Discussion
On the parkrun Event Directors forum people are reporting receiving mails from their councils assuring them that they won't start charging so it doesn't sound like there's going to be a mass move toward charging.
Given that park workmen earn a lot less than medics, the sums stack up very nicely unless as in Stokes case they only have a park budget and not a health one to balance against - our council have given us money from the health and sport budgets to get 3 of our local events started so obviously see the value.
Given that park workmen earn a lot less than medics, the sums stack up very nicely unless as in Stokes case they only have a park budget and not a health one to balance against - our council have given us money from the health and sport budgets to get 3 of our local events started so obviously see the value.
johnwilliams77 said:
Terminator X said:
If they tried that sort of silliness near me I'd turn up every week and run the course regardless, good luck trying to get £1 out of me for it. f
king fools!
TX.
They wouldn't be charging the runners king fools!TX.
Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
944fan said:
I wonder how they can enforce parkrun to pay though? I am sure the organisers wouldn't carry on it with and defy them but are the PC really going to take them to court to get them to pay.
Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
They are requesting that park run apply for a grant to pay for it!Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
johnwilliams77 said:
944fan said:
I wonder how they can enforce parkrun to pay though? I am sure the organisers wouldn't carry on it with and defy them but are the PC really going to take them to court to get them to pay.
Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
They are requesting that park run apply for a grant to pay for it!Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
JQ said:
johnwilliams77 said:
944fan said:
I wonder how they can enforce parkrun to pay though? I am sure the organisers wouldn't carry on it with and defy them but are the PC really going to take them to court to get them to pay.
Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
They are requesting that park run apply for a grant to pay for it!Such a disappointing decision. parkrun is a fantastic platform and has got loads of people out there running. Very short sighted and no doubt a decision made buy a bunch of fat, balding, middle aged men.
The Parish Council are simply making themselves look foolish. Amongst other things they complained that parkrun used storage and toilets. That is presumably storage that the PC let them have and public toilets.
Yes, they've said juniors can continue but seniors need to pay 'because it's run by an organisation' - ignoring the fact that it's the same organisation that runs Saturday.
parkrun won't apply for a grant, whether or not it exists, because that would open the flood gates for other councils to charge.
At first the council said they wanted £1 from each runner (how that would be collected is unknown) and then said they wanted something from parkrun, but haven't said how much.
I stole most of that from an interview with Tom Williams (COO of parkrun) on yesterday's marathontalk.com podcast - a bit less formal that his interviews on national TV and radio because he's just chatting to Martin Yelling (and 15000 listeners)
parkrun won't apply for a grant, whether or not it exists, because that would open the flood gates for other councils to charge.
At first the council said they wanted £1 from each runner (how that would be collected is unknown) and then said they wanted something from parkrun, but haven't said how much.
I stole most of that from an interview with Tom Williams (COO of parkrun) on yesterday's marathontalk.com podcast - a bit less formal that his interviews on national TV and radio because he's just chatting to Martin Yelling (and 15000 listeners)
The current parkrun vs parish council debate is interesting. For me, many of the arguments serve to highlight what I consider flawed concepts in how we (in the UK) access and maintain recreational spaces and facilities. Quick disclaimer: I am a (park)runner, but I'm not a parkrun evangelist. I don't hold parkrun in some higher regard or believe it should receive special treatment.
Much of the debate has been around whether parkrun should pay towards the upkeep of the parks used for the weekly events. Examples are cited of other sports groups who use the parks having to pay to do so (football teams, tennis clubs, etc). So why shouldn't parkrun do so too? It's a valid question.
The flawed concept for me is the acceptance that the other sports groups should pay for their usage. Exercise is known to help both physical and mental health (NHS references below or just search on "Benefits of exercise"). If we in the UK are serious about combating the obesity crisis and encouraging healthier lifestyles in people of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds, then we should be serious about removing the barriers that prevent people improving their lifestyles. Spending our taxes on the upkeep of the public recreational facilities to enable them to be free at the point of use to ALL clubs, groups and individuals is a better solution than charging some or all groups by usage. Make our pitches, courts, pools and tracks free at the point of use. By all means charge businesses making a profit from the usage of the public facilities a fee, but make it free for recreational users.
Make them part of our National Health.
http://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/moving
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeacti...
Much of the debate has been around whether parkrun should pay towards the upkeep of the parks used for the weekly events. Examples are cited of other sports groups who use the parks having to pay to do so (football teams, tennis clubs, etc). So why shouldn't parkrun do so too? It's a valid question.
