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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To give up on Parkrun - photo related

225 replies

Parkrunmisery · 14/10/2018 08:59

OK so this is shallow but I did Parkrun yesterday and whilst I love its open and friendly ethos I look BEYOND SHIT in the fb photos they've posted. I'm honestly not being vain, but I am old (50s) and fat. I want to run to get fitter and thinner but having my photo on the Internet looking horrible makes me miserable.

So AIBU to sack off lovely Parkrun due to their insistence on posting photos of me looking utterly shit*.

*old, fat, red faced, baggy, flabby, grey, no make-up and hair looking shit. I really don't want to have to think about getting made up for sodding photos at 8am.

OP posts:
daisychain01 · 14/10/2018 10:31

I don't know what the answer is, as so many people don't see photos as a problem

GDPR is there to protect everyone from abuse of data. It doesn't matter if some people don't mind, it's about a General Protection so we should all fight for the right to privacy as a society even if we don't personally value it.

nostaples · 14/10/2018 10:32

No @itsnotarace you shouldn't have to OPT OUT. That is not GDPR compliant.

haba · 14/10/2018 10:32

And almost60 - you look absolutely vibrant and amazing!! Well done for getting out there and doing it.

C8H10N4O2 · 14/10/2018 10:33

And you can ask to be removed from parkrun photos too - there are very clear policies on that

The thing is as others have posted - consent should be opt in not opt out, especially when using platforms such as facebook which allow photo scanning software for identifying others.

The pictures of people who don't want to be photographed should never be posted in the first place. You can only achieve that by asking for active consent. If a woman rebuilding her life after abuse is identified having that logged in a safeguarding record doesn't help her.

daisychain01 · 14/10/2018 10:33

It isn't legal to use someone's image to advertise and promote on the internet, if the person hasn't agreed. It is shabby and also it will give Park Run a bad name and damage its image.

itsnotarace · 14/10/2018 10:34

@haba If there are safeguarding reasons why a child cannot have any photos taken of them, the event team should be told about this by the parent or guardian accompanying the child to the event. Any photos of that child will be removed prior to being published.

Furthermore, volunteers are instructed to take extra care with photos of children. If a photo of a child taking part in parkrun looks like the sort of a photo one of their peers could twist into something they could use to bully that child with, it gets deleted. If in doubt, it just doesn't get published.

Children are never identified in photos with their full names, and photos are never published where they make it too obvious who that child is (so if for example they were wearing a running top that had their school's name on it).

Everyoneiswingingit · 14/10/2018 10:34

They should do one distant shot of the group running, not individuals, It shows the turn out etc but doesn't humiliate anyone. Perhaps they could have a system where you wear a coloured wristband if you don't want a close-up

MrsVietor · 14/10/2018 10:37

You know what, I thought Parkrun was boring as shit. Went once, ran twice round a park in the pissing rain, fuck that.

If you're like me, you prefer running alone, with sunglasses and headphones, so that you don't have to acknowledge or interact with the world.

I am baffled by all the parkrun love.

C8H10N4O2 · 14/10/2018 10:37

the event team should be told about this by the parent or guardian accompanying the child to the event

No this is really the wrong way around. People who have been subjected to abuse should not have to share that information with random event organisers in order to avoid identifiable pictures being published to promote the vent.

Participants happy to be photographed (which in most cases will be the majority) should be giving active consent.

Sinead100 · 14/10/2018 10:38

Agree with PP

Just repeat : Parkrun good. Facebook bad

itsnotarace · 14/10/2018 10:38

@nostaples I apologise for my use of words. Cleverer people than I have written the legal wording.

Where there is photography taking place at a parkrun event, it is mentioned by the run director before any of the photos are snapped. Choosing to take part in the event is you actively consenting to that official imagery.

However, you can not consent by either not participating (which would be a shame) or by telling someone you do not consent. Is that clearer?

By saying you don't want to be in a photo, that photo will not be published for you to object to - it will be deleted off the photographer's camera and never see the light of day.

nostaples · 14/10/2018 10:38

'@haba If there are safeguarding reasons why a child cannot have any photos taken of them, the event team should be told about this by the parent or guardian accompanying the child to the event. Any photos of that child will be removed prior to being published.'

Can you really not think of the safeguarding implications of HAVING TO TELL PR organisers not to take picture of their child. Taking and posting pictures of children without consent IS ITSELF A SAFEGUARDING ISSUE.'

