Page 5 of 56 FirstFirst ... 345671555 ... LastLast
Results 41 to 50 of 554

Thread: Are Park Runs Destructive ?

  1. #41

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    We seem to be in a Parkrun wasteland up here. Do you fancy organising one WP?

  2. #42
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    Quote Originally Posted by Richard Head View Post
    We seem to be in a Parkrun wasteland up here. Do you fancy organising one WP?
    Yeh right :/

    We have one on 13th Nov - it's called the Mid Lancs XC league fixture 2

  3. #43

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    Yeh right :/

    We have one on 13th Nov - it's called the Mid Lancs XC league fixture 2
    http://www.ukresults.net/2010/cumbriaxc10.html

    Is Ricky running for you in the Mid Lancs and other cross country this winter?

  4. #44
    Master Witton Park's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2007
    Location
    Blackburn
    Posts
    8,793

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    He can - whether he will or not is a different matter.

  5. #45
    Member hightops's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2009
    Location
    Nuneaton Warwickshire
    Posts
    40

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    I did my first parkrun 3 weeks ago. I havnt done another yet as I had plans on the weekends. I though it was great (I'm not attached to a Club as there is only a track and road running club in my area.) 4 of my friends came along too, also not attached to a Club. One of them has now joined a club in his area as he enjoyed the parkrun so much.

    At the event there was a guy from Sphinx Athletics Club giving out flyers for "The Coombe Park Winter 8" and we have all entered. Wouldnt of even known about the event if we hadnt gone to parkrun. Also got my sister, my daugher and 5 friends to enter too so that is a fair few £12 to the Club thanks to parkrun. It will be my sisters first race. She will never go to a parkrun as she works on Saturdays.

    I loved the friendliness of everyone there and it was brilliant to see so many people of all running abilities just loving it and having a go :-) About 150 runners ranging from 16 mins to 45mins and age range of 8 to 80 They were all smiling at the end ;-)
    I'm lovin the party that is off-road running :w00t: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=124336794288432

  6. #46

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    Bob - just out of interest - before Park Run, I wonder how many organised races did you do a year and since park run how many - that would be a test. I imagine that as you have completed over 50 it's had an impact on your attendance at fee paying races.
    I've not counted but I'd say that I run parkrun as training so in addition to usual races. And it looks like that http://www.thepowerof10.info/athlete...thleteid=16968. I also do all the GM League XC races - but not good enough to show in powerof10 . Like many I'm limited by work and family and travel time to races. parkrun is 400m away and includes the family.

  7. #47

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    Quote Originally Posted by Witton Park View Post
    Clubs (and race organisers) don't keep the unattached levy - that's a misconception.

    As an UKA affiliated club we have to pay £25 for a permit for every road race that we organise. We then have to pay an amount to UKA based on the number of runners that ran in the race and not on the number of unattached runners.

    So if we have a race with a few hundred runners, we already have incurred a significant cost.

    This system hugely favours the mass races and undoubtedly was cooked up by the London Marathon / Great Run lot - self interest most definitely.

    If that applied to each and every Park Run, you would have a fixed overhead for your permit and insurance through UKA of between £50 and £300 per race.

    So no - Parkrun isn't treated as an affiliated club in the way that you outline - and your "free" permit and insurance is in effect public funding as the cover comes from UKA.
    Yes that is a fair point WP. And partly why I said no direct funding. But then again you have to look at all the public money that goes on promoting exercise - leisure centres, council gyms, RunBritain gimmicks, Fit4Life posters and adverts, personal trainers for obese teenagers. parkrun is good value in comparison and utilises parks for a community event.

    We're also providing 5ks for slower runners who might take 30mins+ to get round. It is questionable whether you want too many people running say 1.20 in a club 10k and certainly not a fell race if you're marshalling on a cold hill.

  8. #48
    Senior Member Flightless Bird's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2008
    Location
    Huddersfield
    Posts
    388

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    I suppose the next few months and possibly years might effect this whole argument.

    I love running fell races, and always will. Do I like road? I used to, but not particularly bothered now, apart from a couple of marathons a year.

    So what will the future hold if peoples income lowers etc.

    Will people be stumping up £30 - £40 to do road races? Some will.

    Will they all turn to the fells because the cost is less. I doubt it.

    Will they turn to Park Run? Some, but as previously mentioned, not everyone wants to do a 5k.

    Will Park Run widen it's race range to accomodate skint runners? I doubt it.

    Time will tell.

    But in the end I'm sure running will survive.
    Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm.

  9. #49

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    I noticed there were nearly 300 in the senior mens race alone at the GM XC opener at Heaton Park http://www.race-results.co.uk/results/2010/maccls1.pdf so if anything numbers were up. There was a parkrun there in the morning. I suppose the obvious thing was to run both!

    FB - parkrun will always stay 5k run in parks pure and simple. Anything more interesting just takes too much time and effort every week from the volunteers organising the event.

    But there are plenty of club organised races that only charge enough to cover race costs. I can't imagine who wants to pay £40 to shuffle along in a "Great" Run.

  10. #50
    Master Danbert Nocurry's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2007
    Location
    Up above the streets and houses
    Posts
    3,367

    Re: Are Park Runs Destructive

    Quote Originally Posted by RunningBob View Post
    FB - parkrun will always stay 5k run in parks pure and simple.



    Sorry to be such a pedantic sod Bob - but i've got to say that there has been a parkrun 10K in Heaton Park.
    To the Regiment - I Wish I Was There

Similar Threads

  1. Heaton Park Run 5k
    By Timothydaltonmyarse in forum Other Races
    Replies: 43
    Last Post: 08-10-2010, 12:20 PM
  2. Hyde Park Triathlon
    By RichardAThackeray in forum General chat!
    Replies: 4
    Last Post: 25-07-2010, 09:20 PM
  3. MI6 in the car park
    By noel in forum General chat!
    Replies: 50
    Last Post: 22-07-2010, 04:16 PM
  4. Heaton Park...
    By NirvanaBliss in forum General chat!
    Replies: 10
    Last Post: 01-05-2009, 06:55 PM
  5. Clumber Park 10k
    By MattHunt in forum Other Races
    Replies: 1
    Last Post: 30-09-2008, 12:26 AM

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •