fetcheveryone

Do you think parkrun does enough to communicate to the large numbers of runners who participate and volunteer not because of great social goals or aspirations, but because they like running and want to promote running, rather than joyful volunteering or walking 3 miles a week?

Great question larkim. For me, I would like to know two things:
- Do they realise that the central messages are inconsistent with the local parkrun experience
and
- The central messages if applied locally are likely to alienate many people

I go to parkrun because I want to run fast. I volunteer because I know they need my help and I appreciate others volunteering when I go with my aim to run fast.

I would like to know why they don't have the same milestone t shirts for volunteers. If they value volunteers as much as runners they should be treated equally in this respect. It gives the impression that runners are more important, in my opinion.

It seems that since I have been parkrunning they make an extra effort once every few months to really wind up the established runners, removing the points table, retrospectively changing tail runner to tail walker, no more pacing events because the fitbit bibs had to be destroyed, removing results from the journalist report, discouraging volunteering, etc.

So for my question, are parkrun's frequent attempts to get rid of the established runners ideological, or is it a pragmatic solution to the milestone t-shirt crisis?

I quote from the Annual Report: 'So often we hear negative terminology around volunteering, even from prominent members of the volunteering sector, with comments such as “giving up their time”, “doing their bit”, or “giving something back”.
I can almost hear the sigh of disapproval. Would it not be beneficial to parkrun's goal of 'a happier, healthier planet' if people were encouraged to volunteer precisely so they *do* 'give something back'? Why denigrate as 'negative terminology' motives which are surely positive and which will be found among a huge number of your volunteers?

Wow, I've just been on the thread and I'm enormously saddened by it.

1) kudos to Tom (& Ian) for setting this up ... and whoever nudged Tom to look & join in ...
2) what is it in the forum that Tom finds "inaccurate or misguided".

Hi Tom. I think parkrun is a wonderful phenomenon and have been involved from 2008 when I ran my first parkrun in England and helped Richard L (a Fetchie!) set up the first parkruns in Scotland. However, you will acknowledge, I'm sure, that parkrun has changed and evolved over that time. From your 2017 report it is clear that the priority is on increasing participation from those who are least active and most excluded in society. This is entirely laudable. But what do you think the impact will be on those who could have become much better runners through the encouragement of performance at a higher level, through parkrun, who no longer see parkrun as encouraging these higher performances? And whose role do you think it is, to encourage these runners to develop themselves and run faster? Parents, schools, youth groups, council gyms, private gyms, running clubs, councils, national sporting bodies, national government? Previously parkrun was doing a great job here. Is there a concern that this middle level are now being neglected? And has the effect of that on national fitness levels and improvement in health outcomes been calculated? Thanks Tom. Regards, G.

Hi Tom. Thanks for taking the time to talk to us! What do you think is the biggest challenge facing parkrun?

Related to HappyG(rrr)'s questions, if parkrun is to be peoples' first step towards a more active lifestyle then should parkrun do more to signpost people towards what ever they feel the second step should be?

Which is his favourite cheese?

Is the change in emphasis in order to align to the charitable objects of Parkrun Global Ltd, as stated in its' registration? beta.charitycommission.gov.uk

To lighten the 'heavy' questions. Why did you decide to use a lowercase letter 'p' and whose idea was it?

Can you give Tom the questions in advance, so that he has time to pen a succinct answer to each one? Otherwise, if MT is anything to go by, we'll have 5 minutes of an irrelevant preamble before he even gets to the question.

Q 1 - If for some reason you had no choice but to issue the final ever issued barcode to one participant, and you had to choose between someone who's stated intention it was to walk parkrun every week in about an hour or so, or someone who's stated intention it was to run parkrun every week in about 20 minutes or so, who would you give the barcode to? (And "that situation wouldn't arise" isn't an acceptable answer!)
Q 2 - if you had six months of perfect training to run just one parkrun, which parkrun would you run at and what would your time be?

With hindsight, was the change to ‘tail walker’ a mistake? I’ve heard nothing good said about it, and have heard many slower runners be offended you it; when you are last but trying your best to run it’s insulting to be labelled a walker by association. Wouldn’t ‘backmarker’, ‘sweep’, or even just ‘tail’ be far better terminology?

1. How do you feel about the fact that many people on the parkrun thread, EDs, RDs, core team and regular parkrunners, no longer read the communications from HQ and feel that they are not relevant to them or their local event?

2. If a sentence starts with the word 'parkrun', should it have a small or a large 'p'?

Thank you for this.

