parkrun thread

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Meep Meep
Meep Meep
2 Jan
11:27am, 2 Jan 2025
148 posts
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Meep Meep
Seeing people complain about cancellations can be quite annoying. I think some people just like to complain.

Years ago someone turned up to our event and we'd cancelled for ice on the morning and were hanging around to inform people. She literally slipped and fell on her arse walking back to her car, then took to Facebook a couple hours later complaining that the event should not have been cancelled.

It took me all my willpower not to reply to her comment to ask if her backside was bruised from her fall.
57.5 Days of Xmas
57.5 Days of Xmas
2 Jan
11:31am, 2 Jan 2025
26,181 posts
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57.5 Days of Xmas
Meep Meep wrote:Seeing people complain about cancellations can be quite annoying. I think some people just like to complain. Years ago someone turned up to our event and we'd cancelled for ice on the morning and were hanging around to inform people. She literally slipped and fell on her arse walking back to her car, then took to Facebook a couple hours later complaining that the event should not have been cancelled. It took me all my willpower not to reply to her comment to ask if her backside was bruised from her fall.
That situation was just begging for a reply making clever use of the phrase 'pain in the arse'.
BaronessBL
BaronessBL
2 Jan
11:34am, 2 Jan 2025
10,745 posts
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BaronessBL
In a number of places the decision is taken out of the hands of the RD/ED if the landowner closes the park. I think this sometimes happens with National Trust parkland - I've noticed in the East of England if one NT parkrun is off because the park is closed due to the weather forecast then often several are because (I assume) someone in the Eastern regional office has directed park teams to close.
CumbriAndy
CumbriAndy
2 Jan
11:50am, 2 Jan 2025
3,595 posts
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CumbriAndy
Unfortunately we shall never, as event teams, be in a position where we can please all of the peole all of the time. If we cancel early, somebody will moan that we're being overly risk averse. If we cancel late, somebody will moan that we didn't give enough notice for them to change their plans. And if we go ahead in 'marginal' conditions, somebody will accuse us of being reckless.

I know it's hard - because many of those complaints will feel like personal attacks - but I feel we should do our best to rise above and ignore them. The people moaning are a tiny minority and the overwhelming majority are both grateful for what we do and respectful of our decision making processes. Taken in the round, we receive far more praise and gratitude than complaint - let's hold onto that while expressing (internally until we get to vent in the cafe on a Saturday) suitable expletives in the direction of the whingers.
larkim
larkim
2 Jan
12:20pm, 2 Jan 2025
26,344 posts
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larkim
I don't think we praise you enough tbh!! But as often is the case, criticism seems more likely to be posted rather than praise. I'll try to bear that in mind this year!
JamieKai *chameleon*
JamieKai *chameleon*
2 Jan
2:37pm, 2 Jan 2025
19,930 posts
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JamieKai *chameleon*
I think criticism gets reactions on social media, and therefore gets promoted by the algorithms to get more eyeballs on it - emboldening the complainers and further dragging social media into the mire.

If everyone just ignored them it might get them deprioritised, and maybe starve them of the oxygen of publicity.

Or maybe I'm being terribly naive :)
Old Croc
Old Croc
2 Jan
4:55pm, 2 Jan 2025
35,159 posts
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Old Croc
We had to cancel NYD and went early on decision. Most were okay with it apart from one keyboard warrior on FB - who as a result of getting personal and offensive then went on to earn the honour of being the first person that we have blocked on our FB page - and a quick check revealed that they aren't even a parkrunner!
Looby Loo
Looby Loo
2 Jan
5:26pm, 2 Jan 2025
4,496 posts
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Looby Loo
That’s why I couldn’t be an ED I wouldn’t be able to hold my tongue and would take the criticism too personally. The cheek of people!
Lesley C
Lesley C
2 Jan
5:31pm, 2 Jan 2025
4,214 posts
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Lesley C
We seem to ignore the folk that put on bad comments. Some folk are never happy, even though that don't actually take part 🙄.

It's highly likely my event will be off this weekend, the snow we have will likely turn to ice by then. It's just a covering but enough to make the route treacherous.
Dibble
Dibble
2 Jan
10:44pm, 2 Jan 2025
1,126 posts
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Dibble
When RD I tend towards making a decision on the morning rather than the previous day, so giving us as much as possible of a chance of the event taking place. Although this may inconvenience those travelling from afar, I personally believe it is more important to prioritise the wishes of locals who are the majority.

Tourists should accept that if they travel, they bear the risk of a cancellation especially at times of bad weather. It's not the same as, for example, a football match when you might consider the travelling distance of the away team and all their supporters.

About This Thread

Maintained by Hendo
A discussion of all things parkrun.

Here's a wiki giving brief reviews of parkruns up and down the land:

fetcheveryone.com/article-view.php?id=545

parkruns with restart permission: google.com

Note: Hendo is a boy.

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