To think ParkRun need to consider banning racers?

[justletusrun]

My local parkrun has been overtaken by drama this week, after some men attended and basically turned the entire thing into a glorified race for themselves. They were pushing people out of the way, swearing at them and shouting at them to let them through.

I always thought the point of parkrun was to go and enjoy a 5k run and some socialising after. But it seems that across the country they’re being overtaken by people who are obsessed with “winning” it and getting the PB as a “chip time”.

i understand the sense of achievement you get from getting a PB, but I don’t think parkrun is the place to do it. Myself and many other women who have been attending for years are now considering not going again because it is so unpleasant.

AIBU to say they need to clamp down on this, before it becomes a big men’s club?

Not when running normally

I suggest you go google Nick Griggs

I’d have thought an athlete going to a park run would be a bit like an author asking to join in a year 1 spelling test!

An Irish long distance runner who has won multiple championships? Not the same thing as Ben popping down his local parkrun and shouting at kids id say

It’s the same with lane swimming. Full of selfish, ignorant people who take up lanes they shouldn’t be in and either swim over people or hold people up. Usually men and old women. It’s infuriating.

Really? That’s a weird way of looking at it. Loads of “athletes” do parkrun. As well as other races.

Well what if Ben also does lots of races AND pops down to his local parkrun to shout at kids. Those two things can be true at the same time.

I think the point is that he also does park run and is the fastest park runner in the UK I think?

I bet he doesn't shout and push though. There are proper athletes at park run but I reckon it's not them acting like idiots.

Shitty entitled and embarrassing why are they like this.

i think what I should’ve said is if you’re only doing parkrun

but I do think it’s a bit embarrassing as a real athlete to do parkrun!

Parkrun isn’t a race

Why though? There are 2 very distinct groups who are doing park run. Competitive athletes using it as a race and the people who are using it as a sociable fun run for fitness purposes. Both can be true at the same time.

if you want to restrict it to the second group you have to remove the timings. If you want both to coexist then some thought needs to start going into having separation of the groups.

things are always evolving and so there isn’t reason that park run can’t evolve as well so everyone is happy and catered for.

Because park run is meant to be fun, and is meant to be a place where novice runners can get involved. Surely the more serious racers would join a running club.

Apart from anything else, if you’re a serious runner then 5k is nothing. And how can you get a PB when you’re running in a throng of people? That’s what I mean when I say it’s performative. Their priority is not their actual time. It’s being seen to be faster than the mere mortals who are there for fun exercise.

PB stands for Personal Best. It’s personal. No need for it to be the “look at how fast I am” show.

Anything with timings and ranking is a race. It is, in fact, exactly the definition of a race.

Dame Kelly Holmes and Alex Yee have both done our local Parkrun. DH and DS both do it regularly and both also volunteer. DH bumbles along happily and DS tries to better his time every week.

I much prefer Parkrun to the local running groups who thunder up and down the pavements at random times of day. On one occasion I was walking the dog and a large group came flying along in the opposite direction. Two women shoved me and my dog into a hedge, didn’t even notice, and just kept on running.

That is not quite true. A lot of serious runners will do a park run for timing. You can even use some park run times to qualify for certain races. It is a broad range of people who do it. Park runs vary quite a lot from place to place.

Then take away the rankings then. Everyone just gets their own time. No need for gender/sex/age classification- just your time.

Why would an athlete want to run with a load of amateurs?
Why would an author want to do a year 1 spelling test?
Answer - so they could win, easily, and feel smug.

I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wanting a PB but it’s not in the spirit of it to behave as they are.

And in real life, you know the difference.

Pushing and shoving and acting macho are all no go.

I agree there should be a clampdown but are the volunteers going to be up to this? It’s a real shame as this exists to make running accessible and they are stopping it from being so.

I love park run and haven’t seen this sort of behavior but I start and stay at the back. I would repost it if I did as the people in charge won’t know unless you tell them. The fast runners do pass us twice but the volenteers request when we move to the sides so that they have a clearer path. It’s a very inclusive event where I run with generally over 1000 runners/walkers. There are timings displayed at the start so pick your rough time and start around there and it all seems to work well. Have met several people I now walk/run with who do roughly the same time as me. When I first started the lovely back walkers chatted to me on and off and the fast ones who are leaving before I finish give us at the back well dones and claps and encouragement. I like having my times logged in the app and looking at the challenges I can do and I would imagine the fast runners feel the same.

They probably want to go because it’s free!

I think this comes down to etiquette and sportsmanship rather than whether it’s ok to run fast or not. Of course it’s good to try and get a PB if you want one and of course people of all abilities, including some very very able runners will run Parkrun. It not being ‘for’ one set of abilities over any other is one of its major strengths.

I’m a 30-odd minute runner and my sons are 16 and 20 minute runners respectively. I love that we can all do it together! (Well, start together…).

What is not ok is intimidating or being physical with other runners. That’s just shitty behaviour. Runners who think other people shouldn’t be in their way or shouldn’t be participating because they are slower are the ones who need to find another race to run!

We have a couple of pro runners at our local one and a lioness. Parkrun is for everyone and that includes very fast people as well as slower walkers. You can't say its inclusive but also say faster runners shouldn't be allowed. They should definitely not be pushing and swearing though.
On the 'race' point, surely everyone races it in their own way. Nobody goes out to get slower every week? Everyone tries to get faster.

The YABU votes are probably due to the suggestion of the complete ban on racing, rather than a ban on antisocial behaviour. Absolutely anyone who shouts, swears and pushes others should be told to leave immediately. But the kids aiming for sub 20-minutes absolutely should be encouraged. Most park runs manage to handle this.

Evidently they can’t be true at the same time, as OP states. The fast runners end up pushing and shoving to get past the slower ones. And of course if the course involves several laps, then it’s pointless starting the fast ones at the front, because inevitably they’ll catch up with the slow ones at the back.

Yes sport is about competition, but it also has to be a level playing field. You wouldn’t have a football league that contained Manchester City and Morecambe FC would you. What would be the point of that?