for an ad-free Fetcheveryone experience!

parkrun thread

512 watchers

Goofee Apr 2019 1:20pm, 23 Apr 2019 2,638 posts	Quote Pin Goofee What to do about timing when the funnel backs up across the finish line is something that gets done differently at different parkruns. To me it makes sense for the timers to move up to the end of the queue and press the button as folk join the back, some places wait for the queuers to cross the line before beeping them in.
tommy_b Apr 2019 9:15pm, 23 Apr 2019 12 posts	Quote Pin tommy_b m.facebook.com Local chap standing for parish council election with the tag line “Free Weekly 5k park-based run”. Will then actively support reinstatement of Little Stoke parkrun. Got to wonder what parkrun HQ make of the ongoing political commentary about LS. Interesting to see, if successful, they have to re-raise startup funds etc.
BexleyKev Apr 2019 6:48am, 24 Apr 2019 355 posts	Quote Pin BexleyKev Goofee - The timers should not really move up the line and away from the finish ( the finish is the finish line ). Where practical, the funnel should be extended to avoid participants backing up, the finish tokens given out in a place that will not cause further queues in the funnel and the event should provide the funnel manager with a large cattle prod to ensure participants move through the funnel in an orderly manner.
Goofee Apr 2019 7:34am, 24 Apr 2019 2,642 posts	Quote Pin Goofee BK I agree about all the options to improve the flow of the funnel, but when the funnel does clog up it just seems a bit daft to be stood two or three metres from the line with the clock ticking as it's sorted out when the timers moving to the end of the queue would mean a more accurate time for the run. Not that it really matters in the scheme of things!
57.5 Degrees of Pain Apr 2019 7:41am, 24 Apr 2019 4,603 posts	Quote Pin 57.5 Degrees of Pain It might matter to the poor person who has just flogged themselves to their first sub-28 time! Seems like a reasonable option on a one off occasion before rethinking the funnel and ordering the cattle prod.
Bazoaxe Apr 2019 8:07am, 24 Apr 2019 14,419 posts	Quote Pin Bazoaxe Its happened to me twice as timekeeper. On Saturday on 3 brief occasions the Q went just over the finish line but I was able to get folk pretty much as they stopped. First time it happened and before the funnel was improved there was about a 7 mins spell where it was backed up way past the line and timing became pointless. Some people joined the Q well short of the line, some ignored the Q and ran through the line, some ran to the line then back to the end of the Q, some hesitated when they got to the line to take pictures and stuff. It was basically impossible for the timer
Goofee Apr 2019 8:19am, 24 Apr 2019 2,643 posts	Quote Pin Goofee That does sound like a timekeepers nightmare Baz!
Jovi Runner Apr 2019 8:42am, 24 Apr 2019 6,060 posts	Quote Pin Jovi Runner At the risk of being shouted at I think parkrun is now starting to become a victim of its own success - sort of compound interest effect. There will come a saturation point. I wasn't there last weekend but we had over 600 at Fountains Abbey. With our narrow paths and finish area I really don;t think the course can take many more than that before it becomes not so much a timed run but a walk around as the crowds mean you can't actually run at pace.
jda Apr 2019 8:52am, 24 Apr 2019 4,327 posts	Quote Pin jda No shouting from me, but surely the first solution to that is to start up more events? I realise this requires sites and volunteers (though with more runners, that's a large resource to tap). It might also be a bit self-limiting as serious congestion would surely put some people off. Maybe it's hard to tell, being near the front (though that does mean I have overtaking to do), but none of the events I've been to have seemed much affected by congestion. You obviously have to accept a bit of a slow start at the back and that's surely a much bigger factor on running times.
Meglet Apr 2019 9:01am, 24 Apr 2019 20,192 posts	Quote Pin Meglet I assume bank holiday and nice weather contributed to the numbers, but 600 is ridiculous especially at FA. There is a new one planned which may take some pressure off Harrogate and FA. There are still quiet parkruns, I’m not sure how many Wetherby gets these days but in the first year or so it was generally 50-60 I do wonder what will happen in the longer term, surely it can’t continue to grow?