Belfast by Arek Jaworski

Author: Arek Jaworski

  • Park Run Cancelled

    Arek Jaworski at Derry City Park Run

    Today, Saturday the 4th of October, I was supposed to take part in Park Run. Unfortunately, due to Storm Amy the event was cancelled.

    I started regular running and participation since late June 2024 when I registered for my first Park Run.

    My results:

    29 June 2024 – my first recorded Park Run at Orangefield. My time was 00:25:56. I finished 65th out of 162 parkrunners and I was the 52nd male and came 7th in age category VM40-44.

    I achieved an age-graded score of 53.02%.

    26 July 2025 – marked my 23rd Park Run and 16th running at Victoria Park. My time was 00:23:06. I finished in 77th place out of a field of 326 parkrunners. I was the 68th male and came 9th in age category VM40-44.

    I achieved an age-graded score of 59.96%.

    02 August 2025 – I switched the venue to Ormeau Park and during my 24th Park Run and 1st in Ormeau Park I finally got age grading over 60%! My time was 00:23:01. I finished in 77th place out of a field of 645 parkrunners. You were the 66th male and came 3rd in your age category VM40-44.

    I achieved an age-graded score of 60.17%.

    This is my personal best score.

  • Belfast City Half Marathon

    Arek Jaworski - Belfast Half Marathon - Results

    On 22 September 20024 I took part in Belfast City Half Marathon.

    My official result:

    • Rank: 3560
    • Time: 02:10:28

    This was my first and so far the only long distance run. Usually, I run for 5 or 10km. The first 15km I was doing in a steady pace of around 30 minutes per 5km. After reaching 15km I started to slow down. When I passed 18km I started to get muscle spasm. At that stage my goal was to simply complete the half marathon.

    When I signed up for this challenge my not-so-realistic goal was to be able to finish in about 2 hours.

    I was really pleased to achieve the time of 2 hours 10 minutes. As for the start of running career, I say this is a promising result.

    Unfortunately, I did not compete in 2025 half marathon. At the moment I’m more focused on shorter distances – like 5km Park Runs.

  • Arek Jaworski

    You can find more details about me by following links below:

    Medium Profile Arek Jaworski – here you can find my own articles about mostly programming, JavaScript and AI.

    Stackoverflow Profile Arek Jaworski – slowly dying SO profile. Still a piece of IT history.

    GitHub Profile Arek Jaworski – all the interesting projects are private, yet I share some public code too.

    Personal Page Jaworski Software House – never-finished and all-the-time under construction home page.

    LinkedIn Arek Jaworski – my LinkedIn profile listing my professional career history and education

    Research Gate Profile Arek Jaworski

  • Fight for Freedom – The Warsaw Uprising of 1944

    Opening of “Fight for Freedom – The Warsaw Uprising of 1944” exhibition. Polish Society Belfast together with Lord Mayor of Belfast.

    30 August 2014, Belfast

  • Blast From The Past

    WW2 Warsaw Uprising exhibition - Arek Jaworski Belfast

    Unique event where I, as a head of Polish Society in Belfast (pictured left), met Alasdair McDonnell (right) and Jerome Mullen, Honorary Consul of Republic of Poland in Northern Ireland (centre).

    This photograph was shared on Alasdair McDonnell’s Facebook page on 4 September 2014 with the following description:

    Met with Arek Jaworski, head of Polish Society in Belfast and Mr. Jerome Mullen, Honorary Consul of Republic of Poland in Northern Ireland, at the WW2 Warsaw uprising exhibition in the Ulster Hall. It runs until Sunday, 10am to 5pm.

  • Getting Around (And Staying Mostly Dry)

    Walking: City centre is compact — bring comfy shoes and faith in traffic lights.

    Buses: They’re pink. You can’t miss them. Contactless works, manners recommended.

    Trains: Handy for coastal runs to Bangor or beyond. Sit on the sea side for views and existential thoughts.

    Taxis: Black cabs and apps both fine; drivers double as historians and weather forecasters.

    Bikes: Great until you discover cobbles. Then… character building.

  • Local Lingo (Survival Glossary)

    • Wee: small, friendly, or simply a punctuation mark (e.g., “a wee chat” could last three hours)
    • Dead-on: sound, reliable, good craic
    • Craic: fun/chat/gossip/not illegal
    • Scundered: embarrassed beyond redemption
    • Bout ye?: how are you?
    • Melt: someone testing your patience (could be a printer)
    • Yous: plural you. Very efficient.
    • Aye/No bother/That’s us: yes/you’re welcome/we’re done here

    Use sparingly until you’ve unlocked Level 2 Belfast.

  • Eat & Drink (Fuel for Exploring)

    Breakfast: Ulster fry — a heroic plate featuring soda bread, potato bread, and moral dilemmas about second helpings.

    Coffee: Belfast takes coffee seriously. If your flat white arrives suspiciously fast, check if you accidentally ordered a cappuccino.

    Lunch: Soup + wheaten bread — because carbs deserve a friend.

    Dinner: Fresh seafood by the lough or something spicy in the Cathedral Quarter. If a menu says “wee,” it might still defeat you.

    Pubs: Expect live music, friendly chats, and at least one person who knows your cousin’s neighbour’s dog. Small world.

    Sweet things: Fifteens (biscuits + marshmallows + cherries = happiness). Don’t ask why they’re called fifteens unless you’re ready for three different answers.

  • Things To Do (When It’s Dry — Or Not)

    1. Titanic Belfast – A spectacular museum that explains how the world’s most famous ship was built here, launched here, and… sailed elsewhere. The gift shop floats.
    2. St George’s Market – Come for artisan everything; stay for the live music and the breakfast you didn’t know you needed.
    3. Black Cab Tour – History, murals, stories. You’ll learn more in an hour than you did in a semester, and with better jokes.
    4. Cathedral Quarter – Cobbled streets, street art, and pubs with live music. Instagram will forgive your last 10 food pics if you post a mural.
    5. Cave Hill Hike – A short climb for a big view. On a clear day you can see Scotland. On a normal day you can see your breath.
    6. Botanic Gardens & Ulster Museum – Free culture! Dinosaurs, art, Egyptian curiosities, and somewhere warm to defrost.
    7. CS Lewis Square – Find Aslan and company. Great for kids and for adults who still check wardrobes, just in case.
    8. Maritime Mile – Waterfront wander among public art, history panels, and seagulls plotting buttered scone heists.
    9. The MAC – Contemporary arts venue. You don’t have to “get” it to enjoy it. Bonus: excellent coffee nearby.
    10. Day Trips – Giant’s Causeway, Gobbins Cliff Path, Game of Thrones locations. Yes, the views are real. No, the dragons are not (budget cuts).

  • Key Facts

    Capital of: Northern Ireland

    River: The Lagan (it’s shyer than the Thames, but just as photogenic if you catch it on a good day)

    Mountains: Cave Hill staring judgmentally at your step count

    Iconic sights: Harland & Wolff cranes (Samson & Goliath), City Hall, Titanic Belfast, the Albert Clock (Belfast’s leaning cousin of Pisa)

    Currency: Pound sterling (for your wallet); kindness (for the rest)

    Weather: “Layers” is not advice, it’s law

    Sports: Rugby, ice-hockey, football, and the sprint for shelter when it starts to spit

    Tea: Strong enough to stand a spoon in. Sugar? “Aye go ‘head.”