Parkruns Near Stratford-upon-Avon: Routes, Parking & Start Times

Stratford has its own parkrun on the Rec every Saturday morning and a junior parkrun for children on Sundays. Within half an hour’s drive there are six more Saturday 5ks and four more junior events, from a flat racecourse in Warwick to a lakeside lap in Redditch. They’re all free, timed and open to anyone who registers. This guide covers each one: where it is, where to park and what it costs, what the route is like and where runners go for coffee afterwards.

Parkruns near Stratford at a glance

Drive times are from Bridge Street with clear roads, so allow longer on a busy Saturday.

Map of parkruns near Stratford

Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun

Stratford’s parkrun starts at 9am every Saturday on the Recreation Ground, on the south bank of the river opposite the Royal Shakespeare Theatre.

The route. Three clockwise laps of the Rec, starting and finishing by the football pavilion near the car park and the children’s play area. Each lap includes a stretch along the Avon looking across to the RST. It’s mainly tarmac paths, so road shoes are fine; the grass sections can get muddy, leafy and puddled after rain, and the organisers suggest trail shoes only in extreme conditions. The finish is on the grass next to the path at the end of the third lap. It’s a flat course.

Where to park. The Recreation Ground car park (378 spaces) is reached through the entrance by the Swan’s Nest Hotel, postcode CV37 7LS. Coming over Clopton Bridge from town you can’t turn right into it: carry on to the roundabout, come back towards town and turn left at the Swan’s Nest. Drive to the far end, by the pavilion, which is much closer to the start, and don’t park in the coned-off area on the right. It’s a council car park: £1.40 for an hour or £2.70 for two, which is what the organisers suggest if you’re staying for coffee. The machines take cards and RingGo only, no cash. Volunteers can get a free parking permit. The organisers say parking may be limited, so come early, or walk or cycle if you can. Our parking guide has the other town car parks.

Walking, bus and train. From town, cross the river on the Tramway footbridge or walk along from Bridge Foot. From Stratford station the organisers allow about 22 minutes on foot: walk into town, along Bridge Street towards Clopton Bridge and over the footbridge. From the Bridge Street bus stops by McDonald’s it’s about 10 minutes.

Before you start. There are two briefings at about 8.50am, one for first-timers and one for visitors from other parkruns. Toilets are by the car park and play area. Children under 11 must stay within arm’s reach of an adult throughout. You can run with one dog on a short, handheld lead (no waist harnesses), and buggies are welcome, but not a dog and a buggy at the same time.

Coffee afterwards. Runners go to Prospero Lounge on Bridge Street, which can take a big group.

Stratford Rec junior parkrun

The junior parkrun is a free, timed 2k for children aged 4 to 14, every Sunday at 9am, also on the Rec. It starts and finishes by the football pavilion, heads around the Rec to the river, follows the river to a turnaround near the chain ferry and comes back the same way, on grass and tarmac paths. Parking, toilets (next to the play area) and coffee (Prospero Lounge) are the same as on Saturdays. Afterwards, the Rec playground is right next to the finish.

Warwick Racecourse parkrun

Saturdays at 9am, 9 miles from Stratford (about 18 minutes). The start and finish are next to Warwick Golf Centre on the racecourse. The route is a simple out and back: one clockwise lap of the racecourse, then one anticlockwise. It’s mostly very flat with a couple of bumps in the middle, on firm gravel paths with a short stretch of trail just after the start and before the finish. A good one if you’re after a fast time.

Parking. Four car parks are close to the start (all from the parkrun’s own page):

• St Mary’s Area 3, CV34 6HF: free for 2 hours, but you need a ticket; 2.1m height limit
• St Mary’s Area 2 (Racecourse car park), Hampton Road, CV34 6JP: £1 for 2 hours; 2.1m height limit
• St Mary’s Area 4, CV34 4UX: £1 for 1 hour
• West Rock, CV34 4DZ: £1 for 1 hour

Use the car parks rather than the streets next to the racecourse. The nearest public toilets are in the Market Square, about 6 minutes’ walk away. Warwick station is about a mile away. Afterwards, runners head to a café in town.

St Nicholas junior parkrun, Warwick

Sundays at 9am, 2k for ages 4 to 14, in St Nicholas’ Park by the river in Warwick (9 miles, about 19 minutes). It’s two and a bit laps, mostly on tarmac paths, starting next to the crazy golf. The park’s car park is off Banbury Road (CV34 4QY) and costs £1 for an hour on Sundays; Myton Fields car park (CV34 6PR) is also open in summer, £3 for up to 4 hours. There are toilets next to the café, a play area, and coffee afterwards at the St Nicholas Park Tea Shop.

Evesham parkrun

Saturdays at 9am, 15 miles away (about 26 minutes). Two laps plus an extra 150 metres of a flat, clockwise loop beside the River Avon, starting in Corporation Meadow by the Fish Refuge, between Hampton Ferry and Abbey Bridge. There’s two-way running under Abbey Bridge and over the Fish Refuge bridge, so take care there.

Parking. Use postcode WR11 4BP and follow Boat Lane: parking is in the field on the left, about 500 metres from the start. The Viaduct Meadow car park is closer (about 300 metres) but you pay. Toilets are at Viaduct Meadow before the run. Afterwards, runners go to Raphael’s Restaurant on Boat Lane. Evesham station is just over a mile away.

Evesham Velo Park junior parkrun

Sundays at 9am, 2k for ages 4 to 14 (16 miles, about 26 minutes). Two 1km laps of an enclosed tarmac cycle track with gentle bends and slopes, so it’s traffic-free and good for nervous first-timers. Postcode WR11 2LZ. There’s plenty of parking, and the toilets and café are in the pavilion.

