Parkrun..

opus · 15-03-2020 7:30pm

In parkrun's defence I imagine they were overwhelmed with all the announcements last Thur (don't forget it was only then all the government guidelines appeared although it seems much longer). It's not a huge organisation by any means so I wouldn't knock them for taking the advice of the government in each parkrun country as unlikely they have a virologists on staff to turn to.

Can't see parkrun in the UK going ahead next w/end tbh, their Health Secretary said this morning that it's a matter of weeks before they advise over-70's to self-isolate at home.

Just in case it's not clear, I'm a big supporter of parkrun as well & certainly think cancelling last weekend was absolutely the right course of action. As to things being back to normal by the end of the month, think we all know what the chances of that are....

annapr · 15-03-2020 7:57pm

opus wrote: »

In parkrun's defence I imagine they were overwhelmed with all the announcements last Thur (don't forget it was only then all the government guidelines appeared although it seems much longer). It's not a huge organisation by any means so I wouldn't knock them for taking the advice of the government in each parkrun country as unlikely they have a virologists on staff to turn to.

Can't see parkrun in the UK going ahead next w/end tbh, their Health Secretary said this morning that it's a matter of weeks before they advise over-70's to self-isolate at home.

Just in case it's not clear, I'm a big supporter of parkrun as well & certainly think cancelling last weekend was absolutely the right course of action. As to things being back to normal by the end of the month, think we all know what the chances of that are....

yeah agree it's been moving fast, but a couple of the senior execs in parkrun have been strongly advocating the UK government approach online, and running events with 1000+ people in them around the UK yesterday... that's not the kind of leadership I want to follow.

jimmii · 15-03-2020 8:01pm

Given the size of parkrun I would imagine they were able to consult with the government on what to do. A lot more things are business as usual over here from cinemas, theatres, gigs etc so not surprised parkrun was still on. I decided not to go but don't begrudge those that did.

Shedite27 · 16-03-2020 8:28am

annapr wrote: »

yeah agree it's been moving fast, but a couple of the senior execs in parkrun have been strongly advocating the UK government approach online, and running events with 1000+ people in them around the UK yesterday... that's not the kind of leadership I want to follow.

How many people is Parkrun? Are there any fulltime employees? They have "senior Execs"?

jimmii · 16-03-2020 9:42am

Shedite27 wrote: »

How many people is Parkrun? Are there any fulltime employees? They have "senior Execs"?

They have a fairly significant team based in Twickenham. Between Parkrun UK and Parkrun Global companies theres 10 or so directors and 20 odd employees. For a free event parkrun is surprisingly profitable.

robinph · 16-03-2020 11:55am

Latest from parkrun Global:

https://www.parkrun.com/news/2020/03/12/covid-19

parkrun wrote:

*** UPDATE - 10.45 GMT Monday 16 March 2020 ***

Update from parkrun Global Chief Operating Officer, Tom Williams

Firstly we’d like to thank everyone in the 15 countries where, last week, we took the decision to close all events, and who universally supported our actions. For so many of us, parkrun is the constant in an otherwise unpredictable week, where we can spend time with friends and family, enjoying the great outdoors. To have that taken away can be incredibly challenging, so please know we are thinking of you all, and already working on ways we can support you until your events return.

In the seven countries where parkruns did take place, perhaps unsurprisingly our social media channels were filled with stories of people, from all backgrounds and of all abilities, using parkrun to escape momentarily from what for many of us is proving a difficult time.

Will there be further event closures?

I’m sure that, like us, you are closely following the developments of the COVID-19 pandemic and would therefore like to know if there will be any further event closures over the coming weeks.

In the last few days, public health guidance has been updated in many countries and as such we are likely to close more parkrun countries. However, whilst we know how important it is that we update you as soon as possible, we must also take the time required to allow governments to develop their own positions fully, and then for us to understand as many of the facts as possible.

Importantly, our overriding principle for event closures remains that we will close our events wherever official public health guidance recommends or requires. We do also understand that public health guidance can vary greatly by country, and that in itself is causing concern, in turn we may therefore close events even where not recommended or required.

