George V, Greenbank, Auldhouse, Newlands, Mansewood High


Run time: 01:03:24
Distance covered: 6.67 miles (10.73km)
Conditions: borderline hot

An accidental 10k, because I got a little lost. Actually, it's the longest I have ever run, as far as I know.

This project is really helping me up my distance, because it means I'm not really thinking about the exercise, I'm thinking about exploring.




I started out in King George V Park (confusingly there's also a newer sign calling it Regents Park), which is one of those out-of-the-way and forgotten urban parks, but with a nice balance of open spaces and tree-lined paths.


I left George V and there was a fairly lengthy run east and north along Thornliebank Road to the small but perfectly formed Greenbank Park, then across the road to the adjacent Auldhouse Park.




These two were so close together that they almost felt like one park. Both small, but in decent shape. Nice spots for a stroll, without anything in particular to distinguish them.



The next stop was Newlands Park, which I had a vague idea of the location from looking at the map, but I missed the turn first time before getting it on the way back.

This one is a hidden gem. I'd never visited before, but it's a beautiful park in the middle of one of the most affluent areas in town. Beautiful tree blossom, winding paths and some actual flower beds. The one downside was that this was a good deal busier than the other parks, but it was possible to socially distance without too much trouble by going off-path.




I decided to try running up Kilmanock Road, hoping it would lead to a cross street that would bring me back around to George V. I stumbled across the chip shop I used to go to every Friday night after swimming at the old Pollok leisure pool. At least, I think it's the same chip shop - it has the same name, is in roughly the right neck of the woods, and the sign says it's been going since 1984, which would be right. Sadly, Coronavirus meant it was temporarily closed, so I couldn't drop in to see if the chips are as good as they used to be.

Eventually, I had to admit defeat and check the map, which showed me I was way off course. I corrected and crossed through some off-road paths before realising that I was about to pass by another park: Mansewood High Park. I had run about 5 miles by this point, so wasn't exactly over the moon to see the steep hill. Great view though. This one is also tucked away, but behind some council flats. The location meant that the playpark wasn't as well maintained as the one at Newlands, and there was no ornamental pond. Running these parks is a really great way to see the different textures of the city, even between parks and areas that are very close geographically.





Back via Eastwood Old Cemetery, which isn't a park, but was a nice detour.




… and returning to King George V for a victorious 10th kilometre run back down the avenue of trees. I felt pretty good considering the distance, and I think that's because I was seeing new places the whole way. The same distance would kill me on a treadmill, but that hour in the sun passed by incredibly quickly.






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