Coventry parkrun

Saturdays at 9am in War Memorial Park, 18 miles away (about 27 minutes). Two laps, mostly on tarmac with one flat stretch of mud path, around the park’s perimeter and past the War Memorial. It’s one of the busier parkruns in the area, so the organisers suggest arriving early, and keep moving after the finish because there’s more than one finish funnel.

Parking. The Kenilworth Road (Park and Ride) car park, postcode CV3 6PT, has ANPR barriers and the first 3 hours are free. Toilets at the Visitor Centre and by The Park Bistro usually open at 8.50am, and The Park Bistro by the tennis courts is where runners go for coffee. Coventry station is about 10 minutes’ walk along Warwick Road.

War Memorial Park junior parkrun

Sundays at 9am, 2k in the same park, entirely on tarmac: two loops past the rose garden and the War Memorial, finishing near the skate park. Parking is the same Kenilworth Road car park, and allow time to walk to the start by the children’s play area.

Arrow Valley parkrun, Redditch

Saturdays at 9am, 16 miles away (about 28 minutes). The whole route is on tarmac: two anticlockwise laps of Arrow Valley Lake, starting at the amphitheatre. The first lap takes the outside path, up a slight hill (known as Tovey Corner), through a tree-lined woodland stretch and along a meadow; the second follows the inside of the lake past the boathouse café to finish on Stitch Meadow. A good choice when the grass courses are muddy.

Parking. There are several free car parks at Arrow Valley Park, just off the A4189 Warwick Highway (nearest postcode B98 0LJ). Toilets at the Countryside Visitor Centre open at 8.45am, and runners have coffee there afterwards.

Leamington parkrun

Saturdays at 9am on Newbold Comyn, 13 miles away (about 29 minutes). It starts and finishes outside the football pavilion, skirts the football pitches, then goes through a gate onto the path round the edge of the golf course for a lap and a bit, on a mix of surfaces.

Parking is free. Drive along Newbold Terrace East past the leisure centre and the Newbold Comyn Arms, and don’t use the first car parks by the leisure centre: carry on to the car parks at the far end of the road. All of them have a 2m height limit. Some sat navs send people down Greenwood Court if you use the postcode CV32 4EW, so ignore that and stay on Newbold Terrace East. The pavilion has toilets and changing rooms, and post-run coffee is there too, but bring your own mug: the event is plastic-free. Leamington station is about a mile away.

Fire Service College parkrun, Moreton-in-Marsh

Saturdays at 9am, 18 miles south of Stratford (about 29 minutes), on the Fire Service College site on the A44 about a mile east of Moreton-in-Marsh. It’s a flat three-lap course over sports fields and tarmac, including a woodland stretch, starting opposite the sports centre near the car park.

Know before you go: it’s a private, working site, so warm up on the playing fields within sight of the start, and dogs aren’t allowed (assistance dogs are fine). Toilets are in the sports centre (clean off muddy shoes first). Most weeks a local charity runs a refreshments table at the sports centre; otherwise runners head into Moreton, where Victoria’s Café, Otis and Belle and Lynwood & Co are popular. Moreton station is about a mile away.

Lavender Hall junior parkrun, Balsall Common

Sundays at 9am, 2k in Lavender Hall Park, Balsall Common (18 miles, about 31 minutes). A short out-and-back, then two flat laps round the pond. Park at Balsall and Berkswell FC on Lavender Hall Lane, off the A452.

A little further away

Just over half an hour from Stratford are Brueton parkrun in Solihull (about 31 minutes) and Banbury parkrun in Spiceball Park (about 34 minutes), which also has a junior event on Sundays.

How parkrun works

Register once, free, on parkrun’s website and you’ll get a personal barcode. Bring it (printed, on a wristband or on your phone) to every event, or you won’t get a time. You can walk, jog or run, and nobody finishes last because there’s always a volunteer tail walker. Each event relies on volunteers, and helping out counts on your parkrun profile too. Events are sometimes cancelled at short notice for frost, flooding or other events at the venue, so check the event’s own page or social media before you set off.

Christmas Day and New Year’s Day parkruns

parkrun usually holds extra events on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and on New Year’s Day some runners do two different parkruns in one morning, because the start times are staggered. Each event announces its plans in December. We’ll add Stratford’s and the nearby events’ festive times here as soon as they’re out. For more ideas over the holidays, see our Christmas in Stratford guide.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a parkrun in Stratford-upon-Avon?

Yes. Stratford-upon-Avon parkrun is a free 5k every Saturday at 9am on the Recreation Ground, and the Stratford Rec junior parkrun is a 2k for children aged 4 to 14 every Sunday at 9am, also on the Rec.

Where do you park for Stratford parkrun?

In the Recreation Ground car park, through the entrance by the Swan’s Nest Hotel (CV37 7LS). Drive to the far end by the football pavilion. It costs £1.40 for an hour or £2.70 for two, by card or RingGo only.

Is Stratford parkrun flat?

Yes. It’s three laps of the Rec beside the river, mostly on tarmac, with some grass that can get muddy after rain.

Can I bring my dog or a buggy?

At Stratford, yes: one dog on a short, handheld lead, or a buggy, but not both at once. The Fire Service College parkrun doesn’t allow dogs except assistance dogs.

Which parkrun near Stratford is fastest?

Warwick Racecourse and Evesham are both described by their organisers as flat, and Arrow Valley is all tarmac with one slight hill. Stratford’s own course is flat too, with a little grass.

Alex Harrington

Alex Harrington grew up in Stratford-upon-Avon and runs What's up, Stratford? as an independent guide to the town.