The 11th and most recent 5k parkrun to start up in Co Cork was in Midleton and it started on the 1st of February 2025.
After a huge crowd of 636 runners & walkers turned out for the inaugural event, I thought at the time that the it might settle down to a long term average of about 150 to 200.
The 34th edition was held on the 20th of September 2025 and this is a graph of the numbers since the beginning.
You can see that for the first few weeks, there is a 'novelty factor' as people try out the new event but eventually it settles down.
The average for the 34 events is just under 177 finishers.
If say we ignore the first 5 events to try and get rid of the 'novelty factor' then the average for events 6 to 34 is just under 147 finishers.
You'll notice from the chart that there is a very gradual decline in numbers over the summer months. I checked the numbers for Glen River and Tramore Valley Park parkruns and they don't have this summer decline.
As for why the summer decline? Maybe the 'novelty factor' lasts for a few months instead of a few weeks as new people try it? Other reasons?
Looking ahead, the new long term numbers might be in the region of 90 to 120 per week. We still have all those wet and cold Saturday mornings over the winter to contend with which could lower the current average.
Do the numbers matter???... At the end of the day, it's a free event and it doesn't really matter if 50 or 150 turn up. It's not like a road race where they need a certain number to turn up to pay for all the costs.
For the parkuns, it's probably more important in terms of having a larger pool from which an event can draw their volunteers.
Event website... https://www.parkrun.ie/midletongreenway/
My page for all the parkruns in Co Cork... Cork parkruns
2 comments:
I agree that the initial surge and novelty has passed and now the event is settling to these numbers. Among the non running fraternity in Midleton there is still little awareness of this event.
Also as Midleton and East Cork has a huge interest in running there are many who this park run does not suit. They are preparing for half marathons and full marathons and are more likely to be finishing their long runs early on Saturday morning rather that running a 5k at 9.30am. They can be seen in the car park ready to go home just as park run people arrive.
"For the parkuns, it's probably more important in terms of having a larger pool from which an event can draw their volunteers."
Sadly from talking to parkrun event teams over the years, it seems more people attending does mean the event is harder to manage and needs more volunteers, but the extra numbers dont often translate to extra people willing to volunteer.
I dont know why exactly. Maybe at the bigger events people are more likely to show up, run and go home without engaging with the volunteers. Maybe the divide between runners and volunteers is bigger.
One thing I do know is that although many obsess about the numbers, its often not the core team members that want their parkruns to keep growing. Sometimes they hope for the opposite. It's less of a headache to manage and they dont get commission. :-)
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