My home parkrun for the past 6 years has been Bournemouth parkrun, which takes place in Kings Park, Boscombe on the outskirts of Bournemouth.

Getting There

Kings Park is 2 miles from central Bournemouth adjacent to the A338, the main road into town. As the park is also the home to AFC Bournemouth, it is well signposted. The start takes place in front of the Athletics stadium. Several buses stop near the park (1, 1a, 1b, 2, M2, X1) and Pokesdown station is adjacent to the park.

Parking

There is some free parking in the park and neighbouring roads, although it can fill up quickly (especially on match days or in peak summer, as the beach park & ride also operates from here).

Toilets

There are toilets located right next to the start, in the athletics stadium.

Course

The course consists of one small lap plus 2 large laps around Kings Park, starting and finishing in front of the Athletics Stadium.

Terrain

The course consists of a mixture of grass, tarmac paths, a short section of trail and a short gravel section. It’s mostly flat with a couple of slight inclines.

Difficulty

Run Britain Rankings for UK parkruns place Bournemouth as the 275th fastest out of a total of 706. It has a total elevation of 20 metres.

Fun Factor

I love Bournemouth because it’s my home parkrun, but it is bit repetitive and not hugely scenic. Some sections of the course can get muddy in wet weather. Everyone is friendly and there is often cake! There is a café in the Athletics Stadium which used to open for post run drinks and snacks, but this is currently closed. Hopefully it will reopen in the summer…

Nearby Attractions

Most parkrun tourists are here for the beach or the football or both. For more information about things to do in Bournemouth, check out my blog here.