Parkrun (5km). Why so little interest in the US/Canada?

It’s true that certain cities / municipalities / etc will require payment for a permit to stage an event, and that would be a no-go for parkrun. This is part of the reason parkrun has had more success in the US in growing in suburbs / small cities rather than big cities.

But at the very least, I want to clarify that insurance is not part of the problem in getting parkruns up in the US. parkrun USA provides insurance (for free) to all event teams starting a new parkrun.

they have $2 million policy? that is just for 50-150 people too. but yes fronting the fee for the permit and having to show up in a line for manual process is also a killer

I’m not particular to every detail of the insurance (because fortunately HQ handles it for us, rather than make us do anything), but yes, 2 million USD covered.

As for the fee, that’s not a problem either. parkrun, whether in the US or anywhere else in the world, does not pay fees for park use. If a municipality / city / etc wants to charge for the use of their park for parkrun, parkrun will not have an event there, simple as that. They’ve even pulled events from parks that were once free and then wanted to charge, most famously at Little Stoke in Bristol. It’s different in the UK and other places, I believe, but currently starting a parkrun in the US requires no financial commitment from the organizers whatsoever.

And I’m not sure what you mean by “show up in a line for manual process”, but if you’re referring to the results processing, at US events it’s no more time-consuming a process than you might experience at a paid race waiting to get your medal, t-shirt, etc. You come through the line, get your code and token scanned, and bam, all done. You can get coffee or run home or do whatever else you like, and the results come in an email in an hour or so.

(This is notably different for parkruns in the UK or elsewhere that have large numbers of participants and require funnel management, but the average US event only has 30-50 finishers, so once you come through the line, it takes <5 minutes to get in the system)

NYC perspective: I desperately wish we had a parkrun in Central Park. The Open Run program here in New York isn’t something I’ve personally done but they seem to be timed, and the distances aren’t standardized 5ks either. And there’s only one active in Manhattan and it’s way uptown, not in the runner’s paradise of Central Park.

If there was a parkrun style timed 5k I’d do it as many weekends as I possibly could. The fact that it’s run as a free event in the UK and elsewhere stuns me and I have so much respect for the volunteers who organize these events around the world. The timing system seems ingenious. I would even gladly pay $15 for a race every saturday morning (if it was standard distance and timed) and call it an absolute bargain, considering the normal cost of a race here in the US. I know I could join a running club and do regularly scheduled club races etc. but for better or for worse I’m a bit of lone wolf when it comes to my training. I like to decide to go running on a whim and I’m not a clubby person so at the moment joining a running club is not for me. But a regular weekend parkrun would be *exactly *the right amount of social interaction for me.

Someone in NYC should set up a parkrun style something in Central Park. Sprint finish to the 5k on the top of Cat Hill! You’ll see me there if so.

The USA is the fattest nation in the OECD, in world terms a bunch of Pacific Islanders are a bit Fatter. Less interest and also USA tends to liek sport done WTC style rather park run low key style.

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I think there needs to be a bit of a void in the market for it to take off. In my area there are free 5k runs about 5-6 days of the week within about 2-5 miles of my house. Most of them are from a business (bar/restaurant/bakery) and are fairly low key. With that many free runs and many of the people who do these overlap with actual races or events on the weekend (group rides, MTB,etc) it doesn’t leave a large number who would participate to make it worthwhile to setup. But it would be great to see it take of.

One run starts about 5. I say about because you go inside to check in then start your run when you want. Quite a few will start right at 5 but if your running late or want to wait for a friend to start it is super low key. Summer time can have hundreds of runners. Winter time it is usually 50-100 depending on the weather.It is the same course each week so you can time yourself and compare. Strava will actually keep your time for you. Only needs 1-2 people to check people in at the bar and that is it. You provide them with 1-2 beers while they check people in and then you get the benefit of the runners stopping for drinks after.

e.g. parkrun has a one dog per runner policy …

I don’t own a dog, but after reading this I hastily borrowed a friend’s dog this morning and headed off to parkrun, only to discover parkrun hasn’t enforced a “one dog per runner” policy, but merely requires any runner be limited to a single dog.

