Ballincollig parkrun

Tried and tested by Jess @the_buggy_runners_diary (IG)

Buggy Friendly rating: 9/10

Scenery: 7/10

Course:

Ballincollig parkrun starts at the the regional park car park – the one with the toilet. There are a few entrances to the park so it’s important to make sure you get the right one. It is a busy parkrun with numbers usually around 300 – 400 and it has quite a narrow start. This can make running with a buggy a little difficult as there is often no room to pass for the first few hundred metres and buggies are asked to start at the back.

It’s a two loop course with a mixture of tarmac, hard packed and gravel terrain so suitable for most buggies. There is opportunity to overtake once the run opens up onto the playing fields but to do so you’ll need to run on the grass.

Facilities, cafes and playgrounds:

There is only one toilet at the start and finish of the course and you’ll need a 20c coin. There is usually a coffee hut located just outside the parkrun carpark too.

For the kids, there is a great playground (which you will pass on the run), it’s good for all ages. About a two minute walk from the playground there is a crepe truck and cafe truck – they sell mini cupcakes and ice creams for the kids among other things. Both trucks are situated in the other carpark. Carpark to carpark is about a 10-15 min walk so you could park in the playground entrance and walk to the parkrun if you don’t fancy the walk afterwards.

During the summer months and located just near the playground is Saturday morning yoga from 1015 – 1130 – a great way to stretch after a parkrun.…if you’re kid-free!

Overall:

This is a fantastic location as there is so much to do in the regional park after the run. Besides the playground there are trail walks, paths suitable for scooters and bikes, rivers for stone throwing and trucks for eating. The biggest fall for a location this size is the lack of toilets with there being just one for the entire regional park. The town centre is a 5 minute drive where you’ll find a big Tesco, Dunnes, cafes and other shops.