“Masses of respect for Ian” I know that feeling.

why has windsor great park not got a run?

Tom - like a lot of folks, I take exception to the piece written by Jaz Bangerh ("The Joy of Volunteering"). It's not always a "joy", and it's not negative to describe it as "giving something back" or "doing their bit." Sure, there have been weeks when I've volunteered for my own personal gain - but there have been many more weeks when I've decided to not run but volunteer instead, following an appeal for volunteers.

Then I read the ridiculous statement that volunteering is, apparently, "every
bit as beneficial a form of physical activity as walking, jogging, or running" - well no, this is just not true. Standing still for an hour on timekeeping in sub-zero temperatures when you have circulation problems is NOT beneficial, believe me!

Then I look at the latest results from my home parkrun, and see that one runner (picked at random) has completed 156 parkruns and has NEVER volunteered. That is plainly wrong and there is nothing I see from the organisation that will persuade his sort to volunteer; telling them that it's a "joy" will just not wash. So the next time I see a desperate cry for volunteers, I'll keep my hand down and wait for some of these selfish runners to make an effort - fair? After all, had I never volunteered, I'd be on a similar number to that, not at 102 runs and 51 volunteering.

ANY NEWS ON DORCHESTER?

Having been involved in parkrun for 10 years now it’s interesting to see how it continues to change, with not all being for the good. The opportunity to be part of the parkrun HQ team through the advertising of jobs is fantastic for those that wish to seek to be part of parkrun on a formal basis. I don’t believe this was always the case. So my question is - was the job of Chief Executive Officer ever made public or was it filled through an ‘old boys network’? Noting that Nick Pearson was working for parkrun partner Sweatshop before abruptly leaving then appearing as CEO for parkrun after 6 months.

What Bonners said - all 3 questions. I'm happy to give up 45 mins or so of my time to volunteer. I do 1 in 10, but an hour and half or more I'm afraid is too much. Surely pr should be actively supporting Couch to 5k, with pr as the goal.

"Irrelevant preamble" was a bit cruel. Well done Tom for taking that on the chin and rolling with it! Surely at worst it's "a few minutes of wide-ranging discursion..." that sometimes occurs before, or even during, an topic?!? Well done Fetch and Tom for setting this interaction up. Masses of respect for Ian here too! G

I work with numbers and find these statements contradict each other:

"This is now reflected in our mission statement: a healthier and happier planet"

"The average finish time at 5k parkruns in the UK gets slower every year"

If parkrun is making people healthier then they will, on average, run faster and not slower. I love parkrun but am starting to feel that the word fast (and even run) is becoming a dirty word to use. Yes, more participation is great but let's do it properly. If increased participation is the aim let's use participation figures and not finish times.

Thanks for doing this Tom. Through all of the differences of opinion in these questions and the thread that prompted you to make your offer, I detect a universal passion for parkrun which I hope is clear to you too. The basic questions all seem to be around how the focus on 'new participation at the back of the field', worthy though that unquestionably is, has seemed to neglect those who have contributed for a significant period or for whom encouraging progression/improvement is equally important. I hope you can find means both to acknowledge those concerns and propose ways to re-establish a more balanced approach. I won't muddy the waters further on topics already raised but will presume to suggest that broader communications with greater context will help.

My question though - I fully supported the initiative to offer parkrun as part of offender rehabilitation programmes in prison but note that the Black Combe parkrun has disappeared from the website. Are you able to elaborate on the reason behind this?

Kudos to Tom for taking questions.

“parkrun has given joggers the divine right to hog the racing line, which is a shame as it is a fantastic event but has ruined 5k racing.” (https://www.fastrunning.com/opinion/comment/do-we-want-fast-times-then-lets-get-back-to-basics/14570)

1) How do you feel about the comments in the article related to parkrun?

2) Do you think that the growth of parkrun has resulted in a reduction in the number of non-parkrun 5k road races (UKA licensed events) and/or participants in them?

3) If this is the case then what impact do you think this has had on UK running at a club level?

It certainly seems harder to find a 5k now, my club used to run a 5k series which they stopped doing around the time that parkrun took hold in the area. I can understand why people wouldn't want to pay for a 5k when you can "race" for free every Saturday morning.

Afraid I don't have the stats and I can't find an easy way to interrogate Run Britain for the numbers, maybe Fetch can help with his vast quantities of data? You might be able to demonstrate that the stats don't support this theory, potentially the opposite.

