Parkrun..

Duzzie wrote: »

HQs preference is for events to proceed with the health and safety roles covered. i.e. untimed.

Initially at least, scanning of barcodes is a health and safety issue. Knowing who has participated is going to be one of the main things they are using to justify their return to the various government bodies and local authorities around the world.

But if they need 15 people scanning I don't think getting two people timing is going to be an issue. Faster finishers should make sure they have their phones on them and jump in to scan at the end.

Murph_D wrote: »

You can only scan them if they've been handed out!

Handing out position tokens would always have been a requirement for a parkrun to go ahead, it didn't happen if you don't record who was there. But even more now they would need to know who was there.

There have been a couple of instances of events not being timed, although most times this is actually due to a stopwatch failure rather than nobody being there to press the button on the stopwatch.

Timing can be considered optional, and some marshal positions on some courses could even be considered optional, but recording who was there I think has always been about the most vital position for the event to be able to call itself a parkrun. If that be PSHCBEFRSE with a pen and paper, or people handing out tokens that are then scanned on a phone app.

MY BAD wrote: »

The scanning could be done by having a few devices on stands like a smaller version of the self checkouts in supermarkets. I'm not sure how they could hand out the chips.

In the medium term I can't see it working unless parkrun change their model a fair bit. First come first served of a maximum of what ever the guide lines at the time allow, sign a form saying you don't have a fever, in contact with anyone with covid etc. Pick up a chip, then have chip timing like any race, return the chip after the run. I can't see this happening

The scanning using the app isn't a problem as the person doing the scanning uses their own phone, the parkrunner holds both the barcodes out and then drops the position token in a bucket. No need for any contact between parkrunner and scanner or for anyone to touch anything.

Handing the position tokens out is the weak point that does require contact between an item that two people will touch, but it's really not too tricky to work around. Tokens are cleaned after the previous use, given to token hander outer, token hander outer takes token and give it to parkrunner, potentially have the token hander outer wearing gloves but that significantly slows down the speed of handing out at the massive events...which is why finish funnels need to be extended. parkrunner then gets token scanned and drops it in the bucket to be cleaned.

There are issues with the cleaning and sorting of tokens is then something that can't be done in the cafe afterwards so will fall on the RD/ ED presumably, but if a way to resolve that staffing issue (time and manpower to clean and sort) can be figured out there isn't an infection issue with the tokens as there is no need for anyone to touch them with their bare hands other than the parkrunner and they get cleaned and have a week sat in a box between uses.



parkrun definitely won't be changing to being a restricted number of people taking part or first come first served. If that is the requirement for running activities to happen long term then they will just shut down as it would break the whole point of parkrun too much.

i008787 wrote: »

I would be quite happy if Parkrun either did
#Just put a clock at the finish line and you could see your time as you went over finish line. I do not personally need to see it up in an website every week with my finishing place. Knowing my time would be good enough for me

#Give every parkrun user possibility of purchasing a finishing chip which simply activates on the finish line

No need for tokens, scanners, clock timers, no need for people to Q up for scanning etc.
A simpler world no doubt and not to everyones taste I know

Those things won't happen because it breaks the simplicity of parkrun for the volunteers and the costs of having clocks setup at the finish. Using chips for timing is also a massive expense for parkrun to setup for 2000+ events and then getting people to purchase a chip in order to participate breaks the inclusive requirement from parkrun. They would already like if there was a way to eliminate the barriers to certain people just caused by the need to register on a website and print a barcode out.

Great Run, as in Great North Run, do a thing with chip timing I belive. It's all a bit random as to what days, what distances, and where their events take place and the need to pay to participate isn't great for getting new people into being active.