Parkrun

[HeavyFoot]

What we’re not talking about

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10]

I’m a bit confused…maybe I need some more coffee! What have I missed?

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

I’m away in Australia, but I’m getting reports of Parkrun abolishing gender rankings (also age rankings?). Is this old news?

[MissUnderstanding Administrator Graduate10 in reply to HeavyFoot]

The reports are right… there’s a bbc article explaining it here;

bbc.com/sport/68239218.amp

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thank you. It clearly goes further than the initial reports. Nevertheless, how is this going down? I would have liked a BMI ranking to be added!

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10 in reply to HeavyFoot]

Loads of discussion everywhere...and some very heated ones.

independent.co.uk/life-styl...

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

I already like the subheading of that article 😉

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to Oldfloss]

I love that article, but I’m afraid I am guilty of liking Garmin stats too. Not as far as sharing Strava data though.

We do have an alternative run on Sunday called RunWalkLocal. There are no published results, and the Run Director just says the time as you cross the line. It seems much more relaxed as a result.

[Annieapple Administrator]

🍏That would be a lot extra for the volunteers because for it to be fair every person would need to be weighed plus height measured before every race!

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to Annieapple]

I thought BMI would be self reported (like age and gender)!

[Annieapple Administrator]

🍏Interesting 🤔 but I am not sure how it would add any value to the final result. Some people may not like having to give that statistic….

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

I think that Park Run (not that I have done many, but I enjoyed those I ran) is an amazing institution from which so many people have benefited and continue to benefit. Accessibility is a key feature, and the last thing it needs is to have any public controversy, because that might deter people from participating. So I am happy to leave those responsible for keeping Park Run going to resolve this the best way they can. I wish them well👍

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to Beachcomber66]

Let’s see how it pans out. There are a lot of very competitive participants who would resent their fast times not being published.

[Beachcomber66 Graduate10]

Seeing how it pans out works for me 🙂

[Yesletsgo Administrator Graduate10]

If the whole point of Parkrun is to participate why do we need to get so hung up on times, other than our own? I suppose I'd care more if I was ever going to be one of the first to finish but I'm not, and neither are most people. If a transwoman or three finish before me it makes no difference to my experience. Storm in a teacup.

Having said which I take a different view for competitive/contact sports as there are safety issues.

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

I agree. But time and ranking is important to some fastest runners and I wonder if they’ll stay away. I would miss the grim faced gazelles who had time to drink a coffee and a long chat by the time I finish.

[Oldfloss Administrator Graduate10 in reply to Yesletsgo]

I agree.

[Survivor1952]

Storm in a teacup created by a vocal minority who have been pandered to.

[Jell6 Graduate10 in reply to Survivor1952]

Not really a storm in a teacup. Parkrun have decided to remove the gender, age and course records from it's website, rather than taking a stand for women.

They have wussed out, and once again women are in a position where they can lose to men.

I was going to add biological to the words men and women, but thought why the hell should I, it shouldn't need further explanation.

And a special thanks to @HeavyFoot for winding me up so early on a Sunday.

.

[HeavyFoot Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

My pleasure, Jell6. I’m in Western Australia so have a 8 hour head start in getting wound up. And wound down. I think, for myself, I’ll continue to turn up, do my best, and finish amongst the last twenty and be glad I went. If I’m still running in ten years, that’ll be bunce.

[Jell6 Graduate10 in reply to HeavyFoot]

Bunce is not a word I've heard in a very long time, I thought it meant money. I've just googled it and see it also means unexpected luck or good fortune. So yes, if we're still here doing this in 10 years it will be😘👍

[Run46 Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

I don't want them to take a stand for me. If indeed they've made this decision because of trans women running in the female category rather than the reasons they've actually given. It's a very complicated decision and they'd be damned if they did and damned if they didn't. I think it's brave not wussy to take a stance that many will disagree with if you believe in what you're doing.

I don't mind who I get beaten by, that includes trans woman...Parkrun should be all inclusive, about getting people outside and moving for a healthier, happier society. Not sure why people even need to specify what body parts they have or haven't got or how they happen to see themselves. As long as they're out there running.

[Jell6 Graduate10 in reply to Run46]

Nobody is suggesting that they can't run, but it's an unfair advantage and parkrun could have done better. You may not require somebody to stand for you, but there are female athletes, in competitive sports that probably wish more would stand with them.

[Run46 Graduate10 in reply to Jell6]

I feel Parkrun is improved for being less competitive, I'm sure there are many that run it to beat others and therefore disagree, but I don't feel competition is it's aim.

