parkrun report Saturday 22nd February 2020 by Roxane
| Pos | Parkrunner | Time | Cat | Grade | Gender Pos | Note | Runs | Parkrun |
| 66 | Paul PARMENTER | 23:49 | VM50-54 | 63.47% | 54/221 | PB stays at 23.49 | 79 | Ninesprings |
| 150 | Katy ARMSTRONG | 27:07 | VW50-54 | 61.83% | 22/203 | PB stays at 25:59 | 33 | Ninesprings |
| 67 | Hazel SHEARS | 24:05 | SW30-34 | 61.73% | 9/203 | PB stays at 23:18 | 57 | Ninesprings |
| 73 | Andrew ARMSTRONG | 24:18 | VM50-54 | 61.18% | 59/221 | PB stays at 21:41 | 28 | Ninesprings |
| 181 | Cathy PARMENTER | 28:23 | VW50-54 | 60.54% | 36/203 | New PB! | 77 | Ninesprings |
| 49 | William ARMSTRONG | 23:00 | JM15-17 | 60.51% | 40/221 | New PB! | 7 | Ninesprings |
| 177 | Margaret HILL | 28:13 | VW50-54 | 59.42% | 33/203 | PB stays at 27:00 | 59 | Ninesprings |
| 134 | Samantha PRATT | 26:50 | SW25-29 | 55.16% | 25/146 | New PB! | 33 | Clevedon |
| 250 | Roxane PRATT | 31:33 | VW50-54 | 54.46% | 84/146 | PB stays at 31:07 | 198 | Clevedon |
| 34 | Richard GANDY | 28:15 | VM50-54 | 53.04% | 24/47 | PB stays at 24:03 | 60 | Street |
| 227 | Nick PRATT | 30:35 | VM50-54 | 49.43% | 146/181 | PB stays at 27:56 | 179 | Clevedon |
| 162 | Anne KELLY | 36:05 | VW50-54 | 47.62% | 65/90 | PB stays at 32:34 | 66 | Old Showfield |
| 49 | Michael NORTON | 30:30 | VM45-49 | 47.60% | 29/47 | PB stays at 24:16 | 109 | Street |
| 77 | Amanda BIGGER | 36:36 | VW50-54 | 47.22% | 27/38 | First Timer! | 134 | Street |
| 161 | Ali TOTTLE | 36:04 | VW40-44 | 43.62% | 64/90 | First Timer! | 18 | Old Showfield |
Many parkruns, including Longrun, were still closed due to flooding this week but Ninesprings was back on and welcomed tourists Paul & Jo Sinton-Hewitt, making a total of 453 runners. Paul is the founder of parkrun and spends a lot of time touristing. His local parkrun is Bushey Park, where it all started back in 2004. Paul has completed 467 parkruns; 97 at Bushey and he has visited 276 others, 223 of these only once. With 466 parkruns now under her belt, Jo has a similar history of serial touristing. This week Paul completed Ninesprings in 20:05, Jo 30:08
The grass was still very wet around the path at Ninesprings, so the start was another slow one. However, this didn’t stop Cathy and William gaining PBs, Hazel coming in as 9th lady and all seven Ninesprings runners claiming the top of this week’s table.
Sam, Nick and I travelled to a windy Clevedon. Similar to Yeovil, the grass flanking the path at the start was extremely muddy, so a bit of a bottle neck and a slow start for the 343 runners. Despite this, and the strong gusty wind off the sea, Sam was delighted to achieve a PB. It was pacer week, with 20, 25, 27, 30, 35 and 40 minute pacers. I stayed ahead of the 30 minute pacer for maybe 4k, but was unable to stay with him once the wind was in my face after the turnaround point.
Ali & Anne ran together at Frome’s Old Showfield course, Ali being one of the 61 first timers to this three and a half lap course.
Richard & Mike were back at Street; joined by Amanda B back running again. With only 94 runners, numbers were lower than average. They reported “With the exception of the Superfast Riceway between the fields, course conditions remained muddy, slippy and were further confounded by a brisk westerly wind.”
The grey, damp windy morning presumably keeping many away. Let’s hope for some better parkrunning weather next week.
News from our ‘local’ parkruns:
Ninesprings:
“Next week - Leap Year!
We have a special day next Saturday as it is the 29th February - and as it's Leap Year, expect lots of requests for you all to be Leaping about!!”
They are hoping a lady will come forward to make a public marriage proposal at the start, they say “it's a lady's privilege on a leap year, so girls, do let us know and we'll see what we can arrange!!”
Longrun:“Some areas are still flooded and the finish area is ankle deep in water
Hope to see you all again on the 29th”
Street: remind us that it is International Women's Day coming up and extend an‘invitation to everyone to join us at Street parkrun to celebrate on Saturday 7 March 2020’.
All parkruns are encouraging this and ask for runners and volunteers to come along dressed in purple (parkrun’s chosen colour for the day).
Research shows us that, across the world, women are less likely than men to take part in parkrun. Despite the fact that females make 54% of registrations, they are less likely than men to take part in parkrun and to continue participating. IWD parkrun is a fantastic opportunity to encourage more women and girls to participate in parkrun events all over the world.
Clevedon are aiming to have an all female roster of volunteers for International Women's Day, please contact them via email
Shepton are also marking the 29thFebruary special day “Saturday February 29th won't happen again for another 28 years. To celebrate we will run the event in reverse .So start at the finish and finish at the start .So keep right not left for one week only !!”
They also tell us that “There is a defibrillator training session in the Mendip District Council chamber on Friday March 6th at 10am
I as most of you know had to use one for real on Saturday .Could I please urge anyone available to go along?
The experience you gain could be invaluable.”
Burnham have had a similar thought to Shepton: “Next week our event is a leap day special, and so we look forward to a Burnham and Highbridge first - running our event in reverse! Please come and join us, you won’t have another opportunity to take part in a parkrun on February 29th until 2048!”
This week’s Photographs:
(1) Pacer week at Clevedon:
(2) parkrun royality Paul Sinton-Hewitt in yellow:
(3) Cathy blurring the photo with her speed at Ninesprings:
(4) Ali, Anne and friend at Frome:
(5) Mike & Richard at Street:
(6) Not a parkrunner in sight at Longrun:
