Parkrun experiences?

[nanila]

Hello runners! After struggling with repeated short-term illnesses for the first half of the year (colds, throat infection, cystitis; as soon as I shook off one, another snuck in to take its place), I started running consistently again. Total distance for the second half of July was 25 km, and so far in August I'm on 10 km, hoping to achieve 40+ by the end of the month. I signed up to do a 10k in mid-September. My only goal is to beat last year's time.

Anyway, I'm mostly posting because I'd like to hear about other people's Parkrun experiences. My partner & I have been doing Parkrun alternately for about a year and a half now. One of us runs and the other looks after the children. We used to have to drive to a Parkrun (not ideal). On the plus side, that site has a large and well-equipped playground in it. However, a new Parkrun has just started up nearby that we can cycle to. I've started volunteering rather than running, since I tend to get my running in during the week, so Partner does Parkrun. Also, the cycle is a hilly 15 km round-trip, so I feel like I get a fair bit of exercise doing that, especially with a child on the back of the bike. So far I've only done marshaling. The course is not very well bedded in. The other Parkrun is on a paved track, while this one is just basically a rough track in a field full of sheep. At the last Parkrun, the organisers said they want to have more people trained up to do more taxing roles such as time-keeping. I kept quiet at the time since I'm still new to volunteering, but I was wondering if any other runners here have volunteered at a Parkrun, and which roles they've taken and enjoyed? Also, if you run at Parkrun, what do you like best about it?

Comments

[blnchflr]

I haven't participated for the longest time - like two years or something - partly because I moved further away from them, and partly because laziness?

I have never volunteered - I wanted to when I participated semi-regularly, but the races were also an important part of my training that I would have missed out on not running, so I never got around to it.

My favourite part is that they are free :)

[nanila]

I like that they're free too!

It is a bit of a faff when you have to travel a long distance to get to a Parkrun. I do appreciate the free timing and race atmosphere, but also, I could just put my shoes on head out the front door...

[purplecat]

I run and volunteer regularly at my parkrun. Our parkrun doesn't have any particular hierarchy of roles - certainly no idea that you need to be "trained up" for a role beyond a 5 minute talk through from the run director at the start. To be honest I prefer the roles at the start/end - ie., time keeping, number checking, finish tokens since you then spend most of the time with a group of volunteers and have a chance to chat with them - with marshalling I tend to feel a bit like a clapping monkey.

The only role I haven't enjoyed is barcode scanning, just because my finger got very cold and seized up a bit.

[nanila]

Thanks for this! I don't think I'd enjoy barcode scanning either, particularly with the fast runners, who tend to be quite brusque anyway.

I enjoy marshalling even though it's a bit lonely, but I suspect that's because of my natural tendency to want to cheer and be a big grinning enthusiastic supporter of others.

I want to give the time-keeping & finish token jobs a go. Also, tail-running. Those roles seem to be sewn up by the core group of volunteers, though, so I think I'm going to have to state my wishes clearly at some point soon. I won't get to go again before mid-September, but after that, I will.