Surfer I know what you’re saying, though I don’t agree. 3 points.
1. My Mom has just done her 50th parkrun, there’s no way she’d have ever entered a race and no way she’d have joined a running club. I persuaded her to pop up on the promise she wouldn’t be last. She now loves it, loves the community, loves the friends she’s made. She’s done a local club race now, she’s debating joining a local beginners club. She would not have done that without parkrun.

2. On the subject of an easy ride, councils should be giving them an easy ride. They cost the council a nominal fee to set up and then it’s zero cost from then onwards as it’s all volunteer led, they just have to provide the land. Dudley has a huge obesity problem, our event provides a way of people exercising and helping with that, we have doctors recommending patients to us. All this for £3k. bargain.

3. It’s not just about the runners. We have a volunteer who turns up every week, he’s run maybe 3 times but is well on his way to 25 volunteer credits. He’s autistic and, from what I now understand, rarely left the house. Now, every Saturday, he turns up at 8:30am and marshals for us, he has 250 people running past him and thanking him, smiling at him, waving to him. He’s gone from a guy who wouldn’t leave the house to a guy who turns up smiling on a Saturday and has a weekly routine that he loves. Are we’re really proud of him, and of what the community has done to improve his life.

I say again, don’t look at the front of the field, it’s at the back and out on the course that the value is. It’s not about the sharp end, it’s about getting people exercising who wouldn’t do it without it. Yes, clubs play a part in coaching young kids, in developing the sport, and they should be applauded for that, their impact is important. But parkrun is not in competition with them, and any good club will embrace a new influx of runners in the area and recruit from that pool.

The 2 can coexist, I enjoy both, YMMV.

Well said Lunge.

And I just love your Point 3. Priceless.

Lunge I agree with pretty much everything you say about the inclusivity. Why then is it timed and why are those results categorised? I know because I broke one of the records ages ago and my time and finishing place were on the website and my place etc along with a “write up” which was very much written as a race report was emailed out.

* post error*

Why then is it timed and why are those results categorised?

Why wouldn’t you time people if you can?!

People like to progress and feel like they’re improving, going from 38 to 37 minutes keeps people engaged. Everyone likes a PB and you’d lose some of the appeal by removing that. They’re also catergorised so that you can see your progress in the context of your age or sex. Using my Mom as an example again, she started off at 44 minutes and was chuffed when first she broke 40 and now when she drops under 38. She’s not fussed who she beats or doesn’t beat, but getting a touch quicker means she works a little harder, gets a little fitter, etc. She’ll never be the first finisher but she can beat her own time, or go up a percentage in her category.

Also, yes, we celebrate the fast runners, why not? But we also give as big a shout to the guy who’s run his 50th and the person who’s volunteered 25 times.

Lunge those anecdotes are wonderful and not to lessen them but they are not unique to Parkrun. The whole athletic club concept is built on volunteers who work tirelessly for others and I have wonderful stories over the years of peoples lives being changed through athletics and I know a large number of ne’er-do-well’s over the years who have made something of themselves after joining running clubs.
Anyway we are talking past each other and the stuff you are talking about is not my point which I have made a couple of times already so lets leave it there 🙂

Surfer, indeed, I apologise if I have missed your point. I’m more than a little passionate at the benefits of parkrun so can get a little preachy!
Lets leave on the note that parkrun is great, running clubs are also great and that running in general is good for body and mind.
Cheers.

No it’s not.

👏🏻

Love passion Lunge 🙂

Got my first XC champs next weekend, doing a club relay, 4km each, should be fun in a metallic tasting way! 😂

I’m just hoping I’ll be able to walk again normally by the weekend, Sunday’s helping out marking the course at a trail race meant 25km and 1400m climbing… and this weekend should be even worse 🙂

I did my first ever parkrun in 2015, and was recruited to the my local running club by the club president at the end of my 3rd event. It’s fair to say that my running has improved a bit in the subsequent 4 years. The local club is a big supporter of parkrun, and without parkrun I probably wouldn’t have been aware of it. I’d say my life has been significantly enriched by progressing my running through the club, and parkrun has played a significant part of this.

Having said that, the running shop, who also organised events, near my work has closed down and they attribute a lot of their loss of trade due to parkrun, which sounds counter-intuitive. Despite more people running, their opinion was that runners were now expecting a lot for free, as they don’t have to pay for parkrun.

