Parkrun in talks to bring back statistics after petition receives 30,000 signatures

In February 2024, parkrun decided to remove all course records and statistics from its database in an effort to foster inclusivity and eliminate potential barriers to participation. When the decision was announced, a group of runners from Woking parkrun in Surrey, U.K., created a petition titled “Bring Back the Stats.” The petition took off, receiving almost 30,000 signatures, persuading parkrun to create a new database to bring back the stats so users can once again access their historical running times and statistics.

Mary Taylor, the orchestrator behind the petition, said in an interview with Marathon Handbook that there are definite plans to restore access to key statistics that were previously removed from the website. Parkrun CEO Russ Jefferys told Taylor it won’t be the same as before, but the proposed solution is an associated (but separate) website that will be fed directly from parkrun’s database and show the formerly beloved statistics: first finishers, age category records, sub-17 and sub-20 times, course records, most first finishes and fastest 500 times.

Taylor said the extent of the data discussions with parkrun are ongoing, but they are optimistic they will reach an outcome in the near future. “They really want to develop something with the community that gives access to interesting and useful data,” she said.

The petition was launched in February 2024 and amassed more than 15,000 signatures in the first few weeks, after parkrun took down all statistics and course records following complaints regarding non-binary runners taking women’s course records at several parkrun locations. Rather than creating a non-binary category, parkrun removed all statistics in the hope of increasing registration, inclusivity and participation.

At the time of the decision, it was reported that some participants felt a disconnect between the displayed statistics and the organization’s mission to create opportunities for as many people as possible to participate in parkrun events.

“Parkrun is for a community, and we believe the majority of your community of runners and volunteers want the lists reinstated,” the petition reads. “The lists reflect people’s achievements and each list is part of the history of each local parkrun. As you know, many of your users find statistics and lists interesting to look at and compare. It can be fun. We think it does not take away from parkrun being inclusive in any way. We know there were some good intentions to your decision, but we need to recognize and correct when we make mistakes.”

Taylor said she was told the new website might be fairly basic at first, to get it up and running as quickly as possible, and things would be gradually added to it over time. “Ultimately, we all love parkrun and want it to thrive. I look forward to seeing the next steps.”