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Jan 2019
11:12am, 7 Jan 2019
2,251 posts
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Goofee
blindcider, we're up to event 32 and I'm still organising set-up every week, even getting there very early when I'm RD. The couple of weeks I was away last summer resulted in some interesting variations  I've told them that I am stepping back from it at the start of next month, we'll see how it goes...
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Jan 2019
11:13am, 7 Jan 2019
4,798 posts
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Metro_Nome
that doesn't mean I have any issue with faster runners getting to the front, as that's where they should be. and I suppose it depends on the layout of your parkrun. but at ours you can very easily listen from the back of the briefing then head to the front
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Jan 2019
11:13am, 7 Jan 2019
812 posts
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edison
There are slower runners who have a chip on their shoulder, who appear offended at being lapped. Equally, there are faster runners who act like gits. But both are welcome to run, jog or walk every week. In my experience, however, event teams more often side with a slower runner if there is an argument. As a RD, if I am asked to deal with one, but haven't witnessed any incident, I tell them to settle it themselves as they are all adults.
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Jan 2019
11:15am, 7 Jan 2019
813 posts
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edison
Agree that talking over the briefing is disrespectful, but not to slower runners or kids - just to the person tasked with delivering the briefing. I;d rather folk not listen at all than talk over me.
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Jan 2019
11:16am, 7 Jan 2019
10,259 posts
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Badger
I think it's more disrespectful to talk through the briefing than skip it, though I wouldn't do either myself on the whole. Particularly at Wimpole, where the briefing stands every chance of including "and it'll be a short course today because there are angry cattle on the route at 3km and we'll have to go round them". I guess I am agreeing with the safety information point - if it's really the same content every week, it's less significant, though you are also skipping the opportunity to applaud the volunteers, which is not respectful albeit not actively disrespectful.
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Jan 2019
11:17am, 7 Jan 2019
4,799 posts
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Metro_Nome
oh yes I don't think it's disrespectful to slower runners, but it is to the person giving the briefing (and potentially the whole volunteer team)
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Jan 2019
11:18am, 7 Jan 2019
814 posts
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edison
I try to keep my briefing as short as is possible now - just point out hazards or if we have re-routed. I have long abandoned singling out every tourist, milestone so open now with "welcome to all our first timers, regulars, tourists and anyone celebrating a milestone" - it saves a couple of minutes
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Jan 2019
11:34am, 7 Jan 2019
6,411 posts
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larkim
If I'm expecting to run around in about 24 minutes with one of my boys, I'll admit to paying zero attention to the briefing - on the basis that there will likely be 50-100 people in front of me for the duration, and permanently within sight, so the chance of anything happening which I needed to know in advance approximates to zero.
Really, for most parkrunners most weeks the briefings are devoid of any useful information, but despite that I would *never* talk over a briefing being delivered (and make sure my kids respect this too) and would *always* join in enthusiastically with the recognition of first timers / milestones & especially volunteers.
Once on the run, simply following marshall instructions and particularly at the end doing whatever the funnel management team want me to do seems to be more than sufficient, as other matters (e.g. give way to other park users, avoid causing hazards etc) are a week in week out requirement anyway.
I've yet to be at a parkrun where a hazard identified at the briefing isn't actually monitored during the run too (e.g. keep left, stay off the road). I do appreciate that briefings are an essential part of the delivery of the risk assessment, but I'm also applying realism that I've yet to attend a briefing where I could be confident that everyone could hear it anyway!
(It always makes me smile with the RD asks "Can you hear me at the back?" which is only useful if no answer at all comes back!)
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Jan 2019
12:02pm, 7 Jan 2019
294 posts
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BexleyKev
Our regular event course has sections that can catch people out, even the regulars. A lot depends on the weather/mud conditions, whether any horses have slipped down the hill or we are unable to open some of the gates. Always useful to listen to the briefing as there might not be any marshals out at those points. We will always walk the course beforehand and report back to the RD so that they can advise accordingly during the briefing. Not great when people disrespect that by talking through the briefing.
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Jan 2019
12:13pm, 7 Jan 2019
18,237 posts
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DeeGee
Our briefing takes place almost at the start line, and from the vantage point from which it is delivered, it is possible to see the queue for the toilet, and the first quarter of a mile of the course. Starting the briefing 2 or 3 minutes before 9 gives the folk queuing for the toilet the opportunity to decide whether or not it is *that* urgent - a warning to get a move on if it is, and gives the RD the change to see whether there's a dog walker on the starting straight and to delay things a few moments if so.
A couple of us try to keep a bit of interest in the briefing by mixing it up a bit and not just delivering the same material week in, week out. One of my team delivers a pun-laden effort every time, and he's actually been invited to deliver his routine at other events.
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