I was sort of disappointed. I anticipated it would heaps of fun with a mandatory policy of one dog per runner. Nevertheless, Cooper the cavoodle posted a barkrun PR, finishing in 23:38, eclipsing his previous effort from last month by over a minute and placing second canine.

We’re going to have to put in some structured training if we’re going to beat that other hound. It has some serious speed.

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For what it is though, parkrun operates with relatively few, not uncommonly fewer than 10.

An on-the-day race director/announcer, course marking and on course marshals are generally limited, start/finish infrastructure is limited to some cones and a couple of banner flags. No drink stations or traffic management. There’s always a “tail walker” out there. A couple of people handing out finish place tokens as you cross the line and a couple scanning barcodes. And some magic fairies transfer the scanned results to the event website and generate an email of your result.

Arrive 30 minutes prior to the event and you wouldn’t know you’re in the right place. Packing up literally takes 5 minutes before organisers and regulars are ready to adjourn to a cafe.

This idea that parkrun is a really simple thing to organise each week and takes no more effort than 90mins on a Saturday morning really annoys me, and is really dismissive of the effort that actually goes in to each event. There’s a lot more that goes on each week that goes totally unseen (not least, making sure there are enough volunteers every Saturday - that takes a lot more effort than it should).

Those ‘magic fairies’ that process the results are also a person who often has to spend a long time sorting out issues when people ducked out of the finish funnel without taking a token, two finish tokens were stuck together, or various other things that easily go wrong. For a run director, who’s setting up and processing results it can easily be an entire Saturday morning given up, and then for the event directors the whole process of getting ready for the next week instantly starts again.

that is correct i guess for an race director thats about 5 hour of work in total dependin on some factors but defo no less than 3,5 hours, at the same time some parkruns run differently some had a core team with people that constantly share the race director work and others have different clubs take over.
i have to say overall its one of the best things that has been invented. and i hope long may it last.

I can happily report I found the magic fairies were on top of their game this morning. Parkrun results were up and email notification sent barely an hour after the final finisher.

I’m not dismissive of the efforts people out into event, so there’s no need for anyone to be annoyed. However, I am realistic. The parkrun model is very efficient and streamlined.

I’m volunteering with my masters athletics club tomorrow, which will concurrently stage 15km, 10km and 5km races. The club hosts open road races weekly, free for members, $5 for visitors. It’s not elaborate, but with drink stations, a bit of minor traffic management and more infrastructure, it does require more resources (human, materials, time, etc) than parkrun.

When it comes to staging running events, parkrun is among the simplest to organise. That’s the beauty of it and one of the reasons why format has been demonstrably repeatable in some countries and sustainable on weekly basis.

Someone in NYC should set up a parkrun style something in Central Park. Sprint finish to the 5k on the top of Cat Hill! You’ll see me there if so.

I think you just volunteered

Might be tough to get the “regular” runners out of the way, though?

Not actually the same thing. Park run is designed to be inclusive versus what you talk about is exclusive and frankly reeks of high school cliques. We’ve been in our current town for 2 years and have participated in many races, training group out of the local run store, weekly runs, etc and still haven’t found our people. Either the ultra or trail run is most friendly at least at races but…
That’s why parkrun is appealing

… what you talk about is exclusive and frankly reeks of high school cliques.

… or Fight Club?

To be fair to my little town, I do see a few other Runners around, but without a LRS anywhere nearby, there’s no real meeting place where a club could take root and grow

We do have a new craft brewery in town, maybe I’ll post up a flyer to get one started

Not actually the same thing. Park run is designed to be inclusive versus what you talk about is exclusive and frankly reeks of high school cliques. We’ve been in our current town for 2 years and have participated in many races, training group out of the local run store, weekly runs, etc and still haven’t found our people. Either the ultra or trail run is most friendly at least at races but…
That’s why parkrun is appealing

Sooo you’re able to judge the group local to me via internet. Cool deal home slice.

It’s a group spanning easily 70 years of age difference, slowest to fastest from 13min to 5min a mile, all races genders, all out for a run.

The real question: how does someone new join? That is what we’ve struggled with. We show up and just get instructions and otherwise ignored. Maybe we just don’t try hard enough…but we visited fleet feet Orlando in January and that felt far more welcoming that someplace we’ve been two years. The bar/brewery scene is such that someone needs to know someone to get the invite. That’s where the inclusivity fails.

