Park Runs: Children - Why?

I think many would agree it's good for children to get out of the home and into outdoor pursuits. Walking to school over the common and cycling along a promenade has helped make my daughter resilient, even though she moaned at the time. She loves the outdoors now and will go out in any weather light or dark, in the right clothes, of course.

You’ve put words in quotation marks that I didn’t use, then accused me of not being scientific enough by my sampling method? I am rolling my eyes at you.

By the way, those ignorant people who can’t keep their dogs on a lead and under control for a few seconds while children run/walk past are the WORST thing about junior Parkrun.

I won’t reply to you again as I have nothing else to add and we clearly disagree.

But no-one has taken over the OP’s space. OP has been back to say that people get their kids out of her way because of her 2 dogs which are of a breed people keep their kids away from. Which she takes to junior park run, which she can’t stand observing, every week.

I’m struggling to think of a more unreasonable OP.

No they should be running around parks etc playing, for the sheer joy of it, not having to participate in an organised structured run.

"Everyone who supports this activity comments on what a great activity it is." Well you certainly proved your point with rigorous sampling there, didn't you?

For some people, their Sunday morning is the only time they get to themselves all week, and a lot of them like to do it quietly, without a load of noise and fanfare and flags and finish lines and start zones and marshals and timers, and people blocking the paths.

It do understand that it's really nice that in last few years, a load of people who couldn't be arsed to get out in the fresh air before performative-organised-running became a thing are now getting some exercise, but to be so dismissive of people who were already using those spaces for exercise before you lot cane along and took over is just RUDE.

I do enjoy organised sport, but try very hard not to inconvenience the people with whom we share the space, because, you know, manners.

I’m a run director for junior Parkrun. In every briefing I do I tell them I have two rules

1. have fun
2. keep moving

There are a number of our volunteers who come along every week who enjoy the company and wouldn’t have anyone to talk to otherwise, so they really enjoy it and get something out it too.

Every runner/walker, parent and volunteer comments on our wonderful junior Parkrun community and what a great way it is to start their day.

So I’m very sorry if you have to move over a little for fifteen minutes once a week, but, you know, it’s kind of good for them.

Just to pick up one point, PE twice a week in school isn’t nearly enough exercise. My year 3 child hardly did any in the autumn term because of behavioural issues in the class. When it happens it might be a little bit of dance interspersed with a lot of crowd control. It might not be very aerobic at all. Even if it were, kids need more.

I love a park run. The Sunday one is a junior one.
The exercises that you describe cost money and park run is free.
considering obesity is on the rise this is a brilliant way to get families out and about.

Have you tried it, I'm hopeless as a runner and I don't really enjoy it, but Parkruns are brilliant, inspiring and full of joy, even when it hurts.

I wouldn't be surprised if in a minority of cases the parent is treating their child as a mini-me and projecting their enthusiasm onto them (you WILL enjoy it).

I've done one 5k park run for charity which was a very good event, no stroppy kids and although I didn't train for it, I just used the tactic of going at a pace I could sustain. I got round without stopping. The danger with forcing kids to do stuff you think they should be doing is you might have the opposite effect on them and put them off for life. I remember a long time ago on a organised walking holiday (Walkwise I think) when at meal times, whenever fried eggs were on the menu, my roommate asked for them to be done very hard. He told me at the time this stemmed back to his childhood days when his grandmother forced him to eat runny eggs and he developed a hatred for them as a result.

There seems to be a anti park run subset on MN.

As a said on the last post I saw on the subject, in a world where so much is wrong, people spending an hour having a nice time engaging in exercise is not something I can get particularly worked up about.

Oh and I can 'come out' and say my DC did cry on their first junior park run aged 5. They are ND and everyone, thinking they were being kind, decided to clap them home which prompted a sensory meltdown. Don't worry though, I'm pretty used to getting judged by clueless onlookers.

When football is not on I take my DD’s to parkrun. DD13 does it and is generally happy and is the main reason we go. DD7 begs to come, “really wants to get her PB”, reckons she’ll beat DD13 this time. Get there she sprints off, runs for about 6mins, then hates it and starts crying because DD13 has overtaken her. I take them because it’s their choice and they want to go…. I’m just hoping that one day DD7 will actually enjoy it as much as she thinks she will before she starts it.

Yet you think walking them through an area you know for that half hour will be full of children is a good idea? Sounds unfair on the dogs and the children!

OP doesn’t run, she doesn’t “get it” apparently. She just insists on walking her two large intimidating dogs in the precise area where she knows an event aimed at young children is held at the same time every single week. Not half an hour before or after, not somewhere else, it has to be right there and then.

It is for the Saturaday 5k ones.

For the Sunday junior 2k parkruns, it is no dogs at all to take part. OP isn't commenting as a participant, and her dogs shouldn't be of any relevance.

MAKING kids run 😂. I can't get my kids to put their shoes on or tidy their room so is have zero chance of making them run 2 k against their will.

I was dragged to Parkrun against my will this Sunday as my boy and his two mates wanted to go and play 'olympics' and then go to the play park.

Oops- need to update my fashion knowledge :-)

I thought Parkrun is one dog per runner?

Sweaty Betty is so last year, Tikiboo is the clothing of choice for the discerning runner

You're obviously determined to believe that the snapshot you saw is transferable to all children taking part in all parkruns. If you have genuine concerns, please approach a member of the volunteering team or email in or contact parkrun HQ.

It's so the mums can show off their sweaty betty gear..

Your story is getting more and more exaggerated as the thread goes on OP in some respects. And yet in others it’s just completely changed. In your op you say that nobody else can use the seafront because of the hordes of runners. Now you say you aren’t inconvenienced in the slightest as they all move out of the way.

I too would love to know what junior park run had hundreds of participants yesterday.

Well, I think we know now why so many of the toddlers were distressed. They saw a woman riding towards them flanked by hellhounds.