parkrun, lap two

Agreed, I don't think think the current removal of stats will result in a significant decrease in participation. I suspect that the current change is more likely to put off regular volunteers who have put in a lot of time into parkrun and are more likely to have an interest in the stats. I have already seen people saying that they are likely to volunteer less. However, if as suggested, event results are changed so that you only get your own time, or even times aren't given at all, those changes would result in a big drop off which I think is the drop off alluded to in previous posts.

People on a predominately UK parkrun facebook group were getting quite riled up about the confirmation that stats were not returning. I actually left the group because it was so negative.

Yes I'd rather they hadn't taken away the stats - I manage the social media for my local parkrun and quite often do up the run report and sometimes the stats were interesting or handy to dissect. I think it's that parkrun HQ seem to have said that they won't take the feedback from parkrun regulars and that decisions are made at HQ level (and not taking into account the community views) has annoyed people.

There was rumblings online that the results would be removed, that timing would be stopped. It had kinda grown legs a bit!!

So, what would you say needs to be a minimum pace to attend Parkrun? 8 minutes a kilometre?

Achill back in action this weekend.

I agree with your second paragraph. Parkrun seems to have been doing a big push to get new people signed up by targeting walkers. But what about the people who are already taking part in parkrun? Don't forget about them. Parkrun was started out for runners to come together for a weekly run and chat after. Many of those who volunteer are injured runners, runners who have an upcoming race or family members. Yeah I'm confused about the "community" element also. Isn't that what the parkrun ambassadors are for - the link between the events on the ground and parkrun HQ?

So what? Its still called Park Run, if HQ want to move towards making it an untimed walk then change the name.

Your steadfast apologizing for HQ is admirable, maybe you could answer this one

If someone who turns up a 100 times is more important than someone who is trying to knock a second off their PB, what if the person turning up for the 100th time is trying to knock a second of their PB? Does that make them less impressive?

If there is no emphasis on the run why by call it Parkrun? Maybe simplistic but that's my point. Anyway, have a nice weekend. And enjoy your Parkrun if you get a chance.

the fact that someone has done 100 parkruns, walking or running, may put someone else off starting, if you go by HQ logic.

That is essentially the same as saying you can't display time stats. Nobody is more impressive, nobody is less impressive, everyone is just what they are.

Shout out to the extended family who filled all volunteer roles for the Donabate parkrun this morning. No one picked up their ball and threatened to go home, there were no discussions about forming a breakaway saturday afternoon event, no mobile phones were discarded in disgust, by runners unable to find over their post run coffee, where they would have finished with their time this day 7 years ago in a parkrun in Poland, just some people and a Sith Lord out for run/jog/walk.

Anyone who has done the Athlone Parkrun in AIT/TUS will be getting the "We were there" badge in the 5k app as the move to the regional sports centre is being classed as a new Parkrun called the "Athlone RSC Parkrun."

Too late, the last Athlone Parkrun was last Saturday.

The first Athlone RSC Parkrun is this Saturday.

I was there maybe 6 years ago, I confused myself into thinking I had to visit the new event or something which of course I don't :)

Do you know how you're getting over there? Flight from Inveran can only take 8 people including the pilot, ferry from Rosaveel won't make it for 11. Doolin is quite a drive from Galway and I think only 1 ferry a month makes it in time but that might have changed.

University of Galway is a good one, especially if you're alphabet chasing or trying to spell Parkrun because it's the only U in Ireland, north or south.

Enjoy.

Anyone seen the Voronoi filter on the 5k app? Basically the more isolated a parkrun is, the bigger the segment of the map you fill if you do the run. For example you shade in about 3/4 of Iceland if you do Erris Head and a fair chunk of the Atlantic if you do Bere Island.

Yeah, I know the bane of running the exact same route 2 days running and it coming up as 4.75K one day, 5.05K the next day.

But the way I look at it is I know it's 5K and I know exactly where the 1K,2K,3K,4K points are, so I can pace myself that way and monitor my progress during a run or long-term trends. So not really an issue.

Yeah - actually the other thing I was doing while posting this was pulling up Google Maps and finding references for those points. It's laps of a park, and finding out exactly how long a lap was an calculating what time I wanted to end each lap at will help too!