Cyclist says her arm was broken in collision with Welsh parkrun participant

Wales Online

2 days ago

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A cyclist says she suffered a fractured arm after being struck by a runner who veered into the cycle lane during a busy Welsh parkrun event. The woman, who faces six weeks of pain and inconvenience, described the incident, in Swansea, as completely preventable.
The 27-year-old student, preferring to remain anonymous, recounted how the runner did not stop to offer assistance following the collision at the Swansea Bay parkrun on Saturday, August 9, leaving her with two fractures in her right arm and numerous cuts and bruises.
This recent clash follows earlier grievances where parkrun participants were accused of shoving a woman aside and hurling abuse at cyclists on the same route. Following these episodes, the parkrun organisers have released a statement admonishing some participants for their conduct.
The well-attended free parkrun is held every Saturday at 9am along the promenade on Mumbles Road. The injured cyclist, a frequent user of the path, noted that certain sections become "narrow" and contain "blind bends", reports Wales Online. On the day in question, over 600 people took part.
She said that due to the popularity of the event and the behaviour of some runners it has become "dangerous" and called for the parkrun to be moved to a more suitable location.
The cyclist said: "I was on the side of the path reserved for cyclists when a runner who might have seen an opportunity to overtake a slower group and without looking, jumped on to the cycling side of the path.
"He did this very suddenly, and I was unable to avoid him. As such we were involved in a high impact crash and I came off my bike."
She said the runner responsible did not stop to check on her or apologise, something the cyclist described as "disappointing". Her injuries now mean she will be unable to drive for six weeks and will likely delay her going back to university. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community
"It's disappointing that the personal best is worth more than stopping and checking the person you've just hit to the ground's alright - especially after the organisers issued the apology and kind of had a word with all these runners, that behaviour still seems to be an issue," she said.
Just weeks ago Swansea parkrunners were warned over their behaviour after what organisers described as "abusive language towards cyclists, barging of a female member of the public on her way to work and significant disregard of the shared path etiquette".
A statement at the time said: "As event directors and run directors we are having to respond to, very understandably, disgruntled path users.
"We apologise to them, we explain what we do to try and ensure all path users are safe and can enjoy use of a community asset - what else can we do?! It is so upsetting to receive feedback and reports like we have today - today is the worst it has been ever.
"We are feeling really disappointed and despondent - parkrun should be a joy, something positive, something inspirational, something inclusive."
Ahead of Saturday's Swansea parkrun organisers had shared a plea for participants to follow the course code of conduct and the importance of respecting the run director's briefing, which is delivered before the run starts each week.
On the event Facebook page they said: "We expect everyone to abide by the relevant codes. In some circumstances it may be necessary to review an individual's participation through Sanction Panel."
The code of conduct asks participants to:
Pay attention to the pre-parkrun briefing
Respect everyone's right to participate in their own way
Under 11s always within arm's reach of a parent or guardian
One dog (on a short lead) per person (see dogs principle)
Be mindful of your local environment and other people
The free event happens at 9am every Saturday, with people starting from the city's Secret Bar and Kitchen, along the promenade towards Mumbles.
The path is not exclusively hired by parkrun and the organisers said they emphasise the need to share the path with other people out running, walking or cycling, in the briefing before each run and in its event details online.
The cyclist knocked off her bike on Saturday said she has come to the conclusion that it is not safe for the event to be going ahead in its current form on a path that everyone in the city has a right to use.
She added that it's "extremely frustrating" that nothing appears to have changed since the organisers issued their apology to other path users and this lack of "practical measures" has now resulted in her getting hurt. "If people are going to be doing this sort of thing, it's just not safe," she said.
"There needs to be a shared code of respect - there's a white line down the middle of the path for a reason. Even if you're going at a relatively slow speed on a bike if you collide with someone who's running pretty quickly, you're going to cause one and other some damage."
She said she believes organisers have become aware that the area where the crash happened is a "pinch point", with multiple volunteer marshals stationed there.
The cyclist said the volunteers were "absolutely brilliant" after she came off her bike, cleaning up her cuts and checking she was ok before helping her to get home.
However she added that she was "frustrated" with the response she had from the team when she contacted them after finding out she had fractured her arm.
"They apologised and said they were looking at ways to change things," the cyclist said. "It's disappointing that these issues haven't been mitigated already despite it being brought up multiple times."
She added: "I think it's outgrown the space it is held in. It's a lot of people to be going down quite a small stretch of path really. It's a brilliant event and getting people outdoors is so important, but it needs to be done in a way that's safe for everyone. If what had happened to me happened to a child or someone who's a bit older, it could've caused some really serious damage."
Swansea parkrun and parkrun UK have been asked for comment.
Swansea Council told us they wanted to hear from organisers before commenting.
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