I think "runners" and people who want to go for a fast time at parkrun should just get on with their running like everyone else. So what if parkrun has developed a higher goal as a means to get inactive people moving? Why would that stop anyone trying for a PB if that's what they want? It doesn't. Really, people who whine about parkrun emphasising inclusion for non-runners should maybe just go and PAY TO RACE SOMEWHERE ELSE.

What actually worries me more about parkrun, is if there were a possibility it could cease to exist due to lack of funding. parkrun relies completely on sponsors, grants and donations. With sponsors, they must surely require a return on their investment and see a gain in sales through association with parkrun. As far as t-shirt suppliers are concerned we have seen Nike, Adidas and Tribe Sports come and go, perhaps realising it is too much cost for not enough gain. So questions:
How can parkrun fund the cost of producing t-shirts in house?
Is free forever really sustainable when it comes to t-shirts?
Could people who are regular parkrunners be encouraged to support their local parkrun more through volunteering, fundraising or a voluntary donation when they claim their next t-shirt? What stops this last one (apart from Paul vetoing it?).

Could local parkrun sponsorship help to fund parkruns - similar to the council getting local businesses to sponsor gardening of roundabouts or other public spaces?

What was the purpose of the Run Report? Who are its intended audience?

My worry about parkrun is that some parkruns are getting too big for the parks that host them and there is only a finite number of parks that are suitable. Is there any plan in place to cope with this side of increasing numbers?

Firstly, on a positive note, I have to say I love parkrun, and my family and I get a great deal out of it, both from runnng and volunteering. One of the many things we enjoy is the tourist community (seperate in some ways from official parkrun) based from the most events table. Is there any chance of getting junior events to count on this table to further spread the inclusivity that is so much the parkrun way?

If we are honest and take off our rose tinted parkrun specs I think that many of us would acknowledge that some venues are now reaching a saturation point. I would like to ask if HQ have similar concerns and what steps and measures HQ are putting into place to address this, or are they, like many of us, staying silent and hoping that there wont be any serious incidents or it will just go away.

Looking to the future is great but let's not lose sight of what has been. So, I would ask what HQ can do to get that parkrun history across - globally, nationally and locally and put the focus on a community ( that includes fast, slow, young, old ) working together and supporting each other rather than being selective and focusing too much on one 'group' ( its not all about cake or being happy clappy but lets see some messages that capture the variety of participant rather than focusing on one aspect ).

Thank you Tom, I think this will be fascinating.

Do you ever collect any stats on the number of people who go to one parkrun and never go back?Is it a "thing"?(this was prompted by a debate on the thread)

Also very interested in Dowse's question about potential demise of 5k events..what are the stats to support or deny this(For myself, Ive only ever done a few race for lifes and ony two other 5ks that were not parkrun. In fact, if you had told me 10 years ago that id have completed 308 parkruns, Id have died laughing. The marathons will always win though)

My main concern with parkrun at present is sheer number of runners at certain events and how that balances with keeping on board with communities at each of those venues. Although there are certain venues that tick along with relatively low/medium numbers (say 100-300) consistently, week after week, there are certain locations that appear to be at bursting point. Two that spring to mind nearish to me are Wimbledon Common and Nonsuch.

When I first ran Nonsuch, it had around 300 participants. When I looked at last Saturday’s run, it had nearly 800. Wimbledon Common regularly gets over 500 on what is a pretty narrow course for a lot of the route. On a recent run there, I started fairly near the front but had to run at a pretty slow pace for the first 1.5km. It seems that no matter how many new events start up, and there are lots in the SW London and neighbouring counties, numbers keep on increasing.

I have always thought the biggest problem parkrun will encounter is numbers at events increasing beyond ‘capacity’. parkrun relies an awful lot on not p!ssing off the communities in which the events sit. So as soon as there are too many people on paths, people parking inconsiderately (tickets are regularly issued by Police at Bushy) then issues will get raised to the property owners. That to me is the biggest challenge going forward.

Is there anything parkrun can practically do to alleviate this?

