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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask a man to move at parkrun

262 replies

brownbear201 · 02/11/2024 23:45

I am curious as to what you all think of this incident I had whilst running a parkrun this morning. The parkrun I was running was quite a narrow parkrun- it’s an out and back and you run down a track. The track itself is not very wide and faster runners come back towards slower runners on the return if that makes sense. As I was running earlier I was behind a man running with a dog. He was young-ish probably in his early twenties. He wasn’t going super slowly or anything but I wanted to go faster and overtake. However, there were faster runners coming towards me. As he had a dog I couldn’t get past him, if he hadn’t had a dog I would have been able to squeeze past. To be fair he had the dog on a very short fixed lead and was as far left as he could get but because the dog was running at his side I couldn’t get past. I said to him as I was coming up from behind him “Can you move your dog over please?” And he replied “Can you be patient like everyone else?” I ignored him saying this and I was eventually able to overtake him and I heard him muttering about impatient people and just ignored him. A short while later I pulled over to the side to catch my breath- I was out of the way whilst I did this as past the narrow section. He then ran past me again and said “You’ve gotten far considering you were so desperate to get past” I didn’t say anything back to him. Was I right to just ignore him? He wasn’t big or intimidating looking by any means and he didn’t shout but it was the way he looked at me that left me a bit unsettled. AIBU? Was I wrong to ask him to move?

OP posts:
Luckylu123 · 08/11/2024 11:21

I can’t believe all the people saying you were being unreasonable 🤯
You’re not allowed to overtake slow people?? How infuriating! surely you go at your own pace, and slower people move aside to let faster ones through.

bifurCAT · 08/11/2024 11:28

Sooo... public park, guy walking his dog, and you felt your time/space was more important?

LameBorzoi · 08/11/2024 11:37

sharpclawedkitten · 08/11/2024 11:08

It does. Also dogs have to be on short leads on parkrun, so you have the length of the lead, they are not necessarily "at heel", they may be up to a metre or so away.

What? I do parkrun regularly, and it's way easier to pass a dog and owner than itvis two people side by side.

OP already said that the owner was as far over as he could be. And who at parkrun lets their dog be a meter away?

xsquared · 08/11/2024 13:35

The runners with dogs at my local parkrun usually start nearer the back, but it seems the man in this situation declined when asked to.

I would have placed myself a bit further in front if I saw I had to overtake a dog runner, as the paths are narrow at my parkrun.

KatyJ89 · 08/11/2024 13:44

I dunno, I think you're perfectly within your right to overtake! This is what park run was always like for me, the same four people would just overtake and then slow down 🤣 yes I was rubbish at pacing but nobody seemed to care, I thought it was normal.

Don't get me wrong I'd have thought what he said in my head but I'd have never have said it to someone!

Flowerpower70 · 08/11/2024 17:38

Totally agree. Doesn't take a moment to stop to let someone pass by. The guy with the dog was being awkward and sounds petty.

Eggsandavocado · 09/11/2024 07:28

So many people are anti dog at parkrun now that you probably got his back up by asking him to “move his dog” especially as you say he was following parkrun rules by having it against his side. You already said he was as far over as possible so where should his dog have gone ? I usually make it known I’m there and waiting to pass when possible.

Would you have been like that if the person was running with a child or buggy ?

I don’t think I’d have been able to stop myself making a comment when you stopped either.

parkrun is for all, including dogs at most of them. Maybe accept that.

TheTidyBear · 10/11/2024 19:19

Guess they don't all go hand in hand at their parkrun.

Eggsandavocado · 11/11/2024 12:51

Attelina · 03/11/2024 13:23

You should have been patient and let the faster runners coming towards you pass before over taking him.

Saying that though, anyone running with a dog is a CUNT unless the breed is a husky etc.

You should attend a Canicross race and educate yourself before using that awful word about people who like to exercise with their dogs rather than taking them to the park and throwing a ball continuously destroying their dogs joints.

Letsnotupsettheapplcart · 11/11/2024 15:41

MrsSchnickelfritz · 02/11/2024 23:53

See, I think trying to get past someone on a narrow path is against parkrun etiquette personally. You don't even have sole use of the path at parkrun, what if that had been someone out for a walk with their dog? You can't expect an unobstructed run at parkrun.

This!!! Park Run runners do not own the paths.

Flowerpower70 · 13/11/2024 11:40

Letsnotupsettheapplcart · 11/11/2024 15:41

This!!! Park Run runners do not own the paths.

Dog owners are the worst expecting people to walk in the road, instead of moving their dogs to the side.

Flowerpower70 · 13/11/2024 11:44

Didn't happen here, but dog owners here often walk with their dogs taking up the whole pavement. Expect people to walk on the road.. on extending leads across pavements is, dangerous as not always extending leads are not always visible.
Manners should be used, often people walk three in a row not moving when a person walks towards them.

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