Parkrunners, assemble!

[Rxt156]

Parkrun is meant to be inclusive of ALL runners.

My issue is that slow runners have a problem with speedy runners (moan that they are too fast at the end/complain that people ask them to stay to the left)

Also fast runners moan that plodders are in the way coz they won’t keep to the left

I can see both sides…

Why can’t we all just get along

 

[stoopidIG]

I hate parkrun, my daughter who’s a sub 20 5k runner was told to start further back by a man.
Her friend was trampled when she slipped rather than helped up.
And the wearing of hydration vests in winter

edited as posted before finished

 

[muffinheeler]

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

I saw that on the tourism group. That's just far too much effort for me. I hope the upside is that they'll all spend a bit of money whilst they're there and contribute to the local economy.

 

[Bonbon76]

Our parkrun had someone take 1 hour 30 the other week as they had needed to rest. Everyone was very pleasant and congratulatory but I think if you can't manage a steady walk then you probably shouldn't be there.

 

[Humblebrag]

If I am reading it right, some weirdo on the world parkrun tourist page flew to Australia for 48 hours to do a parkrun!

 

[WeTalkAboutBruno]

Interesting you say that about the elite event and the times. Parkrun have made (sometimes controversial) moves to include walkers and the average time overall has become slower over the years. I think it depends on the event- my town has many running clubs so there are a lot of fast runners at my local parkrun. We do get walkers, too so the course can be quite difficult to navigate when you're trying to give faster runners room to get round you, but also overtaking slower runners and locals going about their business.

I saw a man elbow a woman in a pushchair out of the way a few months back, so I can understand people who aren't in the top finishers feeling alienated. The events team tend to dismantle the finish area as the last finishers are coming in so it definitely feels different to come in at the end.

That's what happened to me. There was someone playing the drums who did the same, and the main 'parkrun' banner had been taken down when I finished. My time was around 43 minutes too, so slow yes, but hardly a snail's pace. What compounded things slightly was I expressed my disappointment about this in a parkrun group and got mocked and laughed at for being sensitive. It all compounded my feelings to be honest. Any time anyone tries to speak critically of parkrun they get piled on as well, it's like no one can possibly say anything negative!

 

[Lalalemon]

The parents who get in the way in the finish funnel! One sort of propelled his child by pushing them in the back right in the funnel, completely getting in the way of my child!

The ones with their own stopwatches amuse me the most...

Yes, Olympic Dad that I mentioned earlier times the poor kid too and like to announce to him loudly how fast he finished once he's come through the funnel!
---

The parents who get in the way in the finish funnel! One sort of propelled his child by pushing them in the back right in the funnel, completely getting in the way of my child!

The ones with their own stopwatches amuse me the most...

My favourite thing about junior parkrun is the little cute ones at the back.... I was marshalling once and one little chap was running with a massive leaf in his hand swishing it about completely in his own little world and loving life!

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

I'd also argue that someone that started off as "Bushy Park Time Trial " or whatever it was called was hardly a jog

Yep it was started for a bunch of good club runners to push themselves with good club runners once a week, don’t get me wrong it’s a good thing what it’s done but it’s origins were never super inclusive

 

[WeTalkAboutBruno]

Tbh I just don't like runners, I think that's where my dislike of parkrun stems from. Smug bores.

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

I totally agree with this. Or HQ could privately remind people that it is ok to walk away if enough people aren't sharing the volunteering at an event. I appreciate people feel they want to make it a success or they may even feel they're failing if it doesn't work out but they're so dependent on others sharing the load, they should be able to feel they can just step back whenever.

Instead I feel the opposite is true.
I RD’d for about 7 years and stepped away after the covid return. I felt the expectations placed on RDs was increasing. The general attitude of parkrunners was worse. Was ever harder to get people to volunteer and HQ asking people to tone down the volunteer pleas… and someone admittedly, not in the best of taste, has had a public rant and suspiciously all the RDs have stepped down. I bet they god a proper bollocking and couldn’t be arsed with it anymore

 

[WeTalkAboutBruno]

Another reason I avoid parkrun is this. I don't like the clichey feeling, but by that same token I'm also very much a loner when it comes to fitness. These replies were in response to the question 'what makes you feel welcome at parkrun' - errrr, please leave me alone. I don't want to be interrogated please.

