For his column in Runners World this month Paul Tonkinson writes about free races. With the emphasis on parkrun.
He highlights many of the good and great points of parkrun; free, easy to join, everybody is welcome and a catalyst for a community. It's clear Paul has had the parkrun experience. However Paul constantly refers to parkrun as a "race".
Being passionate about parkrun and how it is perceived to non and new parkrunners I dropped Paul a quick Tweet and received the following reply.
What is the difference between a race and timed run? This is my reply to that question as there is no way I could answer that in one hundred and forty characters.
Firstly it's psychological: you are new to running and find out there is a free event down the road where you can run and meet like minded people every week. Then you see it's a race. People jostling at the start, elbows out into the first corner, people looking for every advantage they can get over each other. Not sounding that welcoming or friendly now is it? We know how competitive people can get.
In a race you win, normally something tangible like cash or a trophy, not at parkrun. The first finisher receives the same recognition from parkrun as the person finishing in one hundred and first, or even a thousand and first at Bushy Park. Monthly prizes are awarded not for finishing first the most or even for smashing your PB. Thanks to Sweatshop any runner can be the recipient of a new pair of running shoes for something as simple as giving it their best shot in every run. You don't find that at any race I've been to.
I will admit people do race at parkrun, my running club use it for a knockout competition. However that is two runners in a field of over one hundred. This comes down to parkrun being whatever the individual runner wants to get from their five kilometres on a Saturday morning. The event itself remains a timed run.
The bottom line is parkrun is what you want it to be but the organisers are keen that it isn't seen as a race. parkrun is about getting people of all abilities out and running on a Saturday morning. As Paul pointed out communities grow from parkruns but they grow in a way that every athlete receives the same recognition and rewards. Rewards coming in the form of t-shirts for completing a set number of runs, no matter where they finish. Everybody can reach that reward no matter what their five k PB is.
Bottom line the difference I guess is perception. But it can and in my opinion is a big difference. I honestly don't believe parkrun would be as popular as it is if it was billed as a free race. There may have been groups of club runners at the events but would there be the families or the people new to running who are self conscious about what they are doing? I'm not convinced.
He highlights many of the good and great points of parkrun; free, easy to join, everybody is welcome and a catalyst for a community. It's clear Paul has had the parkrun experience. However Paul constantly refers to parkrun as a "race".
Being passionate about parkrun and how it is perceived to non and new parkrunners I dropped Paul a quick Tweet and received the following reply.
What is the difference between a race and timed run? This is my reply to that question as there is no way I could answer that in one hundred and forty characters.
Firstly it's psychological: you are new to running and find out there is a free event down the road where you can run and meet like minded people every week. Then you see it's a race. People jostling at the start, elbows out into the first corner, people looking for every advantage they can get over each other. Not sounding that welcoming or friendly now is it? We know how competitive people can get.
In a race you win, normally something tangible like cash or a trophy, not at parkrun. The first finisher receives the same recognition from parkrun as the person finishing in one hundred and first, or even a thousand and first at Bushy Park. Monthly prizes are awarded not for finishing first the most or even for smashing your PB. Thanks to Sweatshop any runner can be the recipient of a new pair of running shoes for something as simple as giving it their best shot in every run. You don't find that at any race I've been to.
I will admit people do race at parkrun, my running club use it for a knockout competition. However that is two runners in a field of over one hundred. This comes down to parkrun being whatever the individual runner wants to get from their five kilometres on a Saturday morning. The event itself remains a timed run.
The bottom line is parkrun is what you want it to be but the organisers are keen that it isn't seen as a race. parkrun is about getting people of all abilities out and running on a Saturday morning. As Paul pointed out communities grow from parkruns but they grow in a way that every athlete receives the same recognition and rewards. Rewards coming in the form of t-shirts for completing a set number of runs, no matter where they finish. Everybody can reach that reward no matter what their five k PB is.
Bottom line the difference I guess is perception. But it can and in my opinion is a big difference. I honestly don't believe parkrun would be as popular as it is if it was billed as a free race. There may have been groups of club runners at the events but would there be the families or the people new to running who are self conscious about what they are doing? I'm not convinced.
Well said. Took me 6 months to attend my first parkrun as I thought it would be full of testosterone filled speed demons and that I would be 'last' If I had thought it was a race I don't think I would ever have gone along.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. I love Parkrun, but like Mrs Bridgewater above it took me ages to summon the courage to go to my first one. There are people at the front who smash it every week, but even though they're 'racing' they're courteous and friendly and in no way bargey. I use it as a fast run and 'race' against myself each week - I think a lot of people do that, but like you say, it's a timed run, not a race.
ReplyDeleteIt's just not true, the winner of parkrun receives more points than the person in second place etc with the points being accumulated in a male and female points competition with the winner being rewarded. parkrun has a Race Director and an 'overall' UKA race license. Furthermore many people, walk or jog at 'races' not just parkruns.
ReplyDeleteLet's be honest about this, for the majority of regulars it is a race, maybe less about positions but more a race against the clock. Most parkrunners I've met take great pride in bettering their time, achieving a PB and having an ongoing record of their improvement, this is one of the features that attracts runners in the first place. To say that people in the main should be attending for the inherent joy of running regardless of position or time may be nice (doubtless some do), but it's a little idealistic and maybe a little disingenuous. For me I'm so far down the field that positions don't really matter and I'm more interested in improving my time, but I'm honest enough to admit that if I'm ever in line for a first position (which is very unlikely) I would bust a gut to get it and thereafter the world would never hear the last of it.
ReplyDelete