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Original poster

parkrun defending their position

780 replies

Funtime2 · 26/04/2026 11:52

I used to be a parkrunner and do not understand how parkrun can defend their position of allowing trans identfying males into the female category.

I read that 280 published race winners in the female category are actually men identifying as women. How is this fair to women? Some women don’t care about this but some women do, just as some men take it as a race and care about the rankings and some men don’t

The other option of course is they could stop the timing, stop recording winners and records?

AIBU to genuinely not understand why parkrun claim not to be a race when they time the runners, publish times by category, rank times and runners, and have record holders by category.

OP posts:
Thread gallery
21
RunningAndSinging · 28/04/2026 07:45

So much of the fun of parkrun is tied up in the official records. Where you have been (from example at a parkruns starting with all the letters of the alphabet), which finish times you have (I am thinking of stopwatch bingo here where you want to collect all the possibilities in seconds from 0 to 59). Whether you have done 5 runs at each of 5 different parties for a P index of 5 etc.

It is not about laziness of not recording our own times - we all do that anyway as well. It is about having that official record. It’s fun. Let’s not take that away how ever it is resolved.

jasflowers · 28/04/2026 07:44

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:43

What lie? I, and all the rest of us, are not the one lying.

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Telling us all that PRs are used to get entries into Marathons and other elite competitions, you haven't a clue what you re talking about.

Do you even do PRs yourself?

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:43

jasflowers · 28/04/2026 07:42

Why are you persisting with this lie?

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What lie? I, and all the rest of us, are not the one lying.

Catiette · 28/04/2026 07:42

DeftGoldHedgehog · 28/04/2026 05:04

Parkrun is a much loved and highly successful public health project, not a competitive sport and the ego trippers that get off on barging past mums with pushchairs and elderly runners, should just do one. The country is full of clubs where they'd be welcome to indulge their athletic prowess while not spoiling Parkrun for the many that enjoy it for what it was made for.

Indeed. Neither will it be destroyed by sad fucker ego trippers and keyboard warriors from various gender or political movements seeking to use it to make a point either way on here.

And this is the kind of post that reassures me I'm on the right side.

The fury, the aggression, the abuse. And the weird accusations of ulterior motives and extreme prejudice.

It's disproportionate and unpleasant. And it stands out as such.

I made arguments, including acknowledging considerations from the other side and expressing concern for trans runners.

Black Cat's made suggestions, including terse explanations of why these are, in the context, arguably more logical and fair than what's currently happening.

And you... post the above.

Keep 'em coming, people. It only helps convince the fence-sitters.

Flossette · 28/04/2026 07:42

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:17

🙄It really isn’t

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It really is. Women wouldn’t have a problem if nen were prepared to be honest. But they’re not. Men are the issue.

jasflowers · 28/04/2026 07:42

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:39

You absolutely are. It was set up as a time trialing event and people are chosen for marathons and elite sporting events based on their public timings. Too bad the facts disagree with you.

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Why are you persisting with this lie?

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:40

IamnotSethRogan · 28/04/2026 07:32

I haven't read the whole thread but it isn't a competition with a prize. It's timed but that's more for people's own records

Also, you're getting very hung up on the gender side of things. Forgive me if someone has mentioned this but no one seems to care that I could register as 60 and be the fastest in my age group.

Park run is a free, volunteer led run. It doesn't need to get involved in all this political posturing

People can buy a watch or use a smartphone to time themselves. There is no reason or justification for parkrun taking timings and publishing them on their site. That makes it a competition. And feminists are not going to stop until parkrun is held accountable and changes things.

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:39

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:31

I absolutely am not. Parkrun has a well documented ethos which many of their websites advertised. Maybe do a bit of research.

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You absolutely are. It was set up as a time trialing event and people are chosen for marathons and elite sporting events based on their public timings. Too bad the facts disagree with you.

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:37

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:27

Park run isn’t a competition, “nobody comes last”

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Park run is a competition, and those who come last know from their public rankings.

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:37

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:25

Nope it isn’t.

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Yes it is, and you know it,

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:36

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:25

Anti trans activists do not deserve to be likened to suffragettes in any way shape or form. 🙄

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Yet we accept trans men (females) so are we only 50% 'anti trans'? We are from the suffragettes. Anti feminists and Mens Rights Activists have no right to talk on feminism. 🙄

parkrun defending their position
Original poster
Funtime2 · 28/04/2026 07:34

IamnotSethRogan · 28/04/2026 07:32

I haven't read the whole thread but it isn't a competition with a prize. It's timed but that's more for people's own records

Also, you're getting very hung up on the gender side of things. Forgive me if someone has mentioned this but no one seems to care that I could register as 60 and be the fastest in my age group.