 

[pottymouth]

It's fair to say that this change is little to do with people being triggered by the fast finishers.

 

[louise1976]

We had today at our parkrun, a girl about 12-13 her dad pushing to the max and throwing up twice when she crossed the line. We offered them some water, her dad was like she is fine. Tell her to get up off the floor and walk. She was like a ghost, and not steady on her feet at all. Then the dad was saying to her stop been dramatic and walk. we couldn’t believe it..

 

[Rxt156]

Nothing wrong with a sprint finish don’t hate coz you’re slow and can’t keep up

 

[EffingDust]

I’m ashamed to say I did a parkrunathon. It was for charity but thinking back now, travelling round the region in a coach, doing 8 park runs on a Saturday was .

I don’t go anymore, partly because of work but mainly because my local one has been booted out to a worse route by the uni and the next nearest is full of overtaking, moaning horrors.

Nothing to be ashamed of, you can get good camaraderie on events like that and it’s fun for a challenge now and again, especially for charity.
I think what irks me mainly about the whole parkrun thing is that everyone I know who does it is just about posting gurning selfies on Instagram with faux humble captions, and mincing about in their merch. But I think that’s mainly because I find most things on social media so annoying in general. Running insta used to be great years ago, people posting pictures of things they saw on runs, tips, it could help you decide events you wanted to do, or if you were in a slump it motivated you. Then suddenly runfluencing was a thing and it all went a bit shit, and now it’s all just selfies.

 

[the_chafe_is_real]

I’m not a Parkrun fan personally and agree with the cliquey comments. It’s hilarious how it’s “not a race” but it so clearly is - all the people boasting about how they came first in their age group.
I’ve had a few rows with marshalls who put on a cheap bit of high vis and think they own the fucking place.

 

[Rxt156]

I’m m talking about Gemma Clark (14k followers - radio presenter) who has been harping on about it all morning arguing with loads of people.

Lots of tweets suggest that people don’t want elites or ‘proper runners’ there but that’s not very inclusive. Same way we wouldn’t ban slower runners or people over 45 mins for example. With the nature of Parkrun being ‘do an informal, free TIMED 5k’ records etc were always going to happen as it is timed. It doesn’t take anything away from slower runners. Everyone knows a Parkrun PB doesn’t count as a proper PB anyway.

Everyone wants to beat their own time, nothing wrong with that. Surely the point of Parkrun is to inclusive and suit everyone which mean people of all speeds both ends of the spectrum

 

[NotGonnaLieToYou]

It’s bad form though that when a run director stands in front of a crowd of parkrunners, that none of them will forsake their free run so that the event can have the min number of volunteers.
Similar happened at my local one last year - no one would step forward to help until one woman did after some time and fair play to her - she had never timed before and wasn’t a bother on her.
Like what I said in my previous post - there’s an element of expecting someone else to do it.

 

[elapsed_time]

I have mixed feelings about parkrun. Some people, as with anything, take it WAY too seriously. But my local parkrun is really friendly, the event directors are nice, occasionally you get people turning up to try and get the course record as it's one of the flattest ones in the country, but even the super fast people at the front are really nice and approachable. Maybe it helps as I know most of them from my running club, not sure. Guess the experience varies depending on the people doesn't it. We do get a lot of people walking too and the funnel is never taken down til the last person finishes.

 

[Lastqueenofscotland]

I've just seen that Henstridge has now stopped for good. I feel sorry for them, they were obviously annoyed at never getting any volunteers (or the same volunteers) and it spilled out in that report. Clearly took its toll on them though

The cynic in me suspects that they got a bollocking from HQ and said sod this