5km, free, held every Saturday of the year.

Just turn up and race… or chat while walking your dog…or set a PR with your dog! :slight_smile:

Originating in the London almost 20 years ago, with now almost 800 weekly events across the UK, the concept has spread globally. Parkrun is insanely popular in Australia, with over 450 weekly events.

Yet there are less than 60 events in the US and about 40 in Canada.

A simple idea, parkrun is a real testament to how a sport can be expanded when as many possible barriers to entry are eliminated; no cost, achievable distance, no registration required (unless you want an official finish time/result), no age barriers, no performance standard (walkers welcome), dog friendly, no great time commitment for either competing or training, convivial social atmosphere…

Why are some countries so slow on the uptake?

https://www.parkrun.com

I think a lot of what has been said is right. There are tons of local running clubs/groups that meet for food/drinks at local breweries & go for short/easy runs. I’m sure that happens to the same degree in other places but I feel like a lot of people prefer that over signing up for actual races. There are also weekly run series during the summer where I live that operate as park runs. I don’t think those are included in the tallies.

So many in the US have just accepted the inflated prices of 5ks just to get an official result and/or medal. The local club stuff brings back a good sense of community.

Prior to Covid, I went several times to my local Parkrun. In around June 2020 a homeless camp set up in the park adjacent to the finish line: you literally would have run in between the tents across the line.

The Tent City was recently removed, but some rubbish remains nearby. May consider returning at some point but just doesn’t feel right now…

@Kid

Many people in an online/FB Running Group I belong to* are in UK, and often post parkrun results

I should share this thread and get their inputs as well

#noinput_nooutput

  • JSF (Joe Strummer Foundation) Runners, if you must know, although FB says it’s a private group - they let me in, for some reason? LOL

Not actually the same thing. Park run is designed to be inclusive versus what you talk about is exclusive and frankly reeks of high school cliques. We’ve been in our current town for 2 years and have participated in many races, training group out of the local run store, weekly runs, etc and still haven’t found our people. Either the ultra or trail run is most friendly at least at races but…
That’s why parkrun is appealing

Sooo you’re able to judge the group local to me via internet. Cool deal home slice.

It’s a group spanning easily 70 years of age difference, slowest to fastest from 13min to 5min a mile, all races genders, all out for a run.

Uh-oh

Having grown up in an extremely elitist and exclusionary community/environment, using words like “our people” signals the same sort of “selective belonging” that xterratri seem to be railing against

“Our people don’t do that” or “Our people won’t stand for that” or “Our people will meet at 6 for a 5K; I don’t know what the other people will be doing”

I could be reading way too much into that, certainly

My area has had runs like this for a long time. My own club puts on two of them and I know of a dozen others in the area. So while there is also a ParkRun in our area, runners have had alternatives for decades. It’s small fish in a large barrel.

5km, free, held every Saturday of the year.

Just turn up and race…

https://www.parkrun.com

Just turn up and run, jog, or walk, ideally after registering for your free barcode to have your finish time recorded. It’s not a race against anyone else, unless you want to challenge your own time. No pressure to complete the 5k at anything other than your own pace. In most places pushchairs, strollers, dogs, and wheelchairs are encouraged.

Why hasn’t it caught on elsewhere? It is growing, just very slowly in places. And if you want to set one up, just contact parkrun.com for all the help and guidance you need. It’s not difficult to set one up even if you’ve never completed a parkrun before. There are some hoops to jump through that will undoubtedly change depending on where you are located but none of them are too big to overcome. My wife and I have set up, or been behind, establishing three in New Zealand. It’s so rewarding seeing people who might never have thought of completing a 5k event get out there and do so, week after week after week.

If anybody in this forum thinks there should be a parkrun where there isn’t then contact parkrun.com and start the process.

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You can literally step out your front door & do a 5k at any time you wish…

And if you want to make it special … pick a day, make a challenge out of it, and maybe even make yourself a bib

https://www.instagram.com/p/CbOG7XCpg7y/?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

Just occurred to me that if been neglectful of posting my 2023 bibs - for those who follow me, I apologize