Going ahead this Saturday
No cancellation listed for Saturday 31 October.
Parkrun
Castlewellan 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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Northern Ireland
- 5 kilometres
- Castlewellan Forest Park
Meeting point: 54.26215, -5.95386. The interactive map loads with JavaScript. Open the same point in OpenStreetMap.
Coordinates 54.26215, -5.95386.
The course
Course description
The course is one lap of the lake anticlockwise, which includes an out and back section aroud half way to give the full 5K distance, finishing adjacent to the lakeside carpark again.
On the course
The course is 5k long. The course is in Castlewellan Forest Park. The course is run entirely on trail paths. 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
Toilets and cafe are both close to the start and finish area.
More details
Public transport
The bus stop is at the library and the park entrance is opposite. Walk along the main driveway to the lakeside start area which is approx. 800m.
On foot
As Above.
By road
Travelling from Clough, the entrance to the park is on the right and is opposite the library building in the middle of the town.
Traveling from all other directions, follow signs into the centre of town towards Clough, but turn left opposite the library (on the right).
The Car park is 200m on left. Charges are £5 per visit or £50 (seniors £25) for an annual permit which also allows allows free access to all NI Forest parks. Alternatively, free parking is available on Circular Rd (behind the library) at Castlewellan Community Centre. This is approx 1km walk/jog/run to the start.
Coffee
Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: the Life Adventure Centre Café. Please come and join us!
We're friendly
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in the Life Adventure Centre Café - please come and join us!
Course safety
Castlewellan 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 Castlewellan 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 castlewellan@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
- 385
- Events
- 12,288
- Finishers
- 72,627
- Finishes
- 742
- Volunteers
- 11,671
- Personal bests
- 557
- Groups
- 00:30:10
- Average finish time
Nearby parkruns
- Montalto Estate parkrun Montalto Estate · 15 km
- Dunleath Playing Fields parkrun Dunleath Playing Fields · 17 km
- Hillsborough Forest parkrun Hillsborough Forest · 24 km
- Rostrevor parkrun Kilbroney Park · 24 km
- Newry Greenway parkrun Newry Greenway · 27 km
- Lough Moss junior parkrun Lough Moss Leisure Centre · 28 km
- Wallace parkrun, Lisburn Wallace Park · 29 km
- Moira junior parkrun Moira Demesne · 30 km
Challenges this parkrun helps with
- Alphabeteer Challenge Starts with C
- Pirates! Starts with C (needed for Pirates!)
- UK Postcode Areas Postcode area BT
- Periodic Table Matches symbols: C, Cl, Ca, Cr, Cu, Cs, …
Park5K is not affiliated with parkrun. - last updated 26 October 2026
Bushy parkrun