Mile End parkrun #594 Survives Storm Bert + the great RED RUN - 23/11/24

With Trojan from the Emancipated Run Crew.

In the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, east of the Regent’s Canal, is the 79-acre Mile End Park and 213-acre Victoria Park, home to this morning’s two running events.

My Friday social media feeds were dominated with doomsday predictions of parkrun carnage due to Storm Bert but due to the sheltered nature of Mile End Park and a 28-strong committed volunteer team Mile End parkrun went ahead. 

Three hundred and forty-eight participants turned up including Mile End parkrun regular Andy Sawyer to complete his 400th parkrun with brownies for everyone at the end. 

We saw our friend Charlotte, from Burgess parkrun, here for some tourism and we chatted to Louis and Jack who have recently started their parkrun journeys; boy do they have a lot to look forward to 🙂

Charlotte on the left and Louis and Jack on the right.

Although windy there was no sign of the predicted 47mph wind gusts. The Run Director gave shouts-out to tourists from Poole, Scotland and Australia and then hoping not to provoke ‘Bert’ set us off. 

Starting outside the Mile End Stadium which has excellent facilities, Mile End parkrun is a clockwise two-lap 180-degree slithering ‘snake shape’ of a course. It is all on cement paths with 32m of elevation providing different views of the park and London such as when you go over the green bridge, the Art Pavilion, or down to the canal path. Shielded from the winds the almost out-and-back nature of the course provides lots of opportunities to see other runners with the course ringing with shouts of encouragement from runners and marshals alike. This was my 4th time here and it remains a gem of an event. 

Amongst the many participants, I got speaking to was Trojan one of the founders of the Emancipated Run Crew. He explained how they encourage and support runners of Black and Brown heritage to participate in grassroots running. They also organise supported runs which I’m keen to put into next year’s running calendar. Coincidentally they would be going to the RED RUN event afterwards too. 

Expecting far more challenging conditions than we had I’d worn my Under Armour Infinite Elite running shoes for maximum stability. Maybe it was the elevation, or perhaps it was being woken up at 0200 but I didn’t feel the spring in my step that I’d experienced wearing my ASICS Gel numbus 26 worn at Burgess parkrun the previous week however it was a good shake-out with me finishing just shy of being 70% of my age grading. 

Mile End parkrun finished without incident and with ‘Bert’ being somewhat subdued we walked along the Regent’s Canal and then along the Hertford Union Canal taking us into Victoria Park for the second running event of the day, the RED RUN. 

Celebrating the annual World AIDS Day, the event brings together the HIV sector to raise awareness and funds for life-changing HIV support and prevention projects across the UK. Last year the event raised £232,000 for HIV charities. 

My morning inbox had contained an email from the event organisers confirming that the event would be going ahead but sadly the marquees for t-shirts and bag checks wouldn’t be there. Nor would there be the whole RED RUN village including DJs from Horse Meat Disco, the Wellcome Collection displaying HIV heroes exhibition, AIDS Quilt tribute, HIV charity tables or the MAC VICA GLAM lip service which I was particularly looking forward to 😍 But as the email had said, ‘No wind or rain has stopped the HIV activists who have come before us, nor will it stop us now’! This seemed to galvanise the runners, walkers, and supporters who turned out. Wearing the RED RUN distinctive t-shirts it was a fantastic visual/carnival/celebratory occasion. The results will be posted on 25th November but everyone who got round in the conditions was already a winner. 

Alice and Shveta battled Bert and completed the event.

We didn’t stay for the after-party at the People's Park Tavern however as we walked past celebrations seemed to be in full swing!

Stay well and happy running

www.Nuhorizons.uk/