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.

That does not warrant a personal attack which brings someone’s children into it. FFS .

That was my favourite bit of Mumsnet today, just brilliant! star]

But she brings thousands of people “into it” ie all those running? Supporting? Organising. Tens of thousands

In fact she brings in “the majority” (we are tyrannical if you didn’t know! 😂)

So mentioning fact that must have been shit to have heard this kind of frustration about “the majority” in your home life

It's done with the best of intentions.

I can't run anymore but when I did, I found that the running community was all about encouragement and clapping people on.

I marshalled a race once and the last runner was REALLY far behind everyone else (which is absolutely not a problem or anything to be embarrassed about). She had to run past various pubs where lots of the finishers were enjoying after race drinks. She got claps and cheers and a standing ovation as she ran past. She was quite embarrassed but equally you could tell that it did encourage her to run tall that last bit of the race when she'd been struggling previously. The applause when she finished was amazing and was very sincere.

read her posts @SirChenjins

the list of groups she personally attacks is… long

from middle managers to runners to the organisers. I could go on

Give it a rest. You disagree with her comments - far enough. Don’t bring someone’s children into it.

I don’t want her bringing in runners, society, the organisers, middle managers… but she does

I do park run and often I’m the first female back. I get cheered on! It’s happens at the front as well as at back and in the middle!
park run is a place where people support each other and that’s nice.
I don’t love people shouting at me, but I appreciate it’s well intended and I just smile at them in a sort of sheepish way!

So alongside climate change, racism and the energy crisis is…. Park runs?

Oh, and I was always (and will always be) in the middle to back of the finishers. I'm a plodder and concentrate on distance, not speed. I will continue to cheer people on because for the majority of people it's nice encouragement.

And great hordes of "all the gear, no idea" runners

this is who you are defending @SirChenjins

so yes, I will make the comment that to be surrounded by that anger and vitriol regarding “the majority” must have been thoroughly shit for her children.

and you defending her on the grounds that I should not have said the above is not going to change that!

You’re mad.

Personal attack personal attack personal attack 😂

Lordy.

I love it when a poster reveals themselves to something of a hypocrite!

I used to do the Park run, and plan to go back at some point. I was also the fattest, slowest, and oldest runner and almost always at the back. I really enjoyed the enthusiastic clapping and ran faster!

Indeed.

Same thing happened to me OP, my first ever parkrun. I was so embarrassed I've never done another!

I’d have been willing you on!

No idea what you’re talking about @Doingprettywellthanks

Ok I’ll leave it