parkrun

[RobM77]

john2443 said:

RobM77 said:

If you like travelling, it bumps it up by the number of countries that have parkrun

Not quite - more than 1 country do 24/12, 25/12 and 26/12.

There are 10(??) unique extra days, plus New Year.

Thanks - my comment was just in jest, but it is interesting to know how many unique extra days there are

[RizzoTheRat]

john2443 said:

Not quite - more than 1 country do 24/12, 25/12 and 26/12.

There are 10(??) unique extra days, plus New Year.

I think Sweden and Denmark do consecutive days so you can nip across the bridge from Copenhagen to Malmo if you're really keen at new year

[john2443]

Bushy last Saturday for the 15th birthday (of Bushy and hence of parkrun) seeing we had a nearby family party to go to - only 1838 runners, less than expected they had 2200 real finish tokens plus paper ones in reserve. Car parks were rammed!

BBC were there, a couple of reports on Saturday Breakfast, also PSH, various HQ people & Nell McAndrew .

Despite my current unfit/slightly injured state and the path being so crowded we couldn't really get going until about 4k, I managed low 800 position, so 1000 even slower/less fit/more injured behind me!

Fortunately we headed off to the cafe fairly quickly after we finished so the queue wasn't too bad.

Special edition of With Me Now , mostly interviews with significant people.

We're at Burgess park next Saturday for Ugandan Independence Day (No, I'm not Ugandan, but they invited us to go and I guess they'll be doing some dancing, food, general shenanigans)

[KTF]

We had BBC Radio Solent phone up our event (and others in the area) prior to the start to get peoples views on parkrun - why they did it, what it means to them, etc. rather than send a reporter out.

Its amazing in a way just how 'normal' it has now become to get up on a Saturday morning and run a 5k. Plus its a great leveler as you have (most of the time) no idea what the person next to you does so it really is classless.

[RobM77]

KTF said:

Plus its a great leveler as you have (most of the time) no idea what the person next to you does so it really is classless.

This is one of the things I love about running compared to my other sport of motor racing. In motor racing, everyone's car is different (even in one make championships), and making your car different to be faster takes money. Also, everyone needs to spend £300+ to go and practise on a test day or to tweak their setups. Furthermore, the guys next to you might not be tired from towing their car, unloading it and preparing it, because they might be paying people to do that for them! Basically, driving talent matters, but it is always vastly overshadowed by money. With running, everyone's equal and I love that.

I completely agree about Parkrun too. I love the fact that some go as a social thing, some walk, some take their dogs or even push their kids in pushchairs, whereas some go balls out for a time. All together.

[Crasher242]

RobM77 said:

KTF said:

Plus its a great leveler as you have (most of the time) no idea what the person next to you does so it really is classless.

I completely agree about Parkrun too. I love the fact that some go as a social thing, some walk, some take their dogs or even push their kids in pushchairs, whereas some go balls out for a time. All together.

^ this
This weekend coming i will be celebrating my 1-year parkrun birthday. In 12 months i have gone from a complete non-runner to someone who doesn't care what the weather is doing on a Saturday morning as long as I am outside running - i just need to get out there and run and enjoy it.
It is a well-used cliche, but this is what 9 am on a Saturday feels like

[RizzoTheRat]

I set a new PB last weekend while touristing so keen to get back to my home parkrun and see how I can do, but sadly I'm parkrunless for the next couple of weekends
Meeting up with a couple of people Saturday morning to have a run round the woods at a possible future parkrun location, but it's not quite the same.

[Cybertronian]

The Free Weekly Timed podcast had a soft relaunch of sorts the other day to coincide with the 15th anniversary celebrations.

The reformatted show still features Vassos Alexander, who openly admitted he had little time to keep doing the podcast, also more or less confirming he is being paid by parkrun in some manner.

Louise Ayling has been replaced by Helen Williams, wife of parkrun COO Tom Williams, who herself is an event director for a parkrun junior event to also lend a bit more of an official endorsement of sorts. Further to this, each week also feature an interview with somebody from parkrun HQ. Louise will reportedly still be around, providing excerpts from the field when she tours.

Still prefer the With Me Now podcast as I find that far more relatable, entertaining and educational, but the new format is an improvement on what came before. Time will tell whether it has the legs to last, or whether it gets put out to pasture again.

[768]

I've done a few park runs recently, putting in a solid 12 minute time.

Following my 6 year old round on the junior 2k course.