There are, however, a number of potential downsides to closing parkrun events, and we are taking these all into consideration. Specifically in the UK, the Chief Medical Officer has emphasised the importance of timing when it comes to various social distancing strategies, and that going too soon may do more harm than good. Also, it may be that the damage caused by the removal of parkrun as a coping and support mechanism from a community, may outweigh any increased risk of infection due to participation in a parkrun event.

We will therefore be spending the early part of this week consulting with public health experts and speaking directly with national-level senior public health leaders, and we will then make our own decisions as to where our events should close and where they should stay open. Importantly, as has been our commitment from the start, we will close our events wherever official public health guidance recommends or requires.

We will communicate further information re closures to you by the end of Wednesday this week (UK time).

Finally, I’d personally like to thank everyone who’s put their faith and trust in our staff and volunteers. We are all committed to doing the right thing and fully understand the incredible responsibility we have in guiding parkrun through this challenge.

Please stay positive, be there for each other, and know that the parkrun family is with you.

Tom Williams
Chief Operating Officer
parkrun Global

TaurenDruid · 16-03-2020 1:33pm

robinph wrote: »

Latest from parkrun Global:

https://www.parkrun.com/news/2020/03/12/covid-19

Not sure how I feel about that, tbh.

We (collectively) know now what the virus is capable of, what its infection rate is, and - crucially - that it's spread asymptomatically by otherwise healthy-seeming people. We know the effect it has on the elderly, the immuno-comprimised, and those with underlying conditions.

We also know that health services in most developed countries simply can't cope with pandemic, exponential levels of infection and the best advice is that we need to "flatten the curve", not to stop the spread of the virus - that horse has bolted - but to delay use of resources for the maximum length of time to allow more people to avail of them.

TL;DR: we all need to self-isolate, or we will spread infection to people who will die as a result.

Yet parkrun seems to be just going "We're only going to cancel when a national authority recommends it, despite the consequences for volunteers, parkrunners, and those they infect."

opus · 16-03-2020 7:26pm

Assume that puts an end to parkrun in the UK as well?

Johnson said everyone in the UK was now being asked to avoid all “non-essential contact” with other people. That meant they should be working from home if possible and avoiding pubs, clubs and theatres etc. He said:

Boris Johnson warns UK population to avoid non-essential contact with others as coronavirus cases rise

jimmii · 17-03-2020 11:47am

You would think so but for some reason lots of bars and cafes etc have still seen that as being fine to stay open. No idea how people going in are seeing that as essential social contact. I wouldn't be surprised to see it go ahead again this week although expecting measures to be increased this afternoon after how little attention has been paid to yesterdays briefing.

robinph · 17-03-2020 11:54am

England Athletics statement, in combination with Scotland, Wales and NI equivalents and therefore UK Athletics which is the governing body:

https://www.englandathletics.org/athletics-and-running/news/coronavirus-statement/?utm_source=emailmarketing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=coronavirus_statement_to_everyone&utm_content=2020-03-17

UKA being the governing body, that is parkrun cancelled in the UK.

adrian522 · 17-03-2020 12:18pm

Finally, really should have been done at least a week ago.

robinph · 17-03-2020 12:27pm

adrian522 wrote: »

Finally, really should have been done at least a week ago.

Don't go rewriting history. It was only last Thursday that Athletics Ireland and so parkrun Ireland cancelled events based on the new stance from the Irish government that morning.

I know a lot has happened in the last few days, but things were very, very different a week ago in every country around the world.

adrian522 · 17-03-2020 1:24pm

There was more than enough information there that parkruns should not have been going ahead last week. Same for half marathons etc.

