A milestone run for me
My 101st parkrun … but my very first on New Year’s Day!
Hip Hip Hoorah!
Huge thanks to the whole Eresmaa family, especially Noora and Reima, who made this run today possible! We were so lucky to be able to parkrun on New Year’s Day!
At Christmas the weather was fantastic Finland …. but sadly on Thursday (29th) the weather here in southern Finland turned, and it gradually worsened and worsened so much so that every parkrun in Finland ended up being cancelled on Saturday (New Year’s Eve)! Boo hoo!
Cancelling is not a decision that is ever taken lightly but - once the RDs and those responsible for checking the route had seen how dreadfully icy (think uneven icing rink with puddles on top!) the conditions were - it was absolutely the right call to make!
It was disappointing of course … but in Lahti, however, it was almost immediately time to start weighing up whether the special parkrun event day on New Year’s Day could go ahead as planned the next day ~ or not!
There was a real sense of deja vu on Saturday morning when we started the process of checking the conditions of the route yet again.
On Saturday morning (at the time parkrun would have happened) we walked it (it was way too icy and slipping and sliding everywhere (even wearing icebug walking boots) confirmed that the right call had been made for Saturday)… BUT … the forecast suggested conditions MIGHT improve so we waited! Early on Saturday evening (just as the first fireworks were starting) we walked the course again, and it has improved enough to make the decision NOT TO CANCEL … YET… and the final check very early on New Year’s Day by the early birds (Noora and Reima) resulted in a green light as the alternate route was runnable (the few remaining icy patches easily marked and avoided - though someone did throw some of our cones in the rubbish bin along with firework debris (luckily Noora noticed and retrieved them!)
Lahti had a New Year’s Day parkrun! Hurrah!
11 of us turned up - including a lovely group from Vääksynkanava parkrun (not on on NYD) - to walk or run the course, and we were glad we did! We were treated to a marvellous sunrise as we ran/walked the course and although the wind was cold, the light was amazing and I stopped to take several photos en route..The alternative route is a simple double ’there and back’ and Tinka the golden retriever treated every participant at every stage as a long lost friend! She and I were lucky enough to interval run with our 11 year old friend, who pipped us at the post and denied me what would have been my best ever finishing position (albeit in one of my slowest times ever (and we weren’t even tail walking!)).
The lovely cafe in Lahti is taking a well-deserved break for Christmastide but we were served piping hot juice (from a thermos) ginger snaps and delicious (almost frozen) chocolates after the event. Much appreciated!
Really huge respect for Noora and Reima who checked the course something like 8 times over the past three days and thanks to improved conditions and a well-gritted alternate route, managed to pull off the only parkrun in Finland over the New Year weekend. Thank you so much!
Lahden satama parkrun is every Saturday at 9:30am.
The normal meeting place is at the iconic LAHTI sign, although if the alternative route is being run (likely again next week on 7th January) then you can, (after parking in the normal spot), make your way to the outdoor gym by Vesijärvi at the end of Proomukatu!
Remember parkrun is free and for everyone!
You can walk, jog, run or even skip the 5k course and volunteers are warmly welcome too! You can sign up here lahdensatama@parkrun.com
Or leave a message on Facebook.
Hope you can join us at parkrun somewhere next Saturday ~ or any other Saturday ~ morning.
If you are planning to come why not invite a friend to join you or bring some of your family down to join in?
Remember ~ you don’t have to run, it’s very ok to walk and you can push a toddler or baby in a buggy and dogs of course are welcome too - woof woof (one dog per participant)