Thank you Tom. Becca & BexleyKev's questions address my main question about parkruns becoming too big. I don't mean this question to be as negative as it sounds but often when organisations grow very rapidly they reach 'saturation point.' At some point I guess parkrun will have got as big as it can - do you see perhaps over the next ten years a situation where some parkruns will have run their course (no pun intended) and close (perhaps this has even happened already and I'm just not aware)... will that be acceptable progression or would you wish every parkrun to continue even if some weeks there were more volunteers than runners (or not enough volunteers to even allow times to be recorded.)

for me parkrun is part of my every Saturday (well most of them) to be honest, the changes over the years have no affected me, and volunteer by pacing when its our clubs turn. My question is why keep tinkering with a model that seems to work, and remember that not everyone is always going to be happy whatever decisions are made. PS really miss the points table, it wasn't always the speedy ones that won.... its the regulars.... #loveparkrun #saturdaysisparkrun

The biggest success of parkrun as I see it has been in the youth participation. The number of genuinely speedy kids, and competition on points, places, and times, is amazing. It is probably going to feed through in to elite times in years to come, but most importantly creates good habits for a lifetime (which then pass on to their families as they have them). Not only in exercise, but in self-esteem (girls especially), the value of hard work/self improvement, and more. I'd rather see parkrun add 100 11-14 year old girls who want to run, than 1000 M50-54s for the difference it will make to the world.

How do you maintain that attraction the youngsters who want to run, with the seeming increased focus on getting more people out there? Charlie Spedding's book made an excellent point that kids are put off running if it is something where all they see of it is their parents doing it badly. As he said he used to see whippets competing over 10ks locally, now all the coverage on the TV is of overweight people chugging round the marathon. He described running as a sport that had been 'hijacked by charities and fat people' which is a simplification, but you can understand what he means.

There are so many worthy things parkrun does, it is how to keep that speed and 'cool' part to it such that it remains something that attracts youth. I only read the report as it was signposted by Fetch, but it is a concern that nothing in there talks about improving that side of things, whereas a lot is devoted to expanding numbers. I didn't realise the points table was gone for example but that's a shame. I usually finish top 10, but was way way down the table as I go maybe every month or two. The points table was headed by those who got their tiems faster, and did it regularly. The sub-17 list is great to see, but that really is the only thing I can think of that encourages fast running (and it is a single arbitrary marker - sub 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 25 might be nice to see)

Referring back to my earlier comment here’s a (probably crazy) idea to deal with those parkruns that are ‘at capacity’. Stage two runs, one at 8.00. Anyone trying to do both only get a time for the first run. That way you don’t end up getting the same attendance, potentially for both. The 8.00 run would possibly be the less crowded one so may attract the speedier folk.

Or would this just encourage even more runners.

Obviously this has other impacts such as more volunteers needed, approval from venue landlords, technology changes, etc, but maybe worth a thought at least.

"Walk, jog, run, volunteer" "Runners & volunteers are equal" "Volunteers are referred to as parkrunners in the same way as walkers, joggers and runners are."
The V25 badge on results tables etc has gone some way to HQ actually doing that, & is a good first step.

When will further Volunteer milestone badges, not t-shirts, appear? (eg V50, V75 / V50, V100)
If not, why not?

"In 2017, there were 64,888 instances of people taking more than 50 minutes to complete a 5k parkrun - an increase of 88% on the previous year."

Are new parkrunners that are taking over 50minutes being tracked to see if they continue with parkrun, & become regular parkrunners? What do the numbers look like, eg how many are still active in 2018, how many did more than say 5 parkruns, etc.

Instead of 50 / 100 t shirts, can we have a bag of chips instead?

Perhaps volunteers could be offered lapel badges for 50, 75 and 100 volunteers. In terms of getting more people active and involved might parkrun consider supporting run leaders to organise couch to 5k groups. I have coached two groups of beginners through to their first parkrun. Support to do so in terms of financial help for coaching qualifications or completion rewards for their first parkrun (certificate, badge, medal) would be good.

About 1% of all parkrun performances are slower than 50 minutes (64,888 out of about 6.12m). So why does it feel that every newsletter, bulletin, piece of promotional literature focuses on those individuals, rather than the 99% of performances that are faster than that?

Running as beneficial a physical activity as running? Seriously? In that case why not include volunteering numbers with runs for milestones? I want my 250 t shirt for my 190 runs + 70 volunteering. Also could you publish the report in a more easily readable format next time? Thanks.

Lol Dibble - think you mean "volunteering"!

Oops! Yes!

May be too late, but... what do you see the full role of tail walker as being- is there any safety aspect to it? Particularly- if you have a tail walker who is perhaps 10 minutes behind the next person ahead and not physically capable of providing any assistance should a situation arise, is this a concern?

Realised I'd not actually got round to asking any questions :-o.

A lot of people seem to have tried parkrun and decided it is not for them. Around 30% of all recorded parkrunners have only ever run once; only around 35% have run more than five times.

Is this something which is a concern to parkrun?
Have parkrun done any research into why people don't return?
If so, what did they find out?

---------------------

parkrun have an aim to increasingly encourage walkers to events. However, it appears that in the UK, success in this is extremely limited. Walking participation in events is in general, still at a very low level; at some events, more or less non-existent. Having a quick skim over events worldwide, it appears that, with the exception of South Africa, this is also the case in other countries.

Have parkrun identified why, despite their encouragement, walking participation is still so low?
Do parkrun still have an expectation that (South Africa excepted, which has its own particular circumstances) the proportion of walkers at events will increase significantly in the near future?

I it. Very much

Violent is a good word, but shouldn't get lost in it

I shoild think that will stand out in the lake

Add me to the list for one please

One for me please!

Are they silicone or latex

Ignore me, I read the Fmail

- please add me to the list

Love it

Are they silicone?

Yes

It's covered in ! I love it

I’d like one

FishEveryone!

Ace design

FishEveryone! G

We're doing something at Great Denham this week too. Probably an extra loop for people that want to at the end of the run.

Well put.

I think I made my donation almost in gratitude for "there but for the grace of God..." etc. I know there's statistically one death per 100,000 marathon runners and so it's going to happen in every 2 or 3 races but any death is tragic and a young, fit, talented and by all accounts very decent man strikes a chord, doesn't it? Anyway, anything that raises awareness, recognises effort, donates to a great charity like Brathay Trust and keeps him in the memory and supports continuing running seems like an appropriate tribute. Thanks Fetch, G

Good sentiments well expressed

We're adding on to the end in Leamington.

Did mine this morning. My eldest son is the same age as Matt was, I was thinking of his family during my run.

I want one

How do the size say come up? Because I'm generally an L in clothing but my currently Fetch vest is an XL or XXL and fits really well so I don't want to suggest I'm keen for one size when I actually need the other!

Matt - put that in the group comments and we’ll work it out when the time comes. Ta

are the vests racer back or vesty?

Vesty I'd say.

You are a Bad, Bad Man and totally The Wrong Crowd. I also promised myself no marathons this year, but Abingdon is now looking strangely appealing.

Unlike you, I had an excellent experience there in 2006. I didn't intend to do a marathon that year either, but was running well up to half marathon distance, snatched an unwanted race number out of my sister's hand with a few weeks to go, and had an impulsive, underprepared, and successful pop at sub-4.
I need to talk to my husband and, possibly, to my son.

You won’t know unless you do it and if you believe you can smash it (and I do btw) then go get it. Make it count 👣

So having now decided to take my mission to run VLM out of the bin and determined to run it one day...... I still am not tempted to run another marathon. However, Abingdon Fetchpoint is a definately maybe if I can keep it free from everyone else’s demands on my time.

So you know the biggest mistake people make us running too fast a pace early on. I think that is because people set their minds on a time, rather than look at their training and see what that informs them of what their pace should be. Good luck.

Hmm. It's a while since I ran Abingdon and this would fit nicely into a gap I have between my target marathon and the Maravans.

Oooh, this has been on my maybe list, did it last year and smashed my PB, loved it.

Hopefully by the start of the summer I will have 3 ultras under my belt, and I had just persuaded myself to leave another marathon till 2019... "5k to 10 milers for the autumn"...

Family holidays would hamper early training, but hopefully high mileage in the first part of the year gives me a good base... Oh I don't know!

The race was full by the beginning of May last year.

*chuckles* If I'm free that weekend, I may try go to the Fetchpoint. I've promised myself a couple of years without marathons...though I'm not enjoying it as I've been too lazy with my running!;)

I had a quick look but with the way my "running" has been going over the last few months, the cut-off looks a bit tight. I may try to get to fetchpoint seeing as we missed VMLM

My first marathon was Abingdon in 2005. The course is easier now that the Cothill loop has been removed. I've entered Abingdon on several occasions since but managed to run it only once due to things keep occurring. In February I entered this year's Abingdon so of course 1 week later something else occurred, but I'm still hoping to run it. Hope to see you there.

so......where are folk staying in Abingdon? id hate to stay in the billy no mates hotel!

We'll be staying wherever the party isn't happening. That's "if", of course.

Lol lol lol. But how dare you even make me consider it... I've also been saying no marathons this year.. .. I too have many demons to slay at Abingdon from 2014.... but I'm NOT running a marathon in 2018. I'm not. Go for it, you'll do great.

P&D 18 week plan? Lots of good chat in the sub 3:15 and sub 3:30 threads, don't worry about the thread titles, all welcome!

