Humblebrag
VIP Member
yeah, the bloke who flew to Australia for 48 hours springs to mind
- Notice
Millyve
VIP Member
I barcode scan and I’d say I only get 10 out of 160 thank me for giving up my timeYep, I thank every marshal and especially on days like yesterday. I also buggy run and have taught both of my children to say thank you. I don't really see the issue with it
Humblebrag
VIP Member
There's a tiny Island off the West coast of Ireland called Inis Meainn that normally has about 20 runners which will have around 300 tourist weirdo's arriving tomorrow morning at the behest of some facebook weirdo
*twinkletwinkle*
Active member
parkrun have just advertised for a content creation ambassador to launch their tiktok channel. Sounds more like a paid job to me
Runninggirl
VIP Member
I refuse to get up earlier than I do for work in the week!
Matisse182
Well-known member
Ooh I'm loving this thread. Great to read through everyone's views. I have mixed views about parkrun. Like many others have said I love the idea of it, the community it has given a lot of people and the free opportunity to run / walk 5k in all sorts of places. I went along sporadically before the lockdowns but have only been back a few times since they reopened. Mainly because I am totally not a morning person and am happy with a lie in and a 10.30am jog on a Saturday. My slight gripes with it:
- As above, the cult of parkrunday and that if you go jogging on any other day its a 'freedom run'. No, its a 'run'.
- I've helped at the juniors sometimes and now again there are parents who bark at their kids to go faster as they run round and the kid is running along in tears next to them.
- I got an email on my last birthday which basically said Happy Birthday, why not celebrate by buying yourself something from our online shop. Thanks. Maybe just say Happy Birthday!
- My sister in law does a lot of weird parkrun challenges. E.g. she's spent months trying to finish in the exact same time to the second to get something like her 'groundhog day' badge. When did jogging round the park with friends turn into Hey Duggie!?
- As above, the cult of parkrunday and that if you go jogging on any other day its a 'freedom run'. No, its a 'run'.
- I've helped at the juniors sometimes and now again there are parents who bark at their kids to go faster as they run round and the kid is running along in tears next to them.
- I got an email on my last birthday which basically said Happy Birthday, why not celebrate by buying yourself something from our online shop. Thanks. Maybe just say Happy Birthday!
- My sister in law does a lot of weird parkrun challenges. E.g. she's spent months trying to finish in the exact same time to the second to get something like her 'groundhog day' badge. When did jogging round the park with friends turn into Hey Duggie!?
muffinheeler
Chatty Member
I really like parkrun but definitely agree with some of the observations on here. I'm also a junior parkrun RD and it winds me up no end when we struggle for volunteers and the same parents come to watch their kids and never once volunteer. I guarantee they'd be the first ones to complain if we had to cancel due to lack of volunteers.
I do also enjoy a bit of tourism, but due to my personal circumstances I tend not to go further than an hour from home, unless I'm away somewhere and there's one close.
I'm not sure I agree that as a whole parkrun is cliquey, certainly this isn't my experience of the parkruns I've been to, but I'm not dismissing anyone's individual experiences.
I think it's a case of it overall being a positive thing to exist, but also not being able to please everyone all the time.
*Edited to add the word "junior"
I do also enjoy a bit of tourism, but due to my personal circumstances I tend not to go further than an hour from home, unless I'm away somewhere and there's one close.
I'm not sure I agree that as a whole parkrun is cliquey, certainly this isn't my experience of the parkruns I've been to, but I'm not dismissing anyone's individual experiences.
I think it's a case of it overall being a positive thing to exist, but also not being able to please everyone all the time.
*Edited to add the word "junior"
Millennial Pink
VIP Member
Yeah, they got shot of it year before last, I believe due to the numbers. I never did the double run because I didn't have a car, but I volunteered at the last 10.30 one and the course (3 laps of a park) was rammed with double the usual amount of runners and we couldn't get people out of the funnel quick enough. The locals who were just out for their usual dog walk and didn't realise it would be on were not impressed.Christmas parkrun, or new year, is the main one I dowe have other sporting activities Saturdays which mean I don't do it much.
