parkrun stats of the week..4th May 2013

The parkrun statistics of note for last weekend are:

243 parkrun events run (yet another new record by 4!).
37,986 runners! (This is yet another new global record attendance, by just 80)!

The average number of runners per parkrun event run was: 156.3.

For the second week running 47 parkrun events recorded new record attendances last weekend, as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Aberdeen		169
Abingdon		171
Barnsley		124
Barrow		158
Belfast Victoria		206
Big Bay		46
Black Park		423
Bolton		223
Bradford		467
Braunstone		251
Bromley		401
Cannon Hill		379
Carlisle		174
Chelmsford Central		202
Claisebrook Cove		176
Clermont Waterfront		49
Cleveland		153
Congleton		146
Coventry		516
Darlington South Park		147
Delamere		152
Ecos		140
Falkirk		192
Guildford		191
Gunnersbury		259
Heaton Park		478
Highbury Fields		105
Hilly Fields		103
Huddersfield		411
Ipswich		151
Killerton		154
Kingscliff		85
Leeds		461
Livonia		31
Medina I.O.W.		151
Newcastle		502
Northampton		224
Pennington Flash		159
Pontefract		202
Portrush		105
Rushcliffe		128
South Manchester		329
Southampton		387
Sunderland		159
Tollcross		93
Valentines		156
Worsley Woods		202

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

And in the UK it's now :

Banstead Woods		220	23/04/2011

The highest attendance this week was exactly 900 at Bushy parkrun.

The lowest attendance this week was just 8 at Nibe parkrun and Vejen parkrun.

There are now 7 parkrun events with a record attendance over 500, with Coventry and Newcastle parkruns breaking the 500 barrier for the first time this week. The 7 are as follows:

Event		Record Attendance
Bushy Park		1051
Old Deer Park		553
Poole		535
Bramhall Park		519
Coventry		516
Malahide		513
Newcastle		502

There are now 25 events with a record attendance over 400, 42 events over 300, 83 over 200 and 190 over 100.

No better feeling

Ok, I admit it, there are some better feelings than encouraging someone round to finish off a well earned parkrun PB, but it is certainly still a great feeling.

After a calf injury three weeks ago and 3 runs and 24 miles in the preceding 36 hours, plus more than my fair share of 3 bottles of (well earned) red last night, I arrived at parkrun in two minds this morning. Should I start from the front and push it a bit, or start from the very back and work my way through the field?

Well, common sense prevailed and I did neither. Option 3 was conceived about a minute before the start and I pushed my way a few rows back. This allowed/forced me to start pretty slowly as the best part of 200 parkrunners overtook down the flanks.

A couple of minutes in and I decided that half pace was too slow. I gradually picked my way through runners for the next 10 minutes or so until reaching clear air.

At about 6 minutes in I found myself in a photo being taken by Olympic legend and former British and World record holder Dave Moorcroft. It turns out that I was just passing his son. I chatted with his son for the next couple of minutes.

I guess having such a famous Dad you probably have a lot of people tell you how amazing your Dad is/was, but he seemed quite touched when I told him that his Dad's Bislet Games World Record was one of my earliest sporting memories.

Dave Moorcroft was an incredible runner. I still regularly see him running in the park and one day I WILL pluck up the courage to ask to run with him for just a few minutes.

Anyway, I could see a friend going very well ahead and put a little burst in to catch him at 13 minutes in.

A quick exchange of words told me he was already well ahead of his 19:41 PB so I decided enough was enough for me and I would just encourage Matthew round to the end. I'm certain he didn't need my "help" but I wanted to cheer him on, and he didn't seem to mind.

Well Matthew got his PB by around 30 seconds and I have to say that I enjoyed that feeling almost as much as when getting a PB myself. Probably because it didn't hurt as much and seeing him so pleased.

A really great feeling.

So if ever you feel you aren't up to a PB yourself, why not find someone a little slower and help and encourage them to a new PB. It really is the next best feeling.

parkrun Event Anniversaries in May

The parkrun newsletter may tell you about the parkrun event anniversaries/birthdays for the following weekend, but what if you'd like to know a little further ahead?

Well here is the list of upcoming parkrun event anniversaries/birthdays for the whole of May, starting with this coming weekend:

Event	Next Anniversary
Lower Hutt parkrun	2013 05 04
Fritton Lake parkrun	2013 05 04
Pontefract parkrun	2013 05 04
Abingdon parkrun	2013 05 04
Medina I.O.W. parkrun	2013 05 04
Belfast Victoria parkrun	2013 05 04
Eastleigh parkrun	2013 05 11
Brabrand parkrun	2013 05 11
Bedfont Lakes parkrun	2013 05 11
Preston parkrun	2013 05 11
Hampstead Heath parkrun	2013 05 11
Amager Faelled parkrun	2013 05 18
Camperdown parkrun, Dundee	2013 05 18
Wanstead Flats parkrun	2013 05 18
Northampton parkrun	2013 05 25
Marple parkrun	2013 05 25
Falls parkrun, Belfast	2013 05 25
Hackney Marshes parkrun	2013 05 25
Crystal Palace parkrun	2013 05 25
Nibe parkrun	2013 05 25
Albert parkrun, Middlesbrough	2013 05 25