University Parks parkrun

University Parks parkrun is the youngest of Oxford's three Saturday-morning 5km events — it launched on 5 February 2022 — and the most central. The course runs entirely inside University Parks itself, the 74-acre green space the University acquired from Merton College in stages from 1853 onwards and laid out in 1864. For runners staying in central or north Oxford, it's the easiest of the three to reach on foot.

The other two Oxford parkruns offer different terrain: Cutteslowe further north is the city's longest-running and largest event, on flat tarmac paths; Hinksey south of the centre is a smaller neighbourhood run; and Shotover on the eastern edge is a hilly trail course.

The route

Start: The Tentorium, in the centre of the Parks

The Tentorium is the gathering point in the middle of the Parks — check the parkrun event page for the latest meeting point on the morning. The course is multi-lap on the Parks' surfaced paths, with no significant climbs. Thomas G. Jackson's three-gabled cricket pavilion sits separately on the cricket ground that has been in use since 1881; you'll see it as you loop the park.

The Parks are bounded by Parks Road to the west, Norham Gardens to the north, the River Cherwell to the east, and South Parks Road to the south. You'll loop past the duck pond (constructed 1925) and close to the Rainbow Bridge over the Cherwell on the eastern side.

Practical info

• When: Every Saturday, 9:00am. Arrive by 8:50 for the first-timer briefing.
• Registration: Free — register at parkrun.org and bring your printed barcode (or have it on your phone). No barcode, no recorded time.
• Cost: Free.
• Getting there: University Parks is a 10-15 minute walk from the city centre up Parks Road, past Wadham and Keble. Cyclists can lock up at the gates. There is no public car park inside the Parks.
• Terrain: Surfaced paths throughout — fine in road shoes year-round.
• Toilets: Available in the Parks.
• Park hours: The Parks open early Mon-Fri (around 07:45) and from 08:00 Sat-Sun, closing at dusk — the gates are unlocked in time for parkrun.

Who it's for

Runners and walkers based in north and central Oxford who want a Saturday 5km without a long journey to the venue, students from nearby colleges including Keble, St Cross, Wadham, Linacre and Lady Margaret Hall, and tourists who want to experience the parkrun phenomenon in one of Oxford's most attractive central green spaces. After the run, the Missing Bean on Turl Street and other city-centre cafes are an easy walk back.