In the latest in our Series of the ever-popular parkruns across Suffolk and North-East Essex, we focus on the Clare Castle parkrun before and after Christmas

East Anglian Daily Times: The scene at Clare Castle Country Park, the home of the Clare Castle parkrun. A field of 124 tackled the most recent event on Saturday. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOKThe scene at Clare Castle Country Park, the home of the Clare Castle parkrun. A field of 124 tackled the most recent event on Saturday. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOK (Image: Archant)

The Clare Castle parkrun, one of the ‘younger’ parkruns in our region, celebrated its second Christmas following its inaugural event in September, 2017.

The pre-Christmas run, last Saturday week, proved popular with fancy-dress entrants as a field of 112 tackled the normal free 5K route, around three laps of Clare Castle Country Park, close to the River Stour.

Chay Hopkins was first home in 18mins 22secs, followed by Harry Beddows (18:29) and teenager Alex Quarrell (19:26). Tracy Quarrell (23:51) was the first female.

Numbers were boosted to 124 at the 63rd event, held on Saturday. Peter Miller, of Haverhill RC, was first home in a PB of 18:19. Louis Suggett was second in 18:45, one of 34 first-time visitors to the Clare event. Suggett is a familiar face at the Ipswich parkrun, and has run 154 parkruns in total.

East Anglian Daily Times: Runners get into their stride at the Clare Castle parkrun, held every Saturday morning. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOKRunners get into their stride at the Clare Castle parkrun, held every Saturday morning. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOK (Image: Archant)

Laura Hague was the first female in 23:33 on her first visit to Clare Castle. She is a regular at Chelmsford and Great Notley.

East Anglian Daily Times: Father Christmas was a familiar figure at the Clare Castle parkrun, last Saturday week. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOKFather Christmas was a familiar figure at the Clare Castle parkrun, last Saturday week. Picture: CLARE CASTLE PARKRUN FACEBOOK (Image: Archant)