Pawwed Rig · 17-03-2020 1:49pm

Everyone is an expert in hindsight.
I had someone yesterday try to tell me that they knew 2 months ago how bad things would get.:rolleyes:

Parkrun can only go with the government advice at any time. Just because we may think that the advice is wrong is neither here nor there. They are people doing their best like everyone else

adrian522 · 17-03-2020 2:47pm

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Everyone is an expert in hindsight.
I had someone yesterday try to tell me that they knew 2 months ago how bad things would get.:rolleyes:

Parkrun can only go with the government advice at any time. Just because we may think that the advice is wrong is neither here nor there. They are people doing their best like everyone else

Its not hindsight, plenty of events were called off last week, not just running events either. Plenty of events taking smart decisions prioritizing safety and health of participants. It doesn't need a government instruction.

Pawwed Rig · 17-03-2020 3:05pm

adrian522 wrote: »

Its not hindsight, plenty of events were called off last week, not just running events either. Plenty of events taking smart decisions prioritizing safety and health of participants. It doesn't need a government instruction.

Plenty events weren't. GAA only came on board last week as did LOI and IRFU. Pubs were all still open as were gigging venues. Park run was probably ahead of most other areas bearing in mind the last park runs were 9 days ago now. Kids were still in schools 5 days ago.
This despite the crowds at park run being less problematic than an intercounty GAA match or a live gig.
I would also argued that we should be lead by government instruction/advice or else everyone does their own thing causing chaos.

plodder · 17-03-2020 3:16pm

Pawwed Rig wrote: »

Everyone is an expert in hindsight.
I had someone yesterday try to tell me that they knew 2 months ago how bad things would get.:rolleyes:

Parkrun can only go with the government advice at any time. Just because we may think that the advice is wrong is neither here nor there. They are people doing their best like everyone else

As regards the government advice, I think the controversy is largely manufactured by the media and driven by people who like to be outraged. No country in the world ever wanted their health service to be overwhelmed. There were differing interpretations of data that led to different assumptions about when the best time to impose restrictions was. A week difference looks like a long time at this point, but maybe by the time this is all over, it won't be.

jimmii · 17-03-2020 4:13pm

My local run just put out a fresh call for volunteers for this weekend. Seems nothing has come through to call them off yet.

opus · 17-03-2020 4:23pm

parkrun said they would update people on Wed this week so makes sense they are sticking to that schedule.

robinph · 17-03-2020 9:09pm

Australia and New Zealand parkruns now cancelled seeing as it's Wednesday there now.

opus · 18-03-2020 10:13am

Announcement of the cancellation of all parkrun events.

https://www.parkrun.com/news/2020/03/12/covid-19?latest=2020-03-18

Wonder when we'll see it back?

robinph · 18-03-2020 10:40am

opus wrote: »

Wonder when we'll see it back?

Think it will depend on how much notice parkrun take for when things can happen again. What may well happen is that a country lifts restrictions on gatherings, parkrun says cool we'll be back in two weeks to give time for events to find volunteers, then the following week the country re-imposes restrictions on gathering again. That will potentially continue for another year+ so therefore no parkruns.

If parkrun and an event team can sort themselves to be ready to go at a couple of days notice then we might get 1 parkrun every so often. Otherwise it could be gone for a very long time until the vaccines are released and have been administered in sufficient numbers in each country.

Might get behind closed doors sport back sooner if there is some better testing that can tell instantly if people have already had it or not so everyone can be checked before taking part.

rovers_runner · 18-03-2020 11:10am

Is it any wonder parkwalk was a thing when you have such a lazy approach to fitness from Parkrun trustees.. :pac:

Have a coffee without a run, no how about just go for a run for a change, don't you have products to review.....

https://twitter.com/killianbyrne/status/1240211204968243200

robinph · 18-03-2020 11:30am

For now though its time to enjoy the coffee without a run beforehand.

Nooooo!!! That is the thing that you should most definitely not be doing.

Go for a run. Go for a run in a small group along some trails and don't breathe on each other. But definitely don't be going and sitting inside a coffee shop with X number of other people crowded around.

average_runner · 18-03-2020 12:03pm

robinph wrote: »

Nooooo!!! That is the thing that you should most definitely not be doing.

Go for a run. Go for a run in a small group along some trails and don't breathe on each other. But definitely don't be going and sitting inside a coffee shop with X number of other people crowded around.

