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?

YANBU but you can’t criticise Parkrun on mumsnet. It’s a cult.

I think rather than berating people for making an effort to stay fit and healthy, less strain on the NHS etc, I would probably go to the park later on

I do Parkrun!
my point was that there’s entitlement on both sides - no one group or person is anymore deserving of the park it’s a shared space. So people shoving or hugging or being inconsiderate are asshats.
re male entitlement there is a type of male runner who think their time is more important than the pleasure or experience of all other park users - runners or walkers. They are most often male but I do see females do this. They are the selfish ones who shove past or hog the path. They are dick heads and they give park run - an inclusive event - a very bad rep.

Why not contact them with your concerns and suggest improvements? What is manageable and realistic? What has a disproportionate impact? Could one carpark be a non-park run one? Is there a diversion away from one particular path that would make a world of difference? Could you ask them to contact runners about etiquette in the park?
Often organisers are reasonable people doing a lot but who are simply unaware of impact. When communicated with piloted they are up for adjustments or flagging issues.

People should be polite, and it's made clear when you join a park run it's not a closed race course, the paths are shared usage and runners don't have priority over anyone else using the park. If they aren't respecting that they should be.

Practically, once you've hit a critical mass of people on a path travelling the same way, it's going to be difficult to use if you aren't travelling with the group even if people are trying to be considerate. Park runners don't have more right to be there than any one else, but they do have a right to be there.

Car parks are first come first serve and if you know there is an event on at a certain time every week plan accordingly. Not got much sympathy with that. If park run got cancelled but lots of people decided to come running individually you'd have the same issue.

I live near Bushy Park where the first park run started. You get several hundred people participating, most are locals who would cycle or walk to the start with some people driving. I reckon the whole event takes about 90 mins from initial assembly, the run itself to the area being cleared. It's a huge boost to local cafes and eateries as people grab a drink and bun post race. It's once a week, bushy park is large enough that there are enough paths and areas away from the course where non runners can enjoy themselves. People moaning about it would find something else to moan about given the chance. Some people just like moaning.

Everyone has the same "rights" to the park. They shouldn't be swearing at people though. I hate people who let their dog run off lead in our local park when the dogs have poor recall. However they have the right to do it.

I think some Parkruns have outgrown their environment, and its the sheer volume rather than individuals causing problems.

We went a few times... before realising driving 30 mins, to run 30 mins, to then drive home was bloody pointless and we could run around the local woods instead!

Maybe they need maximum numbers?

You're pretty stupid if you think that because you're running you are entitled to attack people in your way. But let's face it, you wouldn't do that would you? The police would be called.

Again, no issue with Parkrun at all. Not looking to have my needs put before theirs. Just asking for a bit of consideration for all park users.

Totally agree OP. Parks are for everyone’s benefit. And that includes on Saturday mornings - a prime time when others would want to use the park too. They should be run in a manner that ensures all park users are able to use the park.

They should also stop discriminating against women by allowing hundreds of men to claim women’s records.

To be perfectly honest, I'll take the small inconvenience of runners in the park on a regular, known day at a known time that I can avoid if I choose rather than the amount of dog poo left on the paths in the same park all day every day... Do I complain that there should be no dogs in the park? No, because it's not every dog owner that is inconsiderate and leaves their dog poo on the path or lets them run up to and jump on people. Yes, some Parkrun runners take it seriously and aren't very considerate but at least you know they will be gone soon. Unlike the poo or the unwanted attention of muddy paws. That's just life in a park.

YABU. It's once a week for an hour.

A park is a public place, used for a variety of activities by lots of different types of people. We have to share this facility and you can't just ban or restrict a perfectly normal park based activity because you don't like it or if it's an inconvenience to you.

So you agree that ParkRun shouldn't be restricting the activities of other park users then...

I could honestly say the same about some dog walkers at other times. To be honest I’d be grateful for marshals helping me navigate the endless dogs and their owners!

I very much think that noone should be being rude or swearing at anyone, however I do think you are being unreasonable.

It sounds like you are purposely being difficult trying to turn into the carpark when you know the area is being used for park run and therefore busy. You know thw event is on at this time every week so why try and use the car park when there will be heavy footfall of people running?

As the saying goes, if you cant beat em join em, you are more than welcome in park run to walk your dog for the event or part of the event and vear off. Why not just start at the back of group so they aren't in your way if you have to be in the park at that exact time

I vote YANBU, but generally think Parkrun is a good thing, but agree the runners should be respectful and recognise they’re in a public space. They shouldn’t be barging people out of the way for the sake of a Parkrun PB.

You know what time it is, just take the dog earlier or later to accommodate it.

Some lovely misreading of @MaryRoze 's posts. She's asking people to be courteous. Not to cancel it!

I don’t do ParkRun, I like to run completely by myself, far away from others. So I choose routes, and times, accordingly.

I’m sure you could find some peaceful routes a short drive from where you are that would avoid the large weekly gatherings. Failing that, it’s at the same time every week. Go a bit earlier or a bit later. Or try a new trail somewhere in the same, massive park.

On this occasion, it’s the needs of the many, outweigh the needs of the few. Think of all the people exercising, meeting friends, volunteering, getting out the house. Hundreds are benefiting from this. You are being mildly inconvenienced.

It's not a "closed road" type event is it, so runners need to be aware that there will be other people in the park and be courteous. Swearing at other people etc is not acceptable.
But it's a good initiative that gets people exercising and given events occur at very predictable times they're not difficult to avoid. There's one along our local sea-front and yes, it's very busy whilst the run is on but as PPs have said, most of the runners finish in half an hour or and within an hour or so of the start there are only a few still out. I like to walk or cycle along the same route but it doesn't harm me to set off either a bit earlier or later or to change my route a bit. It's a mild inconvenience for a short period of time one day week for something that benefits quite a lot of people. If you're experiencing bad behavior from participants complain to the organisers though.

Nobody should be rude but equally it's only once a week for an hour - you know when it is well in advance, so just plan around it.

I'm amazed at the pp who claimed to have never participated in anything that inconvenienced anyone else!!
Fairs, carnivals, street parties, remembrance day parades, races (running and cycling) often involve street closures, mostly for part of a day.
However things like concerts (from local theatres to Wembley stadium) sporting events (again any size) and even school open days or parents evening can cause unsociable parking or traffic delays.
Most things are occassional, admittedly parkrun is weekly.

All the posts saying "contact the local run and they'll reinforce behaviour" - they never ever replied to my contact about the incident we experienced.

Incidentally - the thugs scrapping over their time that knocked DD off her bike... I'm sure you can guess the sex involved. Also the ones who just jumped over the bike and DD on the floor... I'm sure you can guess.

The point is - it should not be being run in a way that makes local parks a no-go for ANYONE at the time its on during the weekend - and drawing parallels to things like once yearly marathons... this is every single weekend.

I agree!
I mean, I don't know how big the park is. But surely they should stay away from paths designated for specific usage (dog trail, kids) and run on the others

I don't think it's a parkrun problem in general, the few I've seen have been well, and considerately, run. Perhaps you should raise it with the local organisers if that one isn't?

I am one of the "parents with kids".. we just wait til it'll have finished if we aren't up and ready in time to get there before the runners arrive, because I do have to drive there.
Ideally we do get there early and practice riding bikes while the paths are clear, then we can watch the runners set off from the swings. It adds to our outing, doesn't hinder it.