muffinheeler
Well-known member
It was far more savage before it was edited!
Parkrunners, assemble!
- Thread starter Fifah1907
- Start date
1
Millyve
VIP Member
NotGonnaLieToYou
VIP Member
It’s bad form though that when a run director stands in front of a crowd of parkrunners, that none of them will forsake their free run so that the event can have the min number of volunteers.
Similar happened at my local one last year - no one would step forward to help until one woman did after some time and fair play to her - she had never timed before and wasn’t a bother on her.
Like what I said in my previous post - there’s an element of expecting someone else to do it.
Similar happened at my local one last year - no one would step forward to help until one woman did after some time and fair play to her - she had never timed before and wasn’t a bother on her.
Like what I said in my previous post - there’s an element of expecting someone else to do it.
Millennial Pink
VIP Member
I was scanning yesterday and one of the participants got scanned and made a big show of thanking all the volunteers and saying we were the backbone of parkrun etc. All very nice, but this guy has never volunteered and he's there most weeks. I wonder what it would take for him to volunteer? He clearly understands how it works. I was thinking about that aggressive run report again. Do most runs have a few volunteers who volunteer most weeks and aren't runners? We've got a number of volunteers like that at my local one and they enjoy the volunteering for it's own sake. Not sure how common that is.
Fifah1907
VIP Member
My dad volunteered for about 3/4 months every week when he was injured. My mum was doing the run anyway & he had nothing else to do (sounds worse than I mean it to be
). Now he’s back running runs 4, volunteers 1 then runs again. My godmother volunteers every week because she can’t run anymore but she likes being a part of it!Runninggirl
Well-known member
There are a couple of marshals at my home run that volunteer every week unless they are on holiday. I tail walked with one of them once as someone had already volunteered for the marshalling spot.
orangelolly
Chatty Member
I think my parkrun might be a rarity but we have probably 10 volunteers who volunteer most weeks and have never taken part, or they have in the past but don’t anymore.
Lurkeryaar
VIP Member
I have volunteered 10 times but only run 27 times... probably should run more but my local has a killer hill at the end
NotGonnaLieToYou
VIP Member
There's a woman like that at my parkrun - runs almost every single week but volunteers maybe once a year. Comes up to me saying thank you so much for all you do at parkrun etc and all I can do is smile and accept. But then I rant to my husband in the car after saying I wouldn't be volunteering so much if people like her helped out a bit more. But I find with parkrun you have to be nice and smiley to everyone.
We have a lady who volunteers but doesn't run. She walked with her husband when she first came to parkrun. But she's found now that she's not really able for the full 5km anymore so she comes along to help out and chat while the husband parkruns. The couple are late 60s/early 70s and enjoy getting out to mix with people.
WeepingCassandra
VIP Member
Christ, they need to have a day off. Has it occurred to anyone there that if your normal numbers are in the low 80s (gathering from the first timer comment) then your problem may be that the ratio of people who care enough to volunteer (there are 20 roles on their future roster that I can see would be necessary for the event to go ahead) is just too low? That's 1/4 of your regular runners. My local parkrun pulls in over 500 runners most weeks and still struggles to fill roles.
Rxt156
VIP Member
Good point. When there’s too many park runs in the same area or a 10 mile radius for example, of course they’re going to struggle. Possibly fewer parkruns would be better in that case
WeTalkAboutBruno
Chatty Member
I have two parkruns within 3 miles of where I live. I don't know what numbers are like but I think it's becoming oversaturated!
Millennial Pink
VIP Member
We've got a new (or replacement one) starting a few miles away and we've already lost at least one of our regular volunteers to that one as it's closer to their house. Would love to know what parkrun as a whole plan to do to support this kind of situation. Hopefully the end of the holidays will mean that the roster struggles improve.
Cucumberthunder
VIP Member
They make money from setting up new parkruns, so they will have to have a plan for when there aren't enough new places to hold one.
The actual cost to them to support each run must be really low so I'm guessing they build in some "profit" to keep them running.
I don't know if they will bring in enough money from parkrun forever and I know they have been recruiting fundraising roles recently.
I think it will be interesting to see where they are 10 years from now.
The actual cost to them to support each run must be really low so I'm guessing they build in some "profit" to keep them running.
I don't know if they will bring in enough money from parkrun forever and I know they have been recruiting fundraising roles recently.
I think it will be interesting to see where they are 10 years from now.
Lastqueenofscotland
VIP Member
The expansion in the U.K. has seriously slowed down, you used to have 1/2 new ones most weeks back in the day (I’ve been parkrunning since Henry Viii was on his first wife).
I think the US if they can get it to take off there, has enormous potential as an expanding market, so imagine it’s the overseas ones that will get the focus now
I think the US if they can get it to take off there, has enormous potential as an expanding market, so imagine it’s the overseas ones that will get the focus now
I know in Australia they changed the rules about courses. You can’t have lap courses now for example, they won’t let you start at any other time other than 8am.
I set one up in the outback town I lived in because they got government funding for it. Just to buy the kit and the Defib meant we had to have $8000 AUD
I set one up in the outback town I lived in because they got government funding for it. Just to buy the kit and the Defib meant we had to have $8000 AUD
Gym&Tonic
VIP Member
We’ve got a new one around here that only started up in about June I think. I might give it a try this week instead of my usual local one, it only about twenty minutes away so not that far and the course is flatter. I’m lucky in that the local one is very friendly so it will be interesting to see what this one is like.