The Record Breaker challenge

There are a few different apps and extensions which outline challenges for parkrunners to attempt and even complete. The apps I’m aware of on IOS are the Running Achievements app and the 5k app.

However, I think that the Running Challenges extension for Firefox and Chrome predates both of them. It’s a fantastic resource maintained by two parkrunners in their spare time, BUT it’s not available on iOS which is a problem for those who do not have a traditional computer, but do have an iPhone or an iPad.

The extension takes your parkrun profile page and overlays some analysis to your results including showing you some challenges. One of the most recent they’ve added is the Record Breaker challenge, here I’m going to steal their words (you can find more info on this page https://running-challenges.co.uk/2022/06/02/v1.3.0-record-breaker.html)

This badge is awarded for running all of the parkruns within 33km, 45km, and 78km of your average parkrun location. For those of you too young to remember these things [Records], but too old to know about the recent revival of vinyl, these are the speeds of various types of vinyl records.

Below is my current progress against the challenge, completed parkruns show in bold colours, incomplete are far paler.

Because the Running Challenges app wants others to also be able to see your progress against the challenges, and they don’t know what your home event is, they centre the challenge on your average parkrun location (add up the Latitude of every parkrun you’ve run and divide by the number of parkruns you’ve completed and the same for Longtitude) and then rate every parkrun within 78km as 33, 45 or 78.

The strange and interesting thing about this challenge is that due to the way the centre of your challenge is calculated, the list of parkruns you are required to complete:

• Can be unique to you; and,
• May change over time.

You can see how mine looks on the Voronoi map above. But my list of events has changed. Up until quite recently my Average parkrun location was closest to Worsley Woods parkrun, but due to doing more parkruns in Scotland, my average parkrun location is now closest to Bolton parkrun at Leverhulme park, this change has brought new parkruns into my list. with what I have planned this year, my average parkrun location could change significantly northwards, maybe even a bit more eastwards with potential travel in Europe.

Above you can see the “gaps” in my map which include Clarence parkrun (Bury), Worden (Leyland), Kew Gardens, Southport, and Crosby are my closest. The first two will regain me me my 33 award (which I’d previously achieved before they were started), and the others will gain me my 45.

I love the Challenge, I just think that we should be able to set the centre as our home parkrun to change the variability of the requirements.

I may share progress on this in the future.