Official Running Thread

[Simgull]

It may be unwise to reopen the endless debate about which is the hardest Parkrun but someone has gone to the effort of ranking them by elevation. We have the two flattest (Hove Prom and Worthing) and 443rd out of 448 hilliest (Bevendean) all on our door steps

https://jegmar.com/fastest-races/parkrun/

 

[Greg Bobkin]

It may be unwise to reopen the endless debate about which is the hardest Parkrun but someone has gone to the effort of ranking them by elevation. We have the two flattest (Hove Prom and Worthing) and 443rd out of 448 hilliest (Bevendean) all on our door steps

https://jegmar.com/fastest-races/parkrun/

Was just about to post about this. Hove Park is hillier than Peacehaven, too...

 

[dazzer6666]

Was just about to post about this. Hove Park is hillier than Peacehaven, too...

Clair Park (Haywards Heath) is much hillier/harder than Hove Park......and 4.5 laps, so you get to do the long hill 4.5 times. For me it's 90s or so slower than either of the Hove runs (or Preston Park). It's narrow too so overtaking can be an issue.

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Clair Park (Haywards Heath) is much hillier/harder than Hove Park......and 4.5 laps, so you get to do the long hill 4.5 times. For me it's 90s or so slower than either of the Hove runs (or Preston Park). It's narrow too so overtaking can be an issue.

That's a great link. The one that surprises me is that our very own Bevendean is hillier than Queen Elizabeth Park in Hampshire which I recall was an absolute beast. What we now need is a combined measure of corners, bends, surfaces, cambers, people with dogs, people with buggies, proneness to strong winds, people who get in your way when you are lapping them and those courses with slow runners who line up too near the front at the start. In other words flatness is just one variable and that each course presents its own challenges which is why they are more fun than running around a track.

 

[dazzer6666]

That's a great link. The one that surprises me is that our very own Bevendean is hillier than Queen Elizabeth Park in Hampshire which I recall was an absolute beast. What we now need is a combined measure of corners, bends, surfaces, cambers, people with dogs, people with buggies, proneness to strong winds, people who get in your way when you are lapping them and those courses with slow runners who line up too near the front at the start. In other words flatness is just one variable and that each course presents its own challenges which is why they are more fun than running around a track.

Clair Park has all of those except the strong winds. It also has a resident 'Mr Grumpy' local who insists on walking his dog at 9.05 every Saturday morning [emoji23][emoji23]

Not done QE Park but know it well from other events. Struggling too see where there would be much in the way of flat bits other than through the car park !

 

[Seaford by the sea]

Was just about to post about this. Hove Park is hillier than Peacehaven, too...

Aaah but what about the grass / loose shingle path effect !

 

[soistes]

Interesting material on the relative difficulty of parkruns.

Most of you probably know this, but the official RunBritain (http://www.runbritainrankings.com/) site adjusts for this relative hilliness etc in giving its handicap scores for 5k races including park runs. It also seems to adjust quite significantly for weather conditions (temperature, wind etc), because the order it ranks my Preston Park parkruns differs quite a lot from simple finish time order. So if you want to see how your handicap adjusts for course difficulty, it's definitely worth registering on Run Britain (it also updates automatically each week, every time you do a Park Run).

PS: [MENTION=26634]Simgull[/MENTION] good to meet you on yesterday's Sunday run.

 

[Simgull]

That's a great link. The one that surprises me is that our very own Bevendean is hillier than Queen Elizabeth Park in Hampshire which I recall was an absolute beast. What we now need is a combined measure of corners, bends, surfaces, cambers, people with dogs, people with buggies, proneness to strong winds, people who get in your way when you are lapping them and those courses with slow runners who line up too near the front at the start. In other words flatness is just one variable and that each course presents its own challenges which is why they are more fun than running around a track.

Knew I shouldn't have raised it!

 

[dazzer6666]

Interesting material on the relative difficulty of parkruns.

Most of you probably know this, but the official RunBritain (http://www.runbritainrankings.com/) site adjusts for this relative hilliness etc in giving its handicap scores for 5k races including park runs. It also seems to adjust quite significantly for weather conditions (temperature, wind etc), because the order it ranks my Preston Park parkruns differs quite a lot from simple finish time order. So if you want to see how your handicap adjusts for course difficulty, it's definitely worth registering on Run Britain (it also updates automatically each week, every time you do a Park Run).