While it’s easy to pick faults with parkrun and draw comparisons, it’s difficult to argue against overall its positive effect on many levels.

Had to look up parkrun (did I write it properly, as spellcheck has flagged it 😉 ) – it does seem analogous to a sportive, many of whose participants will never belong to a cycling club, only took up the sport last year, and are just hoping to get round. Meanwhile at the sharp end it’s very much a race, between riders who belong to clubs, compete in their local masters or elite league, and have spent the last week training on Teide. The few I’ve done over here have been like that at least – sportives hadn’t been invented last time I rode in the UK!

Today is a month since my last run (discounting the two which prematurely ended in me hobbling back down the hill). There’s been improvement, not sure if down to the exercises my Physio set me, or it’s just getting better on its own, insofar as I can walk around without ibuprofen. But running feels a long way off – lasted about 20 paces on a test trot along a soft lawn before it began to feel sore again. This time last month I’d just run my 10k PB…

Thats interesting Turboferret. Would your aspirations be satisfied now by ONLY Parkrun? I suspect not and like me (in the past) you run a range of events. When I was younger I ran competitively over every distance from 200m to the Marathon, I kid you not! My favourite events were 800, 1500, 3000 and 5000 on the track and 5k to 10k on the road as well as relays.
Parkrun does the job of introducing activity to those who lack the confidence or fitness to attempt a race (although we are shifting towards the over celebration of mediocrity in my view) but offers nothing in terms of development which clubs do well. I hope many are encouraged to join athletic clubs because that is the place for them, for many (from my own observations) being the best Park runner every week is their only goal. I personally find that a bit depressing. Running Parkruns regularly as a gauge of fitness and a hard run is fine but for those with competitive aspirations it should not be the be all.

Having said that, the running shop, who also organised events, near my work has closed down and they attribute a lot of their loss of trade due to parkrun, which sounds counter-intuitive. Despite more people running, their opinion was that runners were now expecting a lot for free, as they don’t have to pay for parkrun.

The shops round here are closing down, but that’s all to do with Wiggle, Amazon and the rest – having chatted with the owners they get a lot of people in who try on the shoes, then make some pathetic excuse about how “they’ll think about it”, “it’s not the colour they wanted”, etc… and go buy online. (It’s certainly not parkrun, as it doesn’t exist in Spain…)

I’m not as regular at parkrun as I used to be, although that’s partly family commitments. I don’t think that I’d be satisfied just doing a 5k once a week, hence parkrun being some fun on top of serious and generally longer events. Marathons seem to be where I do best these days, but I can’t do too many of them a year competitively, so other events fill up the calendar too. This coming weekend is the Nation 6-Stage Road Relays in Sutton Coldfield, a little leg primer a week out from York.

Mogrim, I think this shop was rather unique in that it had an events company too, and the events were also supporting the shop. Thus I think the effect was compounded with diminished participation in addition to trying to compete with online retailers. I think the shop made a loss from me as I used to generally pick up a prize of a free pair of shoes from winning the events they organised!

Haven’t run for nearly 2 years and have avoided this thread during that period too. But this week went out and got some new trail running shoes and dragged myself out for a run, because I’m an idiot tried going for a 5 mile cross country run, which I then set out at too high a pace and had to walk for a few mins on the main hill as my heart rate had gone through the roof and calves were solid, finished run and felt good, forgot how relaxing and enjoyable running was.

Now to go back and fully run this route tomorrow or friday and to remember to pace myself!

I sort of get what surfer is trying to say, but you are coming across as a bit sour and snobbish.

having chatted with the owners they get a lot of people in who try on the shoes, then make some pathetic excuse about how “they’ll think about it”, “it’s not the colour they wanted”, etc… and go buy online.

To add a bit of balance, I try them on in Forum then buy them online in Pete Bland’s 😉

I would hope so but I am not sure the evidence bears that out (I will try to find it later) having both is great and all for encouraging people to simply be active but in my view there is an element of displacement

Glupton took me to my first parkrun. 3 months later I joined a running club and dragged a triathlope mate long with me ….we avoiding the town’s athletics club as that holds zero interest running circles is even more boring than running around town.

Like cycling it’s all about getting into the hills for me.

I sort of get what surfer is trying to say, but you are coming across as a bit sour and snobbish.

Whatever. I wasnt “trying” I said it

running circles is even more boring than running around town

Horses for courses I try to get off road as much as I can but in my youth it was all about the circles 🙂

I get it. But athletics club would not have been a way into running for me.

