Timekeeping at Parkville parkrun event #456

It’s been a very parkrunny week, which involved me presenting at a Volunteering Australia webinar about Community-Led Volunteering and my parkrun experiences. Some people have said nice things about the presentation and the recording will be available soon.

I didn’t have time to run or walk at parkrun (or more specifically to get showered and changed after a run) this week, as I had a session booked at Melbourne Writers Festival (more on that later), so I looked at a few local volunteer rosters and put my hand up to help out at Parkville parkrun. Typically, when I email an event team to volunteer, I say that I am happy to cover any role. The team asked me to be timekeeper for the event and I was very happy to oblige as I know many volunteers would rather do literally any other role than timekeeping! Having performed this role a number of times before, I am perfectly comfortable with it and thought I’d share a few thoughts with you, so if you’re one of the parkrunners who are a little nervous about timekeeping, read on!

# What is the role of a timekeeper at parkrun?

The Timekeeper is responsible for recording the finish times of all participants at the event (using the Virtual Volunteer app). Usually the timekeeper will announce the start of the event, “3. 2. 1. parkrun!”, and hit “Start” on the app. As each participant crosses the finish line, the timekeeper will tap the app to record their finish time, associated with the finisher’s position number. After the Tailwalker has crossed the finish line, the timekeeper will hit “Stop” on the app. Times are submitted using the app and a unique QR code for the event, held by the Run Director, leaving the times in parkrun’s Event Management System (EMS) for the Results Processor to process alongside the submissions from the Barcode Scanner volunteers to ensure finishers who brought their barcode get their results emailed through to them.

# Personal observations on timekeeping

Saturday morning was damp, much like the previous time I volunteered as a timekeeper (at Cruickshank Park parkrun). I cannot recall who gave me this tip, but it was a good one: I put my phone in a clear plastic bag, which I keep in my bag for such occasions. This prevents raindrops from hitting the screen and registering as taps, adding additional finishers to the event. I tap the screen directly, with my hand inside the bag.

In low-traffic periods, I’ll call out positions as people cross the finish line so that the Funnel Manager, Number Checker or Finish Tokens volunteer can ensure that the finish tokens are in sync with the times. At times when there are lots of runners crossing the finish line, I’ll just record the times as they cross the line and check in with the other volunteers when there’s a break in the action.

In higher-traffic periods, I find it easier to focus on the ground between the flags at the finish line rather than looking at faces, so that I can keep track of how many people cross the line when groups of runners cross the line together. On Saturday morning, we had a period between 23 minutes and 31 minutes where at least 27 parkrunners crossed the line per minute, which isn’t the most intense parkrun experience but it was enough to keep me focussed!

# A few tips for timekeepers

parkrun has a video that explains the role of a timekeeper, which I recommend watching before volunteering in this role for the first time. I also recommend downloading the Virtual Volunteer app and familiarising yourself with it before the event to ensure you know how to start the timer, record each finisher, stop the timer and submit the results. parkrun Virtual Volunteer app: Timing describes this well. And don’t forget to charge your phone before heading to parkrun!

# One thing that I don’t think is well-understood about timekeeping at parkrun

It’s possible to have multiple timekeepers at a parkrun finish line performing exactly the same role. If you’re nervous about making a mistake, your phone running out of charge, or similar, why not bring a friend? The Results Processor can select either submitted set of times to process and you’ll both have the full volunteering experience, including volunteer credit.

# It was always about the coffee

Due to time constraints, I didn’t make it to Naughty Boy Cafe with my fellow parkrunners but I do look forward to returning there. The fancy mushroom toast is a delicious post-parkrun treat.

# Next week…

I’ll be timekeeping at Coburg parkrun for their eleventh anniversary, much like I did at their launch (but back then we had stopwatches with dodgy USB cables)!

Maybe I’ll see you there.