Russian version (Русская версия)
Hi, Douglas.
Hi, Max.
We don't have a beach parkrun in Russia. The first question is a bit philosophical: what is parkrun on the beach? I think it has a special magic to it. How did the idea to open parkrun on the beach come about?
There are a few parkruns on the beach in the United Kingdom, ours is a mixture of sand, tarmac and grass. Jan our event director started Crosby parkrun. She probably thought that using the beach and the metal men, which are a tourist attraction, would be appealing to the parkrun community. This has proved correct as we have lots of visitors.
It is magical running along the beach, the views, sand and weather are different every time. The start and finish is near a sports centre, so there is a cafe and toilets.
Now you are on the reserve track. How often do you go there and why?
We use our reserve track (B route) when there is a high tide and we'd need to swim! Or if the wind is too high and the sand would be dangerous for people's eyes. The wind can really swirl the sand around on the beach.
On the beach you have human figures. Where did they come from? Do you use them as marshals? Maybe they have some names or nicknames?)))
The metal men on the beach are an art installation by the English artist Sir Antony Gormley. There are 100 sculptures over 2 miles, all self portraits. When the tide is in, some are completely covered by water.
It was originally exhibited in Cuxhaven (Germany) before being shown in Norway and Belgium. It finally ended up on Crosby beach in 2005, which has become its permanent home.
We have one of the sculptures at the start and then we run past 4 others, who wear Hi Viz jackets, as we go up and down the beach. The final metal man, that we turn around at, is nicknamed Bing. This is because we run on Crosby beach and there was a famous American singer called Bing Crosby. Bing is our permanent volunteer. The others don't have names.
You have had Jamie Carragher, the legendary Liverpool defender, at least twice. Did any other celebrities come to you?
Yes, Jamie Carragher has run with us a few times, he's a lovely guy and doesn't mind photos. Jamie has challenged Gary Neville (Man United) via Twitter, to a race at Crosby but he hasn't taken up the challenge yet.
Other celebrities? Well the screen writer and author Frank Cottrell-Boyce has run with us a few times as he is local. The comedian Rob Deering and actor Paul Tonkinson do a parkrun blog and have been along. British Olympic Gymnast Beth Tweddle has been seen supporting her husband.
Before the lockdown, the Bournemouth football club came to their local parkrun. Have you thought about inviting the teams of Liverpool or Everton to your parkrun?
Yes, we have thought about it but it would probably cause us too much risk. The news would spread really quickly and we'd get swamped with people. Also, the grassy last 2 km is very uneven in places and they could injure themselves.
What color is the Crosby parkrun team? Red or blue? ))) Or has nothing to do with football?
Haha ... There is a good mixture. Lots of Reds and Blues within the volunteer team and the runners. There is a good humoured rivalry, as there is through-out Liverpool. I'm a West Ham fan, so I don't take sides.
How do you recruit a team of volunteers? Do you have a permanent team of volunteers who help out week after week?
We have a core team of about 10 volunteers plus we send out an email via our website each week asking for more. We also post a few messages each week on Instagram and Twitter asking for help.
It's always good to have new volunteers. As our course is a single lap, we need more volunteers than some other parkruns.
Tell us about yourself. How did you get started in parkrun life? And how did you become a run-director?
I work in theatre, as a lighting designer. I started running for my mental health and to lose weight. Running clears my head!
I heard about parkrun whilst chatting to a running community on Twitter. I looked into it and there wasn't a parkrun near me and I didn't fancy getting up early on a Saturday. A year later I searched again and saw that Crosby parkrun had started up and it was only 20 minutes walk away. I had no excuse! I ran a few times and then I volunteered, I ran a few more and then I got injured (doing a half marathon too soon after a marathon). I couldn't run for 12 weeks, so I volunteered for 12 weeks and I got asked by Jan, our event director, if I fancied becoming a run director. We have a number of us who take it in turns. When I moved to Liverpool I only knew a few people, I now know so many people of all different ages and backgrounds in my local area. I have made so many good friends!
You are a member of Mikkeller running club Liverpool. We also have it in Moscow (MRC Moscow) - great guys! Do you often go on club runs with a glass of beer after parkrun? ))
A number of our Crosby parkrun team go along to the Mikkeller running club for a run and a beer. It's a great social monthly run. Lots of lovely people. I was the 1st from Crosby parkrun to discover MRC Liverpool, via Twitter. MRC Moscow are our big rivals for this year's club of the year!
What traditions do you have in parkrun? Maybe some local holidays? For example, every year before the Moscow marathon (the main marathon in Russia), we make an impromptu marathon wall out of cardboard in the Kuzminki and parkrunners (who'll debut at marathon) tear it down.
Crosby's tradition is home baked cakes! We have a few volunteers that love baking, so each week we have a good selection of cakes and biscuits. I'm not sure if you are aware of it but in the UK people like doing parkrun challenges. The main one is the parkrun alphabet, running at a parkrun, anywhere in the world starting with each letter of the alphabet. There is currently no "x" and to get a "z" you have to travel to Poland or Nederland. People book weekends away to do these! There is also the Pirate Challenge, for this you have to run 7 parkruns beginning with "C" (there is a saying "cross the seven seas") and finish with an "R" (rrкrr - the sound of a pirate). People dress as pirates.
What do you know about parkrun in Russia? Give some advice to Russian parkrunners.
Parkrun in Russia seems to be expanding rapidly and is very spread out. You have such a large country! Some parkruns seem to be very snowy. Do you run with special studded shoes? From what I see on social media, mainly Instagram, the parkrun family is the same in Russia as it is in the UK. The same happy faces, friendly volunteers and a great community spirit. Parkrun highlights the similarities and not the differences. The Russian parkruns on social media, I've found particularly friendly. I know that I'd be made to feel very welcome if I turned up one Saturday!
Advice ....
Give volunteering a go! Volunteering is a great way to make friends and build a community spirit. It's a fantastic feeling encouraging others.
Get along and give parkrun a go, it's inclusive of all abilities.
Enjoy!
Thank you!
#parkrun #Liverpool #crosby beach