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Original poster

Stupid Park Run question

47 replies

ThelastRolo20 · 02/05/2024 16:19

I have my first park run on Saturday - genuinely can't wait! But confused how they know your time? I have my barcode on a wrist strap, do they scan as you literally pass the finish line? Or they give you a token or something?

It'll be all I think about if I don't know 😂

OP posts:
Underthinker · 02/05/2024 16:31

IIRC they give you a little token gadget thing at the finish line, and you take that over to some officials who scan that and your barcode.

IsThisNameTaken · 02/05/2024 16:32

If you turn up 10/15 mins early they'll be a briefing for first timers where everything will be explained - good luck!

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 02/05/2024 16:40

As you cross the finish line, they give you a token. You then walk out of the finish funnel to one of the volunteers who scans your barcode which gives you your time and asks what number token you are. This means your finish time is always a few seconds slower as in includes the time it takes to walk across to those doing the scanning. Then you hang your token on the massive peg board by the finish and you're done

ComfyButFrumpy · 02/05/2024 16:44

This means your finish time is always a few seconds slower as in includes the time it takes to walk across to those doing the scanning.
Oh no it doesn't! The stopwatch is timed to when you finish. You can have a gasp of air or three, before you hand your token in.

clary · 02/05/2024 16:44

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 02/05/2024 16:40

As you cross the finish line, they give you a token. You then walk out of the finish funnel to one of the volunteers who scans your barcode which gives you your time and asks what number token you are. This means your finish time is always a few seconds slower as in includes the time it takes to walk across to those doing the scanning. Then you hang your token on the massive peg board by the finish and you're done

Not at my park run! We have someone with a stopwatch taking times so the token matches the time you finish. Sometimes have to queue for a few mins to get the token scanned - this doesn’t affect the time.

People who don’t have a barcode still have a time - just listed as unknown.

Tulipblank · 02/05/2024 16:45

ComfyButFrumpy · 02/05/2024 16:44

This means your finish time is always a few seconds slower as in includes the time it takes to walk across to those doing the scanning.
Oh no it doesn't! The stopwatch is timed to when you finish. You can have a gasp of air or three, before you hand your token in.

Yep. No need to rush to the scanners. The token records the time, then the scanning of the barcode matches you to that time.

Swearwolf · 02/05/2024 16:45

Yeah the token they give you at the end has the time you crossed the finish line. Then they scan both to connect the time with your barcode.

Original poster
ThelastRolo20 · 02/05/2024 16:56

Thanks everyone! Looking forward to it 😊

OP posts:
isthismylifenow · 02/05/2024 16:58

I only found out on my 10th time that your time is when you get the token at the finish and not when the Marshall scans it 😃 I would get all flustered if there was a queue of others scanning incase I missed my pb.

OP you can download the 5k app and if you will have your phone with you, you can scan your barcode to the app and won't need your barcode with you.

Marmite27 · 02/05/2024 17:04

At ours they click on the app as you cross the finish line to get a time. The next volunteer gives you your token, then the final one scan the token and keep it.

you don’t get your time immediately, you have to wait for your results email.

Original poster
ThelastRolo20 · 02/05/2024 17:05

isthismylifenow · 02/05/2024 16:58

I only found out on my 10th time that your time is when you get the token at the finish and not when the Marshall scans it 😃 I would get all flustered if there was a queue of others scanning incase I missed my pb.

OP you can download the 5k app and if you will have your phone with you, you can scan your barcode to the app and won't need your barcode with you.

I think that would have been me too🤦‍♀️

I've got one of the wrist bands but thank you - may download it anyway!

OP posts:
thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 02/05/2024 18:27

You learn something new every day! I genuinely thought the time was when they scanned your code. I'll be a bit more leisurely going over to get scanned now!

EasilyDeterred · 02/05/2024 18:36

I keep my barcode on my phone but didn’t know about the app. I’m one of the last to finish so there is never much of a queue to get scanned.

shoppingshamed · 02/05/2024 18:43

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 02/05/2024 18:27

You learn something new every day! I genuinely thought the time was when they scanned your code. I'll be a bit more leisurely going over to get scanned now!

Did you think that all the times and PBs were dependent on how long the queue was for the token to be scanned or if the scanner was playing up 😂

Scope for tactical sharp elbows to get a better time 😁

ComfyButFrumpy · 02/05/2024 18:46

Haha. Some at my local parkrun would be literally climbing over bodies to get their times scanned first.

shoppingshamed · 02/05/2024 18:47

ComfyButFrumpy · 02/05/2024 18:46

Haha. Some at my local parkrun would be literally climbing over bodies to get their times scanned first.