Exactly, 2 people can run and keep a safe distance.
I am just running on my own, but I like that. No coffee shops though.
Bought a load for my espresso machine last week.

All going well we might have some races in May/June, so aiming for 5ks then.

Seannew1 · 24-03-2020 10:01pm

Could anyone tell me if the Malahide Parkrun route changed over the years? I only started Parkrun in 2015 but looking through some pictures today, it seemed to start from the golf course cafe?? Could anyone tell me the old route please?

TaurenDruid · 24-03-2020 10:13pm

Seannew1 wrote: »

Could anyone tell me if the Malahide Parkrun route changed over the years? I only started Parkrun in 2015 but looking through some pictures today, it seemed to start from the golf course cafe?? Could anyone tell me the old route please?

Although I've only run Malahide a couple of times I understand the current course (been in use a few years now) is "new" and there was a different one at the start. It's there long enough that they have permanent km markers now.

MrMacPhisto · 24-03-2020 10:27pm

Seannew1 wrote: »

Could anyone tell me if the Malahide Parkrun route changed over the years? I only started Parkrun in 2015 but looking through some pictures today, it seemed to start from the golf course cafe?? Could anyone tell me the old route please?

The start line used to be at the cafe down by the pitch and putt course. We would meet at current starting position for the pre run briefing and then walk to the start line via the path around the cricket pitch.

The finish was slightly different also. Rather than the little loop around the grass it was a straight finish running directly on to the grass once you passed the turn for car park/Avoca.

lanod2407 · 01-04-2020 11:56pm

robinph wrote: »

If parkrun and an event team can sort themselves to be ready to go at a couple of days notice then we might get 1 parkrun every so often. Otherwise it could be gone for a very long time

Gotta disagree with you on this one. If we try to tear out of the blocks at the very first opportunity we'll only put ourselves and each other at risk. COVID will not disappear overnight and any plan to get back into mass participation sport or gatherings at the first opportunity would be irresponsible.
I also believe that the impact this has on our communities and families over the coming weeks and months will be so significant that most people will be very circumspect about jumping straight back into how we interacted a few short weeks ago.

Burkie1203 · 02-04-2020 7:59am

lanod2407 wrote: »

Gotta disagree with you on this one. If we try to tear out of the blocks at the very first opportunity we'll only put ourselves and each other at risk. COVID will not disappear overnight and any plan to get back into mass participation sport or gatherings at the first opportunity would be irresponsible.
I also believe that the impact this has on our communities and families over the coming weeks and months will be so significant that most people will be very circumspect about jumping straight back into how we interacted a few short weeks ago.

Every parkrun is different so logistics of finish areas will have to be looked at to provide as much space as possible to everyone taking part.

Also can see parkrun returning untimed initially too.

robinph · 02-04-2020 8:14am

lanod2407 wrote: »

Gotta disagree with you on this one. If we try to tear out of the blocks at the very first opportunity we'll only put ourselves and each other at risk. COVID will not disappear overnight and any plan to get back into mass participation sport or gatherings at the first opportunity would be irresponsible.
I also believe that the impact this has on our communities and families over the coming weeks and months will be so significant that most people will be very circumspect about jumping straight back into how we interacted a few short weeks ago.

Yep, totally agree with that.

Was just on about how a restart of parkrun might happen sooner, which I don't think it will. I'd expect some countries like NZ to start up first, and maybe some remote parkruns in the UK or Ireland, but really don't think that a global synchronisation of restarts is going to happen, despite the positive noises along those lines that come from parkrun HQ.

crisco10 · 02-04-2020 8:28am

I think it will be awhile until we see another Parkrun alright.

