A is for… Alphabet Achieved!
And so it came to pass that today’s parkrun brought me to the end of a long-running (cough!) quest: one parkrun starting with every letter it’s possible to collect, neatly from A to Z. Well, not that neatly, because I didn’t do them in order and it’s taken fifteen years to do them. And some letters are much harder than others. Like there ain’t no X’s, for instance. And there’s no Z’s in the UK. But the final chapter unfolded today at Jubilee Park, Bedford.
This one had double sparkle: it was my 50th different parkrun venue. To make it doubly better I was joined by Stevie B, who was also finishing his first lap round the alphabet. He’s faster, so I got him to show me the way round. I basically clung on and tried to keep up. Two milestones, one determined pace. I would say that Steve and I have been finishing off the alphabet together ever since we went to Kettering in May so Steve could get a K. That’s not quite true, because his K was his last before this J. I still had E, I, O and Q to go at that point, and I was only in the running because I’d already done U, V, Y and Z earlier in the year. So I guess you’d say I’ve only really been trying to get the alphabet this year. Prior to that I was just running occasional parkruns as part of a trip elsewhere. Whatever though. It was good that Steve waited for me to catch up.
Setting Off
The logistics were slightly over-engineered. I drove from Measham to Milton Keynes to pick up Steve and then on to Bedford. So I’d already clocked two hours in the car, when we got to Bedford.
Parking was a straightforward affair at the nearby John Bunyan School. Volunteers confirmed the route was flat-ish and runner-friendly. The urban park setting was compact and peaceful. All tarmac, but with plenty of space on the grass to overtake. It lacked any calf-crunching climbs. We did the obligatory photo-by-the-sign to mark the occasion, but couldn’t hear the briefing.
parkrun O’Clock
Steve led the way from the start, setting a tempo slightly out of my comfort zone. I asked him to try to get me round in about 30 minutes. The speed was just manageable enough for me to ride along with him. The park loop was neat and mainly shady if not spectacular. We had to go round it three times.
By the second lap, the speed was getting the better of me, and I has to pause for a short walk four times (yes, four). This allowed me to reset the legs and draw breath. Yet despite those, I still crossed the line in 29:41. That’s a new fastest time for 2025 and continues my steady progression. So tick. ABC complete and a year-best. —letter perfect, indeed.
Aftermath
No breakfast stop this time—no coffee or pancakes. We just headed home. Two milestones, one smooth exit. 25 letters, 50 venues, one season’s best, and one friend leading me to the end. Officially mission accomplished. Oh! And it was my triple-Nelson parkrun too – my 333rd.
Enough
And that’s the wrap. A to Z done. Venue fifty bagged. Year’s best—unlocked.
So what’s after the first trip around? A second lap, obviously. At the time of finishing the first one, I’m already 13 into the second lap too.
Which ones then?
My first lap of the alphabet included the following courses. Obviously I didn’t run them in alphabetical order, but that’s not the point. Just getting around the loop is good enough.
Aylesbury – Braunstone (Leicester) – Conkers – Durham – East Park (Wolverhampton) – Firenze – Gateshead – Hove Promenade – Isabel Trail (Stafford) – Jubilee, Bedford – Kingsbury Water Park – Long Eaton – Milton Keynes – Newark – Oaklands (Birmingham) – Preston Park (Brighton) – Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School (Horncastle) – Riverside (Chester-le-Street) – St Albans – Town Moor (Newcastle) – University of Northampton – Vicar Water Country Park (Mansfield) – Worsley Woods (Manchester) – Yarborough Leisure Centre (Lincoln) – Zuiderpark (Hoogeveen)
