I tried South Tyneside's only Parkrun at South Shields and found the most scenic route in the North East

Every Saturday morning at 9am thousands of people turn up at Parkrun events across the country for a free, timed 5k event.

The idea is simple - register for free, take your allocated barcode to get your result, and turn up at any Parkrun event across the world.

With that in mind, now I am between half marathon training after recently finishing the Gateshead half marathon, my eyes were wondering away from my usual Silksworth event in Sunderland and, having heard great things about the views from the South Shields event, worked my way to South Tyneside.

South Shields is the region’s only Parkrun, with three events in Sunderland, a handful in Newcastle and two in Gateshead, is can be argued there is space for another - but none will compare to the scenery along the coastline course.

The route starts near the Sanddancer pub on Sandhaven beach before heading up to the cliffs which run between South Shields and Whitburn before heading back to the Coast Road at the two mile mark and finishing along the final mile of the Great North Run route.

A bus and quick dash to the start from the town’s Interchange left me with an initial issue - with the route being point to point, meaning the start and finish are in separate areas, I needed to leave my bag with a nearby coffee van.

After a promise of returning and buying a coffee and cake as a think you for their kindness, I joined up with the 185 other runners taking part on a lovely Saturday morning.

Starting just as the mist left the coastline, we worked our way up to the cliffs and I released why this is considered to be one of the most scenic in the North East and although the trail route saw a general uphill trend, the conditions and views were enough to help most runners forget about the elevation, although a cold windy winter morning may be a whole other experience!

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After a quick pose to the course photographer who would share all images on the course’s Facebook page later in the day, we made our way up the final third of the run, which mirrors the route of the famous final mile of the Great North Run.

Having completed the huge half marathon, this was a very different experience. After starting slightly too quickly, my legs were struggling by the final mile which wasn’t helped by roadworks forcing runners onto the nearby grass.

With no crowds to cheer you on for the final mile unlike the Great North Run, it is a tough final stretch only made easier by the kind faces and help of the volunteers at the finish line - a staple of Parkrun events up and down the country.

This brought an end to a lovely route which, if you don’t start too quickly like myself, is a great way to get yourself out the house and kick off the weekend with a bit of exercise and stunning scenery of South Tyneside’s amazing coastline.