parkrun is back

[Beebo]

Just got back from a run.
It was so humid today which made it hard but the main issue is my chronic lack of fitness and weight gain in lockdown.
Turnout didn’t look huge.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Never been to one but I think I'll give it go

Just not the first week or two - still don;t want to be around too many people and I assume the first few weeks will be busier than usual

It wasn't too crowded. There were 309 runners at the one I went to, but there was loads of room, everyone social distanced, a nice breeze kept everyone cool. I enjoyed it immensely and will go again.

 

[mjr]

Encountered parkrun yesterday, erecting barriers on the cycleway for their finishing funnel, narrowing it. Is there a general reason the finish funnel couldn't be on grass?

Parkrun already make the narrower direct tarmac path unusable with the volume of runners, which would be fair enough and arguably just traffic, but now they're narrowing the wider routes, which they didn't before covid.

 

[LeetleGreyCells]

Encountered parkrun yesterday, erecting barriers on the cycleway for their finishing funnel, narrowing it. Is there a general reason the finish funnel couldn't be on grass?

Parkrun already make the narrower direct tarmac path unusable with the volume of runners, which would be fair enough and arguably just traffic, but now they're narrowing the wider routes, which they didn't before covid.

Our finishing funnel was on the grass between the two main paths, it worked wonderfully as there was no blocking of access at all.

 

[PaulB]

Encountered parkrun yesterday, erecting barriers on the cycleway for their finishing funnel, narrowing it. Is there a general reason the finish funnel couldn't be on grass?

Parkrun already make the narrower direct tarmac path unusable with the volume of runners, which would be fair enough and arguably just traffic, but now they're narrowing the wider routes, which they didn't before covid.

That's exactly the same sort of moaning you get from irate people when a cycling event disrupts their everyday activity for about an hour as it passes by. Those barriers a permanent feature now, are they?

 

[mjr]

That's exactly the same sort of moaning you get from irate people when a cycling event disrupts their everyday activity for about an hour as it passes by. Those barriers a permanent feature now, are they?

Be fair: this is not Ride London or similar, done with traffic orders and mitigation and shoot. This is a small town parkrun closing off part of a highway every week instead of putting their funnel on the adjacent grass, apparently for no reason. A cycling club weekly ten would not get away with doing similar.

 

[PaulB]

Be fair: this is not Ride London or similar, done with traffic orders and mitigation and shoot. This is a small town parkrun closing off part of a highway every week instead of putting their funnel on the adjacent grass, apparently for no reason. A cycling club weekly ten would not get away with doing similar.

Every week? It was the first time in SEVENTY weeks yesterday for (I'd guess) ninety minutes but that's too much for you?

 

[mjr]

Every week? It was the first time in SEVENTY weeks yesterday for (I'd guess) ninety minutes but that's too much for you?

Bet you they'd do it next week and every week if left unchallenged... but as no one has a good reason why they are on cycleway instead of grass, it is probably not a stupid question and I will drop their contact address a polite email about it.

 

[PaulB]

Bet you they'd do it next week and every week if left unchallenged... but as no one has a good reason why they are on cycleway instead of grass, it is probably not a stupid question and I will drop their contact address a polite email about it.

You do that, moany, you do just that!

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

There could be a good reason - for example they may know that if it rains then that patch of grass become muddy very quickly
or maybe the local authority have told them to do that so the grass doesn;t get worn

Either way - a polite email to them asking why and requesting they move it will at least give them a chance to either inform you of the good reason or at least tell them there is a problem
And emails are free so go for it!!

 

[mjr]

You do that, moany, you do just that!

YYSW. It's not really acceptable to be needlessly narrowing a busy foot/cycle highway to the town centre on a Saturday morning at this time of social distancing. If I don't politely question it directly, someone actually moany will probably kick off in a week or two when they notice it, probably to the newspapers and/or council.

 

[Beebo]

Our finish tunnel is deliberately set about 5m off the path on adjacent grass.
It does seem odd but as mentioned above I suspect there must be a reason why, as in my experienceParkrun goes out of their way to make life easy for others.

 

[Cathryn]

We thoroughly enjoyed being back on Marlborough Common yesterday! 95 runners/walkers (usually we have about 150) and it was just so lovely to be back!!

 

[matticus]

but as no one has a good reason why they are on cycleway instead of grass, it is probably not a stupid question and I will drop their contact address a polite email about it.

Sounds like the right approach. My local uses a lot of shared paths, but the funnel is on grass, meaning the loiterers are also well off the shared paths.
I've run several venues; none have finished on a hard surface!

 

[matticus]

Our house is actually inside our nearest course. But re-start was postponed due to a Mr Spielberg doing some filming for some new TV series (apparently not running related). How very dare he! Should be OK for this Sat - I might shuffle round just to be part of it.

I did however ride through the build-up for one in the West Midlands, in a very nice country park area. It's funny what you encounter mid-Audax.