A parkrun participant is thinking of quitting due to what she describes as increasingly competitive behaviour from other runners. She says the actions of some have made the event ‘unpleasant’.
The woman shared her frustrations on Mumsnet, explaining that some men had turned the event into a ‘glorified race’. According to her, they were ‘pushing people out of the way, swearing at them and shouting at them to let them through’.
Concerns Over Changing Parkrun Culture
The parkrun regular said she always thought the point of parkrun was to enjoy a 5k run and socialise afterwards. She believes parkruns are being overtaken by people obsessed with ‘winning’ and getting a personal best. She added that she doesn’t think parkrun is the place to focus on getting a personal best.
She and other women who have been attending for years are now considering not going again because it is so unpleasant. She asked if she was being unreasonable to suggest clamping down on the behaviour before it becomes a ‘big men’s club’.
Differing Views on Competitive Running
Responses to the woman’s post showed differing opinions. One person said that while shoving isn’t acceptable, racing and trying to get a personal best is fine. They added that they knew lots of youngsters that try and better their time each week.
Another person suggested parkrun could accommodate different views by having competitive runners start first, like the London Marathon. They said that different people have different views about what parkrun is and wondered how they can’t be accommodated so everyone is happy.
Someone else wrote of being tutted at by runners at a parkrun event for being in their way on a public footpath, despite moving as far as possible to the side. They described the entitlement as outrageous.
Clashing Cultures at Different Events
Another contributor suggested that different runs have different cultures. They said that in some, the slower runners start at the back and the front runners position themselves to allow overtaking, while in others it’s more of a community jog than a race. The poster added that when people start touring to collect parkruns, the cultures clash.
One person stated that the reported behaviour is unacceptable even in a race, where it would not be tolerated. They noted that parkrun is strange as it claims not to be a race, yet is set up as a race with a measured course, start and finish, and chip times.
They added that there are a minority of people looking to win or for personal bests in parkrun.