OK I'm In!
I think it'll have to be P&D 12 for me, with the aforementioned holidays curtailing weeks 9 and 10.

Hee hee hee

You will piss all over it.

You were beyond awesome - I hope the hug wasn't too unpleasant. So busy hunting for you all I so nearly ran past! The oranges were perfect but it's the hugs that help the most.

Sounds like a good time, aside from the fatality. See you there next year...I missed this year because of a course that I couldn't get away from.

You can put me down for Abingdon Fetchpoint.

I'll probably be supporting at Abingdon this year, so can perhaps do an Abingdon fetchpoint.

Thanks everyone, lifted my spirits when I was feeling pretty bad at 22 miles

Such an awesome day out, lots of smiles and laughter, plenty of "suncream got in my eyes" moments too, sweaty hugs, many "I love you"s and the occasional proposal - what's not to love? If you are anywhere remotely near the London area on 21.04.19, you know where to go!!

I *will* make it one day. Unfortunately I was again on rugby duty.

Fetchpoint was great, as ever. I'm hoping to be running again next year and to be part of the small but perfectly formed Brighton Fetchpoint again.

Is there a general fetchpoint thread for all fetchpoints at races?

No, but that mightn't be a bad idea.

lovely thing to organise for the runners and a good bit of advertising

You guys are awesome and perfectly positioned for a double boost. Thanks again. x

Nice one fetch I’ve never managed to commit to one of these but one day! It sounds like far more fun than actually *running* London

Was good fun! Glad I ran last year and supported this year. That heat was brutal. The grapes and strawberries went down a treat as well as the oranges. Not many takers for savouries this year.

It was good to get a sort of handshake from you The bit of orange I grabbed was ace as I was really struggling and needed a lift before club mates &pinktinkbmc marshalling at mile 23

I found the Cheddars really popular Pothunter, both last week in cooler temperatures at Brighton and yesterday

Thank you for the massive cheer x

Well done. Your accommodation sounds almost as good as some of mine

Nice, and congratulations on the award

Love the bunting!

Thank you so much. As said on thread, big highlight of the day. You guys rock! G

Enjoy Weegieland. I can't make it 😣 too much going on that weekend, if it had been further north might have managed to sneak out for a hour or so.

yaaaaaaaaay

Have added it, but we're on hols that week in France. Might be back by the weekend. Will come if we can! G

For tourism, the greater Falkirk area, only half an hour from Glasgow, offers an Outlander castle; Mary, Queen of Scots' palace; a giant stone pineapple; the world's largest rotating boat lift; the world's largest equine sculptures (I may have mentioned these before); a canal with a big tunnel (and another canal); a chateau; the edge of the Roman Empire (with a fort and other sites); a steam railway and museum and loads of great running and cycling routes :-).

(Up the road, apparently Stirling also has some stuff like a big castle; a monument; some other old buildings; big hills; and rhinos and elephants. Also, where something happened in 1314 (but we rarely mention it).)

Of course, some people just head north from Glasgow for the majestic grandeur of the bens, lochs and glens, but they are missing out ;-).

Don't forget the attractions in Glasgow itself, Dvorak. Our kids love the Science Centre and the Riverside Museum, the Burrell Collection, the Hunterian museum and the Aquarium at Lomond Shores.

Och, Nessie, next thing you'll be bringing up Kelvingrove (museums, galleries and park), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, the Cathedral and Necropolis, the Mural Trail, People's Palace, Pollok Park (Burrell closed just now though); and Glasgow's vibrant music, beer and dining scenes :-p.

I can suggest that there's no need to visit Kilmarnock

Looking forward to it

Hopefully my training will have progressed to actually running for a mile by then.

I'm planning on returning to my jogscotland group on Monday night when their new block starts, some of them might be interested although not on Fetch

@Gus - just point them at fetcheveryone.com/bigfetchmile - they need to fill in some very basic details to register, along with a prediction. Ta

what a great opportunity, hope there is a Fetchie that can make it, sorry that i cant

not me - it's the first session of my dressmaking course, but I'll be sewing with my fingers and toes crossed for a win

I'm a total site newb, but will be in London for the marathon expo all week so I'd love to add an extra running related event :D

Wow, what an opportunity and honour to represent us, I hope who ever goes picks up the top prize for us. (not me obvs)

Me and Bint!! Because we are both injured, but still awesome, and we live nearby!!! And she'd be great at accepting an award, she does loads of talking to lots of people. I'll just hide behind her (if I crouch down really low) ...