I assume though they will need all (or at least most) of the Parkruns in an area to start back the same day? I'm just thinking say if for example, Tymon was the 1st, and only South Dublin one back, there could well be a rush of tourists from Bushy, Marlay, Cabo, Waterstown, Brickfields etc. Which i dont think anyone would want

robinph · 02-04-2020 9:02am

Think the tourists will be scuppered by intercity travel restrictions, or at least extreme disapproving looks. Will need to start up all Dublin or London events at the same time, but no reason that Cork or Cardiff couldn't start on a different timetable.

opus · 02-04-2020 11:02am

If you get a chance please retweet this to try and keep parkrun sponsors on board while everything is in hiatus.

https://twitter.com/parkrunIE/status/1245629629500551174

It's on the parkrun Ireland Facebook page also so a few likes/shares are very much appreciated.

Thanks!

kmart6 · 02-04-2020 12:21pm

opus wrote: »

If you get a chance please retweet this to try and keep parkrun sponsors on board while everything is in hiatus.

Really don't think sponsors will be an issue here. Of the three, two are government led and one a healthcare provider, all who will be encouraging people to get out and be active after this. None of them are losing out in publicity from Parkrun due to Covid, it's limited enough on the scale of sports/outdoor activity sponsorships as it is year round.

Also, no sponsor is going to stay on because of likes/shares/retweets, if they've made a decision they will follow through on it.

robinph · 02-04-2020 12:45pm

kmart6 wrote: »

Really don't think sponsors will be an issue here. Of the three, two are government led and one a healthcare provider, all who will be encouraging people to get out and be active after this. None of them are losing out in publicity from Parkrun due to Covid, it's limited enough on the scale of sports/outdoor activity sponsorships as it is year round.

Also, no sponsor is going to stay on because of likes/shares/retweets, if they've made a decision they will follow through on it.

But a bit of positive exposure for a brand does no harm, and you never know could make a new brand want a bit of the action too.

But you're right that it's unlikely any will be going anywhere in the meantime as that would not be good publicity.

DeepBlue · 02-04-2020 2:10pm

Didn't even know that Brooks was a sponsor. When did that happen?

robinph · 02-04-2020 2:46pm

DeepBlue wrote: »

Didn't even know that Brooks was a sponsor. When did that happen?

About a month ago they were announced I think.

Fraggle07 · 03-04-2020 7:43pm

Fraggle07 wrote: »

Does anyone know when Shannon Co. Clare parkrun starts up?
I saw that they were looking for volunteers recently.

ger664 wrote: »

No confirmed date. Hope this gets off the ground, they probably are trying to gather a core team who are prepared to take it on.

Just coming back on this. Saw a facebook update earlier that they are planning for an April 25th start. May be pushed out due to Covid19. https://www.parkrun.ie/illaunmanagh/

robinph · 03-04-2020 7:56pm

Awesome.

Within a few metres of the in laws and I'm still in need of an I for the alphabet. Hope we can get over to run that soon.

Stark · 03-04-2020 8:19pm

Fraggle07 wrote: »

Just coming back on this. Saw a facebook update earlier that they are planning for an April 25th start. May be pushed out due to Covid19. https://www.parkrun.ie/illaunmanagh/

Definitely no park runs anytime in April anyway so May at the earliest if we're lucky.

https://www.parkrun.com/news/2020/03/12/covid-19/

Sunny Dayz · 04-04-2020 10:32am

DeepBlue wrote: »

Didn't even know that Brooks was a sponsor. When did that happen?

Is there a parkrun discount for Brooks?
I miss the Elverys parkrun discount, that was handy.

robinph · 04-04-2020 1:22pm

Sunny Dayz wrote: »

Is there a parkrun discount for Brooks?
I miss the Elverys parkrun discount, that was handy.

Not that I'd seen any mention of, just that they were the official "shoe partner" of parkrun. Hadn't seen anything regarding what they were going to be doing, and that is obviously all going to be on hold now anyway.

Other sports brands would have had too much crossover with parkruns own brand of non-parkrun branded stuff from Contra and their clothing.

Annie get your Run · 04-04-2020 6:59pm

I heard an interview with Mike Ryan on Susan Keogh earlier (or a snippet of him speaking anyway). He talked about the kind of world we would be returning to when this is all over. He was referring in part to a kinder, more tolerant world but also indicated societal changes. I've a feeling that something like parkrun will take a long time to return. In China they are staggering the return of workers, businesses opening and schools reopening. Dr. Anne Moore, an immunologist in the School of Pharmacy UCC spoke on Nationwide last night too about the different world we will return to and how COVID-19 is just one threat, others will come down the line in the future (either near or distant) and that we need to change how we live in order to keep them at bay.

