A little progress

[Austen304]

Having been frustrated in improving my Parkrun time regularly to one starting with a 3 and not a 4, it was good to get a PB of 39.22 yesterday - not impressive I know, but I was fastest in my age group (I'm the only one that old). However, I find that my Tomtom Runner watch seems to have different ideas and, even allowing for forgetting to press the button immediately when I finish the run, gives me a time longer than the official one, in this case about 2 minutes longer and starting with a 4, which is not good. I assume that the Parkrun timing is pretty accurate, without any real evidence that this is so, and such a difference between the two measurements is a nuisance. Your comments would be appreciated.

[Patrick1942 Graduate]

I presume at the start you were some distance behind the fastest runners, this could give you a difference in time, it all depends when and where you started your watch. Parkrun times are very acurate but it does depend on you start. Well done on your new pb. 

[Austen304 in reply to Patrick1942]

The worst of it is that I don't start the watch until I, the pushchairs and the dogs are at least plodding (which it could be said I do all the way through). Thanks for the response,

[Sundae8pm Graduate]

There could be a number of reasons...  Maybe you got the wrong finish chip (they got out of sequence).  Maybe the timer clicked too many runners in, giving you a false position.  Maybe some runners finished, but didn't take their position chips, again, giving you a false position.

I would take the Parkrun time as a badge of glory, but your watch time may be nearer the truth?

[Austen304 in reply to Sundae8pm]

I wouldn't think anything went wrong with the procedure (as you might expect). At my end of the procession the gaps between finishers are large. But thanks for the ideas.

[Sundae8pm Graduate in reply to Austen304]

It is a problem, especially way ahead of you!  Quite a few runners go through the line, but don't take a token for whatever reason.  That will shuffle everyone up.  They do try and check for these, but I can imagine the path of least resistance is favoured!

[runswithdogs Graduate]

Always take the fastest time.  Why settle for less? :).

[ShannieP Graduate]

My time is always slightly different to Parkrun times and sometimes my app says if done less than 5k.....joy of satellites.

So I know use the Parkrun distance and time.

Congratulations on you PB 🏃

[poppypug Graduate]

Well done Austen on your PB !

You are an inspiration you really are ! xxx

[Austen304 in reply to poppypug]

How nice of you! Thanks.

[Austen304]

I agree with you 100%, of course. Since writing my post I read an article in the Weekend supplement of Saturday's Times on 'How to be a better runner'. One section ('Leave the fitness trackers at home') says 'not all tracking devices are accurate' and many over or underestimate distance run by a considerable margin'. So the measured fastest time is most reliable! Good.)

[Sundae8pm Graduate in reply to Austen304]

Don't forget your watch will act as a stopwatch for time.