The two junior events I’ve been involved with have always stuggled to fill the roster in advance. It has almost always been OK on the day but parents are much more reluctant to commit in advance, it seems.
My local parkrun seems to be doing ok with volunteers. Most weeks we seem to be able to fill the roster without putting out any requests, certainly less than would have been put out pre Covid. Also getting quite a few new volunteers, which is reassuring to see.
I've certainly seen more requests from a few of our local events than we used to see before, and our nearby juniors seems to be really struggling and cancels every third week or so at the moment. That's a big shame as its one of the busier juniors around here yet struggling with getting the marshal numbers.
A question for all the RDs.
Are you finding it harder to get volunteers post covid? It is something I have seen mentioned at my local one aswell as a few I follow on facebook.
I don't think the new course is faster, per se, it's just a bit more comfortable. The new bridge, whilst considered aesthetically pleasing, is too narrow.
I think Griffeen changed their route recently due to a new bridge which they felt wasn't suitable for the amount of runners they get. Maybe that played a part in the 34 seconds. But also maybe not.
https://www.parkrun.ie/special-events/
The put something up on facebook last week saying looking to be back at the end of the month.
Catherina McKiernan ran a new female course record and an age grade record at Griffeen on Saturday.
She took a nice chunk, 34 seconds, running 17:38, off the record and that equated to over 96% age grade.
New parkrun in Tullamore, along the canal, a bit of an incline for the first half of the run. About 50 odd runners a week so far, a bit surprised at that considering the size of Tullamore harriers, I would have thought that there would be a strong presence from that club
Email them and ask I guess - balbriggan-juniors@parkrun.com
Any word on Ballbriggan juniors? Where do you get info about what's happening? Nothing on Ballbriggans social media or Parkrun page
Did the new parkrun in Youghal today. Lovely course. Nice to have an option in East Cork
I think this page should show you those details:
http://www.challenge-chaser.com/map
Event number for the Wilson Index I presume?
What number? What challenges? 🤔
Is there anywhere to find a list of each parkrun's number in order to pick one for the different challenges?
(I know there is but I can't remember where to find it)
In Cork, the parkrun in Youghal (Pobalscoil na Tríonóide) had their inaugural successfully on Sat with 100 participants despite a nice cold, windy & wet day. Then on Sunday Cobh junior parkrun restarred & looking forward to see Ballincollig junior parkrun back next Sunday.
I was there. A nice course, but purely for enjoyment as it's not one to chase Pbs on. First 900m plus (three laps) are on the grass, with a long c.700m drag up a service road to end the lap. The organisers say it's a temporary course, the plan being to change it some time after the Euro XC. Grass was ok yesterday, but when the winter weather kicks in it'll be tricky enough to negotiate.
Tyrrellstown I think is another who are getting a new core team in place. Seems to be a good few parkruns around Dublin making regular appeals for volunteers each week so that does seem to be a problem for most. It seems to be the same in the UK from looking on social media.
I'm sure there's a few. Castletown in Celbridge not back yet, but they're getting a new core team in place.
Darndale doesn't seem to have come back yet. Any word on them?
Have any others not returned?
Other than people getting their knickers in a twist about the recent Mini advert that parkrun retweeted, and a couple of daft New Years Doubles that on or two people did, the driving between events wasn't really the main motivation for getting rid of the doubles.
Just really huge numbers in a few limited events in populated parts of England. There was some potential locally to me for some big numbers in 2020, which ended up being the only New Year's double I ever did. But the events that could have created problems just made sure they all started at the same time so local doubles were not especially viable. There was a lot of events in one city starting at the same time and a bunch of events around another city starting at the other time, so people were dispersed among multiple events and not all heading to the same ones.
Parkrun or junior parkrun?
It's a bit crap that the New Years double is cancelled. It's up to people to be responsible for their own driving. I done it once actually on xmas day and I didn't have to drive violently to do it.
Did Poolbeg this morning....sneaky bast**ds never mentioned the 'hill'. Nice course and friendly volunteers.
Anyone try this today? If a lot of it is on grass, it could get fairly mucky between autumn and spring.
First decent run with the dog this morning. The course has a slightly twisty start so was worried about getting tangled up with things in the melee, but all went OK and for the first time the dog actually pulled me for a good distance without me needing to run along side. By half way turn around was well in the lead, followed by another dog runner.
The other dog then pulled alongside on the return leg which caused a bit of a distraction, but diverted the attention from being distracted by people running the other way. Had to drop behind the other dog runner then as mine wouldn't stick to running in a straight line otherwise. But remained within the length of a lead of them until the last hundred meters...
... Then me and my dog got tangled around a lamppost, sorted that out, ran another 50 metres and the dog tried to have a drink from the water bowl outside the coffee shop, then eventually got across the line another 50 metres along.
But smashed my course PB was only 20 seconds off an overall PB from 7 years ago and finally broke the 80% age grade score. OK, so it's down in the results as assisted and its not really my PB and I'd never be able to get close to that even in perfect conditions running solo... But to have a tow around parkrun at speed rather than pushing a buggy through mud is awesome.
My legs were really struggling to keep up at point, but loved it. Never thought I'd have a dog or be running at speed with one and enjoying it.
Seems to be in the next field!
https://www.parkrun.ie/sportirelandcampus/course/
Tramore finally back tomorrow 🙂
