Notfast Running Club
Day 2
Saturday dawned bright and cold here in Poznan, and after a delicious hotel breakfast we were raring to go! We trooped off and got the tram to the Cytadela Park, which was to be the stage for the first run of our stay. There, we stumbled across a familiar face - our old friend Tomasz Tresnak travelled from the Czech Republic to surprise us and spend the weekend with us, so it was great to see him. The park itself is steeped in history and serves as a cemetery as well as housing several military monuments and historical displays. It's the only parkrun we've ever done in which we've had to run past a pair of tanks and an aeroplane! We were very warmly welcomed by our fellow parkrun enthusiasts, and we even bumped into some more Brits! They were from East Hull Harriers and have been travelling to Poznan as a group for a few years, making an annual pilgrimage to run the half marathon. The parkrun course was stunning - winding around the enormous park, we took in some fantastic scenery.
After our parkrun, we took advantage of the tea and biscuits provided by the organiser, before hopping back on the tram to go back to the city centre. The post-parkrun coffee stop was in a little cafe not too far from the hotels, so we had a quick coffee before nipping back for a quick shower. We headed into the old town square to see the famous town hall clock strike noon - two mechanical goats come out of the tower and butt heads, which was quite comical - and then our group split up for a few hours to explore this beautiful city. Some took in the local museums and church, others had a wander round the shops, and some came back to the hotel to relax in the pool.
After an early evening meal together, some of us (including the writer!) were safely tucked up in bed by 8pm, while others elected to stay up a little later to discuss 'strategy' over a beer or two. The clocks go forward tonight, and the race starts at 9am, so it's going to be an early start... and England are playing at 6pm local time, so depending on how that goes it could turn into a very long day!!
