To have been really put off Parkrun by this

[rookiemere]

I'll start by saying I love parkrun. I've done over 130 of them and it's a real treat to discover a new one when we're away on holiday.

Everyone there is lovely and welcoming and it's such a great way to start Saturdays with a 5km run.

I am also older, fat and slow, but this is fine as I'm not there to win it.

So last Saturday headed to one of my usual parkruns with a friend. There was a traffic incident so many people didn't make it. This meant that rather than being in the back 10 or so I ended up being the last person bar the tail runner. Again all fine and someone has to be there.

However for the last km or so as I went past people who were dispersing made a big point of clapping loudly and shouting on encouragement. Obviously meant to be supportive, but I've run so many of the damn things and I just like to be invisible rather than the obviously last, slow ploddy person who people want to help.

I'm actually really nervous about going again, it upset me so much. I could go to one with more runners and then I should be less likely to be right at the back, but its a further drive and the whole thing has knocked my confidence and I don't know what to do.

So give them times individually, there's no need to publish "results".

How about an opt in to getting published
Alternatively just “anonymous” on published list and then you get an email with your time

my son is very competitive and he and four others do compete every Saturday. They relish the published results!

You said you don't mind being with the tail runner, somebody has to be there. You came across as a confident, good runner then said you didn't want to be the last, slow, ploddy person.

People clapping (loudly) we're being supportive, it's a fun, inclusive, community event. You're overthinking it.

[Shrugs] It obviously doesn't bother the thousands who do it each week so I dare say there's not much impetus to change it. They know what they're getting into. Anyone who doesn't want their time recorded can just skip the the finishers' queue.

99% are running against the speed they did last week - really?? I thought it was just for fun - I didn’t realise I was supposed to be beating my last time ☹️

Yes, I'm sorry to say you've been doing it wrong this entire time.

I want to see my results and I want to see how I compare to other runners I know.

If you don't want to do a run where you get a time.... don't do parkrun, or just don't check your time.

It would be like entering a tennis tournament and getting annoyed that there are winners and losers.

But who gives a toss about others motivations? Just focus on your motivation

My son’s motivation is to race.
mine and my daughter’s is to enjoy the experience and look forward to the delicious cappuccino that awaits us!

Oh it was true enough - in the local papers because they had to do a full crackdown to avoid cancellation. It wasn't during either, it was beforehand.

Well , what is it then - 99% of people want to beat their last week’s time, or it’s not about beating your time, it’s a fun event with no emphasis on time/speed?

Both.

It can’t be both if 99% are trying to beat their last week’s time.

Ah, I see you're running (pun intended) with taking a generalisation hyper-literally.

As you know, parkrun can be 'just some fun' for some people and a chance to improve time for others. For for some craxy cats those two things aren't mutually exclusive.

On the odd occasion I go to a different parkrun, I find it very useful to see the times to see if it would suit me.

I'm hoping to match or better my last time and having fun!

Well, when you post statements like '99% are doing it to be beat their time' in order to try and prove your point then you might get someone saying 'you're talking shite'.

Maybe they are trying to be kind but it isn't kind if it upsets people. I've had this discussion with a PE teacher about a child who was mortified with this "kindness" and the PE teacher admitted it had never crossed his mind that it could be upsetting. Well of course he was a sports lover, very fit and had no experience of being the kid who was getting the "encouragement" which the child perceived as abuse.

When someone says "99%" you're probably safe to infer it's a generalisation. Since the people 'just having fun' don't seem to care their times are public it doesn't detract from the original point anyway.

As a slow poke, I don't mind getting my parkrun times. It's on a website so only those who are bothered will see it, and it's useful to see what type of parkrun it is when I'm thinking of visiting one.

I do get that for some people it is a race, but it should really be an internal one so looking for PBs rather than beating others.

I attended the Penrith one as a visitor and they had someone there who was doing a worthy round the country run for charity, but he hit a bum note when he donated a technical t-shirt for the winner, as that's not how it's meant to be viewed - is also a bit sexist as the first woman will never beat the men.

Well, no, because that would be billed as a competition. That's what a tournament is. I don't think pitting people against it and publishing times and making a big deal of the fastest runners is very inclusive, that's all. By all means, do it that way but don't pretend to be inclusive.

It's safe to infer it's a completely meaningless generalisation which served no purpose at all - just like the second part of your sentence where you claim those just having fun don't care if their times are public. People on here have said they do care their times are published, and unless by some mirable we happen to be the only parkrunners who feel that way, it might be something that the PR organisers think about addressing - because the ways to avoid the times being published aren't v clear.

I have been a very slow runner ( keeping the tail runner company)and also ( more recently)a volunteer . As a runner I massively appreciated the encouragement from volunteers and fellow runners so as a volunteer I do my best to give that support.

Oh for goodness sake. All parkruns do their best to share the space with others; my local one makes a strong point to everyone taking part that they should be considerate to other park users. Also, if you hate parkrun so much, why not just come to the park before 9, or after about 9.45, when most of the runners have finished. And one other thing, with everything else going on in the world, do you really think that parkrun is what you want to vent spleen at?

As has been pointed out, if you don't want a time just don't register for a barcode. Get a timing chip as you finish as otherwise it messes the results up and it will just be marked as unknown runner.

Others who want a time can get one.

I fail to see how it could be any more inclusive in this regard.

And if you take what was very obviously a bit of a throwaway statement literally you look a bit silly.