Lenny Leonard wrote:
As a guy who has worked in running stores for a long while now, isn't this just a "fun run"?
Free
Set distance
Not a race
Recurring every week
It seems like the Brits are about 40 years late to the fun run craze.
Dig a bit more into what's involved here. parkrun is enormous and brilliantly run.
this is our equivalent
Laramie used to have park runs. It was on the various city parks with hot dogs and burgers afterwards. It was informal and social experience. Parkrun is not a new concept - it's just not as big of a deal over here. Just low key summer events.
DisasterArtist wrote:
It's huge in the UK And also pretty big in other parts of Europe, Australia, NZ, hasn't caught on in the US though, wondering why?
http://www.parkrun.com
I'd guess that along with permit issues, there's probably also liability issues for organizers in the States. With no way to recoup costs for insurance coverage, and with no way to get participants to sign waivers, this sounds like a potential legal minefield.* Ambulance chasers: one, parkruns: nil.
Brilliant idea, though. I always feel a twinge of envy whenever I hear the Marathon Talk gents going on about their parkruns.
* Not a lawyer, don't play one on TV
Pig Run looks amusing but it is the opposite of park run.
Pig Run is not timed and has an entry (donation) fee.
ParkRun is timed and competitive if you want. No entry fee.
Park Run happens weekly, Pig Run once/year.
What is the point of the Park Run? Perhaps that's why it hasn't taken off in the US: poor communication of Vision and Mission.
DisasterArtist wrote:
It's huge in the UK And also pretty big in other parts of Europe, Australia, NZ, hasn't caught on in the US though, wondering why?
http://www.parkrun.com
This has been happening for years in the US you just need to know where to go. YRRC in Youngstown, OH has done this for probably 30 years 2 days a week different distances meeting places and loops each time. It is timed and you fill out a card at the finish...not sure what they do with the times. I was going to these 25 years ago.
Money. Capitalism. Big companies.
This has already been done wrote:
DisasterArtist wrote:It's huge in the UK And also pretty big in other parts of Europe, Australia, NZ, hasn't caught on in the US though, wondering why?
http://www.parkrun.comThis has been happening for years in the US you just need to know where to go. YRRC in Youngstown, OH has done this for probably 30 years 2 days a week different distances meeting places and loops each time. It is timed and you fill out a card at the finish...not sure what they do with the times. I was going to these 25 years ago.
"probably 30 years 2 days a week different distances meeting places and loops each time. It is timed and you fill out a card at the finish...not sure what they do with the times." That's nothing like parkrun at all then.
-always 5k at every event thus can judge runs against other runs, also a distance accessible to beginners and a useful time trial for fit runners
-always the same time on a Saturday morning, consistency and simplicity is important
-nearly a million and a half people have run a parkrun, parkrun is a genuine mass participation phenomenon
-impressive and consistent organisation, times will almost always be posted online the same day, if not within a coupe of hours
-adept use of technology; results texted to runners free of charge, slick website with lots of stats and maps and information, neat barcode/scanner approach to getting everyone's times
Driving distance? Ha.
We even get Park Run tourist over here. When a new one sets up, people like to try it out.
I can go anywhere in the country and be pretty close to a free, timed, 5k run every weekend of the year. Results posted on a website pretty quickly. I tend to use them for tempo training and it's a nice way of meeting others. I also think they are brilliant for beginners and children.
It has something for everyone. The second week of ours Scott Overall who ran in the Olympics for Great Britain in 2012 rocked up. He was on holiday and was asking local runners for routes before and after the run. Think he did 15 min something but our Park Run is super slow.
Parkruns are races, the pretence that they aren't is a convenient fiction to keep people who would prevent them not exactly happy but unable to be even more obstructive. Although everyone on this site will claim otherwise sub-15 is not a social jog
http://www.parkrun.org.uk/cardiff/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=401
Yes there is a social aspect, like there is with any event where the local running clubs get together but when the gun goes, everyone I am around is trying their best, indeed many people have their 5K PB at Parkrun.
The insurance and lawsuit issues were settled in 2009 when the UK Athletics body did an abrupt 180 turn and agreed to back them, presumably they realised that an athletics body opposed to running was not good PR.
Someone I know says that "Parkrun is too socialist for the US", I hope he is wrong.
Having been a long time runner, off and on coach and on a few race committees (including being a RD), here is my take.
First, I looked at the site to see about setting up an event. The site says $6000 in start up costs. Okay that is not a ton of money. My question is how to I recoup that if I do not charge an entry fee. Okay, it looks like I go out and get sponsors that could cover the start up costs,
Second, I need to have a venue/park. In some areas that can be a pain and costly. Think about using the same park every week. Some park department ground crew is going to freak about the damage to the turf. People living in that neighborhood may complain about the parking and the mess folks leave behind (it happens a bit where I live when events are in the park).
