parkrun defending their position

[Funtime2]

I used to be a parkrunner and do not understand how parkrun can defend their position of allowing trans identfying males into the female category.

I read that 280 published race winners in the female category are actually men identifying as women. How is this fair to women? Some women don’t care about this but some women do, just as some men take it as a race and care about the rankings and some men don’t

The other option of course is they could stop the timing, stop recording winners and records?

AIBU to genuinely not understand why parkrun claim not to be a race when they time the runners, publish times by category, rank times and runners, and have record holders by category.

Er, yeah, it's a competition. And we all know it.

No, because - as I've said upthread - I am actually fairly gender critical. I just think it's ruined feminism by working with the hard right and alienating minority groups, so don't get involved in GC forums any more. Also because, as you've demonstrated, any 'discussions' quickly turn into personal insults and ad hominem attacks and I can't be arsed with that.

It isn't though.

If you want to retain the competitive element of Parkrun, then the competition needs to be made as fair as practicably possible.

How can there be a world record, if it isn't a competition?

Why can’t people still run together if they don’t get a time from the event? That’s inclusive and fun right?

There are world records for everything. Biggest cake. Loudest fart. You name it.

Yes - and the important bit of your statement is that it's got to be practicably possible, which expecting volunteers to police participants on the basis of sex (not age, as that isn't a thing) would not be.

Exactly. But requesting participants to register by sex would be.

No, since males cheat I want no categories or rankings or timings at...all. That is less work for you.

And to have been judged the loudest fart, they would have had to have been in completion with other, less impressive, farts.

A lot of people (me included) enjoy the community aspect of Park Run, the coming together for social reasons as well as health. You take away all that, you might as well be going for a run by yourself.
I like the timings as I like to be part of a run, and see how well I do as opposed to how I did the week before.
Enjoying the run layout without competing against everyone else.
If park run isn't for you, you want it competitive, there's so many more runs out there more suitable instead of trying to get it to bend to your way.

The whole point is since it's been ascertained men won't cheat, then we need zero categories. Zero rankings. Zero timings taken. That means less work for you. How can you argue against that?

I am, in fairness, not sure how you could ever decide on the loudest fart. I fear it would largely be subjective and could lead to angry riots if wrongly called.

Why has it been ascertained that men won't cheat? And why does this mean we should abolish Parkrun to make things fair for women? I don't follow your reasoning here.

No. Have the time it starts. Just make it a free for all general fun run. That's all.

They can and do! There are loads of community groups that organise group runs in an informal way. My running club puts on multiple sessions every week. Good Gym, 5K Your Way for people recovering from and battling cancer, there's all sorts.

Also, if you want a 5km timed run or walk on the same course at 9am each week, you can come to parkrun. We welcome everyone even those who bizarrely believe other participants are "cheating men" trying to "steal wins from women". I don't agree but I'll still time you and record your result along with the many thousands of others from the event over the years.

Arghhhhhhhh

NO ONE NEEDS TO POLICE IT

argghhhhhh

do you police age??

trans-age isn't a thing

Yes it is. Haven't you seen the many, many photos of males in little girl dresses and dummies? Or the man that identifies as a 6 year old girl?

One would use a decibel metre, a piece of kit that measures the volume of a sound. And therefore, has a clear definition of loudest - the fart with the highest number of decibels

No! I am suggesting it be a general run/walk. That's all. With no timings or anything like that.

It's not our fault we can't have nice things because men hate women and cheat

Again - I'm parkrunning right now. Can't you see?

It's a big community thing. Lots of the regulars do 'Parkrun takeovers' where they run it, and I am also volunteering next month with a local charity that's doing a takeover. I really love that aspect of it - it feels important in today's society when we're all set against each other half the time. To me, making a big (pointless, seeing as it wouldn't be policed anyway) issue out of the trans thing does actually make it less inclusive, which spoils some of the focus on community. Others may disagree and that's their right but I think it works pretty well as it is.

that Is the most pathetic reason not to have a rule.

we won’t have a rule that rape is illegal because it’s nearly always impossible to get a conviction.

But that is not what park run was set up for. You have completely changed the premise of the whole thing.

if people want that then they need to set up a completely new thing and revert park run back to its original purpose of time trials.