A short car ride (it is America) from the buzzing university and tech town of Palo Alto, lies a bayside oasis called the Palo Alto Baylands Nature Preserve, and within it Byxbee parkrun, the only parkrun in California.

I’m not going to say that I planned my whole holiday around doing Byxbee parkrun but as it was just 25-minute drive from San Francisco airport and happened to be taking place on the day we were due to leave, there was always going to be a strong chance.

The final stop of a two week holiday would also be my first international parkrun since Greenpoint in Cape Town in 2018!!

And if you’ve ever read any of my parkrun blogs, you’ll know that it is custom that I arrive late. This was no exception, partially due to an 8am start time (I know), partially due to us faffing in the hotel room just 12 hours before flight home, and partially due to slightly confusing parking rules meaning you couldn’t park in the obvious place.

The parkrun started almost exactly as we approached the group crowded on the pathway, with colourful flags and banners along both sides. We’d also not really had the chance to read about the route so dutifully just followed the runners in front as they headed out into the park.

It was a cool and grey morning, and the park was a peaceful mix of dog walkers and joggers weaving through the rolling green landscape, bordered by calm wetlands with ducks floating along, while in the sky, geese would occasionally fly overhead.

The official description of the course is “Two laps out and back along the Adobe Creek Loop Trail” which was slightly confusing as personally I don’t consider an ‘out and back’ to be a lap?

Maybe it’s just semantics but until we saw the lead runners flying back past us, I had no idea what was to come.

And they really were going for it! In contrast, we were slowly running around, taking in the sights of spring blooms and hazy shores. Well, when we weren’t dodging and ducking the flies that seemed to hover at exactly head height and aim directly for mouths and eyes.

Luckily, I had my sunglasses on but that didn’t stop a couple making it through my beard defence and ending up as morning snacks. Sticking to the middle of the path and away from the bushes seemed to be the best tactic so we continued, as always saying thank you to the smiling and waving marshals.

On the way back, the sun began to poke through the clouds and we suddenly realised why they started at 8am. Three hours after we had finished, the temperature was nearly 30 degrees Celsius.

The turnaround from “lap” one is at the finish line and it was nice to see the other volunteers waiting for the first runners to come through. Luckily we made the hairpin turn just before they came through and avoided being lapped.

Despite the sun heating up the gravel path, the flies continued to be a pest on the way back out but as we continued at a steady pace, we were able to take in more of the surroundings and enjoy the mix of wildlife and designer public space, so close to the highways and busy cities of San Francisco and San Jose.

I couldn’t tell you the names of all the birds but it felt like running through an RSPB reserve back home. Only much warmer.

Past the final marshal and this time along and through the colourful flag-lined funnel to finish.

At the end, the runners all gathered around a picnic table, with water and treats which we would have definitely got involved with if it wasn’t for upcoming pancakes back in Palo Alto.

Having chatted with the lovely locals and taken obligatory pics, we headed towards the inevitable end of our holiday, that breakfast in an old American diner, and if we could find it, our car.

If you’re heading anywhere near SF or San Jose, or even California for that matter, try and make a stop at lovely little Bixby parkrun. You won’t regret it!