Going ahead this Saturday
No cancellation listed for Saturday 31 October.
Parkrun
Hockley Woods 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
- Hockley Woods
Meeting point: 51.59613, 0.64912. The interactive map loads with JavaScript. Open the same point in OpenStreetMap.
Coordinates 51.59613, 0.64912.
The course
Course description
A two lap, clockwise, scenic, undulating course within the confines of Hockley Woods (the largest remaining area of wild wood, which covered Essex after the Ice Age 10,000 years ago).
The run starts just a short walk down the main path (less than a minute from the car-park and assembly area), and accessing wide hard-packed soil and gravel paths.
The slight uphill start is rewarded with a complex mosaic of different trees, oak and sweet chestnut grow on the higher ground; birch on the most acidic soils; hornbeam on the wet clays, with a right turn at the end of the main path, and an immediate left turn onto harder paths reaching the limit of the outer woods.
A right turn brings you down into Hawkwell Wood before a slight uphill and then long wide downhill section in Beaches Wood brings you to a final short uphill narrow section in Great Bull Wood to the overlap section where you begin the second lap which now includes a downhill section, running past the original start positon before retracing the route of the first lap.
The finish area is just off the main path, and in front of the children’s play area and The Woodlands café.
On the course
The course is 5k long. The course is at Hockley Woods, Hockley. The course is run on a mixture of trail paths and woodland 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
- Toilet block at Woods entrance. If locked, please tell the Run Director, as we have keys.
- Disabled facilities accessible by Radar keys, buggy space female cubicles and baby change facilities.
- Children’s play area, Woodlands café.
- Car Parking: Hockley Woods car park (80 spaces - free) ///respected.chains.later Arrive early - after 8.20am and the car park will be full. Park considerately, as you may be liable to a Penalty Charge Notice from Rochford District Council if you cause an obstruction. Park locally when the car park is full.
More details
Public transport
The nearest Train Station is Hockley (Abellio Greater Anglia), Station Approach, Hockley, SS5 4BG (less than 1 mile from entrance to Hockley Woods).
Bus numbers 7 or 8 from Rayleigh Station.
Bus numbers 7 from Hockley Station.
On foot
The Woods entrance is a 15 minute walk from Hockley Station (turning right from Station Approach toward Rayleigh).
Continue to head towards Rayleigh on Spa Road, bearing right at mini-roundabout onto Hockley Main Rd/B1013. The entrance to the woods is off of Hockley Rd/B1013, just before The Bull Inn PH, on the left hand side.
By road
SATNAV: SS5 4RN
From A127 Rayleigh Weir, take High Road/A129 towards Rayleigh, Continue through Rayleigh onto High Street and continue straight onto Hockley Main Rd/B1013 (Aldermans Hill) and the entrance to the woods is off of Hockley Main Rd/B1013, just past The Bull Inn PH, immediately on the right hand side.
From Hockley Station, head towards Rayleigh on Spa Road, (turning right from Station Approach toward Rayleigh) then bear right at first mini-roundabout onto Hockley Main Rd/B1013. The entrance to the woods is off of Hockley Rd/B1013, just before The Bull Inn PH, on the left hand side.
Coffee
Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: the Village Cafe in Hockley (only 4 mins walk) and process the results. There is also a Costa, and other cafes in the area. Please come and join us!
We're friendly
Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee in the Village Cafe in Hockley (only 4 mins walk) and process the results. There is also a Costa, and other cafes in the area - please come and join us!
Course safety
Hockley Woods 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 Hockley Woods 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 hockleywoods@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
- 535
- Events
- 12,633
- Finishers
- 91,677
- Finishes
- 1,048
- Volunteers
- 14,426
- Personal bests
- 607
- Groups
- 00:30:48
- Average finish time
Nearby parkruns
- Hawkwell junior parkrun Clements Hall Recreation Ground · 1.7 km
- South Woodham Ferrers parkrun Marsh Farm Country Park · 4.7 km
- Hadleigh parkrun, Essex Hadleigh Country Park · 6.3 km
- Chalkwell Beach parkrun Chalkwell Beach · 6.8 km
- Wickford Memorial parkrun Wickford Memorial Park · 8.3 km
- Thorney Bay Beach parkrun Thorney Bay Beach · 10 km
- Basildon parkrun Northlands Park · 11 km
- Northlands junior parkrun Northlands Park · 11 km
Challenges this parkrun helps with
- Alphabeteer Challenge Starts with H
- UK Postcode Areas Postcode area SS
- Periodic Table Matches symbols: H, He, Ho, Hs
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High quality prints
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Available in both A4 and A3 sizes, perfect for framing and displaying your running accomplishments. Every print is crafted with precision to showcase your milestones, challenges, and legends in the finest quality.
Check out our awardsPark5K is not affiliated with parkrun. - last updated 26 October 2026