Going ahead this Saturday
No cancellation listed for Saturday 31 October.
Parkrun
Brandon Country Park parkrun
A free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event. Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate – it's up to you! Nearby Sunday 2k junior parkrun events for 4 to 14 year olds and their families can be found here.
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United Kingdom
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England
- 5 kilometres
- Brandon Country Park
Meeting point: 52.43634, 0.62588. The interactive map loads with JavaScript. Open the same point in OpenStreetMap.
Coordinates 52.43634, 0.62588.
The course
Course description
This is a two lap course.
From the start, follow the red route through a nice section of woodland trails and canopy of mixed forest. The next section is a more open one following the small power lines with the forest on the left, Bamboo Drive, due to the numerous bamboo plants on either side. At the first junction, a 5 way one, take 3rd exit, leaving the red route but still following the power lines, forest both sides. After dogleg left, take 2nd left junction. This is a slight uphill, sandy in places with a view of the white nursing home straight in front of you, Whitehouse Drive, forest on both sides. Half way along, the red route rejoins our course from the left. As you hit the gravel path, turn right with nice mature forest either side. Soon the Mausoleum will come into view on the left hand side. Before you reach the Mausoleum turn left onto a track and then turn left again. This track leads you up to the lake where you turn left. Follow this path all the way to circumnavigate the lake. On the first lap, pass by the turn for the finish area and continue on this path to the top lawn. Take a wide berth around the tree and bench before rejoining the path, then take a left hand turn back towards the lake. Take the signed path to your right, this will lead you into a covered canopy of mature trees. The course then zigzags left and the right before you rejoin the path leading to the outside edge of the walled garden (worth a visit later). Keep the walled garden on your right shoulder, and then take a right turn followed by a left hand turn towards the children’s playground. Go past the playground and follow the path which will lead you back just after the starting area.
On the 2nd lap go straight across the starting track. Keep left at the end of the track as it joins the route for the first lap. For the second lap, you can now follow the same route. When you arrive at the lake, this time ignore the path leading up to the top lawn and turn left onto the middle lawn. This is the finish area at the end of the second lap.
On the course
The course is 5k long. The course is in Brandon Country Park, Brandon. The course is run on a mixture of grass, trail paths, gravel paths and sand. Some sections of the course may accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain. Dependent on availability, marshals will be at key sections of the course, or signs will be in place.
Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to enjoy the event.
Please, wherever possible walk, jog, cycle or use public transport when attending the event. If you do have to drive, please consider car-sharing to reduce our impact on both the environment and other park users. Please also watch out for other park users when arriving and leaving. Parking may be limited so try to arrive early.
Facilities
For more details about the park, see the Brandon Country Park website.
Café: Our event has the fantastic "The Copper Beech Tea Rooms" as our regular café.
Parking: The park managers have requested that runners use the "Orchard Car Park" rather than the main car park. The cost is £2 for up to 2hrs or £3 for all day and the annual permit is £30.
More details
Public transport
Bus: There is a bus stop for the Country Park close to the main entrance. Call the Suffolk County Council Traveline on 0870 608 2 608 for more information on services that stop at Brandon Country Park.
On foot
Follow the section as per the directions by road, or the following map of the Country Park could be useful: http://www.brandoncountrypark.co.uk/park-map.html
By road
From Swaffham on the A1065: On entering Brandon go straight over the railway crossing into town, turn left at the traffic lights then immediately right. Proceed on the Bury Road, B1106, continue out of Brandon, Brandon Country Park is approx 400m on the right.
From Thetford on the B1107: On entering Brandon take the first left onto Green Road and follow for approx 1 mile until you reach a T junction. Turn left onto the Bury Road, B1106, continue out of Brandon, Brandon Country Park is approx 400m on the right.
From Mildenhall on the A1065: On entering Brandon proceed until you see Tesco on the right and a BP service station by a set of traffic lights. Turn right at these traffic lights onto Rattlers Road. Go to the top of Rattlers Road and turn right onto the Bury Road, B1106. Continue out of Brandon, Brandon Country Park is approx 400m on the right.
