Gender again. Sorry!

[classic33]

Then don't record times in categories or celebrate course records in categories at Park Run. Just let runners record their individual times if they want to. If you're going to have categories they should be fair categories. If you're going to record results they should be fair results.

Just because fairness at Park Run doesn't matter to you doesn't mean it doesn't, and shouldn't, matter to others.

I used to do the 10k road runs, for fun. Always raising money for various charities when doing one. Fully aware that there's a lot of work going out of sight, just to get these runs organised.
I ran against club athletes, male and female, and finished wherever I did. I never heard any complaints about unfair advantages, from anyone taking part. Always given a course completion time, the same as everyone else taking part. The club runners used these events as training runs and qualification runs for larger events.

Park Runs seem to have replaced these 10k fun runs. And I'll bet that there are club runners taking part. Possibly just as training runs, knowing that their times will be recorded. Especially helpful if they are looking at competition runs, which require proof, other than your own times, on known courses that can be checked.

There's a "Prefer Not To Say" option, so how does that affect your argument about the age groups that these park runs are split by?
If you're in an area and find there's such an event taking place, there's little to stop you taking part. You may want to keep a record of whether you're improving over time, and not just fooling yourself. "Official timing" will help with this. Or is your running better suited to a certain type of course. A park run near me would return a different time to one held in Bradford due to the terrain.

Have you ever taken part, on a regular basis, in Park Runs? Or are you just trying to justify your fears to yourself, then projecting your fears onto others?

 

[Beebo]

It doesn't need more categories. It just needs people to run in the appropriate category to ensure fairness, whether that's age or sex.

But how do you police that?
How do you check the age and sex of say 500 people who turn up to a park on Saturday morning?
There is no entry list, it’s just turn up and run.

 

[AuroraSaab]

There are two parkruns: parkrun and junior parkrun. The recordings are of time, and profiles are up to the runner. There are no medals, you don't qualify for anything, the times count for the runner and the runner only.

There's nothing unfair whatsoever about it.

Why record course records then? And why do Park Run make a fuss when someone sets a new one for their sex or age group?

Transwoman Lauren Jeska has held both the Aberystwyth overall Women's course record and the Women's 35 - 39 course record since 2012, and other Women's class records at 2 other courses. That seems a bit unfair to the women who run those courses, surely?

This is just the usual 'I don't care so women shouldn't care either'. Some of them obviously do care, and if Park Run are going to officially record times and course records then they should be recorded fairly.

 

[AuroraSaab]

Have you ever taken part, on a regular basis, in Park Runs? Or are you just trying to justify your fears to yourself, then projecting your fears onto others?

'Have you ever competed in the Tour de France? Because unless you have, you don't get to have an opinion on cheating in it ....'

 

[AuroraSaab]

But how do you police that?
How do you check the age and sex of say 500 people who turn up to a park on Saturday morning?
There is no entry list, it’s just turn up and run.

You don't. You ask, and trust, people to enter in the appropriate category. If it then comes to light that they were 25 and said they were 70, you strike their time from the record or move it to the appropriate category. It's the PR regs that need changing to ensure that this happens.

 

[AndyRM]

Why record course records then? And why do Park Run make a fuss when someone sets a new one for their sex or age group?

Transwoman Lauren Jeska has held both the Aberystwyth overall Women's course record and the Women's 35 - 39 course record since 2012, and other Women's class records at 2 other courses. That seems a bit unfair to the women who run those courses, surely?

This is just the usual 'I don't care so women shouldn't care either'. Some of them obviously do care, and if Park Run are going to officially record times and course records then they should be recorded fairly.

You're right, I don't care, because there really isn't an issue here.

You're the one making it out to be some competitive event where people are somehow discriminated against. It isn't, and they aren't.

Anyone who takes it as such has totally missed the point of parkrun.

 

[classic33]

'Have you ever competed in the Tour de France? Because unless you have, you don't get to have an opinion on cheating in it ....'

Never competed in it, and if you're going to accuse any of the riders taking part in it, or other international cycling event, of cheating/doping I'd be careful. They have a decent legal team behind them.

I have however taken part in the longer fun runs, so by use of your own metric, I'm entitled to an opinion on the event that seems to have taken over the events I ran in. Like the 10k fun runs, you could turn up on the day pay the entry fee and take part. The entry fee was to cover the costs of road closures, Saint John Ambulance(medical help) and at times venue hire.

You'll note I'm not the one using my fears about a group, that I don't like, taking part. Then taking those fears and projecting them to reinforce them. Demonizing a very small section of those who may be taking part.

 

[classic33]

You're right, I don't care, because there really isn't an issue here.

You're the one making it out to be some competitive event where people are somehow discriminated against. It isn't, and they aren't.

Anyone who takes it as such has totally missed the point of parkrun.

Was I right about using the timings given on the day as a means of checking your own performance. In effect, competing against yourself if you're a regular participant?

 

[classic33]

You don't. You ask, and trust, people to enter in the appropriate category. If it then comes to light that they were 25 and said they were 70, you strike their time from the record or move it to the appropriate category. It's the PR regs that need changing to ensure that this happens.

How do you prove the age of the runner?
Demand proof of age before allowing them to take part?

The only ones they're cheating/fooling are themselves. Suppose you had someone in their 60's "running" as 30 year old, should their time be struck from the record as well?

You're going all out to make an issue out of nothing.

 

[AndyRM]

Was I right about using the timings given on the day as a means of checking your own performance. In effect, competing against yourself if you're a regular participant?

Essentially, yes. Because it's a mass start if you want an accurate time, that's up to the individual because you ain't going to get one bang on off the parkrun timers.

When I was much more heavily involved we didn't even have male/female course times, it was just one.

The options at sign up now are "Male, Female, Another gender identity or prefer not to say" there's no option for disability, running pushing a chair or with an animal or whatever.

It's up to the individual what they make of it, and times count for nothing but personal satisfaction. If you want stricter gender, age or ability categories, join a running club which caters for your needs.

I'd like to still be involved as much as I was: it's a great, simple and inclusive event.

 

[CXRAndy]

There are two parkruns: parkrun and junior parkrun. The recordings are of time, and profiles are up to the runner. There are no medals, you don't qualify for anything, the times count for the runner and the runner only.

There's nothing unfair whatsoever about it.

Why have two categories then, merge the junior into the adults results?

Oh that wouldn't be fair to the kids, they might feel downbeat with their results mainly at the bottom of the results.

Get it now ?💡

 

[CXRAndy]

The only ones they're cheating/fooling are themselves.

Not exactly, trans are making themselves feel better by beating women with better times/results.

I wouldn't know why males would want to do that over women- they're only cheating themselves

 

[Beebo]

Why have two categories then, merge the junior into the adults results?

Oh that wouldn't be fair to the kids, they might feel downbeat with their results mainly at the bottom of the results.

Get it now ?💡

Children can run the adult 5k. They just have their own 3k events too.

 

[CXRAndy]

Children can run the adult 5k. They just have their own 3k events too.

Why, they're making the youngsters feel better, they should be all grouped together?

They should not be allowed to have their own category, that's not inclusive to adults.

 

[AndyRM]

Children can run the adult 5k. They just have their own 3k events too.

Junior parkrun is only 2k, but you're absolutely right.

@CXRAndy - there's nothing to get. You're just being more of a fool than usual.