To think Parkrun shouldn't take priority over the rest of the public?

[MaryRoze]

9.30am every Saturday, our biggest park is inundated with Parkrunners. There are hundreds of them.

They take up the 3 biggest car parks (including the one at the start of the dog walking trail), meaning I need to park at the furthest away one. Not a problem except I can't get to the furthest away one because volunteers stop the traffic to let the runners go past.

Once I get parked, I'm pushed to the side of all the main paths because they're running 3 or 4 abreast. I try to go down the muddier gravel paths, but they're down there too. An older couple today got a "fuck sake" because they couldn't move out of one runners way quick enough.

Parents are being stopped from crossing the path between car park and playground with their kids because the runners are passing by.

I get that Parkrun is fantastic for people's physical health and mental health, and it's clearly very popular but AIBU to think they need to be courteous of other park users too?

@Iwasafool

Brilliant, no more issues

I'm sure you'll find something!

Exactly this.

Or walk somewhere else.

That's not what the poster said.

Oh come on, it's all in the context of the OP, which is about runners being an inconvenience, and if you're looking for offence, I specifically said your DH wouldn't be an inconvenience.

He should come along, at our parkrun he'd be a celebrity, with runners staying to cheer him home.

Well what did twice inconvenienced mean then? By saying halving the part of the park used would be "twice inconvenieced" can you explain what that inconvenience would be? They would be using the same paths for the same time so what is the extra inconvenience?

They do at ours, they run two abreast up the path which only has room for two.

@Iwasafool

Not worth it! I'm sure others understand. No need to convince you. We clearly disagree, and you'll jump on anything you can argue with anyway, so let's leave it there.

I hate to tell you what his response would be to being cheered on but he'd give the parkrunner swearers a good competition. I can never understand why drawing attenton to people who can't run as fast as everyone else is supposed to be a positive as many a humiliated child on sports day will confirm.

You definitely didn't say wouldn't, you can twist it and say your "because....." can be taken either way but you specifically said "OK, so a man with some sort of issue that makes him way slower than everyone else, is an inconvenience to other park users because...?"

I think anyone with disabilities or who are elderly should make good choices.

Wandering around busy parks during a park run where they are likely to get bumped or knocked is unnecessary.

I say that as a disabled person. I avoid going to places with lots of stairs when it's busy as I know people won't wait for me and I could get knocked or hurt. Yes it's my choice but I'd rather stay safe.

Deciding to go to somewhere I know will be busy and potentially put me at risk with the thought being 'I'm entitled to go whenever I want so I will' is frankly stupid.

We all make decisions every day about places we visit.

My mum doesn't go to parks without toilets.
My dad doesn't go to places that are busy and he won't find a seat.

Sadly that's life.

The way I read it they are specifically meaning he isnt an inconvenience to anyone....?

Yes awkward when it's in black and white isn't it.

And the answer is "he isn't"

Exactly, the way you read it but it can equally be read the other way. Clever way to do it.

Your answer, not the only possible answer.

Yeah this is exactly how I feel about dog walkers especially ones with off lead dogs. Their use of the park means I can’t use the park with my family uninterrupted and un-molested. Best case scenario, they come and steal some picnic, get us muddy and scare the kids… worse, people get covered in dog poo left by the lazy owners (#notallowners)… worst, one of me or mine gets bitten or mauled.

Using your logic the hoards of dogs and dog walkers should definitely be banned from our local parks except at times no one else wants to use them.

I’ve been sworn at by owners, threatened by them, physically attacked/bitten by dogs and had my tiny child knocked over by dogs. And the risk from dogs is ever-present in every park pretty much all the goddamn day. So honestly, parkrun is a much more convenient and considerate neighbour.

As I said earlier it is a short cut to places we need to go, he needs the shortcut. We go early as he gets worse as the day goes on but why should we have to justify using a public park?

The only kind of person who would view him as an inconvenience is the kind of person who'd whine about park runners.

Which is you.

Everyone else arguing with you by default does not view people running in park run as being a personal affront

Right. If I run past you once, I get in your way once, If I run past you twice, you are twice inconvenienced.

Let's not take this petty crap any further. I think ParkRun is great, you are determined to find fault in anything anybody says in its support. We get it. Enjoy your Sunday fight.

Nobody would be getting annoyed if people were considerate. That's the whole point really.

It's not justification. It's safety. You can't rely on others to keep you safe so you have to make good choices yourself.

They cut off access to the park, if they only cut off access to half the park people would use the part they can access.

I have repeatedly said it just needs people to be considerate, don't run six abreast and block the path, don't swear at people who are in your way, don't block access to the play area.

Let's not take this petty crap any further.

Well so far @Iwasafool ... you're the only one interpreting it negatively

It is perfectly safe, we have used it for years. All that is needed is runners to be considerate of other park users. Supporters of PR have frequently quoted park run guidance which says just that. Shame it isn't enforced.

Does Park Run still think men can be women? Park Run can fuck off then, frankly.