Valentines parkrun

The nearest tube station is Gants Hill, on the Central Line. Use Exit 4, and then follow the signs for Valentines Park. The start line is about 10-15 minutes' walk from the station.

Ilford station, served by TfL Rail, is also near the park. Turn left when exiting the station, and walk north up Cranbrook Road. The start line is about 10-15 minutes' walk from the station.

Several bus routes travel along Cranbrook Road. Use bus stop VB ("Valentines Park") if travelling southwards, and bus stop VP ("Valentines Park") if travelling northwards. The start line is about 5 minutes' walk from either stop. Routes include 123, 128, 150, 167, 179, 296, 396 & 462.

Valentines Park is approximately 15 minutes' walk from Ilford town centre. Follow signs to the rail station, and then continue northwards along Cranbrook Road. The nearest park entrance is located on the right-hand side, just past Park Avenue. On entering the park, the path will take you towards the boating lake. Follow the path clockwise around the edge of the lake.

The Park is about 5 minutes' walk from Gants Hill roundabout. Follow Cranbrook Road south. The park entrance is on the left-hand side, just past Valentines High School. Once inside the park, walk past the Horse Pond and then along the right-hand side of Long Water. Continue along the path past the lake; at the southern end of the lake, take the path to the right over the wooden footbridge. At the end of this path, turn right again. The start line is ahead, just beyond the Valentines Park Café.

Ilford can be accessed via the A12 (Eastern Avenue) or the A406 (North Circular Road). Follow exit signs to Ilford. Valentines Park will be clearly visible on the east side of the road when travelling along the A123 (Cranbrook Road).

Parking:
There are 4 car parks within the park. As at March 2019 they cost £1 for up to 1 hour, £1.60 for 1-2 hours, and £3.60 for all-day parking. Payment can only be made via the RingGo app, or by calling (020) 3046 0010.
Melbourne Road entrance IG1 4SB:
25 marked spaces, plus 3 disabled spaces
Cranbrook Road entrance IG1 4UA:
35 marked spaces, plus (marked in yellow) 4 disabled spaces
Perth Road entrance IG2 6EA:
24 marked spaces, plus 2 disabled spaces
Emerson Road entrance IG1 4XA:
41 marked spaces, plus 2 disabled spaces

Every week we grab a post-parkrun coffee: the Valentines Park Café, near the start/finish area. Please come and join us!

Every week we grab a post parkrun coffee at the Valentines Park Café, near the start/finish area - please come and join us

Valentines 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 Valentines parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.

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.

All parkrun events are organised by volunteers - email valentines@parkrun.com to help.

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.