Parkrun..

average_runner · 08-08-2020 07:03AM

DeepBlue wrote: »

One issue with the guidelines is emailing participants in advance of an event re-opening. That assumes that participants have set their home parkrun correctly in their profile.

Well that is the person own fault in fairness

robinph · 08-08-2020 08:21AM

Don't think they will be emailing people based on their home event, they know that is a dodgy data set. Will be on a country wide basis and the number of people with their country set wrong will be much smaller, although it's far more complex to switch country than home event.

chinguetti · 08-08-2020 08:50AM

Reading the material that was released yesterday, it looks to me like it is aimed at the UK parkruns so can't see someone like NPHET or the HSE being fully ok with the procedures in it, considering the UK authorities aren't doing a very good job of managing Covid from what I can see.

Most venues will probably have to change their start and finishing areas for the space required and also, the social aspect of parkrun will be no more. By talking to people afterwards is usually where most connections and volunteers come from so I think they're be an issue with recruiting volunteers to help out.

That along with the obvious issue of been at an event where you could have 100 plus people coming up to a scanner, breathing heavily on them and sweat dripping off the runner/walker, handing over a sweaty barcode that's kept in a pocket as they did 5k. I'd say parkruns will have trouble getting volunteers as I can't see how you get round some of the pinch points due to the new social norms, which are not any fault of parkrun.

anchor4208 · 08-08-2020 09:39AM

chinguetti wrote: »

That along with the obvious issue of been at an event where you could have 100 plus people coming up to a scanner, breathing heavily on them and sweat dripping off the runner/walker, handing over a sweaty barcode that's kept in a pocket as they did 5k. I'd say parkruns will have trouble getting volunteers as I can't see how you get round some of the pinch points due to the new social norms, which are not any fault of parkrun.

I think this bit is manageable. The people doing the scanning can wear masks, and they don't have (and shouldn't) touch anything except for their own personal smart phone. The runner takes out their barcode and holds it at arms length in front of them. The scanner behaves similarly with their smart phone, so they're 1 meter + apart. The runner then puts their token into the container themselves.
It will work especially well if there are extra scanners - i.e. if runners who are faster than 23-24 minutes are encouraged to do a bit of scanning after they've caught their breath.

robinph · 08-08-2020 03:22PM

The scanning is a zero contact process, only contact between anyone and any item a runner touches is at the handing over of a token from the volunteer to the runners.

RentDayBlues · 08-08-2020 03:51PM

robinph wrote: »

The scanning is a zero contact process, only contact between anyone and any item a runner touches is at the handing over of a token from the volunteer to the runners.

Yeah, after listening to the podcast I’d be happy to volunteer again. We’ve been extremely careful due to relatives with health issues but this seems well thought out

Pawwed Rig · 08-08-2020 06:02PM

chinguetti wrote: »

sweat dripping off the runner/walker, handing over a sweaty barcode that's kept in a pocket as they did 5k. .

Sweat is not an issue afaik

Annie get your Run · 09-08-2020 06:05PM

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Sweat is not an issue afaik

Not in its own right but sweat often comes with its disgusting buddy, snot and if you wipe the sweat from your brow or face and catch a few droplets in the process, its a risk. Having said that I'd be happy to scan under the guidelines as I wouldn't have to touch the barcode or anything related to the runner and could wear a mask for added protection.

SligoBrewer · 11-08-2020 02:40PM

I was apprehensive but look, Tom laid it out well. I think what chinguetti is saying is really harsh, it does seem like a really well ad thought out process that can allow parkrun back while we still have covid within Ireland.

robinph · 11-08-2020 02:48PM

Looks like they might get a test of how things run with local lockdowns and changes to social distancing happening in New Zealand this weekend. Auckland is on a three day long increase in restrictions as they try to track down where a new set of cases have come from, and the rest of the country is now going to be operating with some social distancing in effect again.

Will be interesting to see if parkrun pull the plug on the whole country, just Auckland, or leave it for the government to make the call and trust people to be sensible whilst still parkrunning within the local rules.