[T6 vanman]

In Edinburgh next weekend, (west end)

Which parkrun Edinburgh or Portobello is easiest to access?

[Gilhooligan]

T6 vanman said:

In Edinburgh next weekend, (west end)

Which parkrun Edinburgh or Portobello is easiest to access?

Depends really. Are you driving? Portobello will be closer but both events are easy enough to drive to at that time in the morning. Crammond is a nicer event imo which isn’t a multi lap (speaking as someone who has done 20+ at each event).

[john2443]

I gave up on Free Weekly Timed after forcing myself to listen to the first 6, it just annoyed me so much I couldn't stand it!

I listened to the parkrun show and With Me Now from the start of both - quite a lot of in jokes so it must be difficult if you come in part way through, but I enjoy it; probably helps that I know Danny in person as well.

Listened to last weeks FWT and it was OK, Helen is more knowledgeable AND has some personality! Louise must be one of the dullest people ever - why, when there are 6m people registered they picked her is a mystery!

I'll try again with FWT this week, slightly annoying if it always comes out on Thurs, the same as WMN, with Marathon Talk on Weds there's a load of pods all at once!

[RizzoTheRat]

768 said:

I've done a few park runs recently, putting in a solid 12 minute time.

Following my 6 year old round on the junior 2k course.

I hope you didn't go through the finish funnel

I was volunteer coordinator for my local Junior one the other week and forgot to brief the "Crowd Control" volunteer about her secondary role of ensuring no parents go through the funnel. Our regular timekeeper gets very upset whenever they do it

[768]

I didn't, but now you mention it my wife very sternly told me not to do that and my son cried afterwards a couple of weeks ago when he tried going in a lap early and got told not to. I've no idea what they're doing with the timings, but it's clearly tense stuff.

[simoid]

Going for the first parkrun of the year on Saturday (there - I said it). Slag me off rotten if I don’t get out of my bed, please

[Cybertronian]

john2443 said:

I gave up on Free Weekly Timed after forcing myself to listen to the first 6, it just annoyed me so much I couldn't stand it!

I listened to the parkrun show and With Me Now from the start of both - quite a lot of in jokes so it must be difficult if you come in part way through, but I enjoy it; probably helps that I know Danny in person as well.

Listened to last weeks FWT and it was OK, Helen is more knowledgeable AND has some personality! Louise must be one of the dullest people ever - why, when there are 6m people registered they picked her is a mystery!

I'll try again with FWT this week, slightly annoying if it always comes out on Thurs, the same as WMN, with Marathon Talk on Weds there's a load of pods all at once!

I came late to The parkrun Show and gave up after a few minutes of the latest episode at the time - as you said, John, I found it impenetrable. With Me Now was perfect as a reboot of sorts and I've been hooked since the start.

I'm close to giving up on Marathon Talk, which pains me as I've been listening since 2012 or so, bought various t-shirts and have been a Patreon supporter, too. The show has become too long and sprawling and outside of the interviews and news, rarely has anything new to say. What would help immensely are chapter markers, which a lot of the 1 hour plus podcasts I listen to have adopted in the last 12 months or so.

[T6 vanman]

Gilhooligan said:

Thanks for the reply … no were flying in for the Rr UtE on Sunday so have no transport
Unfortunately SHMBO'd has informed me we'll be queuing for the Castle tour at 9:50

[simoid]

T6 vanman said:

Thanks for the reply … no were flying in for the Rr UtE on Sunday so have no transport
Unfortunately SHMBO'd has informed me we'll be queuing for the Castle tour at 9:50

If that changes, you can easily get a bus from the west end to cramond/Silverknowes (37/47 I think) or Portobello (possibly a 26?) buses in Edinburgh are grand.

[Crasher242]

I did Gloucester North parkrun this weekend. A 3-lapper around rugby/playing fields, so was a bit muddy and some challenging potholes to avoid.
It was their 4th birthday too, so free cakes at the end

Not only did i collect another "G" for the Staying Alive challenge, but also the "North" for compass points, and as a brucie-bonus, also ticked off another time on the stopwatch bingo (30-down, 30 to go). Even the rain stayed away for the duration of the run, so very much a good result

[Gilhooligan]

New parkrun starting in Glasgow. According to Google maps, it’s 1.7 miles from the start of the nearest parkrun (which is incidentally Scotland’s oldest parkrun). Potential record for two closest events? Can anyone think of events that are closer to each other?