Parkrun Report Saturday 6th July by Roxane

Pos Parkrunner Time Cat Grade Cat Pos Note Runs Parkrun
130 Liz MARTIN 28:11 VW60-64 69.54% 24 PB stays at 25:20 115 Montacute
118 Susan WHITE 27:41 VW55-59 64.54% 22 PB stays at 24:39 123 Montacute
51 Andrew ARMSTRONG 23:05 VM50-54 63.90% 47 First Timer! 22 Burnham
145 Katy ARMSTRONG 27:47 VW50-54 60.35% 24 First Timer! 30 Burnham
69 Richard GANDY 25:28 VM50-54 58.38% 63 PB stays at 24:32 33 Montacute
15 Nick PRATT 28:39 VM50-54 52.30% 13 Première Perf'! 153 Toulouse de la Ramee
25 Roxane PRATT 34:09 VW50-54 50.32% 10 Première Perf'! 173 Toulouse de la Ramee
155 Colin EVANS 29:20 VM45-49 49.49% 126 PB stays at 20:51 133 Montacute
1299 David GERMAN 45:24 VM80-84 46.24% 804 First Timer! 164 Bushy Park

 

All the 80+ year old registered Parkrunners were invited to come along to the place were Parkrun began - Bushy Park. Off went our very
own Dave G, running alongside 48 other Octogenarians (38 men and 7 ladies in the 80-84 age group and 3 men and only one
lady we know from Solihull Parkrun in the 85-89 age group.

 

Dave tells me "Another very hot day in the sun. That was quite an experience and I’ve got an Octogenarian medal to show you
next Wed! My time now becomes my PB for Bushy so I have to go back on a cooler day and can beat it."

 

Nick and I also had a new experience Parkrunning in Toulouse in France. We have now run a few International Parkruns, in
New Zealand and America (both English as first language). So we were ready to concentrate on the briefing and dust off our
French translation skills. However, it turns out that the French do not love Parkrun. The one in Toulouse is run by Brits working at
Airbus and is attended by a few locals but mainly tourists and all english speaking! There was a family of four from Russia, three 
Australians, ourselves and a group from Bradford. It does seem bizarre that Nick and I had watched 4,000 runners take part in a 
10k in the centre of the city the night before but only 29 runners and a free Parkrun the next morning. It was La Ramee's 168th
event. The briefing was mainly in English for his audience and tells us that the French are a little suspicious of anything free.
Perhaps this is why Parkrun hasn't flourished in France. In France, you also need to obtain a Doctor's certificate to take part in a
10k race. This may well put some people off taking part in events or thinking running is for them? 

 

The organiser emphasised that the event is a RUN not a RACE, which we know is the ethos of Parkrun. But the results go further
as than I have seen before emphasising the RUN element. The results are shown with runners in alphabetical order and not giving
position numbers against runners. I have added positions to our table.

 

It was a very very very hot run. Some welcome shady parts in the woods and the occasional breeze from the lake. A lovely course,
never likely to be a 5k PB in this heat. Flat though, so, like Dave, one to try again in the cooler weather. We very much enjoyed a
swim in the lake afterwards. 

 

Four Langport runners at Montacute. I am assuming a hot run there too. Liz and Sue topped the table. Good to see Colin back
Parkrunning again; and Richard there as well.

 

Over at Burnham, Katy and Andy tried this course for the first time. Andy first on percentages for our men. This was the summary
on Burnham's Facebook page: "Flaming June has given way to July and with no let up in the warm weather today was again, a hot one!
Another stunning day with near perfect conditions and the course looking fab with a nice gentle breeze to cool one down on the river
band and seafront before the return journey back to the finish. It's easy to take this great weather for granted but remembering the
days of wind and freezing conditions makes it even more special."

 

This week's photos:

 

(1) Octagenarians at Bushy:

1 Bushy

 

(2) Briefing at Toulouse:

2.0 Toulouse briefing

 

(3) ALL the runners Toulouse:

2 Toulouse 

 

(4) The lake in La Ramee:

4 Toulouse lake

 

(5) Katy racing for the line at Burnham:

5 Burnham Katy