Why hasn't parkrun taken off in the US?

DLR wrote:

I signed up for a Parkrun barcode over a year ago but still haven't run on of these things. Not far from me at all, just haven't found a good enough reason to go. I like real races with official times (don't care about medals/prizes/tshirts) but I must have an official time.

http://www.parkrun.us/crissyfield/

I'm confused by what you mean. Below are the latest times for the event you linked to. Your result is emailed to you a few hours after the event,

And as I understand it parkrun courses are usually certified, althoguh I am not sure about The Crissy Field event.

UKParkrunner wrote:

Someone I know says that "Parkrun is too socialist for the US", I hope he is wrong.

Uh oh. If someone really wants to kill a proposed USA parkrun, the S-word would do it. Doesn't seem to make any impression on millenials though -- they just don't "understand" the implications.

Who wouldn't value a :-

- free

- weekly

- timed

- 5k run

Oh, and there are t-shirts too - free milestone t-shirt when you run 50, 100, 250 etc (I've recently got my 50). Just run 10 if you are under 16 and you'll get the t-shirt.

There are misconceptions - one poster here that it is a race. It definitively is not, unless you treat it as a race. Its not a race for my 7 year old, last weekend it was not a race for me. But it is often a race for my 16 year old (or, more appropriately, its not a race but a time trial).

Its not going to solve the obesity crisis in the UK or the US single-handedly, but it's definitely one part of some of the solutions. It promotes social participation, volunteering, social inclusion etc. It is, quite frankly, brilliant.

Having intimate knowledge of parkrun USA since 2012, I agree with the post by larkimm. The USA market is like no other and the biggest challenge aside from the legal barriers and fees, is the culture and over commercialization of running here in the USA. The emphasis has moved from running for the personal satisfaction to the social media induced selfie with a medal and shirt. Since parkrun is free, the perception amongst USA runners is its not a real run or event. Secondly sponsor funding interstate has been non existent in e USA. Can't grow events without funding, need critical mass to attract sponsors so there is a challenge on either side. The five events so far have been very successful and there are well over 100 other USA communities interested. Any running, fitness and health related entity has already been approached and each has declined as the near immediate return on their sponsor funding is necessary to see the value. When parkrun USA commenced in March 2012, a verbal commitment from a major running apparel brand located in the Pacific Northwest and not Nike or Brooks was made as this brand at the time had a near global presence with parkrun. Then post Boston marathon, said brand decide to not go forward with formal agreement and focus resources elsewhere. This created a major obstacle which led to attempts with other like organizations as mentioned but to no success. Water under the bridge however if this partnership would have moved forward I know there would be at least fifty plus events nationwide.

larkimm wrote:

There are misconceptions - one poster here that it is a race. It definitively is not, unless you treat it as a race. Its not a race for my 7 year old, last weekend it was not a race for me. But it is often a race for my 16 year old (or, more appropriately, its not a race but a time trial).

I've had this discussion a million times, it is a race unless you decide that you have a different dictionary than everyone else, it is emphatically not a Time Trial because this format would by definition not involve all the runners starting simultaneously.

People can re-define the meaning of words all they like, that doesn't mean that people have to agree with their redefinition.

I take part in cross country series and others that nobody disputes are races and appear in Athletics Weekly and elsewhere as races where no numbers are worn and no prizes are given.

I would see no point at all in turning up and not running as fast as I can on the day - obviously other people differ, that is fine and I have no wish to tell them what they are doing is called anything they don't want it to be called.

I disagree, though perhaps it is just semantics and probably doesn't matter too much.

In a race, everyone is trying to get the finish as fast as they can. At parkrun, that is not the case. I often just turn up to jog around as part of a longer run, or even just for the social factor of collectively running at the same time.

Now I know that mass participation "races" also have people not trying their hardest to get the finish line first, and perhaps that's where the race / run boundary breaks down.

parkrun is just parkrun. It can be whatever you want it to be for yourself.

Perhaps parkrun's own website states it best - "It's not about racing, its about running".

(But I'm relaxed if you want to think of it as a race!)

larkimm wrote:

In a race, everyone is trying to get the finish as fast as they can.

By this definition any tactical race isn't a race. Or any race with rabbits. Or races where some participant aren't trying to win but only to qualify for some other race.

This is exactly like the all-comers track meets I used to find back in the day.

Some ex-college guy who was now a teacher would manage to borrow the school's track for an evening. Maybe a $1 donation if you showed up, and that covered drinks that were in two or three coolers. Full track meet, non-relays distances then contested, however many heats were needed. Tuesday night track.

This sums it up for me and very well said but unfortunately the average yank is too lazy to be bothered .

When you see the poor numbers for a place like San Francisco , it says to me there is no chance of it doing much in USA

they haven't fully figured out how to integrate selfies and binge-eating/drinking into the parkrun concept yet

Great to see parkrun being discussed on my favourite running website!

You're right in that we've not cracked the States yet, and we have had mixed success around the world.

Right now we have 810 weekly running events across 11 countries with approximately 140,000 weekly runners and 10,000 weekly volunteers. The UK, Australia, South Africa (led by ultra legend Bruce Fordyce) and Ireland have been the most successful.

Our US events are listed here -

http://www.parkrun.us/events/

I ran at Crissy Field parkrun last year and previous comments re the successful launch of Fletcher's Cove parkrun are spot on. Clearly there is huge potential but where previously we've considered the USA as one country we're beginning to feel it would be more appropriate to look at it state by state.

It might also take some time to turn people on to our free-to-enter and volunteer-led delivery model. Worth remembering though that pretty much every single concern previously mentioned on this discussion came up in the UK many years ago, where we now have 450 weekly events with 80,000+ weekly runners. Last weekend (globally) our 1,446,976th unique runner completed the 14,041,453th parkrun finish so I think the model works ;-)

Finally, it's worth noting that where communities engage with parkrun event we see significant increases in paid race entry, affiliated club memberships, running store engagement and post-run coffee-shop takings.

Thanks from across the Pond,

Tom

I think Parkrun is a brilliant concept and we have 5 in the greater Glasow area, nearest one about 2 miles from my house so I can jog over quite easily. At this time of the year I just use them as tempo or progressive runs then might go for a fast time in the summer.

The best thing about parkrun though is that it shows the general public that there is more to running than doing marathons.

Good luck with cracking the States, Tom. I suppose just like the UK, you need to get a pocket of critical mass established and then the explosion will happen. I hope to be still running parkruns in the UK in thirty years time and hope they are just the same as they are today!

Well said TW. Glad to see parkrun global chimed in. If parkrun usa has made the Lets Run message board, it's obviously getting attention in the usa running community.

What's the parkrun scene like in San Francisco? Anyone know?

To the person who mentioned the Houston HWP 5k, if you are involved in running them THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Those races are a perfect example of what parkrun can be in the US.

Huge numbers of participants, from people who want to walk the course to people who show up every time ready to race. Plus it really promotes activity in the community.

Tom Williams wrote:

Clearly there is huge potential but where previously we've considered the USA as one country we're beginning to feel it would be more appropriate to look at it state by state.

Tom, I hope Parkrun becomes successful here in the US and I can't wait to run the one in SF in a couple of weeks.

I think it is very wise of you to view America regionally--we may be united by a common language, currency and federal laws, but there are still many localized differences, even if they are much much smaller than 30 years ago.

Keep up the good work!!

I tried to start a parkrun in my hometown in Temecula in Southern California, and the local board I met with (including the neighboring city as well) saw the massive potential in it- but didn't bother making any effort to help with land permission after I met with them and simply said,

'..we offer our residents the FIT program and having another similar program seems redundant.'

(FIT is about logging the number of miles you walk each day to their website so others can see it.)

There were in fact many possible routes, but this pretty much sums it up- that one pubic health initiative is enough, and we don't REALLY care about the health and fitness of our citizens.

The neighboring city wasn't much help either and said there would be a $600 event permit that I would have to submit, and the process would probably take 6 months, so I could not follow through (I was emigrating from the US shortly after).

While I was in contact with the director of pakrun USA about starting one up, he told me there are upwards of 100 potential locations, but parkrun USA was still restricted from growing by not having a national sponsor in case someone decided to sue.

It is true what someone mentioned about the US running 'scene' now needing a medal and a tee-shirt after each race, at minimum. Phrases like 'run for the bling' pretty much make me sick now. The parkrun culture is such a more fulfilling experience, not just physically but socially as well.

parkrun may not officially be labelled as a race, but if you ever go to one you will see they can be VERY competitive.

America's appetite to make money is spoiling the chance for America to really gain a new monumental health initiative. And America needs that more than any other country (unless maybe Mexico). And if Mexico gets a whiff of parkrun, they will I'm sure explode in popularity.

'The emphasis has moved from running for the personal satisfaction to the social media induced selfie with a medal and shirt. '

That is the same over here.

I think its a case of if you build it they will come

I suppose the cost in US would put people off - only just found out you have to pay £3k to set up in uk although in theory you could do it for free if you set up your own independent run