I love parkrun, it's been an important part of my life for the last 5+ years, but I won't be returning to it until there's a COVID-19 vaccine and that's well over a year away by all accounts. While the virus is still out there, it would be irresponsible of any organisation to arrange events where high numbers of people come together especially where sweat and breathing are a big part of that event. Runners spit (gross but some do

), give their sweaty barcodes to volunteers at the finish line and breath heavily on anyone who's running close by.

Just my tuppence, obviously no one knows what the future holds and only time will tell.

TaurenDruid · 04-04-2020 7:19pm

Annie get your Run wrote: »

Just my tuppence, obviously no one knows what the future holds and only time will tell.

True, but one thing we do know is that covid19 is a respiratory virus and isn't spread by sweat.

By the criteria you've set out above, you'll also not be using public transport in rush hour, going as a spectator to any big sporting events or gigs, and won't be in the pub, either.

That's your choice, obviously, but I will be doing all of those things once the current lockdown is lifted and things start to return to normal. I will in future be calling out the asshole on the bus who coughs without covering his mouth, and I'll continue washing my hands a lot more.

Annie get your Run · 04-04-2020 8:11pm

TaurenDruid wrote: »

True, but one thing we do know is that covid19 is a respiratory virus and isn't spread by sweat.

By the criteria you've set out above, you'll also not be using public transport in rush hour, going as a spectator to any big sporting events or gigs, and won't be in the pub, either.

That's your choice, obviously, but I will be doing all of those things once the current lockdown is lifted and things start to return to normal. I will in future be calling out the asshole on the bus who coughs without covering his mouth, and I'll continue washing my hands a lot more.

Sorry, yes you're right of course, that is the current belief. Thankfully I don't need to use public transport, I'm actually not a regular pub goer either. parkrun is probably the only thing that I was doing previously that would concern me.

robinph · 04-04-2020 8:25pm

The coffee shop afterwards is a riskier situation than the parkrun itself.

Murph_D · 05-04-2020 12:10am

robinph wrote: »

The coffee shop afterwards is a riskier situation than the parkrun itself.

Indeed. But can we learn a little more than that?

There’s no doubt we will return to a different world. How different, and why different, is probably too broad a topic for this forum. I don’t think the major problem in future is going to be related to human proximity, so I believe parkrun and all forms of sociable and competitive interaction will be fine in the long run.

The problem is more to do with how we, as a species, organise the distribution of food, shelter, clothing and recreation - the essentials of life. Covid probably originated in food production practices. It spread through the globalisation of business and tourism. It has exposed a critical weakness in how many (most?) countries approach the provision and maintenance of social services. It has been magnified in some countries (certainly the US and UK) by poor leadership, denial, callousness and reactive rather than proactive response. It has shown that most governments around the world have declined to prepare for the eventuality we are now facing, despite many warnings. Political expediency has always won out over prudence.

In short, it has exposed a great weakness of contemporary social and economic organisation.

Despite this, I’ve personally been heartened by the response. Global lockdowns are the only hope we have for containment. Social welfare is the only hope we have for avoiding societal breakdown. This has been recognised over and above the economic needs of individual corporations and nations. This is as it should be - there’s no market if we are all dead.

There will of course be hell to pay, and we are in for a rough ride. The economic crisis we have just emerged from is nothing on this. Hopefully we have learned something in the last 10-12 years.

Humanity will survive as a species. Hopefully humanity will also survive as a quality. parkrun will be part of both.

ger664 · 05-04-2020 2:01am

^^^^
POTY

Annie get your Run · 05-04-2020 9:13am

Just to clarify, I didn't say parkrun would never return, or should never return. My comment was really in relation to those thinking it would be back up and running by May. That's probably unrealistic and unlikely.

Parkrun..

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