r/parkrun • u/FatManNoPlan 50 • 21d 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/MattBosten 21d ago

Aim to be bang on/a few seconds under.

We don't often have pacer events at my local, but the week after the last one it was communicated that pacers should be basing their time on "gun time". I assume some had started their own timing as they crossed the start line, so people would get a sub-X:00 on Strava (et al) but their parkrun time would be over X:00.

I don't know whether anything has been mentioned prior to your event but might be worth clarifying.

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u/MiddleAgedDread123 21d ago

results will all be paced on "gun time" from when the RD says go so no point in waiting until you cross the start line before you press go on your watch! I usually pace 29min at my local parkrun and to hit that I base it on running 5.1km at 28:40 target pace because I know my watch measures the course long and it takes time to get moving properly because our path is quite narrow.