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?

Given we are in the top 10 (at best) fattest and unhealthiest nations, I can only applaud the ParkRun movement. What’s unique here is that it welcomes all comers- walkers, runners, dog walkers etc. For the lonely, the coffee afterwards is a godsend.

Hence I think YAB a bit U.

Dunno about parkrun, no idea of we have any, never seen it, but the occasional half marathons etc round our way drives me nuts. Major roads closed, country lanes closed so they can go through the woods where I walk the dogs, it’s mad.

If i was pushed over I would be reporting to the police for assault.

They will have been given permission from the landowner to close off the access road for the period of time runners will be passing. You may not like it but the landowners has agreed it and put measures into place to allow it.

Especially on private land you don’t have some sort of superior right of way just because your in a car

Which are what? Maybe once a year? People just love to moan about everything

Oh look, another keyboard warrior.

That's not really doing the image of Parkrunners any favours - committing assault because somebody who was walking there first isn't moving out of their way is peak runner entitlement.

Parkrun is an organised 5km run. Everyone who does it turns up and moves round the 5km course at their own time. Some people are able to run 5km in less than 20 minutes, some it will take much longer.

My favourite one so far was in New Zealand where the average time was 48 minutes because the path was accessible throughout so lots of elderly people with sticks and people in wheelchairs with their careers having a lovely time.

I agree.
Why don't you try it OP? You might make some new friends.

I tried that... hah hah hah hah.

The local one makes our main park a no-go area this time every bloody weekend with their behaviour. The set up of the park is also such that you park at one end of it, and then have to go through the park a decent distance to get to the kids' play area - and we used to take the kids on their bikes when they were little to get a bit of bike riding practice in and then some time on the playground.

Made the mistake of going at ParkThug time once - DD1 was about 4 at the time, on a bike with stabilisers and I made sure she stuck to the side of the path so there was lots of space still for them to go past us, and two of the twats were in a bitter scrap to try to be faster than each other, barged past and shoved DD off her bike in the process. This happened in front of one of the volunteers as well - and not a single person involved with the Park Run in any single way actually showed any concern for this kid - couple of the men even jumped over the bike to make sure their progress was utterly unimpeeded. The only people who stopped to help were some of the dog walkers who had repeatedly complained about similar behaviour from this run.

Contacted the local Parkrun - didn't even bother to respond - ended up with DD1 being terrified of runners for a good time.

It has become an incredibly obnoxious organisation in our local one - they've basically bullied everyone else out of the park.

@MaryRoze we were one of the families happened to be at the playground when our local parkrun first started, two little toddlers - they loved watching them and cheering them on - and joined in as soon as they were old enough, it was inspiring for us, not annoying! We used to aim for parkrun time, even before we started running!

If it annoyed me then yes I'd have avoided it for that hour, or go to one of the other local parks!

Park runners do not take priority over anyone.

Car parking is first come first served, doesn't matter if you are there to run or walk your dog.

Who gives way to who on a path is individual. being a runner doesn't make someone more or less likely to give way. All runners are also walkers at some stage of the week! It isn't a runners v walkers thing

You're right that they should be considerate on the paths when running.

I disagree about the car parks - it's first come first served, and they have just as much right to use them.

Park runners are generally middle class and pay a fair bit in council tax, so I think it's fair they get to run in the park, whose upkeep they pay for, for 16 to 60 minutes once a week.

Please contact the organisers about any runners being rude/swearing etc. It's not permitted. Their PB isn't more important than respecting other park users. It's often the faster runners who 'forget' themselves.

I do park run and volunteer. I've known some runners have their times removed and somr not allowed to attend that park run location due to behaviour.

It's about getting out, getting fit.

First come first served is fine for community use. But Park Run, no matter how worthy, is a company. Where do you draw the line? Park Run? “Boot Camp” paying to use the park? Cricket club using a whole area of grass 2-3 days a week and fencing off the wicket? Fair making the park unusable for 4 days? Pay-to-enter High Ropes course?

What a nice person you must be

People who run with Parkrun are members of the public though. It is free and open to everyone.

They run in the park at the end of my road every Saturday morning and I quite like seeing everyone out running (although it does make me feel guilty for still not having done it).

I go to Parkrun, every Saturday and I mean every single week in the briefing we’re told we don’t have right of way in the park and must give way to other park users.

email Parkrun with the name of the park and complain! The runners and Marshalls shouldn’t be acting like this. Car parking I’m afraid is outside their remit!

It’s 5km, most park runs start at 9 afaik and there’s an hour limit. Bear in mind that a professional runner would do the distance in 15 mins. Some people on this thread have clearly never been running. Speaking to people politely when you’re pushing yourself fairly hard is difficult. It’s likely to come out as a shout because the time available to talk while at speed is much less, you’d be fairly far back from them when you need to say something. It’s an unfit and unhealthy country, parkrun is a positive thing, get over yourselves. I don’t even go to it and feel that way.

It's less antisocial than dogs pissing and shitting in the park but I'm sure that won't be a popular opinion.

Parkrun people have as much right to be there as anybody else but they don't have any more right to be there. OP has described some very inconsiderate behaviour and that should be challenged.

Parkrun shouldn't operate to the detriment of other park users and a bit of give and take would probably result in peaceful co-existence.

I presume you get plenty of notice so can work around it.
The country is full of occasional events which impact people.
I live fairly near Duxford and for a few weekends a year you need to avoid the roads.
The school prom closes the high street so they can arrive in style.
Festivals. Carnivals. Major sporting events.
Do you not ever attend anything that might be inconveniencing others a bit?

Are you one of those people that goes out of your way to find trouble?

you know it is happening plan your day around it like you have to do with everything else going on in your life.

it’s only the same as choosing not to drive near a school at opening and closing times or not expecting to use fields when the local football is playing.

we share our spaces with other people you just adapt to whatever is going on.

The problem isn’t Park Run. The problem, as always, is entitlement. Particularly male entitlement. I don’t hate runners but people who think their individualistic pursuits are more deserving of space than anyone else’s should get in the sea.