parkrun 2020 - all welcome !

[CalmConfident]

Our long running parkrun thread has gotten very quiet, so with the last 2019 results processed thought it was a good time to refresh ready for 2020

Parkrun is a force for good. Run, walk or volunteer. All are equally welcome. Saturdays 9am 5k.

www.parkrun.org.uk/

So if you are a newbie first timer, a volunteer, a local regular or a challenge chasing tourist come join us here. Ask questions, share stories and let’s encourage each other in 2020

...and Don’t Forget Your Barcode #DFYB

I got fed up with not improving my times so although I can run 5k without any problem, I'm redoing c25k to see if it helps.

Are running clubs allowed to operate at the moment or are they closed? Maybe I should see if there is one nearby.

Some running clubs are open - maybe with reduced sessions

Yes, we were all ready for a late April launch for juniors. Fingers crossed for 2021! We are all live though so in theory can post (not) parkrun times :)

I'm an RD with a juniors. With this limping on so long now, I'm worried about our volunteer base to get going again.
It's very much dependent on a small core of parents willing to step up and bolstered by DoE volunteers. Our RD team is down to 4 as a couple of older, long termers saw it as a natural break point to make the step away that they had been considering, which is understandable.
From a volunteers point of view it will be like starting again.

It must be 5 years since I first took DS1!

I'm doing a couple of (not)parkruns a week. I'm close enough to do the actual route. I stand on the start line in the middle of the playing field like a right lemon then off I go.

This thread coming back to life this week reminded me to log a (not)parkrun thus morning (well, the 3mile split from a longer run)

Glad to have got it done before the rain came!!

With parkrun having the chance to tidy up all it's admin and do future planning etc, what would anyone like to see happen next?

I'd like to see more volunteer reward Tshirts - as they seem able to keep rolling out even higher rewards for runners, but without volunteers there is no parkrun. I'd use numbers and colours that are not in use for runners, and have searing yellow for 75 and tail orange for 150. And neon pink (just to keep with the brights theme) for 300

Great idea @AuntieStella I would love to see higher volunteer number t shirts. Like your colour way suggestions as well

I would also like to be able to buy “iron on” 50 / 100 / v25 patches to stick onto my tourist shirt and the V25 onto my runners shirt! Ovals of the colours with white numbers would look good

Thinking of ways to drive revenue...anyway to get / buy a special (not)parkrun t shirt would be good. It would be good to have a option other than tourist apricot (I somehow view that as my “away” shirt so do not wear it near home )

I bought one of the free customisation apricots to mark lockdown. Prefer the international one which does not list the current UK sponsors

A separate (not)partkrun limited edition sounds like a very good idea

And I've bought barcode waterbottles as Xmas/birthday presents for fellow enthusiasts, plus some contra stuff. I probably would buy more merch (because my midlife crisis has been almost entirely fuelled by Lycra)

But if you're older and fatter, like me 😬, you would trail at the back and take ages. Is that what the poor trail people do?
I want to have a go but honestly I'd be so embarrassed at making people wait for me....

My favourite volunteering role is tail, because all the very best people are towards the back, and it really really does not matter how long you take.

@gettingolderbutcooler that's what tail walkers are for. There's no rush at all.
There's a Facebook group called Walking at Parkrun if you need inspiration.

@gettingolderbutcooler exactly what @megletthesecond and @AuntieStella said !!! We absolutely love to have walkers, and that includes slow walkers, at parkrun. No-one is ever last, tailwalker is a fab volunteer role..the positivity party is always best at the back of the gang . You will be made very welcome