To think Parkrun should have an hour cut-off

[SummerAsh]

200+ participants, all but two completed in under 54 minutes… but the last two women ambled around chatting and took over 1 hour 10 minutes.

I appreciate that Parkrun should be inclusive, but that’s taking the piss, and unfair on the 20 or so volunteers who give up the first part of their Saturday mornings…. It’s hard enough getting volunteers as it is, without expecting everyone to be saintly martyrs with endless patience.

To complete in an hour requires a pace of 3.1 mph (I.e 5km = 3.1 miles)… According to Google, that’s a casual walking pace.

AIBU to think that if you can’t or won’t complete a park”run” at even a casual walking pace, then parkrun isn’t for you. I think that an hour cut off is more than accommodating enough, and an appropriate line to draw.

Otherwise, what is reasonable? Is it reasonable to accommodate a 90-year old taking 3 hours with their zimmer? If not, where the line if not an hour.

Have you really started a thread to moan about 15 minutes? It's hardly a long time.

It depends on the course

I've done a few over an hour because one was just vile and the other I was walking with a friend who has terminal cancer and he was struggling

Do you volunteer at the tail? If not, why do you care? Who knows what the people at the back have experienced - maybe they're recovering from injury or sickness. Maybe they have no other opportunity to walk with others. Maybe they've never walked three miles in one go before. Maybe they just want to chat with their friends. But if the tailwalkers don't mind, why should you? It's not a race

Are you the volunteer left waiting? I really don’t think your views are in the spirit of park run, it’s for everyone. People who are unwell or on really challenging fitness journeys can take part and may be slower. YABU

YABU, it’s for all people from all fitness levels and I’m sure it’s promoted as something you can run or walk.

Stop volunteering if you can’t wait.

15 minutes? Get over yourself.

It’s not just the tail walker who has to dawdle… The timekeepers and other Marshalls have to remain too. It’s call parkrun, not parkamble!

i thought you were going to say people stop half way for a sit down and chat and take two hours or more!
They were 15 minutes behind, you know nothing about their health or fitness. They are out there making the effort to be healthy and active which I thought was the whole point of park run. If you need to leave, leave, no one is stopping you. I’m sure someone else doesn’t mind staying and recording their details. Or if the volunteers feel it’s taking too long, arrange a shift pattern, some do the start set up some do the close down.

It's not just the tail walkers, it's token handing out, timekeepers, scanners, race director etc..
It is taking the piss but it's the elephant in the room, nobody's allowed to mention it, parkrun is inclusive.

I think one hour is fair enough before you start clearing up, but I’m sure it takes more than 10 minutes to clear up so they will be finished before you actually leave, all you need to go is swipe their number then. Our local one does close up at 10 because the first kids match is scheduled for 10.15 on the field!

if you’re ill or so incredibly unfit you can’t manage to walk at a casual pace, why would you go and waste people’s time on a Saturday morning. It’s incredibly entitled. Just go for a walk ffs!

The entitled person here is 100% you, thinking that an inclusive community event should be set to suit you.

Because for some of us that's the only way we actually see other people? I live alone and rarely see others

I can guarantee you that most volunteers feel the same as me. You’re right, it’s the elephant in the room.

Of course, parkrun is inclusive, that’s why I said an hour, not 40 minutes… but there’s inclusive and there’s taking the piss.

Id be mortified that a dozen plus people were standing round in the cold on a Saturday morning to facilitate me having a stroll. But some people have no shame.

I’m a long-suffering marshal too and I agree with you. If all you want to do is go for a stroll and a chat why the hell do you need to do it round the parkrun course? And keep ALL the volunteers waiting until you eventually amble in.

I don’t think there should be a cut off because there will be people for whom a very slow time is genuinely the limit of their endurance and they are undertaking exercise and a physical challenge. But the strollers can fuck off.

I am of course utterly charming to them when I’m marshalling but inside I’m seething at their entitlement.

Oh that felt good. Thanks OP.

I think YABU, the idea is to encourage all abilities.

This. Stop doing it. You’re not encouraging people like me who want to do it but feel anxious to start. For the sale of 15 bloody minutes.
dont volunteer your time then!

Well you’re not seeing anyone if you are 15 minutes behind the others… And if you really want to meet and interact with people then volunteering at Parkrun is far better! That’s generally what infirm people do…

Isn’t the point for those ‘incredibly unfit’ to feel able to be included in an exercise where they feel part of something and can have their time recorded to feel achievement?

I'm inclined to agree if the volunteers feel the same. Depends whether those volunteers feel that they can speak up if they are unhappy.

I once took my 4 year old DD to support my 6 year old DS doing the kids park run and DD wanted to join in. She started running with me but we ended up walking at the back. The lovely volunteers behind us were really encouraging but I told them not to wait for us as we were dipping out and perfectly happy to just walk the route ourselves. They insisted on us remaining part of the group and said to take as long as we wanted and that they would stay behind us. I think they genuinely wanted to.

Even someone on a zimmer who takes 3 hours?

You haven't said whether you're regular volunteer - most only do it every few weeks so we're talking 15 minutes 4 of 5 times a year. But if you don't like an inclusive event, then why don't you go for a run on your own?

You are being extremely ridiculous.

From the park run website:

‘parkrun is positive, welcoming and inclusive, there is no time limit and no one finishes last. Everyone is welcome to come along.’

And it specifically states ‘walk, jog or run’. The problem here is YOU OP. Maybe go find a hobby better suited to your personality