Weekly newsletter 1 August 2012

Posted on July 31, 2012 by admin

Welcome to this week's newsletter

In this week’s newsletter we review the launch of Coomera parkrun, learn of a special visitor to an upcoming Main Beach parkrun, hear about our first ever parkrun wedding, be inspired by a New Farm parkrunner’s fight against cancer and acknowledge our first Kiwi parkrunner of the week.

As per usual, the stats are in for last weekend, July 28:

Ginninderra - 41 runners | 8 first timers | 16 PBs
Kirra - 56 runners | 6 first timers | 20 PBs
Albert - 67 runners | 9 first timers | 10 PBs
Coomera - 102 runners | 83 first timers | 0 PBs
Newy - 128 runners | 37 first timers | 50 PBs;
St Peters - 107 runners | 23 first timers | 26 PBs
Main Beach - 121 runners | 24 first timers | 32 PBs;
New Farm - 249 runners | 52 first timers | 94 PBs.

Thanks to our amazing event directors, run directors, volunteers, adidas and Suncorp Bank for your continued support!

Were you a first timer last weekend, or did you run a personal best? I would love to hear about your experience on tim@parkrun.com.

On Saturday I attended the launch of our latest parkrun event in Coomera, 20 minutes north of Surfers Paradise and 40 minutes south of Brisbane. This event had been many months in the making so it was wonderful to see it so well supported with 102 participants, including 83 first time parkrunners. We were honored to have running legend Ron Clarke MBE, his wife Helen and son Nick join us for the launch, which coincided with the London Olympics opening ceremony. Ron had the crowd eating out the palm of his hand as he told his story of lighting the Olympic flame at the MCG in 1956. Special thanks must also go to Gold Coast Deputy Mayor Donna Gates, Councilor Cameron Caldwell, Stockland and of course Event Directors Renee & Adam Gimbert. For a short video of the Coomera parkrun launch event click here.

In Melbourne Event Director Carol ‘Half Pint’ Cunningham hosted her own Olympic parkrun at Albert Park in which parkrunners were encouraged to wear their national colours. Well team Albert parkrun team for hosting such a great event.

Due to my parkrun colleagues in the UK taking an ‘Olympic’ break over the next month, the next parkrun Australia newsletter will be published on August 28. Until then I suggest you tune into The Naked Flame Podcast that is following the fortunes of Australia's Track & Field Team at the XXX Games in London, hosted by Robbo (@_daverobbo), Mossy (@silasmoss) & Scotty West-a-cott (@scottwestcott1).

C’mon Australia!

Tim from parkrun Australia

Gold Coast Mayor to attend Main Beach parkrun

Gold Coast Mayor Tom Tate has confirmed he will be making his long awaited parkrun debut at Main Beach on August 11. Mayor Tate will do this as the culmination to a weeklong series of active and healthy challenges in conjunction with local radio station Hot Tomato including Tai Chi on Monday, group fitness on Tuesday, boxing on Wednesday and of course parkrun on Saturday. Don’t forget your barcode Tom!

Help us to help you

If you have a spare 5 minutes please take the time to complete a short 10-question survey regarding parkrun here in Australia. Your feedback is the best way to help us know if we are on the right track and what we can do to improve. Click here to take the survey.

A parkrun wedding

We recently celebrated our first ‘parkrun wedding’. At St Peters parkrun in March Thomas Do Canto had his barcode scanned by Lana Whatley and the rest, as they say, is history. Lana is from London and her parents, who are regular Richmond parkrunners, flew into Sydney the day before the wedding. In the background of the photo below you can see the park on Sydney Harbour where they were married and the two women looking at Tom and Lana to the right are their mums!

