Saturday 9 March 2013

The nervous wait

For the first time in 11 months I have that nervous feeling that you get whilst waiting and hoping for a parkrun PB confirmation.

It's not often that you really don't know if it was or wasn't a PB. But that is exactly the position I am in today. My stopwatch suggests it could be very close. Possibly by one second either way.

I wasn't even intending to get near to a PB today. I had planned a fast one and was hoping for my 2nd or 3rd best (in my 98th parkrun), so to be near to a PB was a big surprise.

Now the nervous wait for the parkrun text begins!

Friday 8 March 2013

parkrun registrations this week...8th March 2013

There is still a little time for new registrations this week, but at the time of writing and compared to the figures in my post this time last week....

Totalling up new registrations across parkrun globally, shows that parkrun has attracted a further 5,651 registrations in a week, 474 more than last week.

This takes the total number of global parkrun registrations (according to my official source page on the parkrun website) up to 460,705 (up from 455,054). That is a growth in total registrations of over 1.2% in a week.

As far as I am aware, there are 5 new parkruns starting this weekend:
Parramatta parkrun in Australia
Brandon Country parkrun, Newent parkrun and Hackworth parkrun in the UK
Marlay parkrun in Ireland

For the third week running Marlay parkrun is at the top of the charts with the most new registrations this week.

8 different parkrun events have added 50 or more new registrants this week and they are:
Event   Total   This week   
Marlay parkrun709239
Malahide parkrun3336118
Parramatta parkrun12268
Newy parkrun296862
Delamere parkrun23857
South Bank parkrun124557
Edinburgh parkrun907455
Heaton parkrun789950


No great surprises in the "largest parkrun in the world" (by total registrations) category this week, where it is still the same top 5:
Event   Total   
Bushy parkrun21734
Glasgow parkrun12964
Leeds parkrun11767
Brighton & Hove parkrun10542
Wimbledon Common parkrun10161

And at the other end of the spectrum (with the lowest number of registered parkrunrunners), but just as worthy of a mention (as these are new or future parkrun events) we have:
Event   Total   
Cross Flatts parkrun7
Maidstone parkrun9
Mulbarton parkrun15
Riverway parkrun21
Hackworth parkrun28


Three new future parkrun events appear in this list for the first time: Maidstone, Mulbarton and Riverway parkruns. Woodlands parkrun is also now listed but with no registrants so far.

Thursday 7 March 2013

parkrun, the next step


After 2.5 years of 5km parkrunning and having met and made friends with so many running club runners at Norwich parkrun who have helped me with my running, I had been thinking about joining a running club – a very scary step.
Living in the centre of Norwich I had so much choice – Norwich Road Runners who had taken me under their wing at the Wymondham New Years Day 2011 10km, Norfolk Gazelles and Wymondham Athletic Club both of whom I have become friendly with at Norwich parkrun, to name just a few.
In September 2012 we moved house which helped make the decision for me. Wymondham Athletics Club were to be the club for me. I turned up on a Monday night, with a friend for moral support and was very worried and scared and didn’t know what to expect. I survived and there were LOADS of runners! What was great was being recognised and recognising so many parkrunners! People were so friendly, helpful and encouraging.
I still don’t feel like a runner but now find myself representing a running club at parkrun, my first parkrun where my results showed this was on Christmas Day 2012 which I was excited to see. Thanks to parkrun I now manage to run with a club on a Monday night and if I am able to attend a parkrun each week then I am hoping to be able to fit in 2 runs each week.
I would highly recommend to any parkrunners considering joining a local club to brave it and do it!
Carla Potter
7.03.13

Tuesday 5 March 2013

parkrun stats of the week...2nd March 2013

The parkrun statistics of note for this week are:

211 parkrun events run (up 6 on last week). This is a new record number of events on a single parkrunday!
28,445 runners, up 1902 on last week and only 631 short of the all time record.
The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 134.8 (down 4.9 on last week!).

15 events recorded a new record attendance this week, as follows:
Event  Record Attendance  
Balyang Sanctuary146
Carlisle128
Claisebrook Cove136
Conkers256
Delamere152
Gdansk96
Greenwich134
Gunpowder82
Huddersfield358
Lódz84
Malahide387
Mansfield68
North Beach87
Wallace94
Worsley Woods197

The longest standing parkrun attendance record is:
Amager Faelled  146 28/08/2010

And in the UK it's no longer Gorleston after they broke their record this week (see above):
Waterworks21523/04/2011

The highest attendance this week was 904 at Bushy Park.

The lowest attendance this week was 7 at Summerfields parkrun.

19 new male course records set this week:
Event  
Athlete  Time  
Arrow ValleyGary BLACKMAN15:41
Chelmsford CentralMark WOODLEY15:33
Claisebrook CoveDean MENZIES15:57
DelamereChris PERRY16:39
EastbourneEdward HICKMAN CASEY15:53
GravesCarl EGDELL17:43
GunpowderThomas BEEDELL16:18
HillsboroughZak MELLARD16:54
IpswichJordan ALI16:10
MalahideMick TRAYNOR15:49
Nahoon PointLuthando HEJANA19:36
NorthamptonMichael ALDRIDGE15:44
PlymvalleyJason PASCOE15:54
ScunthorpeGavin MANN16:43
SewerbyPhill TAYLOR16:27
Sunrise-on-SeaJohan OOSTHUIZEN19:33
TelfordWayne DASHPER16:50
WallaceEoin MULLAN16:57
WynnumWerner BOTHA16:15


14 new female course records set this week:
Event  Athlete  Time  
DelamereHannah OLDROYD19:59
GravesStephanie BURNS19:31
TelfordJulie CADDICK19:33
WallaceMelanie MINSHULL22:49
ThetfordStacey Daniele OWEN22:15
Lake MacSteph AUSTON18:30
South BankFelicity ABRAM17:26
Wimpole EstateEmily BOLDY20:58
Darlington South ParkZoe HEWITSON19:51
Cornwall ParkBecky WADE17:44
BarkingDebbie CATTERMOLE21:01
BurnleyElizabeth GREENWOOD18:52
RoundhayJane EVANS18:30
Hackney MarshesDeborah Anne NICCOL17:26

133 runners ran times under 17 minutes this week. This is the highest number I have ever seen on the sub-17 minute page.

21 of these runners ran under 16 minutes!

The fastest parkrunner in the World was Rowan Axe running 15:02 at Cardiff parkrun.

The fastest 5 were as follows:
Event  Athlete  Time  
CardiffRowan AXE15:02
EdinburghAndrew DOUGLAS15:10
Southwick Country ParkPhil WYLIE15:14
Brighton & HoveUnknown ATHLETE15:19
AlbertWondiye Fikre INDELBU15:28

The top age grade performance this week was:
Event  Athlete  Time  Age Group  Age Grade  
NorwichAnne MARTIN27:19            VW75-7992.07%     

The fastest (valid) freedom run on the "most recent 100" list at the moment is:
Runner  Date  Location  Run Time  
James OGDEN04/03/2013Sheffield Hallam00:19:49