+1 for Bint and Paula

If needed I could have drunk free beer; but it seems there are more than enough volunteers already, which is good because I don't have a tuxedo.

+2 for Bint and Paula (though I'm sure there are lots of other deserving Fetchies who would scrub up well too ) Not me though!

+3 for Bint and Paula

Yup. Commenting so that if I'm picked I can give the tickets to Bint and Paula.

You're all so lovely!

+5 for PAULA and Bint. We all know Bint is tiny but worthy... but don't put yourself down by crouchng or any other means Paula, oh most excellent Fetchie!

Paula and Bint will be perfect , which one will dress as Katie and which as Ian?

+whatever number it is now for Paula and Bint, although it should be Bint and Paula really.

Baula and Pint!

Would Bint be able to do one of her webcam dances on receiving the award?

McBint

Now I want to go to meet Paula and Bint !!

Sign up for Beachy Head Doc

+another for Paula and Bint supporters club I’m sure they can smuggle Raemond in as their minder

How did I miss this? Yes, Paula and Bint

Oh defo Bint and Paula. I think you've got your Fetchies.

What they ^ all said.

PAULA AND BINT! Sorry for shouting. She's not really called Bint, you know, so it'll be OK

Another vote for Paula and Bint

One more vote for Paula & Bint

Snap - Paula and Bint

I would love to go, but as I need to be back at home on Friday from 7am in case a new washing machine arrives, I vote +20 for Paula & Bint

Paula and Bint would be perfect!

BintMcPint

and Ant McPartlin

No, maybe not him

Great pics from Mark!

Cracking photos. Some lovely action shots of the youngsters particularly - smashing form!

Brilliant photos!

I like the aggressive hopping one*. No idea who he is, but well played Sir.

* Liked it so much I stuck it in the gallery

Sounds like you'll have a great day. Even if you're not running.
I'm kind of jealous!

Thanks all. Some orange quarters from a kindly supporter rescued my marathon last year after I was sick from too many gels. Gave me a right boost and got me running again so I'll definitely be calling in to fetchpoint to nick a few

Thank you. That is all. (Oh and your Google map linky hasn't pasted in properly). G

Fetch - this is v useful. Perhaps you could add this as a Wiki article (or update the one that's already there).

Re the walking route, if people are coming along later especially once the runners are coming through, you need to make sure you are on the North side of E.Smithfield (ie don't go through the subway at Tower Hill), or you may not be able to get across the road. Also, to avoid the crowds, it may be better to head round the back way on Royal Mint Street and Cable St and then turn right into Crowder St and right onto the Highway.

^^^ I meant your blog was v useful, not the waffle I wrote in my comment, lol!!! (although hopefully that is useful too!!!!!).

Thanks Fetch, looking forward to the cheers from Fetchpoint.

I can't believe you do all this. I'll be running, wearing a Shelter (red) top with "mike" the "the prof" on it.

As did we! Thanks for all the effort from all those who helped organise!

Great turn out. Well done getting the site right out there.

I loved it too! Thanks again

Yep. What they ^ said! Thanks again.

Well done everyone

Excellent afternoon

Loved it too!

'twas a most excellent day. 😀

Bugger I missed it due to a little run I booked in for tomorrow. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed Bedford.

Thank you for all the work you put into organising the event and keeping the races ticking over. Another grand afternoon of Fetchfesting

Get a boat.

Would colours more contrasting that yellow and orange be better? Not sure what colours look similar for people with colour blindness might find difficult to differentiate but yellow and orange seem quite similar?

You have the advantage of living in a town - people in the country or by the coast might have to get creative with their home square but that is no different from other games and you've covered it by allowing people to move their home square.

Looking forward to it

Happy to change the colours - what do you think might be good?

Anyone unhappy about living in the country or by the sea is welcome to swap houses with me. I'd love either

Personally I'd go red and blue but that might not be good for all people - maybe you need a poll?

For good colours, I usually go to ColorBrewer -- see for example http://colorbrewer2.org/#type=diverging&scheme=RdBu&n=3. You can choose to show only colour blind safe combos.

Will we be able to move our home square for this game only? I'm very happy with my real one for both conquersize and fetchpoint, but might want to move it for this one.

Showing my age & ignorance - I thought an ELO ranking system was whether you thought they were better with Roy Wood or Jeff Lynne

So once more we have a game that discriminates against those of us who choose to live on the Moon. #SayNoToMoonism

Good name for the game.

Indeed WS: fetcheveryone.com/viewtopic.php?id=60346

Missed that thread completely, watching it now.

