Discussion
Thanks for the clarity. As said I've only just started doing them properly this year so just learning the ropes. I've joined a few Parkrun Tourist pages on Facebook and there are clearly some people who take it very seriously. I do like the idea of the challenges, but it's very unlikely it'll ever become all consuming for me. At the moment my Parkrun tourism revolves around trying to find the least muddy courses close to home.
I did Fountains Abbey (near Ripon) at the weekend. Been meaning to do for years but never got round to it, even though it's only 40 minutes away from me.
Stunning course, 56th different event but goes right to the top of my list of favourites. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
Two tips if you're considering it:
> Don't leave home with minutes to spare - 15 minute walk from the car park to the start (they even advise this on the page, my error!)
> Make sure you have a barcode on your person, I left my keyring in the car and didn't have a pdf downloaded on my phone. Zero data signal on the course so had to walk right back up the hill to the visitor centre and then back down again to get scanned...
It's now Monday morning and my glutes are still screaming from walking up that hill twice. That said, the course itself is pretty flat and although busy, you could run a quick time if you start in the right place. I did a steady one as I wanted to get a few photos on the way round.
Stunning course, 56th different event but goes right to the top of my list of favourites. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
Two tips if you're considering it:
> Don't leave home with minutes to spare - 15 minute walk from the car park to the start (they even advise this on the page, my error!)
> Make sure you have a barcode on your person, I left my keyring in the car and didn't have a pdf downloaded on my phone. Zero data signal on the course so had to walk right back up the hill to the visitor centre and then back down again to get scanned...
It's now Monday morning and my glutes are still screaming from walking up that hill twice. That said, the course itself is pretty flat and although busy, you could run a quick time if you start in the right place. I did a steady one as I wanted to get a few photos on the way round.
Edited by resolve10 on Monday 24th June 09:16
JQ said:
I've joined a few Parkrun Tourist pages on Facebook and there are clearly some people who take it very seriously. I do like the idea of the challenges, but it's very unlikely it'll ever become all consuming for me.
Don't make the mistake of thinking those groups represent the average parkrunner some of them are nutters. I'm in NL and we get people taking an overnight bus from the UK to get to The Hague at about 7am, parkrun, and then get an afternoon bus back. That's not normal 
The guy who started the World Tourists group even flew to Malaysia for about half a day!
I like a bit of tourism but like to go somewhere for a long weekend or even better a week.
I came 100'th on my 400th run this week, nice symmetry ruined by it being my 103rd volunteer at my home event, I should have thought about that one sooner
resolve10 said:
I did Fountains Abbey (near Ripon) at the weekend. Been meaning to do for years but never got round to it, even though it's only 40 minutes away from me.
Stunning course, 56th different event but goes right to the top of my list of favourites. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
Two tips if you're considering it:
Looks a beautiful course! We are lucky that the landowners of places like this allow us to run around them.Stunning course, 56th different event but goes right to the top of my list of favourites. Highly recommend if you're in the area.
Two tips if you're considering it:
- Don't leave home with minutes to spare - 15 minute walk from the car park to the start (they even advise this on the page, my error!)
- Make sure you have a barcode on your person, I left my keyring in the car and didn't have a pdf downloaded on my phone. Zero data signal on the course so had to walk right back up the hill to the visitor centre and then back down again to get scanned...
I was back running after 2 weeks away on holiday, just cruised round chatting to a friend enjoying running in the sunshine. Somehow managed to get a Strava segment PB on a segment that includes a brutal hill (anyone who has done Colney Lane parkrun in Norwich will know the hill!) which I really don't understand as my overall parkrun time was about 90s behind my PB.
MesoForm said:
Looks a beautiful course! We are lucky that the landowners of places like this allow us to run around them.
We are indeed lucky. Hopefully the café takings go some way towards contributing to the upkeep of the facilities.Another local favourite of mine, Castle Howard, never returned after the Covid pause due to organisational difficulties so you can never assume they'll be here forever. Even more reason to get out and do any 'bucket list' runs you want to do whilst you can.
Got down to my local parkrun- first time since 2021. Malling in kent which is two laps on gravel paths around a big lake. Went out to hard on the first lap and was suffering on the second! Just about hung in there though.
19:12 (was aiming for around 19:30 so can't complain). Would be nice to get back near my parkrun PB from 10 years ago but it seems harder as the years go by! 45 seconds to find from somewhere.
Was nice to read on the email that I was 2nd in my age group but then realized 4 or the 5 guys in front of me were actually older. Which is encouraging in a way, still many years ahead of me to carry on improving.
19:12 (was aiming for around 19:30 so can't complain). Would be nice to get back near my parkrun PB from 10 years ago but it seems harder as the years go by! 45 seconds to find from somewhere.
Was nice to read on the email that I was 2nd in my age group but then realized 4 or the 5 guys in front of me were actually older. Which is encouraging in a way, still many years ahead of me to carry on improving.
I'm aiming to get back running soon, but the weather is too nice so I keep going out on my bike instead, if I'm running a bit, I'll start doing Parkrun as it'll fit in far better with all the kids stuff than trying to do local road races.