Race to Zero

To celebrate the launch of the new adizero Feather 2, adidas is searching for 5 of the fastest players to join 5 of their top athletes in a Race to Zero. Surely parkrunners are up for the challenge! Run through laneways, hop on trams and solve challenges at secret city locations around Melbourne to find the gold adizero Feather prize. Want to get on the team? You’ll need to prove you’re up to the task by taking the online challenge. Once completed, submit your details to go in the draw. The closing date for entries is 10th August and to be eligible to take part in the race you must be between the ages of 14 – 35.

Get involved at: www.racetozero.com.au

World Record Attempt

Regular New Farm parkrunner and Suncorp Bank employee, Reece Anderson, is attempting to break the world distance record for 12 hours running on a treadmill, all in the name of cancer. Here is a word from the man himself -

My siblings and I lost our Mother just over a year ago. In a bid to help others that encounter similar situations, I have organised an event with the goal of fundraising $20,000 for the Cancer Council Queensland. The event will take place here in Brisbane at the Cannon Hill Shopping Centre (my place of work). Anyone is welcome to come down to support me on my quest on the 16th of August - my Mum's birthday. The run will take place between the hours of 7am and 7pm. To break the world record, I will need to run further than 145.5 kilometres in a 12 hour period.

Lots of other items are organised for the day - a second treadmill will be set up for other people to run alongside me (a little support is welcomed during this very long day). There will be raffles, music, a MC and lots of other fun things happening. Please feel free to donate, or send me a message of support through my Everyday Hero page - fundraise.suncorpgroupbrighterfutures.com.au/reece_anderson_2

For further info click here.

parkrun continues to spread across Australia

Confirmed event launches include:

Claisebrook Cove parkrun (Perth), August 4 (this Saturday)
Balyang Sanctuary parkrun (Geelong), August 25
Wynnum parkrun (Brisbane), September 8

Feedback from the field

Adam Hauck - I had my third Main Beach parkrun last weekend and managed a PB by about a minute. This was a big effort for me but I was still able to sprint at the end so I know I can go faster. I just wanted to thank you guys as I was the lucky recipient for the massage with Laurie (lucky 87th) from Masseusery Massage. Unfortunately I was still hazed after the sprint finish and had trouble understanding what was going on and that I needed to hand over my place barcode but we got there in the end. I'm fighting fit at the moment so will use it over the next week or so as undoubtedly something will twist, sprain, swell or bruise from my normal running routine.

Linda Nguyen - Thank you St Peters parkrun! Felt so welcome for my first time, had fun, great course and awesome vibe. Solid way to start the weekend!

Julie Flynn - Did my first Parkrun this morning in Canberra. What a lovely way to run with a group of people!

Alan Burrell - Another great parkrun. Thanks to Gareth and all the volunteers and parkrunners I talked to as I completed my 50th parkrun. I got another PB - my eight in a row - so what else could I ask for!

Phil Stokes – Thanks to Carol and all of the volunteers for such a great morning at Albert parkrun. Amazing to see everyone who wanted to ‘represent their country’ and seeing the looks on the faces of the other park users,,, priceless!

Danielle Stewart - Thanks for organising a great ‘Olympic parkrun’ event Carol!

Tony Messenger – Thanks for a really fun morning at Albert parkrun. Thanks so much for the effort, volunteers, photos and most of all the fun.

Nicole Parsonson - Had a great run this morning at Kirra parkrun with Kelly, Ian, Raf and a few other random people

Rebecca Link - I was introduced to St Peters parkrun by a mate who is a far better runner than me. Since then I have run twice and I love it. The warm up is great and even though I may finish in the last group I am always supported. That's the best thing about parkrun - you can simply ‘have a go’ and it's free!