Exactly, not the fastest runner but a hell of a queue pusher in 😂

MagpiePi · 02/05/2024 18:49

I thought they would only accept the barcodes printed out on a bit of paper or on their wristbands.
You can get a widget for garmin watches which would be so much easier for me than trying to remember where I left my printed out barcode the week before!

shoppingshamed · 02/05/2024 18:51

MagpiePi · 02/05/2024 18:49

I thought they would only accept the barcodes printed out on a bit of paper or on their wristbands.
You can get a widget for garmin watches which would be so much easier for me than trying to remember where I left my printed out barcode the week before!

I thought you could have it on your phone, I haven't been for a while though so it may have changed

Cornishmumofone · 02/05/2024 18:58

Nowadays you can use a digital barcode or a printed barcode.

At some events you will receive your token almost as soon as you cross the line, whereas at large events like Bushy and Southampton you'll need to wait in the finish funnel.

Catopia · 02/05/2024 19:26

Your time is taken by someone stood on the finish line with a stopwatch. They click a special button on the stopwatch every time someone crosses the line, so that every finish position has a time allocated to it.

You will be handed a little token after you cross the line. You go over to the scanner volunteers (which can be at a leisurely pace, having chatted to people etc). They will scan your token and the finish number token side by side, then you return the finish token one.

After the event, they upload all the information from the stopwatches, and all the information from the scanner apps into a computer programme, and by the magic of technology all the times from the stopwatch create a spreadsheet of 1 through to the last finishers' times, and all the data from the scanners creates the information about who finished in each position, and the computer merges the two so it creates the complete results spreadsheet of who finished where and with what time. It's amazingly clever.

Have fun and happy parkrunning!

westcountrywoman · 03/05/2024 07:31

MagpiePi · 02/05/2024 18:49

I thought they would only accept the barcodes printed out on a bit of paper or on their wristbands.
You can get a widget for garmin watches which would be so much easier for me than trying to remember where I left my printed out barcode the week before!

I've set my barcode as a the Lock Screen for my iPhone on a new focus that I've called ParkRun. I set the focus before setting off, then just pull my phone out of my pocket at the end for them to scan.

Elebag · 03/05/2024 07:39

Your time is when the stopwatch team blip you as you cross the finishing line. The tokens and scanners don't matter.

Electronic bar codes are fine now. If you forget your paper one you can log into your parkrun account, choose the download barcode option and zoom into one of them to be scanned.

Have a nice walk / jog / run tomorrow!

QueSyrahSyrah · 03/05/2024 07:44

Good Luck at your first Parkrun OP!

Points to note;

  • Stay in order once you've crossed the finish line (don't walk ahead of anyone who crossed before you even if they're dawdling, and don't let anyone push ahead of you from behind). Just until you’ve got your token in your hand, after that it doesn’t matter what order you’re scanned in.
  • Keep your ears open for anyone trying to get past from behind you if you've got narrow sections of course.
  • Tokens aren't souvenirs so hand it back in (amazing how many people nick them from ours!)
  • If you become a regular the Parkrunner app is fun for tracking your results, challenges, linking with Parkrun friends and keeping your barcode digitally.
  • Have fun!
Trolleytoken · 03/05/2024 07:47

So I understand the stopwatch/token/ scanner thing. But, when they give out the tokens are they in numerical order? Otherwise how do they know which token is which stopwatch click? Or is that why you have to stay in the right order in the funnel? But even then, when you come out of the funnel there are multiple scanners……. I don’t get it!

QueSyrahSyrah · 03/05/2024 07:52

Trolleytoken · 03/05/2024 07:47

So I understand the stopwatch/token/ scanner thing. But, when they give out the tokens are they in numerical order? Otherwise how do they know which token is which stopwatch click? Or is that why you have to stay in the right order in the funnel? But even then, when you come out of the funnel there are multiple scanners……. I don’t get it!

Yes the tokens are given out in numerical order, so (ideally and with no funnel duckers) the first to cross the line gets token 1 and the 200th gets token 200. The token number matches the number of the click on the stopwatch, and scanning both links that number / time to your barcode.

That's why it doesn't matter what order you're scanned in once you've got your token. If you've got token 167 you'll be linked to finish place 167 whether you're scanned right away or in 20 minutes time.

I don't know if all Parkruns do but ours does a check every 50 finishers that they're on track, and takes that person's barcode number down manually too. I guess so that if the results go awry somewhere in the middle they've got fixed reference points to refer back to.