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.

Glad you had a better experience this week rookie.

I have funny moments over my 100 t-shirt too. I've had knee problems this year and slowed down a little so I tend to wear my volunteer t-shirt instead. I am daft 😳.

"all the gear, no idea" runners

So @MasterBeth is a 'real runner' who looks down on and sneers at ordinary people who are making an effort to improve their fitness.

The parkruns I've seen in action have plenty of people in tee shirts and joggers, so definitely not 'all the gear.

@rookiemere , I've wussed out of parkruns because I'm not brave enough to run so slowly in public. So I'm impressed with your 130 runs there!

Saraclara, if you want to give it a go try not to be worried about the speed you run. Honestly nobody else out there cares (in the nicest way!). Our parkrun always has walkers so the tail Walker normally takes around an hour to do the 5k. Longer if needed. So at 99% of parkruns whatever your pace you would be fine.

if you do want to try it but your not sure volunteer a few times to get the feeling of the set up.

Thank you @megletthesecond and @saraclara .

I checked my time over the years - when I first started I was a quite respectable 32 minutes on this flattish course, now I'm a good 5 minutes slower even on a good day. But as long as I'm out there still doing it and left in relative peace I'm happy

Not you, but most of the complainers are.

Anyway you might have been lucky today and had a nice peaceful park as some parkruns were cancelled due to the Queen dying.

Glad you had a better experience today OP.

Thanks @Sirzy ! I'm probably a bit late for this season, and realistically it's been so long since I did any running (and I'm old!) there'll be a lot of walking! But the encouragement is very welcome.

@rookiemere, by my standards you're very fast! I would be delighted to get under 40 minutes again. At the moment I do well to get under 45 minutes.

No, I am a poor to average runner who would like to make an effort to improve my fitness, but finds the park packed with people who clearly believe having energy gels and water bottles strapped to their chests improves theirs.

Find another park then? Or is there really only one park you can run in?

...people who clearly believe having energy gels and water bottles strapped to their chests improves theirs

You really do just sound bitter and unpleasant now.

I can understand why you found it embarrassing, I would have. But you have got to know it's well intended and meant to be supportive. Some people love this sort of thing. I don't. It's one of the reasons I don't do park runs, the atmosphere isn't really for me.

I feel exactly like you! I've thought of proposing a yellow armband - like dogs who are a bit sensitive wear - or just getting myself an apricot vest that says "Leave me alone" on it or just "don't clap and cheer me, ignore me!" or "LMTFA". I don't run anymore, I just volunteer. Maybe one day when I can guarantee I'm not in the last few.

But, to add, I don't really find them all uppity and "all the gear" like some people are suggesting. It's just a way to make running a group sport. Lots of comradery and the like.

PR is a bit of a cult you get sucked into. I hate running it because I am old and slow and find it bloody hard to get going. I tend to stick to volunteering at JPR where the 4 year old in last place who skips down the funnel doesn't care how slow they are.

Glad you had a better time this week OP

@MasterBeth none of what you describe sounds remotely like any of the Parkruns I’ve been to (and I’ve been to maybe a dozen). I don’t think I’ve ever seen an energy gel at a Parkrun! Maybe for the very occasional runner who decides to do the 5k as a section of a much longer training run that day, but they’re hardly the norm.

Megaphone (singular) gets used for about 1 minute, max, just before 9am, to brief runners at the start and to shout out a few milestone runs.

If your local Parkrun is truly as obnoxious as you describe then it sounds like an anomaly and I’d recommend trying another one if there’s one within a reasonable distance of you (if 9am on a Saturday is truly the only time all week you can manage to get out for a run!)

Yes @MasterBeth is rather partial to a bit of hyperbole!