Bit upset about Parkrun experience today

Wow, what on earth is wrong with you? The point of Parkrun is that it is a community activity and it doesn’t matter how long it takes. Indeed, there should be no time pressure at all.

won't anyone think of the volunteers?

Well this thread has put me off ever doing a park run.

I did a ParkRun as a Nordic Walker. I did it with two friends and we had tech making sure we stayed above 5kmph. According to my tech we actually walked 6km not 5km, which fits with the time we actually finished - 1 hour 12 minutes. Tail walker did not give us space. Volunteers were totally over the event by the time we got there. Noone said "You are so slow you shouldn't bother" but I certainly won't go again.

This... ive stopped going for exact same reasons. Had a man gash back of my accillees with a pram!

It makes me less keen too. I wondered if there was some tacit understanding that you had to be below a certain time and it certainly seems that some people think that’s the case.

Seriously? Are you that stupid lacking in empathy and imagination?

I've never done or wanted to do a park run but I can think of multiple reasons - you're at the start of a fitness journey and plan to get faster each time, you want to check the course out, you have friends or family going and want to be sociable, you usually run it but are recovering from an injury, you struggle to even walk 5k (for whatever reason) so think even if you can't run the presence of a crowd will encourage you to walk faster/actually complete the course when you might not alone, etc.

I don't really see why it matters, if around 30mins is the average then there will be a lot of joggers still going at 40 mins, so to be moaning for the sake of an extra 5 minutes is ridiculous!

I still think it would have been rude of them if OP had taken an hour, but 5 minutes extra is hardly going to make the difference between them getting home on time or not.

Some really nasty comments on this thread. I am a Park Runwalker - family members run and I finish in 45-48 mins. I have never been last.

Park Run motivates me and my PBs are just as valid to me as to those who finish 15 mins earlier. The whole point is it’s meant to be a community event and encourage fitness - in my late 60s it’s probably worth more to me than you fast runners. Bugger off to a race if you think you’re so more worthwhile than me. Why are you going around with children, dogs, pushchairs and oldies if the time is so important?

As for volunteers who would be annoyed if they had to wait another 15 minutes ( and I’ve volunteered), don’t be so churlish and see the event for what it is. It isn’t a time trial, it’s a wide participation event.

How to sour something that is so positive. Flag it up to the organisers OP - I am sure they’ll be mortified.

Blimey, this cements my decision never to do a park run. It sounds awful.

I dont know why anyone would enjoy running with a huge crowd of other annoying people who are all so competitive and unkind to each other.

I will stick to running with my dog - I can go at my own pace and I dont have people jostling me or hassling me to finish by a certain time

Hard disagree - l have volunteered several times at park run amd am happy to wait until the job is done even if l don't get away until.10.30am - not unfair at all. People take as long as they take.

It’s worth providing feedback if it upset you, but you can make it positive.

Tail walkers are a good thing.
Some people like the tail walkers being close so they don’t feel alone. You clearly don't but that’s a personal preference thing. You may well have had tailwalkers who thought they were doing right by staying close and aren’t aware that doesn’t work for everyone.

It doesn’t sound as though you are a good fit for Parkrun. Fortunately the volunteers at the ones I walk at regularly don’t show the same attitude and are patient and encouraging no matter how long it takes the last entrants.

I do think you should complain. Their behaviour was unreasonable.

But I also feel a bit surprised that Parkrun advertises itself as being open to walkers.

No don't worry, it's not your posts but the obnoxious answers from some pp that have sealed the deal for me!

Ffs.

I got round today in 43mins, mostly running. Our tail walkers finish usually around 1hr, 1hr10. When I volunteer I don't expect to finish time keeping for at least 1hr 15.

I'm sorry that this happened to you. As made clear in the run briefing, ParkRun is for everyone and you are free to run, jog, walk, crawl, whatever you want.

Please contact the RD as this is very wrong.

Please please please don’t be put off doing a Parkrun.

I volunteer at our local Parkrun and our walkers tend to do it in about an hour ish but sometimes longer.

We would never pack up the finish funnel until every person is over the finish line. The tail walker is always the last so that people don’t feel bad about being last. They do need to stay close ish to the last person but not right on them. Sometimes the tail walker and the last walker will have a chat on the way around, sometimes the last walker just wants to walk and our tail walkers appreciate that.

I think well done to anyone that gets up and out on a Saturday morning, whether that’s running or walking.

I would like to think that we are a friendly bunch and funnily enough it was commented on a couple of weeks ago how lovely the volunteers were so maybe those people have come across Parkruns like yours.

So anyway, if you’re in the NW come to our Parkrun we’re all really lovely and fwiw 45 minutes was pretty quick for walking.

I would also say, please pop an email and let them know. It may be that these are not regular volunteers and they can put other people in the tail walking role in future.

I’m sorry you’ve had this experience, it shouldn’t have happened.

Park walker here in just less than an hour. Unreasonable behaviour on the part of the tailwalkers and I would say something. Park run is for everyone.

I've only done two Parkruns, but my understanding is that they're well out of order.

I took well over 50 minutes when I ran (as best as I could with my age and knees) and no one batted an eyelid.

Before participating, I'd checked out the times on previous runs and it seems normal on that course for the slowest to take over an hour.

Near me, Park Run is at a National Trust property with extensive parklands around it. Parking onsite is free for Park Runners. It isn't for anyone else and it's bloody expensive. You can access the park land on foot, but obviously it's not the same as being at the same start point and being part of the Park Run community. There's also the element of there being someone there if you need them if you are recovering from injury/were to injure yourself or are just nervous about walking completely alone.

OP the trying to chivvy you to run at the end was awful, please mention it when you complain.

You are wrong. I couldn't care less if someone is a slow walker or recovering from injury. I block out until 11am when I'm volunteering. Although we are always packed up by 10:45 at the latest anyway.

My personal slowest is 1hr 10.