PS: [MENTION=26634]Simgull[/MENTION] good to meet you on yesterday's Sunday run.

NSC handicap table needed - sorry I should have thought of this earlier when we were discussing the league table. Basically does it all for us (although only includes events with a UKA permit) [emoji106][emoji106][emoji106]

 

[soistes]

That's a great link. The one that surprises me is that our very own Bevendean is hillier than Queen Elizabeth Park in Hampshire which I recall was an absolute beast. What we now need is a combined measure of corners, bends, surfaces, cambers, people with dogs, people with buggies, proneness to strong winds, people who get in your way when you are lapping them and those courses with slow runners who line up too near the front at the start. In other words flatness is just one variable and that each course presents its own challenges which is why they are more fun than running around a track.

and bollards....

 

[Left Back]

It may be unwise to reopen the endless debate about which is the hardest Parkrun but someone has gone to the effort of ranking them by elevation. We have the two flattest (Hove Prom and Worthing) and 443rd out of 448 hilliest (Bevendean) all on our door steps

https://jegmar.com/fastest-races/parkrun/

I have GOT to do Bevendean now! Never realised it was so hilly.

Only done 3 different PRs (Worthing, Hove Park, Medina-Ryde) .. I've definately got to up my game.

 

[Simgull]

It's also about when the inclines come in my opinion. For example, Hove Park is a relatively mid-range course in terms of elevation changes, but to me it feels worse because about 40% to 50% of the lap is spent gradually heading uphill before the benefit of the decline all comes within a 150-metre stretch at the northern end. I wonder whether it would be quicker for Hove Park Parkrun to be run in the opposite direction.

On the other hand, courses like Preston Park and Peacehaven may also have hills, but they seem easier to me because the inclines are confined to one or two steep hills before you enjoy longer downhill/flat stretches.

Hove Park is run the other way on the nearest Saturday to st Patrick's Day so you can find out then. Generally people do find it quicker that way.

Anyway who would have thought Hove Prom is so much flatter than 'home of bowls' Worthing? 10 feet it's not even close!

 

[Garry Nelson's teacher]

Hove Park is run the other way on the nearest Saturday to st Patrick's Day so you can find out then. Generally people do find it quicker that way.

Anyway who would have thought Hove Prom is so much flatter than 'home of bowls' Worthing? 10 feet it's not even close!

Yes - oxygen needed for anyone tackling Worthing! And there's bollards by the score.

 

[knocky1]

My Hove Parkrun PB in 2009 is registered as Hove Park but was a special event to promote Parkrun at Paddle Round The Pier on Hove Prom. This was about 6 years before Hove Prom officially started. I trained specifically for the flat course and sweated to a 6th place and 19:33. The Hove Park PB has stayed as this time and always will.

Can I use the handicap calculator on that time.............?

 

[knocky1]

Clair Park (Haywards Heath) is much hillier/harder than Hove Park......and 4.5 laps, so you get to do the long hill 4.5 times. For me it's 90s or so slower than either of the Hove runs (or Preston Park). It's narrow too so overtaking can be an issue.

3 weeks ago 64s slower for me than running Hove week after. Need to add in my declining weekly improvement so probably around 80s. I think we should have a NSC Clair Park challenge in the autumn. It will be good fun and encourage some hill training.

 

[Hooky]

I think we should have a NSC Clair Park challenge in the autumn. It will be good fun and encourage some hill training.

Bring it on - it is my local PR so I should have an advantage. Saying that each time I do it I'm regretting it by the 3rd lap.

 

[Dirk Lehmann's Python]

3 weeks ago 64s slower for me than running Hove week after. Need to add in my declining weekly improvement so probably around 80s. I think we should have a NSC Clair Park challenge in the autumn. It will be good fun and encourage some hill training.

I am 2 mins slower at Clair. Saw it described on twitter as a "rollercoaster". Great...but very different parkrun.

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[Dirk Lehmann's Python]

Also...what is Peacehaven like?

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[knocky1]

Also...what is Peacehaven like?

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Hove Prom Bee Stings.
Peacehaven 34a's.
Clair Park a handful of 36d's.
Bevendean a couple of 38dd's.
Worthing a load of old bollards.