Park run is a free, volunteer led run. It doesn't need to get involved in all this political posturing

You also might want to read the thread.

OP posts:
ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:34

Dozer · 28/04/2026 07:19

women ‘ruining things’ by wanting what men have at Park Run, and a murderer’s ‘record’ to be dropped

Yep, to mens rights activists, feminists fighting for fairness are the ones ruining things, not the unfairness existing in the first place. It's rule number one:

parkrun defending their position
jasflowers · 28/04/2026 07:33

Funtime2 · 28/04/2026 07:22

Do you ask peoples age?
because no one is asking for it to be policed, they are asking for the rules to require sex not gender

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But why? its like having speed limits but then publicly saying "we wont enforce them"
what would be the point?

Any trans who already thinks its ok to run in a womens category, would carry on doing so and if a runner was reported, how exactly would PR find out (100%) if they were biologically male or female?

We've done loads of PRs, its a vanishing small issue, its up to PR to have their own rules, no one is forcing you to do PR's, plenty of club organised 5k races etc to run in if you don't like the way PRs are organised.

FWIW i asked my DD who usually is one the fastest females, she said "i couldn't care less, its not a competition"

Flossette · 28/04/2026 07:33

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 06:51

Oh yes we’re all aware of the bullying, nasty targeting of a vulnerable community and the taking over of threads, made many of us run a mile.

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In what way are trans people vulnerable? How are they vulnerable? I hate this ‘poor wee lambs’ image given to blokes breeching women’s legally held boundaries.

BananaPeels · 28/04/2026 07:33

IamnotSethRogan · 28/04/2026 07:32

I haven't read the whole thread but it isn't a competition with a prize. It's timed but that's more for people's own records

Also, you're getting very hung up on the gender side of things. Forgive me if someone has mentioned this but no one seems to care that I could register as 60 and be the fastest in my age group.

Park run is a free, volunteer led run. It doesn't need to get involved in all this political posturing

You could- but I think they would move you if they found you were listed incorrectly. They wouldn’t move someone if they were in the wrong sex category as there aren’t any.

Original poster
Funtime2 · 28/04/2026 07:32

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:30

Nobody comes last is their ethos- if you want something else find another activity.

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but they publish the last time so everyone can see who came last.

OP posts:
BananaPeels · 28/04/2026 07:32

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:27

Park run isn’t a competition, “nobody comes last”

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Surely they do though as the times are listed and someone has to be last…

IamnotSethRogan · 28/04/2026 07:32

I haven't read the whole thread but it isn't a competition with a prize. It's timed but that's more for people's own records

Also, you're getting very hung up on the gender side of things. Forgive me if someone has mentioned this but no one seems to care that I could register as 60 and be the fastest in my age group.

Park run is a free, volunteer led run. It doesn't need to get involved in all this political posturing

Dozer · 28/04/2026 07:31

While boys and men get to jog on and keep their activity and results.

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:31

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:28

You've been told that people from London marathon choose participants based on parkrun times. At this stage it is willful ignorance to ignore the evidence, out of sheer stubbornness to not admit you're wrong.

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I absolutely am not. Parkrun has a well documented ethos which many of their websites advertised. Maybe do a bit of research.

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:30

Funtime2 · 28/04/2026 07:29

Then why do they publish the slowest time in their ranking

You can’t answer this with “it’s not a competition"

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Nobody comes last is their ethos- if you want something else find another activity.

ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:29

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:17

🙄It really isn’t

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It really is, but misogynists will misogyn... 🙄

Original poster
Funtime2 · 28/04/2026 07:29

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:27

Park run isn’t a competition, “nobody comes last”

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Then why do they publish the slowest time in their ranking

You can’t answer this with “it’s not a competition"

OP posts:
ThatBlackCat · 28/04/2026 07:28

Bumb13B33 · 28/04/2026 07:03

That is ridiculous, they’re not run under test or competition conditions.

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You've been told that people from London marathon choose participants based on parkrun times. At this stage it is willful ignorance to ignore the evidence, out of sheer stubbornness to not admit you're wrong.