parkrun

[Harpoon]

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

[Randy Winkman]

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

[andyA700]

Randy Winkman said:

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

It is actually very simple at elite .level, where athletes have "biological passports". A simple buccal swab will reveal if the athlete is male or female.

[8.4L 154]

andyA700 said:

Randy Winkman said:

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

It is actually very simple at elite .level, where athletes have "biological passports". A simple buccal swab will reveal if the athlete is male or female.

Parkrun isn't elite level athletics, not everyone has a biological passport, is that even a thing or just something you made up. The Olympics tried "sex testing" it's female athlete's before and got into a right mess which is why they stopped doing it.

Parkrun is about inclusiveness, physical activity and eliminating barrier's to participating. Sex testing and passport's is a huge barrier. Today's statement makes it clear Parkrun considered the records tables as a barrier to participation. It would almost certainly be illegal for them to put in place the policy you and your fellow gender critical activists want.

[Terminator X]

Silliness really. If women are prepared to let all their parkrun records go then I guess it's up to them eg protest if you don't like it say nowt if not bothered. To pretend that the records are puting people off though is

TX.

Edit - the winning male on my course is at least 5 mins quicker than the female week on week.

Edited by Terminator X on Wednesday 14th February 19:18

[8.4L 154]

Terminator X said:

. To pretend that the records are puting people off though is

Park Run CEO Russ Jefferys said:

I truly believe that we have an obligation to continue identifying and removing the barriers that stand in the way. Records were one such example. The fear of finishing last, of being the ‘slowest’, of not being celebrated, of not being as good as everyone else, or not even able to finish at all. None of these things should be a barrier to joining parkrun, but it certainly wasn’t helpful that we were providing prominent links to a considerable amount of data from our home pages that was clearly performance related.

https://www.parkrun.com/blog/news/2024/02/14/an-open-letter-from-russ-jefferys-ceo-parkrun-global/

[RizzoTheRat]

Terminator X said:

Edit - the winning male on my course is at least 5 mins quicker than the female week on week.

Our overall course record was by a female, but didn't count on any of the stats as she was in a wheelchair and they didn't have a stat for that, so the stats weren't complete anyway.

[fiatpower]

Whilst I was no where near the top of records I did just squeak onto my local venues top 500 which a time of 19:54 which has also been scrubbed. Don’t know why but I’m quite Gutted at that!

[Evanivitch]

jeremyc said:

If Parkrun is all about the participation (for everyone), then surely they should just publish a list of finishers: no times, no age categories, no gender.

That still allows all of the Parkrun incentives and challenges, but removes all element of competition.

I'd be happy with finishers and times listed in alphabetical order.

[andyA700]

8.4L 154 said:

andyA700 said:

Randy Winkman said:

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

It is actually very simple at elite .level, where athletes have "biological passports". A simple buccal swab will reveal if the athlete is male or female.

Parkrun isn't elite level athletics, not everyone has a biological passport, is that even a thing or just something you made up. The Olympics tried "sex testing" it's female athlete's before and got into a right mess which is why they stopped doing it.

Parkrun is about inclusiveness, physical activity and eliminating barrier's to participating. Sex testing and passport's is a huge barrier. Today's statement makes it clear Parkrun considered the records tables as a barrier to participation. It would almost certainly be illegal for them to put in place the policy you and your fellow gender critical activists want.

You could have Googled "biological passport" but obviously that is beyond you, so you try to be sarky about it. Obviousy, when people try to cheat - taking drugs, men prdetending to be women etc., you take measures to counter that.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-pas...

[8.4L 154]

andyA700 said:

8.4L 154 said:

andyA700 said:

Randy Winkman said:

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

It is actually very simple at elite .level, where athletes have "biological passports". A simple buccal swab will reveal if the athlete is male or female.

Parkrun isn't elite level athletics, not everyone has a biological passport, is that even a thing or just something you made up. The Olympics tried "sex testing" it's female athlete's before and got into a right mess which is why they stopped doing it.

Parkrun is about inclusiveness, physical activity and eliminating barrier's to participating. Sex testing and passport's is a huge barrier. Today's statement makes it clear Parkrun considered the records tables as a barrier to participation. It would almost certainly be illegal for them to put in place the policy you and your fellow gender critical activists want.

You could have Googled "biological passport" but obviously that is beyond you, so you try to be sarky about it. Obviousy, when people try to cheat - taking drugs, men prdetending to be women etc., you take measures to counter that.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-pas...

So you want a blood test to participate in a Saturday morning fun run. You can wear your wellies if you want though.

Your position deserves snark

[Ashfordian]

8.4L 154 said:

Terminator X said:

. To pretend that the records are puting people off though is

Park Run CEO Russ Jefferys said:

I truly believe that we have an obligation to continue identifying and removing the barriers that stand in the way. Records were one such example. The fear of finishing last, of being the ‘slowest’, of not being celebrated, of not being as good as everyone else, or not even able to finish at all. None of these things should be a barrier to joining parkrun, but it certainly wasn’t helpful that we were providing prominent links to a considerable amount of data from our home pages that was clearly performance related.

https://www.parkrun.com/blog/news/2024/02/14/an-open-letter-from-russ-jefferys-ceo-parkrun-global/

That is a load of claptrap from Parkrun. It's just spinning the situation they have created and the gullible believe it.

