Minehead parkrun

26/08/2026

Remember- there is no parkrun this Saturday due to the Minehead Bay festival

22/08/2026

It’s that time of week again!! Parkrun time!! Minehead is looking as glorious as ever. Temperature is cool with a slight breeze. Perfect running conditions!!

17/08/2026

Thank you Madeline for this weeks run report

Happy 10th Birthday Minehead parkrun!! It was lovely to be able to celebrate with them on this special occasion. Tubs of sweets left over from Christmas were shared (I’m sure they were in date 😆 and RD might have been having a laugh - but it got a chuckle from the crowd).

It’s my 2nd time to Minehead parkrun, we came to celebrate my unofficial 150th milestone, so it was an added bonus that it was their 10th Anniversary. We last visited in the spring, in which I was dressed as a flamingo as it was Earth day for WWF so was nice to run in a lighter attire - this helped lighten my time too by a couple of minutes.

Well done to Trish List & Brian Lockwood who also had something to celebrate. Both achieved their 250th parkrun milestone - great achievement!!

Saturday morning welcomed us with a cooler temperature and a gentle breeze, which was a change from the scorcher of the day before and much more comfortable conditions for a parkrun. The tide was in, lapping up against the sea wall causing a gentle mist and the most beautiful scenic view to enjoy.

The course is flat, narrow in sections with dry patches of blown in sand on the paths. Two turns one end of the prom and three the other. Very well managed and cheered on by the friendliest marshals, whom ensure your safety along the course. As stated at the briefing do not step onto the road at any section of the parkrun, it’s important to stay on the path however congested, not just for your safety but for the future of Minehead parkrun. There was a whopping 197 participants today, some from Bristol, Telford, Bridgenorth, Chippingham, Oxford, Bridgend, Inverness and Canada being a few. I can see why they chose Minehead, it is one of my favourites.

It wasn’t only the marshals who were welcoming but a local celebrity Arthur the cat. One minute he was in our hotel lobby, the next at the parkrun briefing, he wasn’t at all fazed by all the attention he was getting or of the participating dogs. I’m told Arthur is a regular at parkrun and has his very own page.

I met a lovely family visiting from Bridgend - Nick Woodhouse and his two sons Luke (15) and Jack (13). Luke has recently returned to running which has always been a big passion of his. Due to his chronic illness careful planning is required to ensure there are accessible toilets near by for him to participate. Nick wanted me to highlight the importance of this for those with conditions and also appreciation to the very kind staff at Jubilee garden cafe, they were very understanding and allowed Luke to use their facilities. It’s obviously not stopping Luke from his passion - coming in as second male today. Well done Luke! Good luck to both boys who run for Bridgend Athletics.

12/08/2026

Advanced warning. On 29th August parkrun is cancelled due to the bay festival.

09/08/2026

Thank you Caleb for this weeks run report

Minhead parkrun event 438 write up.
Parkrunners- 216
Volunteers-21
Well it was yet another fabulous parkrun on the beautiful seafront at Minehead. 216 runners took to the start line and made their way around the 5k course. The morning was enjoyed by lots of people. We had push chairs, younger people and young at heart people. It was another warm one with highs of 21 degrees!
I was deputy run director this morning, a new role within adult parkruns for me. It was great to learn the ropes from a fabulous rd in Wendy, so I would like to thank Wendy for helping me out and teaching me the ropes.
Parkrun is only possible because of the volunteers so a big thank you to those who helped this week (Wendy Pettit, Caleb Palmer, Jenny Reading, Heather Bone, Mark Dorrill, Jennie Norris, Caroline Bamford, Jill Ewen, Sue Neville, Carl Reading, Nick Jenkins, Joan D**e, Marie Baker, Kevin Sandiford, Charles Walker, Jon Lee, Abbie Keeper, Bev King, Siobhan O’brein, also a bit thanks to our communication person and volunteer co-ordinator Rebecca Orpin and Lorraine Eveleigh
I think the Minhead course is fabulous. There are lovely beach views but you don't even run on sand. The route is very nice and flat so perfect for you pb chasers. We had lots of pictures with the Minhead flag the volunteers may need to all be put in as photographers everyone loves a picture by the sea and we love helping you take them
I must say I was very blown away with the number of first timers. Event directors told me this was quiet compared to usual so it was a big surprise and I look forward to coming back very soon and seeing how many people there are usually.
Well done everyone who either ran, walked, volunteered or even just stood to the side cheering on everyone.

20/07/2026

Thank you Heather for this weeks run report

Run report for Minehead parkrun number 435

It was a beautiful morning as 157 of us lined up on the start-line on the prom at Minehead and although I (foolishly!) brought a hoodie down to the start-line when I arrived at 8.30 (my daughter was tail-walking) – the temperatures quickly soared!

The kids are I enjoyed the friendly welcome and were quickly chatting about the logistics of volunteering at this fabulously inclusive event and the key information including where the nearest toilets are (3-4mins walk back up The Avenue located in the Summerland Avenue car park)!

It is a lovely, scenic course “there and back again” three times along the seafront and since we pass the start 5 times it is a great course for spectators to cheer on their loved ones (and everyone else, as is always the way at parkruns…). I’ve been a tourist parkrunner here on several occasions and it was a treat to have the tide in and be able to look at the waves as we ran, but where was the usual breeze to cool us down?? Interesting distractions along the way are the giant statue of hands holding a map (that used to mark the start of the South West coast path – until they moved it!), the shells embedded in the pavement that mark a footpath, the fascinating photos from Minehead’s past that always engage my interest at the start line and the thought of having fish & chips or an ice cream from the shops we run past.

For a number of people it was their first parkrun and I hope they return and embrace the positivity of a 9am 5k on a regular basis, even if they will miss their Saturday lie in and, like me, end up tempering the Friday night shenanigans as “its parkrun in the morning”!! There was someone celebrating their 50th birthday and another person completing their 300th parkrun, whilst the Furthest Travelled Tourist Award went to a person from Denmark (sorry for not knowing people’s names – I badly timed my warm up trot and had to get an update from my 14 year old son….). I was impressed by the lady running with her arm in a plaster cast and the VI runner and her guide who I spotted running to parkrun.

I had a lovely chat with a friendly couple from Wales/Blue Anchor and noticed other people making new friends. Much of the time I spend in Minehead I’m very conscious of the busy tourist trade and I enjoy this opportunity to join this element of the local’s life – thank you for letting us join!



Heather

16/07/2026

11/07/2026

Yabba dabba doo!! Congratulations Adam on your 100th parkrun.

11/07/2026

It is heating up out there!!! Please make sure you have plenty to drink and slow down if you need to!!! It is not a race.

28/06/2026

Advanced notice that this coming Saturday (4th July) Minehead parkrun is cancelled due to the food festival on the sea front.