A Bit of Extra Tring Bling!

A closer look at Tring parkrun

The inaugural Tring parkrun event took place on 1st November 2014. Fast forward almost 5 years and although the course route has been revised a few times, the panoramic scenic views and warm welcome are as inviting as ever. I may be a little biased but in my humble opinion Tring parkrun is a bit special - here's my take on why.....

Tring is a vibrant market town in Hertfordshire, south-east England. The 100 hectare Tring Park, a mixture of chalky grassland and woodland, is situated to the south of the town centre and lies within the Chilterns 'Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. When you see what magnificent views the Park has to offer, this protected status won't come as a surprise. 

The Park was once the landscaped grounds of the mansion known as Tring House. This grand home and surrounding area was owned by the wealthy Rothschild Family from 1872 to 1937. Walter Rothschild, known for his passion for animals and Zoology, famously kept many animals in his private zoo and he allowed rheas, wallabies and other exotic, non-native species to roam free around the Park. He was extremely eccentric and was renowned for riding a zebra-drawn carriage around the local area and beyond!

Today the Woodland Trust manages the parkland and although it's always nice to see the grazing cows and sheep who occasionally join us, gone are the days of more unusual wild animals roaming free. (Mind you, the Tring parkrun lot can be pretty wild at times, if that counts!)

The nearby Natural History Museum (little sister to the Natural History Museum in London) is a mere stone's throw from Tring Park and a big part of Walter Rothschild's legacy. The museum was purposely built for Walter to display his vast collection of Victorian taxidermy and then, after his death, the museum was left for others to continue his zoological work. Still to this day, visitors flock to see the weird and wonderful specimens he owned.

Nowadays the old mansion house, which can be seen from a couple of points along the parkrun course, is home to the famous Tring Park School for Performing Arts, where many stars of stage and screen have learned their craft.

The Tring parkrun team of organisers and volunteers may not be Hollywood 'A-Listers' or Oscar winners, but they are still superstars - week in, week out. Tring loves to mark achievements and give recognition. For posterity, the enthusiastic parkrun paparazzi snaps any special moments as well as all the star jumps, leaps and 'thumbs up' on cue!

As for the special, fancy dress themed parkruns staged throughout the year, I've seen it all!....Halloween and Christmas costumes, men in kilts, astronauts, giant parrots, tutus, men running in wedding dresses, a Cow Marshal dressed up as a cow....and I could go on!

Tring is a fun and friendly bunch and there is never a dull moment. Oh and occasionally there might be a bit of serious running going on too, if you look closely enough!

What I really love about this parkrun is the friendliness of all involved - runners/walkers and volunteers alike - all with a strong sense of togetherness and community spirit. Without wanting to sound too cheesy, people look out for each other and help each other along, all brought together by the shared love of the parkrun movement and ethos.

As well as the people there, the cows and the dogs also add a special something (particularly Spike, when he finally lets me throw the ball for him!)

Basically, we all just get along and have a laugh whilst doing something we enjoy. Fun times!

So about the course itself....

Just when I thought I knew every last inch of the course, inside and out, it totally changed. A victim of its own success, the old course had been so well used that we'd worn the grass down and it needed time to fully recover, so a new course was put into place in order to protect the green space that we're so lucky to use. We're nice like that!

The current course is an 'out & back' style affair, mostly through woodland and always a challenge! Most of the outbound leg is uphill and gruelling but once you've reached the halfway point you know it's downhill most of the way back.

Step-by-Step - A Visitor's Guide

The shared Tring Park/Natural History Museum car-park is in Hastoe Lane (HP23 5AZ).

At the back of the car park, go through the wooden gate to pick up the footpath that runs alongside the car park, away from the Museum building and towards the footbridge. Look out for the pretty, hand-painted mural on the wall, which points the way up to Tring Park.

The footpath will lead you to the "Curly Bridge" - a pedestrian footbridge which, when you cross it, takes you over the A41 road and into Tring Park, through the gate. At the entrance you can glance down the sweeping, tree-lined avenue which used to be an important part of the old parkrun course.

In the park, head left across the open parkland but mind the cowpats!

You won't be able to see the Start yet but if you bear left along the well-worn grass track you shouldn't go far wrong and within a minute or so the Finish line and Meeting Point will be revealed (look for the yellow signs and also the Finish funnel).
All parkrunners meet in this area but only the 'First-Timers & Tourists' briefing actually takes place here.

The main briefing (for all) takes place by the Start, a little further on. The Run Director leads everyone down a dip, over to the briefing 'podium' (i.e. a conveniently placed flat rock which the RD stands on....simple but effective!)

At the end of the Main Briefing, from there the parkrun STARTS!


1. Run up the short hill to get the blood pumping. (Or walk!....walkers are just as welcome as runners, but to keep things easy I will call this a 'run'!)

2. Once up the hill there is a flat section through the gate but don't get too excited!

3. Now into the woods - a shady tunnel of trees. Quite stony underfoot with mud trail paths and a mostly even surface. Sharp left, then do a right, straight up a steep hill towards the Obelisk monument...It's as if the hill is challenging you to not stop!

4. At the Obelisk, take a sharp left at crossroads. This is a slightly gentler hill, but still a hill, up to the white Summer House building.

5. At the Summer House, keep following the path which loops around 180 degrees, heading right towards the second wooden gate.

6. Once through the gate the path finally flattens out for a longish stretch, while you start to catch a glimpse of the impressive landscape and long-distance views through the trees to your right.

7. "The Rond" - the park's main viewing point, where the path opens up with lime trees forming a circular shape. BE SURE TO LOOK RIGHT! Spectacular views over the park and wider area - big skies, often with red kites. Perfect spot for a quick photo, if you're not PB chasing!

8. A few slight twists and turns - back into the more sheltered, enclosed paths again with slight gradients. Also another vantage point on the right, great for a selfie.

9. Soon enough you'll see a Marshal with "Run Around Me" cones, signalling the turnaround point - go around him/her and head back, retracing your steps back the way you came. Most of the route is downhill now. (Phew!)

10. As you head out of woods and off the dirt trail paths, the ground is now pretty uneven again for the final stretch. Head back past the Start, down and up the dip, then there is a steep, fast, downhill section to the Finish line, where Timekeeping Marshals will usually welcome you in to the funnel with a "Well Done".....and they will always really mean it!

 Click here to see how I got on when I ran Tring parkrun for my 'Spell-it-Out MS Challenge'

To find out more about my fundraising Challenge and how to sponsor me please click here

https://www.parkrun.org.uk/tring/