Does anyone else do ParkRun?

My daughter ran one this last Saturday morning while I walked my DGS in his pushchair round half the route. The volunteers were so friendly as were the participants. I was told there were 400+ taking part.
They are not allowed in France, the free ones that is but there are some official ones run by the towns’ associations once a year. Shame as they are so much fun for so many.

I have done our local one walking a few times but am not keen. Around 200+ runners, ages from teenage to old. Parents yelling encouragement at youngsters from the sidelines, timing them.
Getting lapped on the first circuit of three is not thrilling though I must say the marshals are encouraging and the Tail Enders help those at the back.
I don’t like to see my results shown publicly and hate the competitiveness.
I did a Kiltwalk and loved that from start to finish along with the fundraising aspect and no hint of PBs.

Hi,
First time poster here, and a man at that.
My wife and I go to Parkrun every Saturday from October-April.
I'm 63 and she's 66.
I've been a competitive runner for 40 years. My wife isn't a runner but loves walking.
There are about 400 people each week at our local Parkrun and one thing's for certain, you're highly unlikely to be first or last.
It's the most uplifting and inclusive thing you can do on a Saturday morning. You can even take your dog.
We love it, have made some great friends and the coffee afterwards is the social highlight of the week.
Give it a try.

I’m not surprised your nerves were shot! Parkour is amazing to watch and they’re obviously hugely skill but it must be terrifying if it’s someone you love throwing themselves off buildings and turning somersaults

I used to be walking alongside my GS and he'd suddenly take a jump and a leap and end up on top of a letterbox !

My GS used to do something called Parkour ? My nerves were shot to pieces at the time as he balanced on tall buildings in Liverpool and against the night sky he looked as though he was floating or had just been placed there. Thank goodness his age is now against him.
He used to go along with a young chap who did stunt work for films such as the James Bond ones,.Danny Ilabaca. Danny is a popular and well liked professional and his stunts are something else.

No not Hastings

SirChenjin I hope that wasn't Hastings Parkrun. Its an out and back run snd there certsinly are some very fast runners, but slso some people who take over an hour to complete the 5k. Even the slowest are never last thats the honour for the Tsil runner..
Im 68 and go when I can, often as the Tail runner, but Saturdays are not good days for me

Eloethan - that’s how I felt too! The embarrassment factor was a big thing for me, and the support - the cheering from the very fit runners, some of whom I knew, who had completed the 5k at the point that I was only half way through and looking like a burst strawberry - only served to remind me that I’m horrendously unfit and unsporty. It was like school PE all over again.

I must be missing the "embarrassed" emotion gene I don't mind at all coming in the last three which is what happens most times (I had plenty of practice on school sports days) .

Thanks for all the replies, an enjoying reading them.

That's me , Annaram

My son does quite a bit of running, and a few half marathons, to keep fit and to alleviate stress as his work can be quite demanding at times.

He suggested I do park run, which is just up the road from me. I protested that I'm too old (69) but he said there were several older people who did park run. So I went along with him and my 8 year old granddaughter.

Yes, there were about 5 older people but most of them looked very fit and were obviously keen runners.

On the first occasion I ran the 3 laps of the course, miles behind nearly everybody else. It was quite embarrassing and I thought my husband was joking when he said, on my return home, that my face was "purple". In fact it was. I really ached for days afterwards.

I've been a couple of times since but have only run the 1 lap, hoping to build up gradually. I haven't done it recently due to other commitments or the weather being too hot. I am reasonably fit, walk quite a lot during the course of most days and am not that much overweight. But I've never been a sporty person (dreaded school sports). I will definitely go back at some point though because there was a friendly and encouraging atmosphere.

I haven't done any park runs, but my husband is a runner and I used to go with him and do the fun runs of anything from 1 mile to 5 mile. The gc when they were younger use to do them with me and once, just once mind you, I was announced as the winner but I had to put my hand up and admit that really I was last and still had one lap to go. I am proud of the medals I have. Now I cycle instead.

I haven’t done a park run but my GS (7) does it every week. I have however been doing the couch to 5 K program just really as a challenge to myself. I’m 69 and pretty fit, I walk a lot and it seemed like a natural progression. I’m in week 6 when you have to run 25 minutes. I’ve done it twice now and though it’s hard I really love it. 6 weeks ago I could barely run for 1 minute! I wouldn’t have believed this training program would work but it really does. I may do a park run when I’ve finished the program.

I do it! (Hence my name!)
The best part for me is the social group I now have coffee & a chat with afterwards. It makes my weekend. Mind you, ours is extremely hilly & I walk a lot of it!

I do the parkrun in Solihull fairly regularly and done a couple of other venues. It’s a lovely event, you’ll probably find quite a few of your friends doing it and it’s a very friendly atmosphere. I watched the race last Saturday as my feet were blistered from a long walk; I ended up looking after my friend’s dog which had had enough after one lap !

I do admire all you sporty ladies! Most of my exercise day is get up, have breakfast, look at the computer for a couple of hours, have coffee, do a little housework or gardening, answer emails, have lunch in the garden if nice, in front of the TV if not, go to supermarket (yes every day. I do it for the much needed exercise of walking around the shop!) Go home, have tea in garden or in front of TV, open post, read paper in garden or in front of TV, make dinner(I'm in the South), eat it inside in front of TV, and gradually get ready for bed, while watching Talking Pictures TV. Go to bed. ditto next day...

My brother does park run with his wife and two little boys . For a change they sometimes go to different parks to do them and stay over in travel lodge ?

I have done it a few times but I found the route boring as it included a few laps of a rugby field. I like to choose where I go.

My friend has done the kilt walk paddyann and really enjoyed it, but she worked p/t so had plenty of time to train for the 26 miles and still found it tough going. I’m afraid it’s too much of a commitment as I’m out most evenings doing various things to be able to fit in the level of training I would need. I’m always amazed that people can work f/t, have a family, do all the other life stuff and fit in running - I leave for work at 7.45 and don’t really stop until 9pm with one thing and another. I try and manage one or 2 sessions in the gym a week but it’s hard, especially as DH works long hours. Good for you for doing it though

I don't run anywhere. It's hitting the ground as you come down that is painful.

I don't do parkrun, the two in my area are a lot of hassle to get to by bus; but I do try and fit in a couple of health walks every week. One is quite a brisk hour, and the other is a gentler 40 minutes or so, but as I have to walk 20 minutes each way to get to that one, by the time I've finished I've done 80 minutes! Not been yet since I got back from my cruise, but hope to start again next week.

A friend of mine helps run a regular park run. From what I understand , newcomers and slower runners are looked after, monitored and encouraged. It seems a good way to get exercise and make new friends but I won’t be doing it. I couldn’t run when I was a child??

do the Kilt walk Sirchengin you can build up at your own pace and take as long as you like to get to the mileage required.There is one in Edinburgh and Dundee and Aberdeen ,we'll be doing Hampden to Loch Lomond ,my husband has done it a few times ,the first just a few months after 2 heart attacks and my SIL and GS both did it with him last year .Great atmosphere and good hearted crowds to keep your spirits up .I ran for decades when I worked fulltime and when had a baby and a 10 year old too .I found the exercise helped me cope better with stress ,I slept better and just getting out to run gave me thinking time away from the drama queen that was my daughter once she reached 12 .

Grannyknot
Maybe I’ll have to look a bit further afield then