Search  •  FAQ  •  Other events  •  Return to parkrun home

The Course

The course is 5000m (5K) long. This has been accurately measured by us with a professional measuring wheel. The course is in Frimley Lodge Park, and on a varied mixture of grass, park paths, and canal tow path.  Much of the route is uneven, and on the canal path watch out for mooring lines and stakes as well as anglers and boat users.  Some sections of the course do accumulate mud, leaves and puddles after rain, so please watch your footing. Dependent on availability, marshals will be at key sections of the course, or temporary signs in place.

Beware canal!Please remember that parkrun uses shared paths, and for a large part of the course follows the tow path alongside the canal;  For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park and canal users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to 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 is limited so try to arrive early.

Course Safety

The Frimley Lodge parkrun is a fun, free event organised by volunteers for the benefit of everyone. We wish to make the run as safe as possible, so runners, spectators and helpers are asked to take care about the following:

  • Please be considerate to the park and other park users at all times.
  • 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.
  • Please consider volunteering to help occasionally - this event survives only because of your generosity - please vist 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 run, please drive carefully even if you’re late!
  • When running, take care on uneven surfaces - whether on grass or on tarmac. Watch out for cyclists, other runners, pedestrians, children, deer, dogs, vehicles, park maintenance work, falling branches, bollards, posts and other obstacles around the course.
  • Runners with dogs are welcome, but please keep dogs on a short lead and under control throughout the event.
  • Runners pushing buggies are also welcome, but please take extreme care of other runners around you. If possible start from the back of the field and try to keep to one side of the main body of runners.
  • Please make sure you’re fit enough to run 5k (3.1 miles) – if you’re in any doubt, please consult your doctor.
  • Remember to warm up before the run.
  • If you see a runner with a serious problem, please stop to help them out and get help as soon as possible.
  • If you’re watching, keep clear of runners on the course, and look after any children and dogs you may have with you.
  • While rare, Lyme Disease is present in areas where deer live, and occasionally passed to human’s through infected ticks. See NHS Choices website for more about Lyme Disease, and how to deal with ticks.
  • This is a free training event, so all run and attend at their own risk.

We hope these tips help to ensure that Frimley Lodge parkrun is fun and safe for everyone.

Age Grading

All parkrun events use Age Grading to help athletes compare results.

Age Grading takes your time and uses the world record time for your sex and age group to produce a score (a percentage). This score allows you to compare your personal performance against other people's performances even though they might be a different age and a different sex to you - the higher the score the better the performance. The scores can also be compared across different race distances - to allow you to, for example, compare a 5km time against a marathon.

For more information, please see the Running For Fitness website.

Post Run Coffee

We always meet for a post run coffee at the Basingstoke Canal Centre. You can either walk or run diagonally across the park and then follow canal South for 1km. Then cross the canal at the lock.

Alternatively, drive out of the park and turn left. Continue for 0.8 mile and at mini roundabouts turn left. The Basingstoke Canal Centre is signposted here as you cross the bridge. Turn left and drive in past the small car park and the café to park in the field round the back.

Basingstoke Canal Cafe

Course Map


View Frimley Lodge parkrun in a larger map

Getting There

Location of Start

Near main building by large tree and level with goal line of football pitch. As you enter Frimley Lodge, follow signs to car park 1. Then follow signs to the Pavilion building passing the pitch and putt. We meet behind this building by the picnic tables.

Getting There by Public Transport

Buses 403 (Frimley Green - Aldertshot) and 35 (Guildford to Camberley)b both pass close to the event.
The nearest train stations are Frimley and Ash Vale, although there is about a mile jog to the start from either.

Getting There by Bike

The Blackwater Valley path could be used if cycling from Aldershot, and the canal towpath runs from Woking to Frimley Lodge.

Getting There by Road

Drive through Frimley Green leaving petrol station on left. Bear right at mini roundabout leaving The Rose and Thistle pub also on left. Under railway bridge and turning for park is on left just after church.

As you enter Frimley Lodge turn left into the Cars and Coach Park If this is full then there are 2 other overflow car parks. Then follow signs to the Pavilion building passing the pitch and putt. We meet behind this building by the picnic tables.

Course Description

From the Pavilion the route goes round the first soccer field and joins the main path before heading South along the canal.

At 1.2k marked with arrows on the trees and opposite a jetty, it turns back alongside the railway until it comes to the Dog Exercise Sign and then goes across the field at 1 o’clock to some posts to the left of the Play Area . It swings right through a wooded area to The Station. It then turns left at 10 oclock towards a gate and gap with posts. This is the 2k marker on the first loop and the 4.5k on the 2nd. Here it goes left down the side of the soccer pitches to the corner flag. It then bears right at 2 o’clock diagonally towards the hedge where it joins the main path. Down to The Pavilion turn right and the first loop ends just after the start point.

On the 2nd loop you exit right and head to the funnel in front of the picnic tables.