Sale Water Park parkrun: Course Guide
A flat lakeside 5k around Sale Water Park, with easy parking, tram access and open-water swimming on the same site.
Sale Water Park parkrun takes place every Saturday at 9am around the lake and trails of the country park in Trafford, just south-west of the city. The course is flat and run largely on lakeside paths and trail, exposed to the wind off the water in places but quick when it is calm – a fair, honest 5k that suits both beginners and PB-chasers. The setting, around a former gravel pit turned watersports lake and nature reserve, gives it a genuinely out-of-the-city feel.
It is one of the more car-friendly events, with parking on site, and it is within reach of the Metrolink (Sale and Brooklands stops) plus bus routes through Sale and Northenden. The water park doubles as an open-water swimming and watersports venue, so it is a good base for a multi-sport morning, and the cafe handles post-run coffee. As ever, parkrun is free, weekly and volunteer-run, open to all abilities including walkers – register once at parkrun.org.uk, save your barcode, and turn up. Volunteering is a great way in if you are carrying an injury or just want to be part of it.