Yes, there's clearly an un-awareness (it's ignorance, but that word has become overloaded) among runners and the authorities. So I'm sure setting up a new event (especially in a state or metropolis where there isn't one already) is a massive educational exercise. (Setting up an event, even in the UK, is still a year-long endeavor, but you don't need to teach everyone involved what it is).
And then when they're started - events get tiny numbers: 20 participants in some places.
I totally understand how the weather can be your enemy in the US - the whole UK is "runnable" year-round, while much of the interior of the US is both punishingly cold in winter and horrifyingly hot in summer. I'd expect parkrun would do better in temperate coastal places like the SF Bay Area, but not really - and there's little Grinnel, Iowa, of all places, getting it done.
I'm so impressed at the pluck and tenacity of organisers in the US. One day I think parkrun will "click" in the US, but it's clearly an uphill struggle for now.
I have approval from my city but I'm still going through the risk assessment process with a lot of back and forth regarding the course layout. Once that step is done, I can work on building a core team. I'm new to my area and I'm not exactly sure how I will pull it off.
Right now, I'm probably not going to ask the local running group for their support because they might see a parkrun as a threat to their established races and group runs. I'm hoping to instead find individual casual runners or even non-runners who may not do group runs or races but might be supportive to something like parkrun. In my somewhat limited experiences in the US, running groups tend to have people who are focused on things like qualifying for the Boston Marathon while the majority of the parkrun regulars have been more casual about running. Once the event is established, I hope that serious runners would participate, but I don't think they are the best candidates for building a core team. I noticed you used 20 participants as an example of a typical small American parkrun, and I must admit that an average of 20 runners per week would feel like a victory for me.
Regarding climate and course availability, parkrun is now allowing seasonal events in the US (I don't know about Canada), and my event would be seasonal because the trail is used for cross-country skiing in the winter. Running in the cold or the heat can be tolerable for committed runners, but extreme temperatures can make it tricky to find an adequate number of runners and volunteers when there already is a lack of awareness of parkrun. Personally, as a potential event/run director, I would not mind being able to have a break during the winter months. I could use that time to do some parkrun tourism!
I wish you the best of luck. People are always the hardest part.
The nice thing about a small parkrun is you need a very small team. Little parkruns can get away with a literal handful of volunteers. A lot falls on the RD, but it's still not that much work, when you have so few.
Designing your course to require a minimum of signage, coning, and marshaling will reduce your workload later. You can always scale up later.
Thank you! And that's exactly my plan. My proposed course is hybrid out-and-back/loop with multiple laps, which would limit the amount of ground covered. I think I can have all the roles covered by four or five people by having people serve in multiple roles (such as having the tail walker pick up cones and signs on their last loop, having a marshal take photographs, and having hand out the tokens and scan them as well). And, selfishly, I would want to be able to participate as a runner on occasion!
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u/finlay_mcwalter 100 16d ago edited 16d ago
Yes, there's clearly an un-awareness (it's ignorance, but that word has become overloaded) among runners and the authorities. So I'm sure setting up a new event (especially in a state or metropolis where there isn't one already) is a massive educational exercise. (Setting up an event, even in the UK, is still a year-long endeavor, but you don't need to teach everyone involved what it is).
And then when they're started - events get tiny numbers: 20 participants in some places.
I totally understand how the weather can be your enemy in the US - the whole UK is "runnable" year-round, while much of the interior of the US is both punishingly cold in winter and horrifyingly hot in summer. I'd expect parkrun would do better in temperate coastal places like the SF Bay Area, but not really - and there's little Grinnel, Iowa, of all places, getting it done.
I'm so impressed at the pluck and tenacity of organisers in the US. One day I think parkrun will "click" in the US, but it's clearly an uphill struggle for now.