Parkrun removes speed records from site to reduce ‘off-putting’ nature amid criticism
Parkrun has removed speed records from its website to reduce the “off-putting” nature of them and dispel the perception that the runs are races.
It is to stop publishing data including most first-place finishes, age-grade and category speed records. Users will no longer have the ability to search for these records.
The move comes amid criticism of Parkrun allowing transgender women to compete in the female category. The think tank Policy Exchange said in December that at least three Parkrun female records were held by transgender women.
Parkrun told the BBC it had been looking to make changes to the data it published before the Covid pandemic and that this decision was not in response to criticism they had faced.
In a statement on their website, Parkrun highlighted that they had “made many changes” to their website over the years “and will continue to do so as we evolve”.
They also said that a “global working group” had “spent many months making detailed investigations and recommendations” to ensure data on the Parkrun website was “not off-putting and doesn’t imply that parkrun is a race”.
The statement also said: “What was clear is that there was a disconnect between the performance data displayed so prominently on the site, and our mission to create opportunities for as many people as possible to take part in parkrun events.
“We try hard to make sure the information we share is consistent with our values, and that, in all that we do, we continue to find ways to remove barriers to registration and participation.”
Parkrun, which organises free weekly 5km running events, began with a group of 13 friends in a south-west London park in 2004 before growing into a worldwide activity.