Id not be running if id not been exposed to a group that hill runs.

As it is there’s zero formality we are just a whatsapp group that meets up and runs

We don’t count on any “club” list or running participation list….and judging by the number of people we meet on the hills – we probably are not alone.

Very few of us even race.

we avoiding the town’s athletics club as that holds zero interest running circles is even more boring than running around town.

You’d be surprised, I much prefer running circles to running in town (though I prefer trail to both…) Running circles with a club you’re usually following a coach’s directions, maybe doing intervals, technique work, some kind of fartlek, etc. Between exercises you’re chatting to your club mates.

And all that with no traffic lights, dog shit, cars…

^^Yeah cars are the worst bit – especially the $£^&ers that park 3/4 on the pavements.

I do actually do a session on a track on Thursday nights with a club I’m a member of when I want to do speed work in the lead up to a race. I’m aware of how boring I find it compared to hill running.

But my point was it wasn’t an entry path for me. I saw it as a necessary evil to get faster.

But my point was it wasn’t an entry path for me. I saw it as a necessary evil to get faster.

Ah, gotcha. I can’t see it as an entry path either, unless you’ve been going since your parents signed you up at school. Although I do dispute the “necessary evil” bit: I really enjoy the twice-weekly run sessions at the track with my triathlon club.

Doing my 1st 10k on Sunday. Parkrun time predicts 40′

Track with a group is undoubtedly the best way of doing sessions, however since my 1st child arrived nearly 4 years ago, I’ve made about 2 track sessions with the club. I integrate my intervals into my 20km trail commute, and have improved my times across the board subsequently. Proves that the track isn’t a necessity, but I do have the odd race outing on the track.

Wheres yer 10k Al?

Just signed up for a wee cheeky half marathon in kirkintilloch on Sunday!.

So what we all up to this fine weekend?
I’m a week out from a half and a currently ill so it’ll be light for me.
3.5 gentle miles up to parkrun, run directing once I’m there, 3.5 miles back on Saturday.
1.5 miles to Junior parkrun and 5 miles back Sunday.

Anyone up to anything more interesting?

Anyone want to use my Oxford Half place next weekend (13th October)?

I’m not able to use it, sadly. Free to a good home! Not sure about the switching logistics. You might have to be me for the day.

Depending on ill children and a plethora of other plans, I am either doing the ParkRun tomorrow and aim for a PB or going for a longer (around 10 mile) slower pace run on Sunday.

So what we all up to this fine weekend?

Left my swimming kit at home this morning, so an extra 10k tempo run is on the cards for this afternoon. Then another trip up a mountain on either Sat or Sun, just not sure which. Or which mountain for that matter 🙂 The other day will be a bike day.

Quiet year for me, not had much enthusiasm for racing. Ace news in that our club half has just been voted Best Half Marathon in the North (the power of social media!). Small plug – Four Villages Half Marathon and we’re ramping up for the January edition now.

Couple of health niggles on the back burner now and mojo slowly returning in time for the winter gloom and filth. I do like the XC season. Anyone else doing the British Fell Relays in 2 weeks? Should be a good one in the Peak.

@nobeerinthefridge Loch Ness with work peeps.

Just found Borders xc to be full 😭

I’ve got Wakey parkrun tomorrow as it’s a club league event then off trac 10 at Tickhill on Sunday.
10 miles mostly off road through farmers fields and it’s going to be raining so should be extra muddy. I’ve got the trail talons at the ready. Next weekend it’s Isle of Axholme half. My first half for a while so will see how I get on.
I managed a wake up and run 18 this morning, was warm but wet and dark to start off with. I like running first thing, but not every day….

Hopefully Nonsuch parkrun tomorrow if leg feels ok. Not sure a pb on but we’ll see.
Did pyramid track session last night and it was strangely compelling. Round and round and round, but nothing to think about so very therapeutic. Finished off with a 4×400 and despite tired legs after 7k of running managed my best time in 30 years – 1:30. I reckon i can get it down to 1:20 if fresh. Fast team got a 4:57 which wasn’t bad at all. Just shows how fast you have to run to get a 4 minute mile as they were ripping around.

Next week might do the Richmond Park XX race with the club. 5 miles, two laps, could probably just about make it.

Unlikely to be much for me this weekend – niggling shin splint that I want rid of and hoping to do the Windgather fell race next weekend…