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10 in reply to Run46]

Exactly, Run46 ! It seems to me this change actually reinforces the parkrun philosophy, which is NOT about competition. There are oodles of competitive races but parkrun isn't one of them.

[Madge50 Graduate10]

ok, as a person who actually loves parkrun, and, yes I admit, a serious addict to its whole ethos….….😂….what I can see has changed is the stats they place at the bottom of every results list, age grade record holder and fastest man/woman etc., for that course overall are no longer there

The weekly results list for each event appears unchanged……You still get your result, number of parkruns you’ve clocked up, number of volunteers you’ve done (milestones that is) your age grade, your gender etc.,

So not quite sure what all the fuss is about…🤷‍♀️

Mx

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10 in reply to Madge50]

Yes! I don't get it either! I mean, I could sort of understand an uproar if they'd do away with time measurements altogether (even there I'd argue it would be more consistent with their aim of getting people to move but I could see why people would get upset...). Seems like a much ado about nothing... 🤷‍♀️ or are we missing something?

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10]

Honestly, I am glad that they got rid of the speed focus because it was the thing that turned me off! I thought parkrun was all about getting together - and then I did a parkrun and it was just as competitive as the officially timed racing events that I like so little. It seems like this change is going back to its original purpose: Encourage regular movement! If people want to race, there are plenty of other events... (granted not every week at the same place...)

I might be far more likely to give it a try again now!

[RunWillie Graduate10]

I feel sad that it seems it is inclusive for all, except for the people towards the front.

My young son wants to work towards beating course records. He doesn’t know whether he will be good enough to run for his country one day but park run has been his encouragement week on week to keep working on his running. That’s grass root sport. He doesn’t care that it takes others over an hour to finish park run so why can’t we celebrate him wanting to beat the course record.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

Your son will still be able to see this running stats and watch his progress on his profile RunWillie and he will still see where he stands each week on the results.

I think sometimes HQ has to make tough decisions to adapt to changing situations . Given that they have to manage this wonderful Saturday event for us, worldwide, I trust that they will do what they think is best, within the parkrun ethos.

[Hedgehogs123 Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

I agree Dexy, its- not as easy decision to make. I like to look at my time each week , but I can do that with my own watch. I love the whole ethos of ParkRun and so hope and trust that they will come to the best solution for the majority.

[RunWillie Graduate10 in reply to Dexy5]

Thanks Dexy5 😍 I wasn’t meaning to have a go at park run just posting another view point. No.2 son loves park run & the faster runners inspire him & encourage him to keep developing as a runner.

[Dexy5 Graduate10 in reply to RunWillie]

I didn’t think you were RunWillie . I just wanted to reassure you that most of the information your son would be interested in each week is still available to see , and through your event results history menu you can see the weekly first finishers. See photo of a random WA page.

I love to see how the youngsters develop at our parkrun, and it must be brilliant to do it as a family.

parkrun historic results page

[Dexy5 Graduate10]

As you say, there is an awful lot of discussion about this, and a lot of scaremongering and false information in various reports and social media. I am certainly not going to enter the various debates on here or on social media.

Personally though , I am glad to see the records removed, purely for the fact that parkrun is not a race, but is a community run. It is not competitive sport, with chip times. There is no doubt that some of the faster runners come to our parkrun on days when the conditions are good with the intention of beating the event record time and it’s hard to see how they can stop in time to avoid collisions with the general public when necessary. We have had instances of fast runners shouting and swearing at members of the public who might be in their way. Let the fast runners register for races in a safe, controlled environment to get their names in the records, not do it at parkrun.

I would like to keep parkrun as a fun run, open to all, I believe parkrun HQ should be allowed to deal with this, knowing that they have ownership and I believe have the interests of runners like us at heart.

[nowster Graduate10]

independent.co.uk/life-styl...

[RunWillie Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

😂

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10 in reply to nowster]

This is such a great article!

[ChannelRunner2 Graduate10]

Here is the official announcement. The only thing that won't be published anymore are "data such as most first finishes, sub 17 men and sub 20 women, and age grade or category speed records." "The event history page will also stay the same, including the ‘sort’ function at the top that allows data to be displayed in different ways."

So, honestly, I really don't get what all the fuzz is about! It's not like they're forbidding sub 17 / sub 20 racers to participate... It's not like parkruns are Olympic qualifying events or something...

parkrun.com/blog/news/2024/...