Amager Strandpark parkrun takes place at 9 am on Saturdays at Amager Strandpark; a waterfront park overlooking the Øresund Strait three miles from the centre of Copenhagen.

Getting There

By public transport, the start is a short walk (across the lagoon bridge towards the pier) from Øresund Metro Station. By car, Amager Strandpark is just off the E20, the motorway which runs from Sweden to Denmark, then skirts the bottom of Copenhagen.

Parking

There is parking on Amager Stranvej, but nobody drives in Copenhagen.

Toilets

There is a toilet block near the start. This also has a covered area – useful if the weather is bad.

Course

The park is partly on the mainland and partly on an island, connected by a series of bridges across a lagoon. You start on the pier on the far north east point of the island and run in a rectangle across a bridge, along the prom, across another bridge and along the island. You then turn and repeat the route in reverse.

Terrain

The course consists entirely of paved paths (and bridges).

Shoes

Trainers – it’s all paved.

Difficulty

The park is quite exposed. The day we ran, the weather was hideous, which left us with fierce winds to contend with. Apart from the wind, and the slightly disorientating feeling of the second lap being the first lap in reverse (that may just be me!), the course is completely paved and flat (apart from the bridges), with a total elevation of just 9 metres. So, in theory, fairly easy. Tell that to my face!

Fun Factor

Amager Strandpark parkrun is quite small, with an average participation of just 49 runners. We ran over the weekend of Swedish National Day, when an extra parkrun in Malmo on Thursday meant plenty of parkrun tourists in town for a Swedish/Danish double. Runners were about 50/50 locals and British tourists. The locals were very welcoming and it was interesting to hear the stories of the other tourists (many of whom were familiar from Sweden on Thursday). The view across the Strait, with the Øresund Bridge and Swedish coast in the background is spectacular.

Where we stayed

We stayed at SleepCPH. Accommodation is clean and comfortable if rather minimalistic. Probably the most I’ve ever spent for a dorm style room with communal bathroom and kitchen. The hostel is a 20 minute walk from the start and you can get yourself in the mood beforehand as there is a photo of the route on the kitchen wall!

Nearby Attractions

Copenhagen is a lovely city to spend some time. We ran parkrun as part of a weekend in Copenhagen, with a day trip to Helsingør to visit Kronborg Castle. To read more about our weekend in Denmark, click here.