The Determined Runner

The Determined Runner Trail and parkrun runner based in Scotland. After major surgery, running became about gratitude, consistency, and enjoying the moment.

Sharing honest running stories, photography, and reflections from the trail and Saturday mornings that keep me moving.

7 hours in the car for another J! 🏃‍♂️💚This week’s parkrun adventure took me to Jubilee parkrun — and after a 7-hour dri...
29/08/2026

7 hours in the car for another J! 🏃‍♂️💚

This week’s parkrun adventure took me to Jubilee parkrun — and after a 7-hour drive, I was determined to make that J count! 😂

A tough course of almost 4 laps, with a hill to tackle, recover on the way down… then turn around and do it all again. And again. And again! 😅

It’s a lovely medium-sized park with plenty to offer, and despite the hills, it was great to get another parkrun ticked off the list.

And after all that driving and running, there was only one thing left to do… explore Durham! 🏰🌳

Another J done — and another new place discovered. 👌

Jubilee parkrun parkrun UK

🏃‍♂️🇦🇹 From parkrun to sightseeing!We started the day with the Innpromenade parkrun, then spent the rest of the day expl...
22/08/2026

🏃‍♂️🇦🇹 From parkrun to sightseeing!

We started the day with the Innpromenade parkrun, then spent the rest of the day exploring Innsbruck on foot.

Colourful old buildings, historic sights, mountain views, bridges, the River Inn… and plenty of walking! 🏔️

The weather kept getting hotter as the day went on, and by the end we were absolutely knackered! 😂

A brilliant way to spend a day in Innsbruck. 🇦🇹❤️

Innpromenade parkrun, Innsbruck

🏃‍♂️🇦🇹 From parkrun to sightseeing!We started the day with the Innpromenade parkrun, then spent the rest of the day expl...
22/08/2026

🏃‍♂️🇦🇹 From parkrun to sightseeing!

We started the day with the Innpromenade parkrun, then spent the rest of the day exploring Innsbruck on foot.

Colourful old buildings, historic sights, mountain views, bridges, the River Inn… and plenty of walking! 🏔️

The weather kept getting hotter as the day went on, and by the end we were absolutely knackered! 😂

A brilliant way to spend a day in Innsbruck. 🇦🇹❤️

A morning run with no real agenda… just exploring some of the River Isar in Munich 🇩🇪🏃‍♂️No pace to chase, no distance t...
21/08/2026

A morning run with no real agenda… just exploring some of the River Isar in Munich 🇩🇪🏃‍♂️

No pace to chase, no distance to worry about. Just taking my time, enjoying the scenery, watching people swimming in the river, stopping to sit on a few benches — and meeting a very photogenic squirrel along the way! 🐿️

Sometimes it’s good to slow down and simply enjoy the run. 👌

Hay Lodge parkrun 🏃‍♂️This morning’s parkrun took me down to Peebles for another Scottish parkrun ticked off the list.It...
15/08/2026

Hay Lodge parkrun 🏃‍♂️

This morning’s parkrun took me down to Peebles for another Scottish parkrun ticked off the list.

It’s a long drive down and back from Aviemore, but the journey was made a little more exciting by taking the new car for its first parkrun trip! 🚗💨

I wasn’t quite feeling it this morning and it took a bit of effort to get going, so I quickly accepted that this wasn’t going to be a fast one. The sun made an appearance, making it a beautiful morning for running.

Hay Lodge is a really nice 3-lap course, with almost all of it on tarmac. I’d actually brought my quick road shoes with me… but left them in the car! 🤦‍♂️😂

Afterwards, I headed to the golf club for a very nice coffee and bacon roll, followed by a chat with some of the other runners and volunteers.

A long way to travel for a parkrun, but definitely worth it. Another Scottish parkrun explored and another great day out! 👌

Hay Lodge parkrun

Monday morning 10K 🏃‍♂️🌲A great way to start the week with a run through the trails. It was good to see plenty of other ...
10/08/2026

Monday morning 10K 🏃‍♂️🌲

A great way to start the week with a run through the trails. It was good to see plenty of other runners out enjoying the paths too.

And of course, I couldn’t let the steam train pass without giving everyone on board a wave! 👋🚂😂

10K done, fresh air enjoyed and Monday off to a good start. 💪

My 2nd fastest parkrun EVER! 🏃‍♂️💨 And my fastest since 2019!A new pair of Topo Spectre road shoes seem to have helped, ...
08/08/2026

My 2nd fastest parkrun EVER! 🏃‍♂️💨 And my fastest since 2019!

A new pair of Topo Spectre road shoes seem to have helped, with that full Pebax midsole definitely giving me plenty of bounce 👌

St Andrews parkrun takes place at the lovely Craigtoun Country Park, with 3 laps around the park, a mixture of tarmac and gravel and 51m of elevation.

It’s a really nice location with plenty to see and do — definitely worth arriving early or staying afterwards.

Now off for lunch in St Andrews! 😋

St Andrews parkrun
Topo Athletic UK

Another Scottish parkrun ticked off ✅🏃‍♂️This week it was Whitekirk Hill parkrun… and wow, they weren’t kidding about th...
01/08/2026

Another Scottish parkrun ticked off ✅🏃‍♂️

This week it was Whitekirk Hill parkrun… and wow, they weren’t kidding about the hills! 😅 One climb in particular was an absolute leg-breaker… and just when you thought it was over, you had to tackle it all over again! ⛰️⛰️

Despite the tough course, there was a really friendly atmosphere, a small but welcoming turnout, and although it was windy, the rain stayed away.

Post-run coffee and cake at The Orangery, right beside the car park, was the perfect reward after all those climbs. ☕🍰

Definitely one of the more challenging Scottish parkruns I’ve visited, but one I’d happily recommend if you enjoy a proper hilly course.

Have you done Whitekirk Hill parkrun? What did you think of that hill? 👇

Whitekirk Hill parkrun

One week ago today I stood watching and photographing the Ryvoan Fire from just outside Aviemore. The scale of it was di...
31/07/2026

One week ago today I stood watching and photographing the Ryvoan Fire from just outside Aviemore. The scale of it was difficult to comprehend, with smoke stretching across the Cairngorms and the fire continuing to spread.

Since then, the fire has moved towards Nethy Bridge, but thanks to the incredible efforts of the emergency services, land managers and support crews, along with more favourable weather, the situation has thankfully eased.

When the area eventually reopens, it will be heartbreaking to see the damage up close. But the impact reaches far beyond the burnt landscape.

Across Strathspey, many local businesses have seen a significant drop in visitors and income while popular walking, cycling and running routes remain closed. Behind the scenes, there has also been an enormous physical and mental toll on everyone involved in tackling this fire.

📍Cairngorms National Park (photo taken one week ago)

VisitCairngorms
Cairngorms National Park





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