Orientation
Fontainebleau parkrun takes place round an ornamental lake on the edge of Fontainebleau Chateau, some 40 miles south east of Paris. The start/finish are in Avenue des Cascades, just in front of the Chateau.
Facilities
There are no facilities. There are toilets in the Chateau grounds, but these don’t open until 9.30. So, the nearest accessible toilets are in town in Rue Richelieu, which is about a kilometre away, so come prepared! There is no cafe nearby, but the organisers bring drinks and snacks to share with participants. There is free parking along Avenue des Cascades, but spots nearer the Chateau fill up early, so it may be necessary to park some way from the start.
Course
The course consists of two circuits of an ornamental lake; Le Grand Canal.
Terrain
The terrain is compacted earth, with a gravel section parallel with Avenue des Cascade.
Difficulty
Fast and flat – only 16 metres of elevation. About as easy as running 5 km gets.
Fun Factor
Fontainebleau parkrun is tiny. The average number of finishers is just 15. The week we went, there were 13 runners (that’s my family plus 10). The locals were very welcoming. I had a lovely run, chatting with another British tourist all the way round. Plus, it’s a very pretty run round the lake with the Chateau in the background.
Jane's Midlife Journey 