Southsea parkrun takes place at 9 am on Saturdays on Southsea Esplanade.

Getting There

Southsea is 4 miles south of Portsmouth. Parkrun starts just to the west of the pier at Speaker’s corner behind The Briny Restaurant. By road, the M275 links Southsea to the M27. By public transport, bus No 1 stops at Clarendon Road close to the start. The closest station is Fratton, although the official parkrun website recommends disembarking at Portsmouth Harbour, which is a 15 minute walk from the start.

Parking

There is roadside parking near the start. As it’s a close to the beach, getting a space depends on the season and the weather. Parking costs £1.90 for an hour (£3.20 for 2 hours).

Toilets

There aren’t any public toilets near the start. The nearest are the Canoe Lake Public toilets a 10 minute walk away.

Course

The course consists of a straight forward out an back run along the esplanade, turning near Eastney Battery Royal Marine Barracks. It is totally flat.

Terrain

The run takes place entirely along the paved esplanade.

Shoes

Trainers.

Difficulty

Run Britain rankings for UK parkruns places Southsea as 117th fastest out of 706. It has a total elevation of 0 metres. The only ‘difficulty’ is the tight turn at the half way point. Presumably, the reason it doesn’t rank lower in difficult is that it can be a bit windy on the seafront.

Fun Factor

Repeat after me; “Oh I do love to be beside the seaside”.

Where We Stayed

We stayed at the Premier Inn Portsmouth Port Solent, which is around 6 miles from the start. There are closer and probably better places to stay but the Premier Inn was cheap.

Nearby Attractions

As mentioned above, Southsea adjoins Portsmouth which has a plethora of attractions. Top picks are the Historic Dockyard which houses the remains of the Mary Rose (Henry VIII’s flagship) and HMS Victory (Lord Nelson’s battleship) and the 170 metre tall Spinnaker Tower.

Or if shopping is your thing, there is the designer outlet Gunwharf Quays, which also has some great places to dine.