CO-Parkrun

Discussion and announcements relating to unofficial Countdown competitions, held online or in real life. Observation, discussion, reflection, and other stuff ending in -ion.
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Gavin Chipper
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CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Good evening. Following Richard Brittain's attempt at a Co-lympics, it seemed that there was an appetite for an athletics-based event, even if it didn't quite happen on that occasion. So here's another attempt, which takes no real organising, so it should be much easier to make it happen. It takes no organising because I'm going to use an already-existing event. Parkruns are 5km running events that take place at 9:00am every Saturday at various locations across the UK. They are really easy to register for - you register just once ever and print off a bar code, which you can then take to any Parkrun event across the UK. You use the same bar code on all dates and at all locations. All the positions and times are recorded on the website.

So as I'm organising it (loosely speaking - see above), I'm picking the Great Notley Parkrun, which is near Braintree in Essex. It's quite a nice run in a country park, and it even has a hill you have to run up! (It's not that high, honest.)

I imagine that if people are coming, they might want to come up on the Friday. Braintree rail station is about 2.5 miles away, and the nearest hotel appears to be the Holiday In Express, which is on the way from the station to the country park (about a mile from the country park). There is also a pub near the country park that does food, called Branocs Tree, and there is a café at the country park that people often eat at after the run.

I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September to give people time to get ready and also while the weather is likely to be reasonable. You don't have to be good at running to take part in these. People of all standards run - or indeed walk.

So if you are interested, say so in this thread, and we'll see how much interest there is. I know that some people within the online Countdown community take part in Parkruns already. So yes - express your interest below!
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Adam Gillard
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Adam Gillard »

Gavin Chipper wrote:Following Richard Brittain's attempt at a Co-lympics, it seemed that there was an appetite for an athletics-based event
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:They are really easy to register for - you register just once ever and print off a bar code, which you can then take to any Parkrun event across the UK
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:Braintree rail station is about 2.5 miles away, and the nearest hotel appears to be the Holiday In Express
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September to give people time to get ready
...PARKRUN!

ALLLLLLLLLL THE PEOPLE...
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U

C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)

Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
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Ian Volante
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Ian Volante »

Feature request: arbirtrary groupings via the Parkrun website - would be fun to be able compare my times to those of fellow apterites/korfballers/whatever.
meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles
Zarte Siempre
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Zarte Siempre »

Adam Gillard wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:Following Richard Brittain's attempt at a Co-lympics, it seemed that there was an appetite for an athletics-based event
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:They are really easy to register for - you register just once ever and print off a bar code, which you can then take to any Parkrun event across the UK
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:Braintree rail station is about 2.5 miles away, and the nearest hotel appears to be the Holiday In Express
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September to give people time to get ready
...PARKRUN!

ALLLLLLLLLL THE PEOPLE...
If there was a post of the year competition, this might be my nomination.
Possibly the first contestant to accelerate with a mic clipped...
James Laverty
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by James Laverty »

Zarte Siempre wrote:
Adam Gillard wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:Following Richard Brittain's attempt at a Co-lympics, it seemed that there was an appetite for an athletics-based event
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:They are really easy to register for - you register just once ever and print off a bar code, which you can then take to any Parkrun event across the UK
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:Braintree rail station is about 2.5 miles away, and the nearest hotel appears to be the Holiday In Express
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September to give people time to get ready
...PARKRUN!

ALLLLLLLLLL THE PEOPLE...
If there was a post of the year competition, this might be my nomination.
This post is worth starting up a post of the year competition
Definitely not Jamie McNeill or Schrodinger's Cat....
Matt Bayfield
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Matt Bayfield »

Ian Volante wrote:Feature request: arbirtrary groupings via the Parkrun website - would be fun to be able compare my times to those of fellow apterites/korfballers/whatever.
I've run 13 of the buggers since 2010, so I'm hardly a prolific parkrunner, but I do use them as time trials every now and again. I'm parkrun athlete number 80891 if you particularly want to look up when/where I've run.

And in response to the original post, I'd suggest it's unlikely I could be tempted to Braintree just for a "CO-parkrun", especially as the opportunity already exists to do local parkruns with Co-eventers before Co-events (e.g. I visited Lincoln parkrun on the morning of COLIN XI). Having said that, I do like a bit of parkrun tourism, so I wouldn't 100% rule out attending a separate CO-parkrun.

(Typographical trainspot: my spelling defers to the parkrun branding which insists on the name of the event being spelled entirely in lower case.)
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Matt Bayfield »

Ooh, and looking at recent Great Notley results... nice work on the improving parkrun PB, Gevin...
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Ian Volante
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Ian Volante »

I'm A180478.
meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles
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Adam Gillard
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Adam Gillard »

I did one on Christmas Day in Fulham but can't do them generally because of the Saturdaynesses. Sounds like a fun idea though!
Mike Brown: "Round 12: T N R S A E I G U

C1: SIGNATURE (18) ["9; not written down"]
C2: SEATING (7)
Score: 108–16 (max 113)

Another niner for Adam and yet another century. Well done, that man."
Gavin Chipper
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Ian Volante wrote:Feature request: arbirtrary groupings via the Parkrun website - would be fun to be able compare my times to those of fellow apterites/korfballers/whatever.
That would be quite a good feature. Let's have some PBs then. I'll go first - 21:11.
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LaurenHamer
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by LaurenHamer »

I think it's a great idea! I just need to convince Matt to go to Braintree.

