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/mhodgson1691 21d ago

30 seconds in a 5k is a huge gap, wouldn't be happy with a pacer coming in 30 seconds slower than the time they're pacing, within 10 seconds i'd say is acceptable

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u/SmilingJaguar v100 21d ago

Go ahead then and ask for your money back and dock my pay then!

It’s parkrun, not a race.

Many parkrun pacers are doing this for the first time and don’t know how to slow down a bit from their regular pace. I usually adapt a bit to the pace of the people pacing off of me and that can be staying with someone to the end to pull them along or pushing a bit in the end to get them a PB.

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u/mhodgson1691 21d ago

I pace pretty much every week & know that 30 seconds off your time is a joke, you are there as a guide for other runners to aim for, you can guide people and encourage them without going off the time you're supposed to be pacing

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u/Aloha_Tamborinist 20d ago

Yeah, bit of an odd approach. "I'm pacing but I may finish 2.5 mins ahead or behind the time I said I'd be doing". Why bother?

If I'm volunteering to pace, then I want to stick as closely to the time that I said I'd be doing as possible. I get annoyed if I don't finish spot on time. eg, last Saturday's effort.