14/06/2026
Thanks to visitors from Oxford parkrun for this week's run report:
Portrush parkrun #661 – Sand, Sea and a Serious Headwind!
This weekend we were lucky enough to visit Portrush parkrun while on a cheeky trip to Northern Ireland with our friends. We love parkrun tourism, and Portrush is definitely one of the most beautiful courses we have ever done.
The route runs along the beach with one of the most memorable parts coming almost immediately, with runners splashing through the estuary. It definitely woke our feet up! From there, the route follows the beautiful sandy coastline with amazing views across the sea.
The “out” section felt pretty good and quite fast, but when we turned around… wow! The wind on the way back was soooo strong. It felt like running into an invisible wall and made us work much harder than we expected. We did have fun running with our eyes closed for stretches on the way back and got to splash through the estuary again!
The weather was a bit mixed, but the sun popped out for a moment or two, making everything look even more spectacular.
We noticed quite a few barefoot runners. It looked like a lot of fun, and probably much less painful than running barefoot at our home parkrun in Oxford, where there is a boy who runs on our course which, whilst mostly grass in the summer, has gravel and concrete sections! The soft sand seemed a much friendlier surface.
Our parkrun-loving dog, Baloo, would have absolutely loved the beach. We suspect he would have spent the entire event charging headlong into the sea instead of following the course. Swimming is definitely his favourite activity.
This week, 199 people crossed the finish line, including an impressive 12 first timers and 42 tourists. Well done to the 9 runners who achieved personal bests.
Congratulations to everyone celebrating milestones:
25 parkruns - Rebecca McSparron & Paul Ashfield
50 parkruns - Ray McCaffrey
100 parkruns - Deborah Archibald
150 volunteers - Sharon Kennedy
350 parkruns - Alanna Millar.
This weekend was also special for another reason. Across the whole parkrun movement, parkrun hosted its one millionth event. Since the very first parkrun in 2004, participants have crossed a finish funnel more than 138 million times, and volunteers have helped out on over 16 million occasions.
Those numbers are incredible, but what we love most about parkrun is the community. It brings people together, helps keep us active and gives us a brilliant excuse to travel. Through parkrun we have met lots of people in our local community and visited some amazing places. So far we have run parkruns in England, Wales, the Netherlands, the USA and even South Africa. The South African one was particularly memorable because there were hippos alongside the course (thankfully behind an electric fence)!
After the run, we headed to Bilberry cafe in Bushmills for some fantastic breakfast pancakes, which we thought were thoroughly deserved after battling that headwind.
A huge thank you to all the volunteers and runners who made us feel welcome. Portrush parkrun combines beautiful scenery, a unique beachside course, and a friendly atmosphere. If you’re visiting the area, we would definitely recommend giving it a go! We’ll be back again tomorrow for junior parkrun. See some of you there?
Freddie, Ticky & Anjali from Oxford parkrun