It looks like you sign up once and get a bib that has the transponder in it and use that bib the entire season (why not every season?). That saves some money and the issue of packet pick up each week. Pick up the bib at the first race or at the local LRS (if one is willing).
Next issue I see is that you are going to need some staff. Where are these volunteers coming from each week? So many places have runs already that need volunteers so in some ways you are competing against them. Obviously price (free) wins out.
What staff do we need? I am going with start/finish in same location.
1) I figure a person or two to hand out bibs for the newbies.
2) A couple of people to run the timing system (I assume that is part of the $6000 set up cost).
3) Courses marshals and those to mark the course (if you are were going to be in the same place each week it might be worth checking into permanent signs/markers and work with the parks dept on this). Not sure how many as it depends on the course.
Finally, the person looking to do this is going to spend a lot of time each week on these free runs. Not sure about you, but I think that is asking a lot. Heck I figure each week will be 5 hours of work for 52 weeks (assuming you do not take some weeks off). That seems like a lot to ask of a small group of people,
Then, will people really value something that is "free" or will it just become me and a few folks standing around each week for a few folks to run? It seems to me that in the US, the move is toward events with a twist (mud runs, paint runs, obstacle course runs) or bands and T shirts.
Try the Hash House Harriers:
You've misunderstood a few things (although that's okay, it's hard to get it all from the website) - a lot of the issues you mentioned aren't really issues. For example the bibs - there are none. People print their own barcodes which saves time and money. Start up costs yes, but you're right most get sponsors. Volunteers rotate each week and it's only about an hour of work except the people doing results processing. But you do need a pool of willing volunteers.
In terms of if people are interested - if you go to results you can see parkruns on UK often have 300-500 people show each week, and a full roster of willing volunteers. Still 100-200 in Australia. But it takes time to build up a reputation.
I guess what I'm saying is that most of the issues you mentioned are surmountable (or have been in the countries which run parkrun) and also not exclusive to US. But it's still interesting to get opinions.
luv2run wrote:
It looks like you sign up once and get a bib that has the transponder in it and use that bib the entire season (why not every season?). That saves some money and the issue of packet pick up each week. Pick up the bib at the first race or at the local LRS (if one is willing).
I'm unclear whether you are talking about Parkrun, over here not much of what you wrote rings a bell and especially not the bit I quoted above, Parkrun has no "bibs", when you finish you are given a finishing order barcode token which you give to the scanning people who scan this (and retain it) plus your personal barcode.
I guess this is something different you are talking about?
I started taking part in Parkruns in Feb 2008 and spent the next 5 years having the same conversations over and over about the misconceptions everyone has about what Parkrun is.
To the person patronisingly suggesting that the UK has discovered fun runs 40 years late, you are just plain wrong about that and are missing the point. The main point is that you get a competitive and professionally run accurately measured 5K race for free every Saturday and results by Midday in an era when people are charging crazy money for badly run races on inaccurately measured courses with results when they can be bothered.
DisasterArtist wrote:
It's huge in the UK And also pretty big in other parts of Europe, Australia, NZ, hasn't caught on in the US though, wondering why?
http://www.parkrun.com
Well, considering that civilization in general hasn't really taken off in the USA, it will probably be a while before parkrun gets there.
DisasterArtist wrote:
Still 100-200 in Australia. But it takes time to build up a reputation.
The thing is about Australia is that places where the population is about 100 plus 50 Kangaroos and 20 Koalas still have about 100 runners every week
http://www.parkrun.com.au/events/DisasterArtist wrote:
It's huge in the UK And also pretty big in other parts of Europe, Australia, NZ, hasn't caught on in the US though, wondering why?
http://www.parkrun.com
parkrun has just started in DC. 200 turned up for the first event. Decent attendances every week since despite some horrible weather. Course record is down to 16.40 already. This will really kick off come spring in DC and then a load more cities will follow.
As to why it has taken so long, I think some people in the US struggle with the concept of it being free, as mentioned permits can also be an issue, people here are also already have very busy lives with something scheduled every hour of every day (especially if they have kids) and also in some areas there are already a bunch of overpriced 5ks every weekend.
The course records at Fresh Pond are probably from back in the 70's when I
was running (and winning, with times of 12:30 and 26:00).
Occasionally someone like Bill Rogers would drop by and run a
under 24 min....Rogers may hold the records...
Bruce