Mount Edgcumbe parkrun – youtube, pictures, course description & info

Mount Edgcumbe parkrun

Mount Edgcumbe parkrun, in Cornwall, is a very scenic one-lap course around the grounds of Mount Edgcumbe House and Country Park. There is a pay-and-display car park on site (use postcode PL10 1HZ) which cost 70p for up to one hour or £2.70 for 1-4 hours (March 2018). Another way to access Mount Edgcumbe is to catch the Cremyll Ferry from Plymouth (a foot ferry which takes 8 minutes), and then walk to parkrun. There is a café and toilets at the Stables, near the car park.

The meeting point is only a few minutes’ walk from the car park, in front of the historic Mount Edgcumbe House. From here there are spectacular views of Plymouth and the River Tamar. After the briefings, runners are walked down to the start point at the bottom of the hill. We had not realised before we arrived that Mount Edgcumbe is ranked the third hilliest parkrun in the UK, so that was a bit of a surprise. This really is a course of two halves; the first half is almost entirely uphill with a total ascent of 120m (as logged by the Suunto Spartan Trainer). The second half is mostly downhill or flat, with a descent of 85m, taking you back to the finish in front of the house.

The ascent takes you through forest trails and across the deer park towards the summit, where there are amazing views across Plymouth and the Cornish countryside, before you head back to the forest trails for the rest of the run. There are a few sections of tarmac, but the majority of the course is trail or grass and it is very uneven underfoot for much of the time. It was also very muddy, with large puddles, so wet feet were inevitable – take spare shoes and socks!

The course map doesn’t exactly look straightforward, but the route is very well marshalled and signposted so you will have no trouble navigating it, even if you do find yourself running alone, which is very possible due to the winding course and small numbers (usually fewer than 50 runners). I thought the marshals were particularly enthusiastic at this parkrun and the whole team was very welcoming and friendly. It’s certainly a challenging course, but an enjoyable one for the views and team spirit.

Official Event Page: Mount Edgcumbe parkrun

Nearby postcode: PL10 1HZ

Hills (as logged by Suunto Spartan Trainer): Ascent 120m / Descent 85m

Subjective PB potential: 1/10 – ridiculously hilly

Distance Displayed on Suunto Spartan Trainer:  5.14 km

Difficulty ranking below

parkrun : Hardest & Easiest Courses in UK | course difficulty

parkrun : Hardest & Easiest Courses in UK | course difficulty