Yes sorry I know that my point was if it’s not meant to be a competition then why do Parkrun also provide age grading etc.
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How many people would be soon keen on parkrun if they didn't get a time at all? I don't know any runners personally that don't record their times and distances on a watch or phone app, in my mind parkrun is an extension to this except you get that magical text and your barcode on the website. I know some very fast runners who use it as part of their training, and also a very hardcore runner (the type that commutes a half marathon to work 
) who will happily plod a 45 minute parkrun at the weekend with her kids and doesn't care how that affects her stats.
) who will happily plod a 45 minute parkrun at the weekend with her kids and doesn't care how that affects her stats.I think it’s trying to be too many things for too many people. It is hard to strike the balance right between encouraging walkers, volunteering and super speedy runners and everyone in between.
In the real world most people I know do care about their times for some extent regardless of if they are 15 minute runners or 45 minute runners and j think it wouldfall off a cliff in popularity wise if it stopped giving/publishing times
In the real world most people I know do care about their times for some extent regardless of if they are 15 minute runners or 45 minute runners and j think it wouldfall off a cliff in popularity wise if it stopped giving/publishing times
A point I’ve heard many people make. I think they spout some bollocks about how they are catering for all.
I’ve said it before. They need to pick a lane and stick to it.
ETA - my local parkrun is really struggling for volunteers every week. This never used to be the case, the begging emails used to be pretty infrequent but now they are almost every week. I’ve not been since early 2020 for many reasons (including how I disagreed with their attitude/approach to things during lockdown) but it’s safe to assume many regular volunteers have been switched off.
I think where it was in about 2015ish was perfect, run jog or walk but the events could cut things off after an hour or so, which for the older events can be a problem (parking/shared used of facilities etc).
I feel the huge push for walkers was odd as it’s such a small group of parkrunners. Our local does not get walkers because it’s a surprisingly dull park in a really beautiful part of the world. Even if you didn’t want to climb a huge hill you could do a lovely walk on the river rather than a laps of boring small town playing field, but we had to fill a park Walker role which was pointless.
I still volunteer but far less(and no longer RD) as I think a lot good about it has been removed in place of trying to get/attract sponsors, and seem super inclusive to people who are never going to bloody go!
I feel the huge push for walkers was odd as it’s such a small group of parkrunners. Our local does not get walkers because it’s a surprisingly dull park in a really beautiful part of the world. Even if you didn’t want to climb a huge hill you could do a lovely walk on the river rather than a laps of boring small town playing field, but we had to fill a park Walker role which was pointless.
I still volunteer but far less(and no longer RD) as I think a lot good about it has been removed in place of trying to get/attract sponsors, and seem super inclusive to people who are never going to bloody go!
I agree with many of the posts here about parkrun trying to be everything to everyone.
This then filters down to the individual parkruns and I feel it puts pressure on the ED's and core teams. There seems to be more work involved - you have to celebrate the fast runners but in the same breath you also have to encourage the walkers, there are more vol roles to be filled, this particular health day has to be shouted out. When they introduced the parkwalk initiative, some people at our event stopped volunteering, or would only do our first marshal posting because they didn't want to be out for an hour when it used to be about 40/45 mins. It might be fine when you've a big number of parkrunners passing you but not so much when you are waiting around on your own 5/10 mins with a gap for the last 2 walkers to pass.
Our ED has said to me that the workload for parkrun has increased and he sometimes thinks of stepping down from the role. There seems to be a lot more bells and whistles to parkrun and this puts pressure on events. My local parkrun is small enough, approx 50 people per week. I'm on the core team. I've had people come up and say oh I was at this other parkrun last weekend and they have this type of selfie sign, or they had pacers, or they put on free tea and buns after. It's great that events have the support to do that but I don't think people realise that those people volunteer to do that off their own bat. I do a free tea and treats twice a year - parkrun anniversary and last run before Christmas. A few people bring along treats but no one has ever stepped forward and volunteered to do it or help me with the tea, if I didn't do it no one else would. Maybe it's just my local parkrun....
I can see parkrun hq is trying to increase numbers, it is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. It seems to be more about its sponsors and its merchanise.
One of my teachers back in secondary school used to say - KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid!
This then filters down to the individual parkruns and I feel it puts pressure on the ED's and core teams. There seems to be more work involved - you have to celebrate the fast runners but in the same breath you also have to encourage the walkers, there are more vol roles to be filled, this particular health day has to be shouted out. When they introduced the parkwalk initiative, some people at our event stopped volunteering, or would only do our first marshal posting because they didn't want to be out for an hour when it used to be about 40/45 mins. It might be fine when you've a big number of parkrunners passing you but not so much when you are waiting around on your own 5/10 mins with a gap for the last 2 walkers to pass.