'Furthermore, volunteers are instructed to take extra care with photos of children. If a photo of a child taking part in parkrun looks like the sort of a photo one of their peers could twist into something they could use to bully that child with, it gets deleted. If in doubt, it just doesn't get published.'

Any photo can be manipulated. Plus just posting the picture of a child with the Park Run event is potentially dangerous.

haba · 14/10/2018 10:38

As caffeine says- once the image is online, it's too late, even if later deleted. That image will already have been trawled and saved elsewhere, cached, etc.

itsnotarace · 14/10/2018 10:39

@C8H10N4O2 You don't have to say why you don't want a photo making its way onto social media if you don't want to. But you do have to tell the parkrun organisers you are not happy to be photographed, or they don't know to not photograph you (and/or a child)!

Everyoneiswingingit · 14/10/2018 10:39

Mrs I agree. I did it once. Felt enormous pressure, felt like a race, not enough space on the path and far too early in the day for me. Much prefer running alone when and where I like.

Tistheseason17 · 14/10/2018 10:40

I would def go for the t shirt with a rude slogan on - no way they'd publish your photo!

Don't give up, though! I can't run due to spinal probs but I watch my family do it and it looks like great fun!!!

nostaples · 14/10/2018 10:41

'Where there is photography taking place at a parkrun event, it is mentioned by the run director before any of the photos are snapped. Choosing to take part in the event is you actively consenting to that official imagery.'

That's actually not true and dangerous misinformation.

No, by attending Park Run I am not giving my tacit consent to having my photo taken any more than anywhere else I go.

I've done nearly 50 Park Runs all over the country and never once has photography been mentioned or my consent been asked for or would I even know who to contact to ask for my photo not to be taken. But I shouldn't have to do this anyway.

itsnotarace · 14/10/2018 10:42

@Everyoneiswingingit All parkrun events feel slightly different - you may get on better with a different one. My favourite event is not my nearest one. Smile

Although, I will admit some people prefer running on their own, which is also a valid choice.

haba · 14/10/2018 10:43

ParkRunMisery thank you for highlighting this issue- forewarned is forearmed. My child cannot take part.

itsnotarace · 14/10/2018 10:45

@nostaples Photography should be mentioned in the pre-run briefing, which I know can be difficult to be heard at some larger events. If photos are being taken of you without this being mentioned in the briefing, please do raise it with the local team as this is against parkrun policy.

There is a very clear policy on photography that all participants (and non-participants) can read. But with most parkrun things, it's quite simple - if you have any questions on parkrun, talk to someone with a hi-viz vest on. If they can't answer it, they will point you towards the person with the blue and white hi-viz vest on who will be able to help you.

ShadyLady53 · 14/10/2018 10:46

It was this photo policy and my local Parkrun’s insistence that everyone registered under their full name and was scanned each week and their name put on the website that made me not go to Parkrun.

There’s Safeguarding factors around me and my family and information has previously been gleaned from the internet and used to discover my/our activities/patterns/whereabouts. I don’t have any information about me online if I can help it and do not have any social media profiles. This was under police advice for my personal safety.

It’s a shame that Parkrun isn’t more anonymous, certainly my local one doesn’t give that option. It means that some of us, through no fault of our own, are excluded from taking part.

nostaples · 14/10/2018 10:48

@itsnotarace you come across as a bit condescending and also blind to the issues people are raising. If people are saying that this is offputting or downright dangerous that must be taken seriously.

It is NOT the case that I simply haven't heard mention of photography in any of the many Park Runs I've attended, it's that it HASN'T actually been mentioned.

Thatstheendofmytether · 14/10/2018 10:49

I've been saying I will do park run for a long time but just never get round to it. I go for a run myself all the time, I just wanted to see what all the fuss was about. I wasn't aware they took pics, that's put me off. I don't have social media that I put pictures of myself all over so I would rather they didn't either.

Undercoverbanana · 14/10/2018 10:49

We actively compete for the shittiest Parkrun photos! We try to have fun with it.

MagicKeysToAsda · 14/10/2018 10:50

@dailyshite thank you for posting! I have always assumed Parkrun was out of bounds because our family has security risks and really has to avoid photos that will be posted on social media. I thought the photos were not avoidable in Parkrun so we couldn't ever do it. In future I will try contacting the organiser very nicely and see if they have the capacity to delete our pics.

Do adore the f*ck off t shirt idea too though - shame the DC can read!