Going ahead this Sunday
No cancellation listed for Sunday 1 November.
Junior parkrun
Colchester junior parkrun
A free, fun, and friendly weekly 2k event for juniors (4 to 14 year olds). Nearby Saturday parkrun events can be found here.
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United Kingdom
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England
- 2 kilometres
- Old Heath Recreation Ground
Meeting point: 51.87996, 0.91997. The interactive map loads with JavaScript. Open the same point in OpenStreetMap.
Coordinates 51.87996, 0.91997.
The course
Course description
The course starts at the junction of the main path opposite the Pavilion Café and the path parallel to Recreation Road and runs in an anti-clockwise direction around the perimeter path of the park and is almost completely flat. After passing the play area on the left for a second time, runners turn sharp right to finish opposite the first yellow gate into the Play area along the path to the Old Heath Road entrance beside the pavilion.
On the course
The course is at Old Heath Recreation Ground, Old Heath Road, Colchester. The course is 2000m (2K) long. This has been accurately measured by us with a professional measuring wheel. The course is run entirely on tarmac paths. Some sections of the course may accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain. Marshals will be located along the course.
The course will be marshalled so that juniors will be in sight of a marshal at all times.
Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. Please give way to other park users. This won't slow you down and will help ensure the overall success of 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
There is parking for 40 cars in the car park in Port Lane. Cost is 50p for 2 hours. Turn left off Old Heath Road (coming from the Town Centre, left again into Recreation Road, following the perimeter of the Park and left again into Port Lane.
We adjourn to the Pavilion Café afterwards for coffee, tea etc.
Toilets are available at the Café.
More details
Public transport
The 66A bus goes from the Town Centre to Old Heath. The nearest train Station is Colchester Hythe, about 14 minutes walk.
On foot
From Hythe Station, turn right into Hawkins Road, and up Hythe Hill before turning left into Port Lane. Walk along Port Lane until you come to the Park. There are a number of entrances to the Park from all surrounding roads.
By road
If coming from the North on the A12, take the A1232 (junction 28) down towards the Town Centre. After crossing the River Colne, turn left up Brook Street and continue into Wimpole Road, Turn left at the traffic lights - the park is on your left.
If from the South, take junction 27 of the A12 onto the A133 and follow the signs for the Town Centre. Then follow the A134 before turning right into Wimpole Road. Then as above.
Sat nav: CO1 2ER
Coffee
Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: the Pavilion Café adjacent to the Finish Line. Please come and join us!
We're friendly
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in the Pavilion Café adjacent to the Finish Line - please come and join us!
junior parkrun rules and guidelines
Colchester junior parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. To make the event as safe as possible, participants, spectators and volunteers are asked to take note of the following rules and guidelines:
- Whilst parkrun fully accepts its duty of care and will do everything it can to minimise risk of injury and harm to all participants whilst at parkrun events, it is parent/guardians who ultimately have responsibility for the welfare of their children.
- It is not mandatory for a parent/guardian to participate in junior parkruns, but children under the age of 11 must be accompanied to/from the event by a responsible adult, and the responsible adult must remain in attendance for the duration of the event.
- junior events are open and inclusive. Disabled people may participate wherever it is safe for them to do so. The event team can provide disabled participants with course information in order that the participant (or their parent/guardian) can make an informed decision about their safe participation.
- Whilst more competitive children can use junior parkruns to test themselves against their own time, and against others, participation should ultimately be for fun, and we urge all parents/guardians/volunteers not to put children under undue pressure to perform.
- junior parkruns are running, jogging and walking events, and the use of children’s scooters, balance bikes, trikes or cycles is prohibited.
- Slower runners are encouraged to seed themselves, by starting towards the back of the group especially if an adult is accompanying them.
- junior parkruns are timed events. Only those aged between 4 to 14 years old completing the course themselves will be given a result.
- Exceptions to this rule are subject to the discretion of parkrun head office. Examples include those over 14 with special educational needs (SEN) or those with a registered disability, for whom social interaction and physical activity may be difficult but important.
- A strict ‘no barcode no result’ policy will be enforced.
- Buggies are allowed, subject to course conditions, but only if the adult pushing the buggy is accompanying a junior parkrunner. Adults with buggies are urged to position themselves appropriately for the safety and enjoyment of all.
- With the exception of assistance dogs, dogs are not allowed to accompany walkers, joggers, runners or volunteers at junior parkrun events.
- 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.
- Spectators should keep clear of participants on the course and keep control of any children and dogs.
- Participants should take care near roads and car parks, congregate away from the cars and be careful if driving to/from the event.
- Photography or filming is likely to take place at junior parkrun events. Please see our photos page for more details.
- 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.
Please consider helping the event by volunteering - this event survives only because of your generosity. Please visit the volunteer page for more information.
Volunteering
All parkrun events are organised by volunteers - email colchesterjuniors@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
- 452
- Events
- 4,720
- Finishers
- 43,611
- Finishes
- 970
- Volunteers
- 9,436
- Personal bests
- 82
- Groups
- 00:13:06
- Average finish time
Nearby parkruns
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- Highwoods parkrun Highwoods Country Park · 2.8 km
- Mersea Island parkrun Cudmore Grove · 11 km
- Alton Water parkrun Alton Water Reservoir · 18 km
- Clacton junior parkrun Clacton Seafront · 19 km
- Clacton Seafront parkrun Clacton Seafront · 19 km
- Great Cornard junior parkrun Great Cornard Sports Centre · 20 km
- Great Cornard parkrun Great Cornard Sports Centre · 20 km
Challenges this parkrun helps with
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Park5K is not affiliated with parkrun. - last updated 26 October 2026
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