Parkrun has always supported those at the back of the field way more than those at the front. They even introduced the ParkWalk initiative recently.

[Randy Winkman]

8.4L 154 said:

andyA700 said:

8.4L 154 said:

andyA700 said:

Randy Winkman said:

Harpoon said:

Ashfordian said:

I'm sure it is. I'm also equally sure any selfish idiots doing this are getting reported and having their 'achievements' removed immediately upon the report...

How can you be sure? A new Strava account which claims to be female (with no profile picture) could start bagging CRs in my local area and nobody would be wiser it's actually a man.

Exactly. I'm not sure how anyone is supposed to enforce these rules. It's hard enough at elite level.

It is actually very simple at elite .level, where athletes have "biological passports". A simple buccal swab will reveal if the athlete is male or female.

Parkrun isn't elite level athletics, not everyone has a biological passport, is that even a thing or just something you made up. The Olympics tried "sex testing" it's female athlete's before and got into a right mess which is why they stopped doing it.

Parkrun is about inclusiveness, physical activity and eliminating barrier's to participating. Sex testing and passport's is a huge barrier. Today's statement makes it clear Parkrun considered the records tables as a barrier to participation. It would almost certainly be illegal for them to put in place the policy you and your fellow gender critical activists want.

You could have Googled "biological passport" but obviously that is beyond you, so you try to be sarky about it. Obviousy, when people try to cheat - taking drugs, men prdetending to be women etc., you take measures to counter that.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-pas...

So you want a blood test to participate in a Saturday morning fun run. You can wear your wellies if you want though.

Your position deserves snark

It's unbelievable isn't it? Is there a smile for someone holding their head in their hands?

[RizzoTheRat]

Ashfordian said:

8.4L 154 said:

Terminator X said:

. To pretend that the records are puting people off though is

Park Run CEO Russ Jefferys said:

I truly believe that we have an obligation to continue identifying and removing the barriers that stand in the way. Records were one such example. The fear of finishing last, of being the ‘slowest’, of not being celebrated, of not being as good as everyone else, or not even able to finish at all. None of these things should be a barrier to joining parkrun, but it certainly wasn’t helpful that we were providing prominent links to a considerable amount of data from our home pages that was clearly performance related.

https://www.parkrun.com/blog/news/2024/02/14/an-open-letter-from-russ-jefferys-ceo-parkrun-global/

That is a load of claptrap from Parkrun. It's just spinning the situation they have created and the gullible believe it.

Parkrun has always supported those at the back of the field way more than those at the front. They even introduced the ParkWalk initiative recently.

To my mind, the records don't directly put new people off, but they encourage some to treat is a race which does put some people off. As you say they have been pushing for the slower people for a long time, with tail walker, park walkers and celebrating the fact that the average times are getting slower, so trying to make it less race like makes sense.
It also cuts down on things like tourist groups trying to beat specific venue's attendance record, which is a problem if like us there the agreement with the park is based on a maximum number of people. If we go over it occasionally nobody's going to care too much, but if our maximum number is shown on the website it's a bit obvious. Also when setting up a new event, the pitch to venue is is about getting people in to running, community event, etc etc. Having course records and league tables prominently displayed on the website make it look a lot more like a race, which can put some venues off.

I've still yet to see a reason to be annoyed by these changes. We all turned up and ran last week just the same as before.



A bit of tourism for me the next couple of weeks as we're on holiday. Despite considering some of the challenge chasing tourists a little mad, we're driving up to Lincoln the week after next so my Mrs can finally complete the alphabet at Yarborough

[MesoForm]

RizzoTheRat said:

A bit of tourism for me the next couple of weeks as we're on holiday. Despite considering some of the challenge chasing tourists a little mad, we're driving up to Lincoln the week after next so my Mrs can finally complete the alphabet at Yarborough

I keep thinking the challenge chasing tourists are a little mad right until I get some progress on an achievement then start to think it's not that much effort just to drive a bit further... Got progress on 8 achievements last week

[Master Bean]

Rocup Canon Hill.

[smn159]

Ashfordian said:

That is a load of claptrap from Parkrun. It's just spinning the situation they have created and the gullible believe it.

Parkrun has always supported those at the back of the field way more than those at the front. They even introduced the ParkWalk initiative recently.

Why not try and make you point without the over emotive language? This isn't NP&E

Those at the back of the field tend to be those who need more support and encouragement to participate that those at the front.

[fiatpower]

Master Bean said:

Rocup Canon Hill.

Hopefully they don't have to cancel like Edgbaston reservoir had to the other week. How do you know it's there this time? Just says new venue on their instagram.

[RizzoTheRat]

MesoForm said:

I keep thinking the challenge chasing tourists are a little mad right until I get some progress on an achievement then start to think it's not that much effort just to drive a bit further... Got progress on 8 achievements last week

At least it's only a 45 minute drive for us, we get tourists doing an overnight coach to get to us for a Z, and then getting the coach back again a few hours later. Lunatics

[Zigster]

andyA700 said:

You could have Googled "biological passport" but obviously that is beyond you, so you try to be sarky about it. Obviousy, when people try to cheat - taking drugs, men prdetending to be women etc., you take measures to counter that.

https://www.wada-ama.org/en/athlete-biological-pas...

You only have to consider the case of Caster Semenya to realise the issue is not simple to resolve.