From Bury St Edmunds on the B1106: At the Elveden crossroads with the A11, proceed straight over towards Brandon and past Center Parcs on the left. Continue on this road for approximately 4.5 miles until Brandon Country Park on your left.
Coffee
Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: The Copper Beech Tea Rooms. Please come and join us!
We're friendly
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in The Copper Beech Tea Rooms - please come and join us!
Course safety
Brandon Country Park parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. We wish to make the event as safe as possible, so participants, spectators and helpers are asked to take care about the following:
- Please be considerate to the park and other park users at all times.
- Children under the age of eleven must be accompanied (within arm's reach) throughout the event by a parent, guardian or appropriate adult of the parent's choice.
- Please arrive by foot, by pedal-power or by public transport if you can - your efforts help to reduce our impact on the park and the planet.
- We invite everyone to consider volunteering at parkrun. Your support helps your parkrun events remain sustainable and free for all in your community, and it’s also a wonderful way to improve your own health and happiness. Please visit the volunteer page for more information.
- Take care near roads and car parks – some vehicles drive very quickly. Please congregate away from the cars and be careful in particular if you have children. If you’re driving to the event, please drive carefully.
- Take care on uneven surfaces – whether on grass or on tarmac. Watch out for cyclists, other participants, pedestrians, children, dogs, wildlife, park animals, vehicles, park maintenance work, falling branches, bollards, posts and other obstacles around the course.
- Please ensure that you are fit enough to walk, jog, run 5k (3.1 miles) with us.
- If you see someone with a serious problem, please stop to help them out and get help as soon as possible.
- If you’re watching, keep clear of participants on the course, and look after any children and dogs you may have with you.
- It is not permitted to run with a pushchair and a dog at the same time.
- Lyme Disease is a bacterial infection spread to humans by infected ticks. Consider protecting yourself by wearing repellent when at parkrun events in grassy or wooded areas. See lymediseaseuk.com for further details.
- You are welcome to take part with one dog by your side, within reach at all times, on a short, handheld, non-extendable lead. The use of waist harnesses is prohibited. Please also see this Support Site entry for further details about parkrunning with dogs.
- parkrunners pushing buggies are welcome, but please take care of others around you and do your best to start at an appropriate place in the field for your pace.
We hope these tips help to ensure that Brandon Country Park parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.
Age grading
All parkrun events use Age Grading to help parkrunners compare results.
parkrun events use Age Grading to help parkrunners see progress and compare results.
For more information, please see our Support page.
Volunteering
All parkrun events are organised by volunteers - email brandoncountrypark@parkrun.com to help.
Safeguarding
parkrun is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and adults at risk. For our full safeguarding processes and policies please see our Safeguarding Hub.
To report a safeguarding concern please email safeguarding@parkrun.com.
Event stats
- 649
- Events
- 12,217
- Finishers
- 59,898
- Finishes
- 762
- Volunteers
- 8,133
- Personal bests
- 959
- Groups
- 00:30:51
- Average finish time
Nearby parkruns
- Thetford parkrun Abbey Meadows · 8.3 km
- Breckland Leisure Centre junior parkrun Breckland Leisure Centre Leisure · 8.4 km
- Mildenhall Hub junior parkrun Mildenhall Hub · 13 km
- Mildenhall Hub parkrun Mildenhall Hub · 13 km
- West Stow Country parkrun West Stow Country · 14 km
- Watton Sports Centre junior parkrun Watton Sports Centre juniors · 21 km
- Loch Neaton parkrun, Watton Loch Neaton · 21 km
- Littleport parkrun Littleport Recreation Ground, · 22 km
Challenges this parkrun helps with
- Alphabeteer Challenge Starts with B
- Stayin' Alive Starts with B (needed for Stayin' Alive)
- UK Postcode Areas Postcode area IP
- Periodic Table Matches symbols: B, Br, Ba, Bk
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High quality prints
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Check out our awardsPark5K is not affiliated with parkrun. - last updated 26 October 2026