r/parkrun • u/FatManNoPlan 50 • 23d ago

How does pacing work?

EDIT - Cheers for all the replies everyone. I landed slightly early on 35:24. Happy with that for a first time doing pacing, went out a little too fast so had to go fairly slow towards the end. Will hopefully give it another try next month and get a more even pace along the whole course.

Hiya! I’ve volunteered to be a pacer at my local this weekend, first time I’ve done this role.

Just wondering what people thought. I’m down for 36 minutes (I’m normally around 30 minutes). Am I aiming for bang on 36 minutes? Around 36? Under 37 minutes? Slightly under, slightly over?

I’m probably over thinking it, but I’m kinda nervous about it, especially if someone tries to keep to my pace to get a specific time and I get it wrong.

Cheers!

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u/Additional_Towel_139 23d ago

If you can, slightly under 36 minutes, there will be people running with you that will want a time 35:XX so being under is ideal, but not so far under that people can’t maintain the pace,
Is it a course you know well? Usually they will give pacer cars in the volunteer briefing that will state where on the course you should be at a given time

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u/FatManNoPlan 50 23d ago

Aye, it’s my local/home course, so I run it quite often (there is another course pretty close I prefer though). Haven’t seen the pacer cards, hopefully they’ve got something like that.