NAMBOUR PARKRUN REVIEW

GETTING THERE

During the April holidays, I had my family visiting from the UK and we took a long weekend break on the Sunny Coast. The closest Parkrun to our accommodation was Nambour Parkrun. The event is just off Radar Hill Road, a short drive from the Nambour Connection Road. The Bruce Highway is the access Highway. I would not have found this event without my GPS, but that is because I was not familiar with the coast. For the locals, I am sure the venue is easy to find.

PARKING

There is limited parking at this venue. We arrived fairly early and even though there were quite a few cars parked along the service road, we just drove into the public access park which was empty. I wasn’t sure if anyone was allowed to park there, but we did and no one complained.

TOILETS

This event is run on the forest trails and there are no toilets or water available. This is however clearly labelled on the Parkrun page.

THE COURSE

Oh my goodness! The briefing took place close to the road. After this was over, the small group of participants started walking along the fire trail for what seemed like almost 400m. On the walk down to the start, a lady runner told me with great pride that this run is probably the most challenging event on the Parkrun calendar.

Once we set off, we ran down the trail until we reached an intersection and turned right. The course included a creek crossing, many hills and an uneven surface and I couldn’t have been happier. The course is a single loop. Eventually we joined up with the original path and ran an agonizing 800m uphill to the finish which was right near the service road.

It was certainly tough and I did not anticipate this degree of difficulty. However, the small number of runners, the stunning eucalypt and rain forest combination as well as the creek crossing made this one of the  most memorable Parkruns I have ever done. Interestingly enough, only two people have ever run under 20 minutes for this event which is a good indication of how hard it actually is. 

The website warns us that this is a multi-use area and that mountain bike riders and hikers also use the park, but I didn’t see anyone else on the trails. We are also warned that we can potentially encounter Australian wildlife but again, I must have been far too exhausted to notice.

VOLUNTEERS

This event attracts a very small number of runners each week so it is quite remarkable that they don’t really struggle to get people to volunteer. The Facebook page has very few requests for help and many pictures celebrating their contribution, indicating a healthy community spirit.

PHOTOS

The Facebook page is well-organized and I managed to find my pictures quite easily. It would be quite difficult to take pictures in any other place other than near the start/finish without having to do a bit of a trek, so it is again lovely to find a record of my run there.

Click here for the Facebook page

THE ALL IMPORTANT COFFEE AFTERWARDS

The Facebook page advertises the Nook and Cranny restaurant as the place to have some coffee after the run. We decided to drive to the Eumundi markets because my family wanted to take in the tourist scene there but it does look like a good place to gather after the run and it is only a 10 minute drive from the finish.

OVERALL 

So if you are looking for a quick time trial and a personal PB, then this is not the course for you. The course is challenging and tricky, I however love running trails and this run was a total treat. I therefore give this event the Gary rating of 9.5/10. I just wish it were closer to home.