The flawed concept for me is the acceptance that the other sports groups should pay for their usage. Exercise is known to help both physical and mental health (NHS references below or just search on "Benefits of exercise"). If we in the UK are serious about combating the obesity crisis and encouraging healthier lifestyles in people of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds, then we should be serious about removing the barriers that prevent people improving their lifestyles. Spending our taxes on the upkeep of the public recreational facilities to enable them to be free at the point of use to ALL clubs, groups and individuals is a better solution than charging some or all groups by usage. Make our pitches, courts, pools and tracks free at the point of use. By all means charge businesses making a profit from the usage of the public facilities a fee, but make it free for recreational users.
Make them part of our National Health.
http://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/moving
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeacti...
For those not following the thread in News about this, the marathon talk podcast has Tom (11:40) from parkrun on it explaining what happened and how the council changed their mind on what the charge was for and what it covered.
Well worth a listen to: http://traffic.libsyn.com/marathontalk/MT327.mp3
Well worth a listen to: http://traffic.libsyn.com/marathontalk/MT327.mp3
New parkrun today for me, and to be honest totally cocked it up!.
Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
northandy said:
New parkrun today for me, and to be honest totally cocked it up!.
Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
Bugger. What a pain. Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
Which course was it?
I have done 46 different courses now, but have never been fast enough to not have someone close enough in front to navigate for me. Love doing new events and seeing how different teams run things differently. There is also a really nice familiarity to all of them though.
KTF said:
For those not following the thread in News about this, the marathon talk podcast has Tom (11:40) from parkrun on it explaining what happened and how the council changed their mind on what the charge was for and what it covered.
Well worth a listen to: http://traffic.libsyn.com/marathontalk/MT327.mp3
Nice. Sounds like the councillors got greedy/stupid, were told 'no' and then were simply too dumb to stop and tried to carry on scrabbling around for every excuse there was to cover their own ineptitude. My brother used to be on the parish council (he helped out a lot), but eventually the fWell worth a listen to: http://traffic.libsyn.com/marathontalk/MT327.mp3
kwittery and selfishness got to him and he left. Life is too short.madbadger said:
Bugger. What a pain.
Which course was it?
I have done 46 different courses now, but have never been fast enough to not have someone close enough in front to navigate for me. Love doing new events and seeing how different teams run things differently. There is also a really nice familiarity to all of them though.
Stewart's park in Middlesbrough. My own fault really, and a lesson learnt as doing the one at Parke in Devon next week as we are down there for a weeks holiday, so need to familiarise where the finish is.Which course was it?
I have done 46 different courses now, but have never been fast enough to not have someone close enough in front to navigate for me. Love doing new events and seeing how different teams run things differently. There is also a really nice familiarity to all of them though.
Will be back at Stewart's park in a few weeks as I reckon I could run it under 20 mins based on Saturday.
northandy said:
New parkrun today for me, and to be honest totally cocked it up!.
Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
Ah that's so annoying! I can relate to this as my PB the week before last was on the new route at Bushy Park - first time I'd done the new route. Like you I assumed I'd be following someone but although I came 18th, there was quite a gap ahead and I nearly missed a left hand turn at around 4km. There's no marshall at that point so it's easy to miss if nobody is directly ahead of you. Had a rough idea of route, two laps then a turn off to the finish. Started in the pack and steady away at 4 min km's and had picked off groups so I knew I was pretty close to the front maybe top 6, however I pulled away from the group behind and lost sight of the guy in front with about 1km to go anyway no bother I think route fairly obvious and marshals etc. However end of second lap I was lapping others had to ask a marshal which way, headed off down a footpath, see another marshal he gives me a clap I point past him and he says keep going..... I keep going then reach the exit of the park... Quick turn round and dash back to see everyone heading off to the left through an archway. So all in I finished just under 22 mins having done 5.5k in the end, dropped to 24th, looking at the results there was over a minute between 4th and 5th which I must have been slap in the middle of. So would have been fast for me despite the rain and hailstorm going on.
So lesson learned always know the route, can't always rely on following others on a new route.
I'd have realised sooner if I'd had my watch on, but had forgotten it.
EdJ said:
Ah that's so annoying! I can relate to this as my PB the week before last was on the new route at Bushy Park - first time I'd done the new route. Like you I assumed I'd be following someone but although I came 18th, there was quite a gap ahead and I nearly missed a left hand turn at around 4km. There's no marshall at that point so it's easy to miss if nobody is directly ahead of you.
