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parkrun thread

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Runingman1441 Nov 2017 12:16pm, 7 Nov 2017 First-time poster!!	Quote Pin Runingman1441 I have to agree with a lot of the comments on how parkrun has changed. I been running them since 2006. In the past I have completed my run and run back to the last runner to help them home no tail walkers? then. Back then I did try to pace them back not walking at a slow jog, but now I see a lot people turn up with no intention to run one meter of the course this I don't understand. I done the triple and then had to go to work afterwards happy days
jdarun Nov 2017 12:16pm, 7 Nov 2017 2,057 posts	Quote Pin jdarun As a parkrun occasional I don't recognise these comments in the events I do. A handful of runners outside 40mins on a slow course are certainly not strolling along. And despite being a 4-lap (and a bit) course there's no aggro either way from overtaking - obviously it's not ideal for those who are looking for a top-notch flat-out race but it's pretty good for a free local regular event. There is always a handful of faste(er than me) runners and I've never heard of any problems.
iRicey Nov 2017 12:38pm, 7 Nov 2017 62 posts	Quote Pin iRicey Don't get me wrong either. I love parkrun and what it has helped me achieve. It's always difficult to make generalizations, and by it's nature parkrun is a different beast from location to location. I agree, most of the time and pretty much everywhere I have travelled to there are no problems with fast, slow, overtaking etc. If you've ever read anything on the fb 'parkrun discussion group' (hopefully a vocal minority) then you'll be aware of 'issues' that have been discussed there including not overtaking people in the finishing straight because that's not fair on them, not sorting congested starts by expected finishing time as that amounts to calling people slow, etc. I think the point is that the increasing instances of this sort of thing are symptomatic of a general trend, albeit one we haven't got very far with yet, and we don't like what parkrun might look like if the trend continues.
Velociraptor Nov 2017 12:42pm, 7 Nov 2017 37,109 posts	Quote Pin Velociraptor I agree, it would be distressing if parkrun were to slide into nothing more than an organised walk at which running was grudgingly tolerated. But I don't see any evidence of that happening around here.
Doc Moye Nov 2017 12:49pm, 7 Nov 2017 18,480 posts	Quote Pin Doc Moye i did at one parkrun see a race director criticising the tailenders for walking and accused them of taking the p*** . I was shocked by this as I had thought walking was allowed and they were striding out not meandering. it was not local to me. and im trying to forget that it happened
Eynsham Red Nov 2017 12:58pm, 7 Nov 2017 2,151 posts	Quote Pin Eynsham Red Just to add to potential run/walk controversy, this Saturday my wife will make her first venture into Parkrun. She won’t be running and probably won’t even do the full course, but having had two replacement hips and two partial knee replacements in recent years she is looking to improve her general fitness and this is an event where she can feel included, even though she will never run. As to the run or walk issues, we have had some walkers at Oxford who are quicker than some “runners”. Parkrun is what it has become. Nothing stays the same. Evolution, good or bad happens everywhere. If you want to be grumpy about it, that’s sad. Just try and enjoy what you can get out of it for yourself.
Doc Moye Nov 2017 1:01pm, 7 Nov 2017 18,484 posts	Quote Pin Doc Moye good for her, I hope she really enjoys it and it becomes an integral part of her week
mascott514 Nov 2017 1:30pm, 7 Nov 2017 52 posts	Quote Pin mascott514 I agree. Its for everyone, of all abilities. Why shouldn't your wife attend. Its probably one heck of an achievement to get out there with new hips and knees. The point is, no one is being left out. Our course record holder was out this week. No one told him to slow down. No one told him to walk. No one shouted at him. He managed to run round (a lot) of slower runners. Our last place women managed to get round, walking, with a lot of cheery comments. No-one told her to get on with it. None moaned about delays volunteering. When she finished, she looked bushed! The first time I went to Parkrun, 9 years ago, I didnt know what to expect. But, I got round in reasonable shape. What stayed with me though, was the chase I raced up to the line having a laugh with me, and then watching the buggies and dogs coming in. It was clear to me this was an event for all. I will remain a huge supporter of parkrun as long as it continues to put inclusivity at the heart of everything it does.
larkim Nov 2017 2:07pm, 7 Nov 2017 3,269 posts	Quote Pin larkim Ooh, interesting graph time. Hopefully the link will work. This is apparently the progression of parkrun times over the years. The area under the graph = 100% of participants, it then develops year by year with the peak shifting towards the left (slower). facebook.com
blindcider Nov 2017 3:28pm, 7 Nov 2017 49 posts	Quote Pin blindcider mascott514 - it's what I said a few pages back. Its the local communities that make parkrun inclusive not the edicts from parkrun HQ. You'll occasionally get a bad apple but its pretty rare For those of us that are core volunteers as RDs/EDs/Ambassadors it can be difficult as we are directly affected by these edicts and it can make the job frustrating when you spend a lot of time doing it (compared to a normal volunteer). It also seems frustrating that they seem to be concentrating on bringing in new participants all the time rather than concentrating on the people that have made parkrun happen up until recently. No-one minds walkers but on our course they can easily take over an hour, IMO In winter that isn't fair on the volunteers if the people walking are not trying their hardest. We've had a lady with an illness that affects her mobility (CF perhaps?) that walks round with a stick occasionally, no-one minds waiting for her as she is trying her hardest.