I'm another person who has lots of unobtainable places around me due to two schools and a golf club close. It would be good to work out a good way to fix that (apart from me moving - I like it here)

Jet pack?

I'm honoured :-). I was trying to think how it would work for me as I tend to use some similar routes, but completely ignore others, so, it may well get me running different routes, apart from the fact that one way is a mahoosively steep hill.

CW - just been for a look at your patch, and I reckon you can get to at least 200 of the 225 squares in the game, depending on what the footpaths are like across some of the fields.

I ran South East today so I must be winning now

Does walking count for this game? Injury has reduced my options!

Look forward to seeing you all there and for sweaty (me, not you. Mind you, that cheering lark can get pretty hot. And who knows what else you'll all have been up to?! ) hugs G

Looking forward to passing you both times and hopefully still smiling on the 2nd pass. I have lovely memories of Fetchpoint 2016 when the lovely Garfield brought me an electrolyte drink in a bottle to help with the dreaded cramp - it worked and it was my first marathon finish not doubled up in agony!! Fetchpoint is marvellous!!

The thought of seeing you all for the second time will I'm sure be a major boost! It's all feeling very nerve-wracking...

Game sounds good
No inspiration for a name though, Square Won?

I’m in, and it shall be called Overlay

Sounds good.

Who Squares Wins

Hako shō, which is Japanese for box win.

Sounds like fun

I like Who Squares Wins.

With apologies to Jeff Minter, "Gridrunner", except without the llamas

...or, hey! What about adding in llamas somehow?! And mutant camels!

Sounds interesting but will need to wait until I’m a bit more able🤨

Call it "Bob"

Sounds good, but I have a lot of inaccessible areas around home so not sure if it would work for me.

The inaccessible issue will be an issue for too. But I’ll give it a roll.
Game name ? Blockbusters? ( maybe there could be a hidden P)

what about "Square Route!" ?

Sounds good - count me in! Squared I’ll beat ya?

Or how about Who Squares Wins!

Oops, a bit late with that one😓 As you were.

Fetchblocks?

Sounds good!

How about "You squaring up to me"

Count me in. Brain too fuddled to think of names though.

I like Square Route (Root)

That sounds fun. I must teach my running Garmin to talk to my computer

Sounds quite blocky. But requires effort... Mein Kraft? G

"Square Route" is an inspired name but then so is "Who Squares Wins". I like both but which one is best? There's only one way to find out.... do a poll.

Not for me thanks

Sounds good. 😀

Sounds like fun. I'm up for that

Yes, who squares wins!

Given the low density of Fetchies near me, I could probably own quite a lot - I assume the matching will sort out after a week or two? Like HappyG's Mein Kraft.

@Nessie - it's not about going to the same place. You could be playing against someone on the other side of the world. It'll all make sense when you have a go.

I was thinking more along the lines (or squares) of me going out for a run and gaining control of all the squares in my mile. Presumably if no-one else runs that route at all that week, I keep them all. Say opponent runs in central London, gains control of all the squares in their mile on run 1, then loses them during the week as other players take them out.

D'oh! Just worked it out, I think. My square A1 will be pitted against my opponent's square A1 - it's not Conquercise-like.

That's it Your A1 can be on Lands End, and you can be the only person who ever runs through it. Your opponents' A1 can be John O'Groats, and they can be the only person who ever runs through it.

I like the idea, although quite a few of the squares in my mile are going to require scuba gear to run in. Or can we choose the centre point of our square?

I've just actually read those word things in the text above and it says "your chosen location" so I think I should be able to keep my feet dry. Can you have a different chosen location each week for those of us with less stable lifestyles?

Can you make it like battleships? If i run in certain squares one week, my opponent has to try to "sink" my runs by running in the same squares the next week, and vice versa.

Just signed up to be in the trial group. Only name I came up with following several minutes of end-of-pencil chewing was - Gasbags (get a square; bag a great score)

I've already been beaten to "Square Route" (had to search the page to check) but I'd still vote fore that. Or maybe "Square's Pace" (it'll be fine with any homophonic service-based content management system/integrated website builder companies, yeah?)
I'm thinking it will favour those in big cities (with luxuries like streets and lighting) rather than me on a hillside in the middle of Scotland though - but maybe I'll soon have my own version of the Barkley marathons on my doorstep, and discover dark parts of the local forest/cliffs/hill?

sounds good!...as usual

I've not heard of that graeme - I shan't go look it up to make sure I follow my dream

sound fun. Run bingo. Rungo. Ringo?