Anyway, my son did the Riverside Parkrun in Chester-le-Street last week, it was his 9th Birthday on the Saturday and he was born at 10:04pm, so technically still 12 hours under 9. So I reckon he's the probably the youngest ever Parkrunner to run the 5k race, which is cool!
Anyway, my son did the Riverside Parkrun in Chester-le-Street last week, it was his 9th Birthday on the Saturday and he was born at 10:04pm, so technically still 12 hours under 9. So I reckon he's the probably the youngest ever Parkrunner to run the 5k race, which is cool!
paulrockliffe said:
Anyway, my son did the Riverside Parkrun in Chester-le-Street last week, it was his 9th Birthday on the Saturday and he was born at 10:04pm, so technically still 12 hours under 9. So I reckon he's the probably the youngest ever Parkrunner to run the 5k race, which is cool!
I think the minimum age for parkrun is 4 isn't it? Just checked my eldest's first and she was 8 years 3 months. She was pestering me to do a 'proper' one for ages before but I wanted her to be comfortable with the 2k Junior parkrun before she did one.
Well done to your lad though, I hope he enjoyed it!
Edited by resolve10 on Monday 24th June 10:53
resolve10 said:
paulrockliffe said:
Anyway, my son did the Riverside Parkrun in Chester-le-Street last week, it was his 9th Birthday on the Saturday and he was born at 10:04pm, so technically still 12 hours under 9. So I reckon he's the probably the youngest ever Parkrunner to run the 5k race, which is cool!
I think the minimum age for parkrun is 4 isn't it? Just checked my eldest's first and she was 8 years 3 months. She was pestering me to do a 'proper' one for ages before but I wanted her to be comfortable with the 2k Junior parkrun before she did one.
Well done to your lad though, I hope he enjoyed it!
Edited by resolve10 on Monday 24th June 10:53
Oh well, yeah he really enjoyed it, said he much preferred it to the Junior events which is cool.
paulrockliffe said:
Ha ha, what? Who on earth told me it was 9 to do the 5k? He's wanted to try the longer distance for about a year now!
Oh well, yeah he really enjoyed it, said he much preferred it to the Junior events which is cool.
Sounds like he's super keen which is great to hear! Still plenty of years of parkrunning ahead of him. Oh well, yeah he really enjoyed it, said he much preferred it to the Junior events which is cool.
paulrockliffe said:
Ha ha, what? Who on earth told me it was 9 to do the 5k? He's wanted to try the longer distance for about a year now!
Oh well, yeah he really enjoyed it, said he much preferred it to the Junior events which is cool.
The age limit to sign up is younger (4), but the only other rule I'm aware of:Oh well, yeah he really enjoyed it, said he much preferred it to the Junior events which is cool.
Children under the age of eleven must be accompanied (within arm's reach) throughout the event by a parent, guardian or appropriate adult of the parent's choice.
And that's specific to the 5k. For junior there's more marshalls supervising the course.
To be fair its probably sensible waiting to let the younger ones do the whole 5k. Younger kids joints are not developed enough to be running longer distances. Under England Athletics guidance the furthest an under-13 athlete is allowed to race is 3.5km, and for 9-10 year olds it's currently 2km max. In cycling events the younger kids have to use easier gearing to protect their knees. I think in reality there is some leeway and a 9 year old will be fine doing 5km but I'd be careful how much mileage they are doing.
my first run in a month after tearing my hamstring a month ago. Only jogged round, and strolled a couple of hundred metres towards the crest of a long hill, so a crap time, but happy to have got round and had another reasonable run this morning.
Hopefully I can have a good few months injury free.
Hopefully I can have a good few months injury free.
downthepub said:
I see Rishi Sunak volunteered at Northallerton juniors, and fair play, he’s got a volunteer credit. Wonder what role he did. The cynic in me thought he might have donned the high-vis for a photo op and then buggered off. He does have prior!
He was a marshal and did quite well apparently.He's volunteered there before as well as running the 5k at Northallerton and Catterick. Not very good at remembering his barcode though.
lufbramatt said:
To be fair its probably sensible waiting to let the younger ones do the whole 5k. Younger kids joints are not developed enough to be running longer distances. Under England Athletics guidance the furthest an under-13 athlete is allowed to race is 3.5km, and for 9-10 year olds it's currently 2km max. In cycling events the younger kids have to use easier gearing to protect their knees. I think in reality there is some leeway and a 9 year old will be fine doing 5km but I'd be careful how much mileage they are doing.
The cycling rule changed. No restrictions any more.https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20...
Master Bean said:
lufbramatt said:
To be fair its probably sensible waiting to let the younger ones do the whole 5k. Younger kids joints are not developed enough to be running longer distances. Under England Athletics guidance the furthest an under-13 athlete is allowed to race is 3.5km, and for 9-10 year olds it's currently 2km max. In cycling events the younger kids have to use easier gearing to protect their knees. I think in reality there is some leeway and a 9 year old will be fine doing 5km but I'd be careful how much mileage they are doing.
The cycling rule changed. No restrictions any more.https://www.britishcycling.org.uk/about/article/20...
I'm sure "youth" age groups (16 and under) still have gear restrictions. Certainly in cyclocross races I did last season they were checking cassettes and doing rollback tests for the kids bikes.
Gassing Station | Sports | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff