Whilst on holiday in Puglia, I persuaded my wife we could double up a day trip to Lecce and tick off another bit of Parkrun tourism on the way.
SALENTO PARKRUN
FINDING SALENTO PARKRUN
The hardest part of this Parkrun is getting there!
It is roughly 20 to 30 minutes outside of the city of Lecce and you really only have 3 options to get there.
TAXI
We travelled by private taxi to Parco Rauccio and even our driver struggled to find it.
This was a expensive way of getting there and knowing what I know now, I probably wouldn't recommend it.
If you are coming by taxi you need to remember to book a return journey at same time, probably around 10:30AM if you want to take part in the breakfast afterwards as you can not just ring up a local taxi firm or get an Uber.
DRIVE YOURSELF AND PARK
Probably the best option if you have hired a car or have your own transport, their is a large car park you can park in.
However the lane leading up to the car park though is really bumpy, so drive really slowly especially if you have a hire car so you do not scratch it, damage it or blown a tire out.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT
Public transport is virtually non existent in the area and due to the distance from Lecce you will not get there through public transport alone.
You can get a train to main city of Lecce but your need to get a taxi to the Parkrun.
LOCAL HELP
Although there is not many locals taking part, they do travel quite far to do the Parkrun.
It is worth contacting the event director to see if anyone is coming from your direction that can help you get there.
I didn't even think about this before going and someone had travelled literally down the road from Cisternino where we were staying.
After the run, we had not pre booked a taxi naively thinking we could just get an Uber but someone very kindly gave us a lift to Lecce after the run, saving us quite a bit of time and money trying to get to Lecce.
MEETING POINT FOR BRIEFING
The briefing takes place at the start, which is literally next to car park.
Obviously as tourists, you stick out like a sore thumb and the locals make a huge effort to tell you where to go, what to expect from Salento Parkrun even before the briefing.
The briefing from memory was in both English and Italian.
START
Your see the start as you drive down the lane to get to Salento Parkrun and you can take your standard photo with the pop up Parkrun banner.
COURSE
The course is a really interesting 2 lap course with a mixture of terrain including compacted dirt paths and rocky trails.
Excuse the shaky filming, this was my first time using my Meta RayBan sunglasses to film the course and I kept forgetting to keep my head up and still.
I do not usually take much notice of where I need to go as I am never at the front but due to the small field of people that take part in this Parkrun it is worth paying attention as like me you might find yourself at the front.
There are no marshals on the course but it is a really simple course to follow with signs to point in the right direction.
FINISH
This is the part of the course you need to pick your feet up and be careful you do not fall over as the path is incredibly stoney and rocky in parts.
COFFEE
Just like Milan Parkrun they put on a incredible spread of coffee, juice, cake and biscuits.
Salento Parkrun is not like other Parkruns though as this only starts once everyone has finished.
Tokens are also scanned once everyone has finished at the breakfast area as well.
TOILETS
There are toilets in the building next to the car park, where you meet for coffee after Parkrun.
COST
The cost of Parkrun is FREE. You just need to register and take your barcode to register your time.
RESULTS
Thanks to the very small field of 25, this is probably the only time I will claim position 1 at a Parkrun!
You can find the latest results for Salento Parkrun HERE.
WOULD I DO IT AGAIN?
Yes, absolutely and not just because I came first!
The park is absolutely beautiful with lots of nature and picturesque views.
What really makes Salento Parkrun special is the hospitality and the locals really do go out of there way to make your Parkrun experience one you will remember.
THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND
- You are really exposed to the sun, it is incredibly hot in the south of Italy and it was nearly 30 degrees at the start of the Parkrun in mid September. Temperatures are even hotter in August.
- Travel there is not straight forward. Get in touch with the event director to help plan your travel or see if anyone can help before you go.
- Their are mosquitoes in the park, so take some mozzy spray.
- The average number of people taking part is around 15!
KIT
I wore the following race day kit:
- Soar Running Eco T-shirt
- Nike Trail Lava Loop Half Tight Shorts
- Versus Socks Active Crew
- Puma Elite 3
- Coros Pace 3 watch
- Meta RayBan Sunglasses
QUESTIONS
If you have any questions you would like to ask about the Salento Parkrun, please get in touch.
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