Our ED has said to me that the workload for parkrun has increased and he sometimes thinks of stepping down from the role. There seems to be a lot more bells and whistles to parkrun and this puts pressure on events. My local parkrun is small enough, approx 50 people per week. I'm on the core team. I've had people come up and say oh I was at this other parkrun last weekend and they have this type of selfie sign, or they had pacers, or they put on free tea and buns after. It's great that events have the support to do that but I don't think people realise that those people volunteer to do that off their own bat. I do a free tea and treats twice a year - parkrun anniversary and last run before Christmas. A few people bring along treats but no one has ever stepped forward and volunteered to do it or help me with the tea, if I didn't do it no one else would. Maybe it's just my local parkrun....
I can see parkrun hq is trying to increase numbers, it is in danger of becoming a victim of its own success. It seems to be more about its sponsors and its merchanise.
One of my teachers back in secondary school used to say - KISS - Keep It Simple Stupid!
I think it is already a bit of a victim of its own success. I feel a lot changed when vitality came on board from an ED/RD perspective anyway? So I’m not sure how much pressure they were under to please the sponsors.
I’m still not over the safeguarding training I had to do when vitality came in, I was very pleased it was essential. I was an ED for an inner city parkrun at the time in an area with a few issues and thought it would be great given we are more likely than most to attract vulnerable adults, maybe teenagers in chaotic homes…. It was an hour long PowerPoint presentation which was an advert for vitality with a slide at the end basically saying “call the police or social services” that was it.
What a waste of everyone’s time but also a good opportunity to actually give some useful training about how to deal with tricky situations.
I’m still not over the safeguarding training I had to do when vitality came in, I was very pleased it was essential. I was an ED for an inner city parkrun at the time in an area with a few issues and thought it would be great given we are more likely than most to attract vulnerable adults, maybe teenagers in chaotic homes…. It was an hour long PowerPoint presentation which was an advert for vitality with a slide at the end basically saying “call the police or social services” that was it.
What a waste of everyone’s time but also a good opportunity to actually give some useful training about how to deal with tricky situations.
So I am pacing tomorrow morning. Normally I’d pace a fairly consistent 34-40, but I’ve been allocated the walk/run pacer tomorrow.
I’m thinking I’ll do a 2 walk, 3 run, does that sound reasonable?
I’m thinking I’ll do a 2 walk, 3 run, does that sound reasonable?
can I just say I'm glad to see this? It's great they have faster time pacers but I'm happy to see walk / run too.
I love pacing those times! It’s slow enough vs my normal pace that I can talk to/at people the whole way around, and I also love the challenge of keeping as consistent as I can!
I ended up doing 39 today as the person who’d volunteered didn’t turn up
Taken from twitter. Looks like Mara Yamaurchi (and others) asking for the women’s sex category to be protected has resulted in parkrun actually making a decision about it (although hiding that as being the reason I suspect).
I’m interested to see how it goes down. It’s not been officially announced, this screenshot was sent to ambassadors apparently. I’m sure there will be the usual meltdowns on the Facebook groups and twitter. But it does at least solve the inconsistency around ‘it’s a run not a race’ but then going big on course records and placings.
Although if they are going to keep the event results pages the same, then the data is still out there…so does it really change anything? I’m in two minds.
I’m interested to see how it goes down. It’s not been officially announced, this screenshot was sent to ambassadors apparently. I’m sure there will be the usual meltdowns on the Facebook groups and twitter. But it does at least solve the inconsistency around ‘it’s a run not a race’ but then going big on course records and placings.
Although if they are going to keep the event results pages the same, then the data is still out there…so does it really change anything? I’m in two minds.
Interesting. I haven’t followed Mara or anything she’s saying in any great detail but have seen her latest post about Cannon Hall
Trying to get my head around what they’re actually doing? I agree it seems a bit pointless if they’re still going to keep the actual results pages, because surely individual parkruns will celebrate their own course records etc, as they currently do today (unless parkrun hq are going to advise events to stop doing this themselves…?)
I imagine that it would be very easy for a third party to pull all the relevant data to compile a list of first finishers/course records. Just look at the 5k app…
Does this just mean they will no longer “celebrate” achievements by posting on social media about course records etc?
I think so. I think I read too much into it at first. It’s just removing some fluff around the edges, it’s nothing substantial really.
Does anyone know of a parkrun which has moved location? Ie they are still in the same town but moved to a new area and course?
(Doing a bit of research for an event director who is considering moving an event to a different location but in the same area)
(Doing a bit of research for an event director who is considering moving an event to a different location but in the same area)
I believe Cambridge did. I can't remember its new name. Yeovil moved and changed name too
Thanks a mil. The parkrun I was talking to doesn't plan on changing its name, just looking at moving to a possibly more suitable grounds in the same town.
Gainsborough closed and now Thonock Lane Farm is the replacement (less than a mile from previous).
I think there are newer rules about names, so don't think they could keep the Gainsborough name.
The information above has made its way to the Facebook groups… it’s again another case of trying to please everyone and pleasing no one