A storm has broken in the UK over the decision by a local county council to impose a charge of £1 on those who partake in the popular Park Run event around their local public park.
Rather than being a little local spat however, this raises some serious questions about the provision of facilities which will need to be addressed as sport and fitness becomes ever larger and ever more commercial.
It matters in Ireland because Park Runs now take place at almost 50 locations, at the same time of 0930 every Saturday morning.
Latest figures are that over 50,000 runners have taken part in the events and the number is expected to almost double in 2016 as word spreads.
The runs are timed and organised by volunteers so there is always a professional standard about them, adding to their attractiveness. The other key element is that they are free and that is where the challenges start.
The idea that running should be extended to the widest possible group is a noble one and one that can only be, and fully is supported, by Governments at national and local level.
Park Run is featured as an example of best practice in the Irish Government National Physical Activity Plan and is supported by the Irish Sports Council.
It is also the beneficiary of €100,000 in funding through Healthy Ireland, an investment to expand the programme covered by Sport for Business in May of 2015.
Question of ‘Free’
The nettle which the parish council of Stoke Gifford has grasped though is that ‘free’ always comes at somebody’s expense, in this case the local rates and tax payers of a small suburb of Bristol.
The maintenance of parks, including access, car parks, safety of paths, grounds and visual amenities are all paid for as a public service out of money raised through taxation.
Football teams who play in the same park that has become the centre of the Park Run universe, pay for the right to play their games on land that is otherwise open to the public.
Precedents
Park Run have cancelled this week’s event at the venue because the charge is seen as setting a precedent that would threaten its very existence.
We would question that.
All those who run do so in shoes and clothes, whether specific for running or not that they have had to pay for.
All those who are playing sport in the venues where they are running, whether it is in Bristol or Marlay Park in South Dublin are similarly paying something towards the upkeep of the facility on which they depend.
All organised running events from the local 5K, through to the Red Bull supported World Run or the Dublin Marathon pay a fee to local authorities in order to be run effectively and to raise money, either for profit or for a good cause.
All of these ‘precedents’ are already established and undermine the argument of the park Run organisers even if they are a small whisper versus the howls of protest that have greeted the decision.
Indeed, while the volunteer aspect of the Park Run movement is laudable there are still a significant number of paid employees who keep the great show on the road through promotion, online material, the chip timing and the managed growth of the ‘free’ movement.
Duty of Care
Government’s have a duty of care to look after all citizens. Many services they provide are indeed free at the point of access like libraries and play grounds. Organised sport though needs space to breathe and public parks need to be ‘taken over’ to a greater or lesser extent in order to provide that space.
We do not believe that any of Ireland’s Councils or local authorities are considering a charge for the Park Runs, a fact that has been publicly welcomed by organisers but there does need to be an understanding that nothing in life really is for ‘free’ and that the precedent has already been set by sports clubs being charged a fee for use of public space.
We believe this is a storm in a local teacup which has far from blown out yet.
Rob Hartnett, author of this piece is a Board Member of the Dublin City Council Sports and Wellbeing Partnership and works with other local authorities on the creation of effective and sustainable sporting policies.