A 5th finisher would have been my best so far too... Well lesson learned on new runs and a new fire in my belly to smash ,y time next time I'm there northandy said:
madbadger said:
Bugger. What a pain.
Which course was it?
I have done 46 different courses now, but have never been fast enough to not have someone close enough in front to navigate for me. Love doing new events and seeing how different teams run things differently. There is also a really nice familiarity to all of them though.
Stewart's park in Middlesbrough. My own fault really, and a lesson learnt as doing the one at Parke in Devon next week as we are down there for a weeks holiday, so need to familiarise where the finish is.Which course was it?
I have done 46 different courses now, but have never been fast enough to not have someone close enough in front to navigate for me. Love doing new events and seeing how different teams run things differently. There is also a really nice familiarity to all of them though.
Will be back at Stewart's park in a few weeks as I reckon I could run it under 20 mins based on Saturday.
I have done Parke too. My slowest time by a margin. It was drizzly when I did it and there is a massive hill near the start that was pretty muddy. just after that on a narrow bit of path a branch caught my glasses and flicked them off. Glasses must be the hardest thing in the world to find especially without your glasses on! Was near the back of the field when I found them and set off again.
Still - character building stuff. I must go back and set a proper time.
ewenm said:
The current parkrun vs parish council debate is interesting. For me, many of the arguments serve to highlight what I consider flawed concepts in how we (in the UK) access and maintain recreational spaces and facilities. Quick disclaimer: I am a (park)runner, but I'm not a parkrun evangelist. I don't hold parkrun in some higher regard or believe it should receive special treatment.
Much of the debate has been around whether parkrun should pay towards the upkeep of the parks used for the weekly events. Examples are cited of other sports groups who use the parks having to pay to do so (football teams, tennis clubs, etc). So why shouldn't parkrun do so too? It's a valid question.
The flawed concept for me is the acceptance that the other sports groups should pay for their usage. Exercise is known to help both physical and mental health (NHS references below or just search on "Benefits of exercise"). If we in the UK are serious about combating the obesity crisis and encouraging healthier lifestyles in people of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds, then we should be serious about removing the barriers that prevent people improving their lifestyles. Spending our taxes on the upkeep of the public recreational facilities to enable them to be free at the point of use to ALL clubs, groups and individuals is a better solution than charging some or all groups by usage. Make our pitches, courts, pools and tracks free at the point of use. By all means charge businesses making a profit from the usage of the public facilities a fee, but make it free for recreational users.
Make them part of our National Health.
http://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/moving
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeacti...
My disclaimer, I'm an active parkrunner and Event Director so am a bit biased!Much of the debate has been around whether parkrun should pay towards the upkeep of the parks used for the weekly events. Examples are cited of other sports groups who use the parks having to pay to do so (football teams, tennis clubs, etc). So why shouldn't parkrun do so too? It's a valid question.
The flawed concept for me is the acceptance that the other sports groups should pay for their usage. Exercise is known to help both physical and mental health (NHS references below or just search on "Benefits of exercise"). If we in the UK are serious about combating the obesity crisis and encouraging healthier lifestyles in people of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds, then we should be serious about removing the barriers that prevent people improving their lifestyles. Spending our taxes on the upkeep of the public recreational facilities to enable them to be free at the point of use to ALL clubs, groups and individuals is a better solution than charging some or all groups by usage. Make our pitches, courts, pools and tracks free at the point of use. By all means charge businesses making a profit from the usage of the public facilities a fee, but make it free for recreational users.
Make them part of our National Health.
http://www.nhs.uk/oneyou/moving
http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/fitness/Pages/Whybeacti...
The argument for parkrun having special treatment is that it's free, should BMF be charging clients and whoever owns it making a profit and not paying the park, although they don't wear out the park much and the council don't do anything to prepare for them so maybe they should be free.
Football and tennis clubs pay because it costs the council money to maintain courts and mark out pitches and put the posts up, and they have exclusive use of that area, parkrun just use what's there and expect to dodge round dog walkers and kids on bikes so don't have exclusive use.
Maybe the council rule should be that groups pay on the basis of the prep work the council have to do rather than if it's a business?
You are right though, it's a good point - the cost of a bit of line paint and some posts isn't much compared to the NHS bill if people don't exercise. Park staff and equipment are much cheaper than doctors and hospital equipment.
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