Alternatively, couldn't we make it a more central location? Or as Matt suggested, try and do it on the day of an already existing co-event?
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Ian Volante
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Ian Volante »

Gavin Chipper wrote:
Ian Volante wrote:Feature request: arbirtrary groupings via the Parkrun website - would be fun to be able compare my times to those of fellow apterites/korfballers/whatever.
That would be quite a good feature. Let's have some PBs then. I'll go first - 21:11.
At parkrun, I'm at 22:01. Not hit my actual PB since the late 90s I suspect.
meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles meles
Gavin Chipper
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

LaurenHamer wrote:I think it's a great idea! I just need to convince Matt to go to Braintree.

Alternatively, couldn't we make it a more central location? Or as Matt suggested, try and do it on the day of an already existing co-event?
We could do these things but as it takes essentially no organisation and I go most weeks anyway, I might as well pick a date and see who comes.

But yeah it does make sense to go on the mornings of CO events as well.
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Ben Wilson
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Ben Wilson »

Here's the Nottingham one if anyone's interested. :) (sorry for hijacking the thread Gev)
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JimBentley
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by JimBentley »

Gavin Chipper wrote:...I'm picking the Great Notley Parkrun, which is near Braintree in Essex...I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September...
Disingenuousness is often unavoidable when you're in politics but I think this takes things a mite too far.

It's quite clear that you'll be unable to commit on this policy promise. By August or September you know full well that you will have been elected to Parliament as the MP for Braintree. So, you'll be so busy revitalising politics - single-handedly re-shaping Parliament, ensuring fairness for all, that sort of thing - that you'll have to withdraw from the Parkrun. People will be devastated. They'll all be saying "that Toby, he's just like all the rest, promises you anything he will" and "you can't trust them, you know, those politician people" and "I only voted for Toby so that I could race him in the Parkrun, now that he isn't, I'm going to have to kill myself", stuff like that. Braintree will lose all faith in politics and Brooks Newmark will probably send you an especially explicit sext to mark the occasion.
Gavin Chipper
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

JimBentley wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:...I'm picking the Great Notley Parkrun, which is near Braintree in Essex...I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September...
Disingenuousness is often unavoidable when you're in politics but I think this takes things a mite too far.

It's quite clear that you'll be unable to commit on this policy promise. By August or September you know full well that you will have been elected to Parliament as the MP for Braintree. So, you'll be so busy revitalising politics - single-handedly re-shaping Parliament, ensuring fairness for all, that sort of thing - that you'll have to withdraw from the Parkrun. People will be devastated. They'll all be saying "that Toby, he's just like all the rest, promises you anything he will" and "you can't trust them, you know, those politician people" and "I only voted for Toby so that I could race him in the Parkrun, now that he isn't, I'm going to have to kill myself", stuff like that. Braintree will lose all faith in politics and Brooks Newmark will probably send you an especially explicit sext to mark the occasion.
It's a tricky one, but I could make it an open-air surgery meeting as well. Basically, have a run and quiz me at the end.
Zarte Siempre
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Zarte Siempre »

I'm tired and read that as open heart surgery.... I wondered just how many roles you felt you were qualified for...
Possibly the first contestant to accelerate with a mic clipped...
Gavin Chipper
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Ian Volante wrote:Feature request: arbirtrary groupings via the Parkrun website - would be fun to be able compare my times to those of fellow apterites/korfballers/whatever.
Feature request page

Also, more of a bug report, but if you don't set a PB in a run, it says "PB remains at...", but it always gives your current PB rather than what was your PB at the time of that particular run.
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Jon Corby
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Jon Corby »

Matt Bayfield wrote:Ooh, and looking at recent Great Notley results... nice work on the improving parkrun PB, Gevin...
> 44 minutes one week, < 22 minutes the next, how is that even possible? :?
Gavin Chipper
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Gavin Chipper »

Jon Corby wrote:
Matt Bayfield wrote:Ooh, and looking at recent Great Notley results... nice work on the improving parkrun PB, Gevin...
> 44 minutes one week, < 22 minutes the next, how is that even possible? :?
Going round with my dad (my equivalent of Chris Corby).

Edit - Also I used a solver for the faster time.
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Jennifer Steadman
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Re: CO-Parkrun

Post by Jennifer Steadman »

Zarte Siempre wrote:
Adam Gillard wrote:
Gavin Chipper wrote:Following Richard Brittain's attempt at a Co-lympics, it seemed that there was an appetite for an athletics-based event
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:They are really easy to register for - you register just once ever and print off a bar code, which you can then take to any Parkrun event across the UK
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:Braintree rail station is about 2.5 miles away, and the nearest hotel appears to be the Holiday In Express
...PARKRUN!
Gavin Chipper wrote:I haven't got an exact date in mind yet, but I was thinking maybe August or September to give people time to get ready
...PARKRUN!

ALLLLLLLLLL THE PEOPLE...
If there was a post of the year competition, this might be my nomination.
Same. Only just seen this, excellent work Gilly :D :D :D
"There's leaders, and there's followers, but I'd rather be a dick than a swallower" - Aristotle
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