Sunny Dayz · 12-08-2020 09:52AM

I didn't know the podcast Free Weekly Timed was an official parkrun podcast.

Sunny Dayz · 12-08-2020 09:53AM

robinph wrote: »

Looks like they might get a test of how things run with local lockdowns and changes to social distancing happening in New Zealand this weekend. Auckland is on a three day long increase in restrictions as they try to track down where a new set of cases have come from, and the rest of the country is now going to be operating with some social distancing in effect again.

Will be interesting to see if parkrun pull the plug on the whole country, just Auckland, or leave it for the government to make the call and trust people to be sensible whilst still parkrunning within the local rules.

I've just seen they have suspended on NZ parkrun events with immediate effect.

Anbocmorrua · 13-08-2020 05:00PM

I've never done the barcode scanning. Do you think it'd be possible to lash up a self-scanner from the scanning devices they use?

Ted_YNWA · 13-08-2020 05:11PM

Anbocmorrua wrote: »

I've never done the barcode scanning. Do you think it'd be possible to lash up a self-scanner from the scanning devices they use?

Should be able to do it, it would just be a case of fixing it to a stake or something like that.

I believe it can't do the finish token first & then personal one. I would foresee, however, a bottleneck with this kind of setup until people get used to doing it.

robinph · 13-08-2020 06:04PM

Could be done with the app I should think if you managed to stop the screen timing out. Think the app would be clever enough to sort out people scanning in the wrong order, but probably simpler to just use a person as the post you attach the phone to and they can keep the screen unlocked, make sure people scan the correct barcodes in the right order and make sure people drop the correct barcodes in the box on the floor.

TaurenDruid · 14-08-2020 12:03AM

robinph wrote: »

Could be done with the app I should think if you managed to stop the screen timing out. Think the app would be clever enough to sort out people scanning in the wrong order, but probably simpler to just use a person as the post you attach the phone to and they can keep the screen unlocked, make sure people scan the correct barcodes in the right order and make sure people drop the correct barcodes in the box on the floor.

Yeah, I can it working with the app, but not the hardware scanners. Doing it with the app would effectively be contactless, which is a bonus. Could even request donation of old phones rather than someone having to use theirs.

Someone still needs to press the button on the hardware barcode scanners, though, so you've got everyone handling the scanner, rather than just one volunteer wearing gloves. And they can be finicky.

robinph · 14-08-2020 06:40AM

Using the old hardware scanners is no longer allowed, and having old phones donated for scanning isn't either.

Don't throw the old scanners though as they will likely all be wanted to be donated back for use in prison parkruns.

Murph_D · 15-08-2020 01:21AM

robinph wrote: »

Using the old hardware scanners is no longer allowed, and having old phones donated for scanning isn't either.

Don't throw the old scanners though as they will likely all be wanted to be donated back for use in prison parkruns.

Lots of good chat here.

The weak link is few volunteers participating. These are the people who know the practicality to the non (or occasional) volunteer’s idealism.

Not much appreciation of the nonrunning (volunteer) side so far.

robinph · 15-08-2020 08:34AM

Murph_D wrote: »

Not much appreciation of the nonrunning (volunteer) side so far.

What issues do you see?

People who don't possess a smart phone not being able to do scanning as a volunteer is a change to the inclusiveness of parkrun, they are aware of that change though. For now that is a change that would be necessary to be able to get parkrun back at all.

Are there other things?

Dudda · 16-08-2020 09:26AM

I've done barcode scanning 2 or 3 times and always used my own phone. Have done the timing a good bit more again with my own phone. I'd happily do scanning or whatever is required most Saturday mornings until Christmas if it meant getting Parkrun back for others. No problem taking one for the team.

TaurenDruid · 16-08-2020 10:58AM

Dudda wrote: »

I've done barcode scanning 2 or 3 times and always used my own phone. Have done the timing a good bit more again with my own phone. I'd happily do scanning or whatever is required most Saturday mornings until Christmas if it meant getting Parkrun back for others. No problem taking one for the team.

Same. Lack of volunteers will not be a problem when parkrun resumes, I guarantee it!