parkrun

Author
Discussion

spikeyhead

17,440 posts

199 months

Thursday 16th November 2023
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Alex@POD said:
smn159 said:
hehe

They really are crazy on there. Half of them seem to be on there purely to insist that 'it's not a race' and grumbling about inconsiderate faster runners' as soon as anyone talks about pushing for a time
Usually the ones who start right near the front then set off at walking pace...
...whilst pushing a double buggy

RizzoTheRat

25,318 posts

194 months

Thursday 16th November 2023
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smn159 said:
hehe

They really are crazy on there. Half of them seem to be on there purely to insist that 'it's not a race' and grumbling about inconsiderate faster runners' as soon as anyone talks about pushing for a time
...and moan about capital P's biggrin


Someone spotted the other day that Hoogeveen, which has it's first test run planned next week, is run a park called Zuiderpark, leading to speculation whether it will be named Zuiderpark Hoogaveen or just Hoogaveen when it starts. I was tempted to suggest they could be Hoogaveen Zuiderpark and we'll change to Den Haag Zuiderpark but I think they might take it too seriously and start e-mail HQ about losing a Z hehe

Skyedriver

18,016 posts

284 months

Thursday 16th November 2023
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The Parkrun I did on Saturday, the organiser said "those running with a dog, please start at the back"
Chap stood near the front with dog tried to relocate but the dog refused to move.
They were faster than most of the other runners anyway. Did get a laugh when the dog refused to move though.

madbadger

11,575 posts

246 months

Friday 17th November 2023
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Skyedriver said:
The Parkrun I did on Saturday, the organiser said "those running with a dog, please start at the back"
Chap stood near the front with dog tried to relocate but the dog refused to move.
They were faster than most of the other runners anyway. Did get a laugh when the dog refused to move though.
Competitive dog. hehe

To be honest I really can't see why anyone in their right mind would think starting a fast dog and runner from the back makes any sense at all.

spikeyhead

17,440 posts

199 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
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First time back for me after tearing my calf a couple of months ago. 45 seconds slower than my best at this hilly course, happy with that.

Abbott

2,487 posts

205 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
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Cold wet and slippery underfoot for RunPark this morning in Paris

NuckyThompson

1,611 posts

170 months

Saturday 18th November 2023
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3rd run today, new PB on the course of 24:30. Actually PB of 20:10 many years ago.

When I started back I said I wanted to get to sub 24 at least. First run was 25:30 so big improvement so far.

Think I want to aim for sub 21 by next summer. Hopefully it’s possible

Cybertronian

1,516 posts

165 months

Sunday 19th November 2023
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We've ended up with an unfortunate situation in Birmingham where the newly established Aston Hall parkrun now finds itself without a core team...

It was initially setup in collaboration between The Aston Villa Foundation as part of a community outreach programme, and GoodGym, which has a strong presence in the area.

The person championing Aston Hall parkrun from the Aston Villa Foundation recently left and their replacement doesn't want to take ownership of the event, as it's not their baby. And for whatever reason, GoodGym has also distanced themselves from the event.

They're having to beg, steal and borrow volunteers from neighbouring events, which is ruffling feathers as it's often slim-pickings anyway right up to Friday without having to also loan volunteers elsewhere as well.

Birmingham's gone from under-served to oversaturated in just a few years!

Stephanie Plum

2,783 posts

213 months

Sunday 19th November 2023
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Then it’s ultimately doomed surely. A parkrun is nothing without a core team. Better to knock it on the head sooner rather than later?

Cybertronian

1,516 posts

165 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Aye. The best course of action would be to suspend the event and relaunch it proper with a team in place.

Danny Norman appears to share many of the sentiments that us neighbouring events have, after his visit there last Saturday.

Edited by Cybertronian on Monday 20th November 10:01

Abbott

2,487 posts

205 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Parkrun HQ must do some sort of due diligence before approving a new venue. I do not see it making sense to have too many runs in the same catchment area

RizzoTheRat

25,318 posts

194 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Looking at last weeks (thier 5th event) results, of 80 runners only 6 had run there before, plus 3 first timers. That's not sustainable and I'm amazed they managed to get going at all as it implies either a very small core team, and/or they're all volunteering every week!

Looking at our results for week five, from 63 runners we had 37 returnees and 5 first timers.

john2443

Original Poster:

6,353 posts

213 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Abbott said:
Parkrun HQ must do some sort of due diligence before approving a new venue. I do not see it making sense to have too many runs in the same catchment area
It's difficult to know how many is too many - when we set up Preston Park, a mile from Hove Park some people said it was too close but we both get big numbers...and there are now 3 more in the city, we have a bigger density of events than Birmingham and less population.

I guess when Aston started HQ were led to believe the team would stay with it, not run away as soon as the hard part was done.

MattyD803

1,734 posts

67 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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I guess its a case of park run concentration against population density.....I have 3 runs within 5 minute drive (East of Reading), all of which receive very large numbers EVERY week (250-400), none ever appear to have a shortage of marshals.

resolve10

1,051 posts

47 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Also growth of parkrun in general. When I did my first in 2013 there were 159 runners at York, which at the time was the only parkrun in the city. Now there are three within the outer ring road, along wity a few more within a reasonable distance of the city (Easingwold, Knaresborough)

This week attendances:
York - 514
Heslington - 309
New Earswick - cancelled but averages around 150

Best part of 1,000 runners on a fair weather day!

Anyway, my first contribution to this thread for a good whille, as I've managed to do 4 weekends in a row for the first time in a few years. Touch wood I'm keeping my various ailments from flaring up. Fingers crossed I can keep injury-free long enough to get back to a pace I'm happy with, although I was pleased enough with a 26:23 at the weekend.

Edited by resolve10 on Monday 20th November 23:15

James6112

4,538 posts

30 months

Monday 20th November 2023
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Skyedriver said:
The Parkrun I did on Saturday, the organiser said "those running with a dog, please start at the back"
Chap stood near the front with dog tried to relocate but the dog refused to move.
They were faster than most of the other runners anyway. Did get a laugh when the dog refused to move though.
Maybe I imagined it
But wasn’t the Parkrun record set by a runner pulled by a dog, close to the 5k world record!

RizzoTheRat

25,318 posts

194 months

Tuesday 21st November 2023
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Classed as an assisted run though so I don't think it counts as the official parkrun record. I believe he competed at the European Canicross Championships the following week.

ben5575

6,348 posts

223 months

Saturday 25th November 2023
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I did a feckin freezing Thorp Perrow this morning as I think somebody else on here had mentioned that they'd done it after it just started.

As they said at the beginning, not one for pb's as mostly trails and muddy - although not as muddy as last week apparently.

Did 30.03 but my excuse is that I lost a shoe in the mud (damn those elastic laces!) and spent at least 30s hopping around/trying to avoid getting run over/retrieve my shoe/balance in a pool of mud in the middle of a field trying to put it back on whilst not falling on my arse.

Also managed to loose the end of an airpod as well so did it without music.

So eventful but fun. Lovely place and great volunteers as usual. Maybe not one for when it's very wet though.

spikeyhead

17,440 posts

199 months

Saturday 25th November 2023
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Second run back after injury, 26 seconds quicker than last week. Happy with that

Cybertronian

1,516 posts

165 months

Saturday 25th November 2023
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100th volunteer sesh for me this morning. Still buzzing.

We had a runner dressed as Prince/the Artist formerly known as Prince who has been visiting various West Midlands events, raising money and awareness for prostate cancer. Nice bloke! A small queue formed of people wishing to have photos taken with him!