the NWFPAC 2025 Championship. Conditions were good for running with dry paths, middling October temperatures and light winds. We were welcomed by a well-marked course and a friendly group of volunteers and witnessed the 10 year anniversary celebrations of local Primary School