average_runner wrote: » Looking the levels for Covid in Ireland, its going to be a long 2021:(
ger664 wrote: » @rovers_runner You clearly have absolutely no idea of the purpose and ethos of parkrun
TaurenDruid wrote: » Just read that "time to start parkrun again" blog post from Chrissie Something, OBE. Now that was scary. Falling Covid numbers? In what world would that be?! If that's the current thinking of parkrun head office... well, that's not good.
rovers_runner wrote: » What I said was they don't encourage improvement, they just want to have larger numbers. Also they launched parkwalk and added operation transformation people so no, running alone is not their aim, growing their brand is. Adding to that you can take part without registration or a bib it makes it a free for all in terms of returning to running events post covid-19. Why pick 17 minutes? Why not use the real figures from parkrun? Their averages are in the 30's, hence there is a lot more people walking/jogging than running. Why claim they rest are running when they clearly aren't. People who run a social 5k a week and nothing else from Sun-Fri is not increased activity, it's the same as the ones who pay a few hundred euros in Jan to a gym and go the odd time.
rovers_runner wrote: » What I said was they don't encourage improvement, they just want to have larger numbers.
rovers_runner wrote: » Also they launched parkwalk and added operation transformation people so no, running alone is not their aim, growing their brand is.
rovers_runner wrote: » Adding to that you can take part without registration or a bib it makes it a free for all in terms of returning to running events post covid-19.
rovers_runner wrote: » Why pick 17 minutes? Why not use the real figures from parkrun? Their averages are in the 30's, hence there is a lot more people walking/jogging than running.
rovers_runner wrote: » Why claim they rest are running when they clearly aren't. People who run a social 5k a week and nothing else from Sun-Fri is not increased activity, it's the same as the ones who pay a few hundred euros in Jan to a gym and go the odd time.
malistheman wrote: » More people are getting out and getting exercise and improving their health. Most people are trying to improve their time each week regardless of whether that’s beating a PB of 17mins or 37mins. How anyone could think that’s bad is beyond me.
eoinín wrote: » you seem to be, perhaps deliberately, missing the point that at least 2 people have clearly explained above - the reason that the "standard" is being lowered is not because parkrun, Irish Runner, etc are telling existing runners that its fine to not try as hard as they used to, or that its fine to have a slower time in a race than they used to, it's that the overall number of people regularly running is going up and there are a huge amount of people starting out and running more slowly than others, therefore diluting average times and "lowering the standard". If you genuinely still think, after this issue being clearly explained to you again, that parkrun and Irish Runner are telling individual runners to slow down, can you please show me where this is happening?
Another question for you: would you rather have, say, 1,000 people in Ireland able to run 17 minutes for a 5k, giving an average national 5k time of 17 minutes, or 1,000 people in Ireland able to run 17 minutes and another 10,000 people running much slower because they have decided to try to improve their health and wellbeing and become healthier people through exercise. One consequence of the latter is a slower national average 5k time. But surely that's a small and rather irrelevant price to pay for increased activity and health, right?
rovers_runner wrote: » People don't need to fit either of what you mention above. I'm sure there are many thousands who don't. Although it does play to that rag Irish runner's target market by aiming at people who run 5k in the week and consider themselves runners. Sure let them keep lowering the standard and soon there will be an "Irish runner tie your shoelaces memorial run" .
eoinín wrote: » No its not. In the course of 3 or 4 posts you have managed to show your complete ignorance of 2 huge elements of the running scene in Ireland: parkrun and running clubs. Could you do us a favour and define how you think a runner should behave, what their motivation should be, what kind of events they should attend or avoid etc? And then try to estimate what percentage of people out running regularly actually meet your criteria once you've eliminated all the parkrunners, non-elite club runners and whatever other elitist criteria you have decided to impose. It will be quite a small percentage.
rovers_runner wrote: » Club running is for competition.
Murph_D wrote: » Imagine thinking you have to be talented to be a club runner.
rovers_runner wrote: » I'm not a club runner and never was, don't have the talent to be, so can't answer for them. But I can assure you club runners are out putting in the hard miles on a Saturday morning as I see them. They aren't the type to jog 5k at walking pace and spend as long afterwards eating cake.
rovers_runner wrote: » But I can assure you club runners are out putting in the hard miles on a Saturday morning as I see them. They aren't the type to jog 5k at walking pace and spend as long afterwards eating cake.
Murph_D wrote: » Yiz are getting sucked in, folks. This is someone who likes to complain about ‘townies‘, ‘fatties’, and now ‘parkrunners’. It’s a pity he doesn’t like his local parkrun event, which could do with a bit of support from club runners in a town with a decent running tradition.
rovers_runner wrote: » Get off your high horse and actually address some of the facts I stated about the regression of times over the years and how parkrun does nothing to promote healthy lifestyles or actually improving personal fitness. It's a social event run by a limited company.