Haven't they stopped the double now by saying they all have to be at 9? We spent one new year morning we queuing to get into the carpark at Haldon Forest. It was rammed with people trying to do the double.
Good riddance to it, it was a nightmare to organise.
Hellojanuary
VIP Member
The top part of Australia. I agree though, wtf
WeepingCassandra
VIP Member
Run walking is absolutely fine - even if you're run walking you're going to be coming home in under an hour really. I think the issue lies with people who are walking at about 2 mph pace and taking an hour and a half to go 3 miles...
anniemouse
VIP Member
I wouldn’t take my dog to it, if you’re running with them I think it’s better when you’re not in a big crowd
Lastqueenofscotland
VIP Member
The expansion in the U.K. has seriously slowed down, you used to have 1/2 new ones most weeks back in the day (I’ve been parkrunning since Henry Viii was on his first wife).
I think the US if they can get it to take off there, has enormous potential as an expanding market, so imagine it’s the overseas ones that will get the focus now
I think the US if they can get it to take off there, has enormous potential as an expanding market, so imagine it’s the overseas ones that will get the focus now
As I’ve said before, parkrun needs to decide what it is and stay in that lane. If it’s not competitive, then get rid of times and placings completely. Anyone ‘going for a time’ or wanting to test themselves can do, but they have to do it themselves. The starts/finishes are marked on the day so it’s not exactly a hardship to press start and stop on your watch at the right times. It would work fine and reduce the burden on volunteers.
I agree with all the comments about walkers. I’ve walked it many times (before the park walk initiative) either because I was injured, heavily pregnant or recovering from pregnancy. It’s never taken me over an hour. If you can’t walk 5k in that time then maybe you should consider if you should be attempting the distance at all. Is it gatekeeping? Probably. But if there was the demand for a separate walking event I’m sure HQ would have spun it up by now. There isn’t the interest and they would never get the volunteers needed to run it.
I agree with all the comments about walkers. I’ve walked it many times (before the park walk initiative) either because I was injured, heavily pregnant or recovering from pregnancy. It’s never taken me over an hour. If you can’t walk 5k in that time then maybe you should consider if you should be attempting the distance at all. Is it gatekeeping? Probably. But if there was the demand for a separate walking event I’m sure HQ would have spun it up by now. There isn’t the interest and they would never get the volunteers needed to run it.
snapdrag0n
VIP Member
I’m on a very very very very slow return to running (still pretty much walking) and mine has been pretty good for walkers, but it is bigger so there’s a fair time spread. There’s generally two groups of walkers, slower (closer to the tail Walker) and a bit faster. Interestingly the last few months we’ve got a group who Jeff and each week they ask in the announcements if people want to join them. When I’m up to running a bit more I’m definitely doing that.
WTF is wrong with peopleThen you have the opposite at my local parkrun when recently a runner shouted abuse at a marshall for cheering people on
Millennial Pink
VIP Member
Ah, I think that booted off a few weeks ago. Parkrun are trying to please everyone (impossible) by placing the emphasis on inclusivity and moving away from focusing on times and performance. That stance is at odds with having course records, imo. It would be a shame to lose the course and age-grade records, but I don't see this argument going away otherwise.There is some absolute Parkrun drama on twitter this morning. Can’t find the original tweet/where it’s come from but basically it’s about trans women signing up as women and beating women’s records
It frustrates me that people are putting values from elite athletics on parkrun, but there we are. Most of the courses are not measured correctly, no one asks for your birth certificate when you sign up to check age or sex, there's no drug testing. The records are meaningless, so why have them?
GalofHal
VIP Member
Been there, got the t shirt
Maybe people don’t want to be there for an hour and half on a Saturday morning especially if there are walkers at the back.
Our parkruns start at either 7 or 8am in Australia. Since Covid, parkruns have struggled to attract help and participants here because people have re-evaluated how they want to spend their time.
I also found that when I have volunteered the regular organisers have been very rude to me. So why would I offer to help them again
Our parkruns start at either 7 or 8am in Australia. Since Covid, parkruns have struggled to attract help and participants here because people have re-evaluated how they want to spend their time.
I also found that when I have volunteered the regular organisers have been very rude to me. So why would I offer to help them again