Drop me an email if you have an interesting parkrun related fact, happening or comment that you would like to share with all parkrunners.

parkrunner of the week

Name: Bruce McCardle
Club: None
Age: 57 next month
Home parkrun: Lower Hutt parkrun in New Zealand
Occupation: Retail Manager @ VIC Cycles
Number of runs: 12
Number of times volunteered: Not yet, trying to maintain the shared record of most Lower Hutt parkruns. It's down to two of us after 13 weeks.
How has parkrun changed your running: I just started running last year. After becoming a grandfather near the end of 2010 I decided I needed to get fitter and remain healthy so that I would be around to see my grandaughter grow up. I took on the challenge of running the 10k at last year's Wellington Marathon with a running group from a local gym. I did another 10k in the spring but then opted out for no particular reason so when I read an article in our local paper about parkrun I thought that's me, I wanted to be a part of the inaugural New Zealand parkrun.
What do you like about parkrun: It gets me out for runs during the week and then I put my training to the test every Saturday morning. I've learnt to pace myself against the same runner's that turn up each week who do the 5kms in a similar time to me. I try, when I can to beat a runner that came in front of me the week before. As the weeks go by we are all getting to know each and although we stand around freezing our butts off at race briefing because we've only run in the winter so far I can see it becoming a real social event for like minded individuals as we head into the summer months.
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: Meeting Paul Sinton-Hewitt for a beer on a Friday night during his recent trip down under and then having him join us the next morning for his first taste of running into a typical Wellington southerly, complete with hail!

Reminders

Barcode reminder

barcode
Barcodes are used at all our events to record your result. No barcode, No result!

All questions answered

Do you have a question about parkrun? How do I get my barcode? All your questions are answered here.

Volunteering at parkrun

We ask every parkrunner to volunteer 3 times a year. When volunteering you receive the maximum number of points towards the yearly competition.

Children at parkrun All children under 11 must be supervised by a parent or guardian. Guardians must ensure that children place themselves appropriately so as to prevent a situation where they are being repeatedly overtaken at the start. This is to ensure the safety of your child.

the parkrun show

You can download your copy of the parkrun show here. (iTunes) The parkrun show is the audible roundup of the "goings on" of everything that caught the teams eye from the weekend in parkrunworld. Brought to you by Marathon Talk.

Our Sponsors

all out performance

adidas has been focused on athlete’s performance since the first running spikes were made in the 1920’s earning the first Olympic gold medal in adidas shoes. Today, adidas is proud to be supporting parkrunners everywhere. Explore adidas running adidas.com

newsletter 23 July 2012

Posted on July 23, 2012 by admin

Welcome to this week's newsletter

In this week’s newsletter I remind you to share the path, hear about the benefits of volunteering, are inspired by some wonderful feedback and promote a couple of fantastic running events. As per usual, the stats are in for last weekend, July 21:

Ginninderra - 54 runners | 14 first timers | 17 PBs
Kirra - 42 runners | 7 first timers | 11 PBs
Albert - 59 runners | 17 first timers | 14 PBs
Newy - 87 runners | 30 first timers | 26 PBs;
St Peters - 65 runners | 5 first timers | 16 PBs
Main Beach - 148 runners | 19 first timers | 40 PBs;
New Farm - 275 runners | 56 first timers | 85 PBs.

Thanks to our amazing event directors, run directors, volunteers, adidas and Suncorp Bank for your continued support!

Were you a first timer last weekend, or did you run a personal best? I would love to hear about your experience on tim@parkrun.com.

Like us on Facebook.

I attended Main Beach parkrun on Saturday as a spectator rather than runner as I’m suffering from a niggling left calve injury at the moment. This gave me an opportunity to spend some time with Run Director Libby Sargent and her great volunteer team. Unfortunately however I also had to face the wrath of a small group of dog walkers who were furious about what they perceived to be parkrunners not sharing the path. Just to recap, the official policy on the course page of all of our events reads -

“Please remember that the parkrun uses shared paths. For the continued success of the event, please give way to other park users. This won't hurt your time, it won't stop you from getting a PB and it will make sure everyone continues to enjoy the event.”

Obviously this needs to go both ways and the feedback from our parkrunners after the event was that in fact the dog walkers were hogging the path and walking 2-3 abreast. Regardless of who was at fault, please remember to share the path with other users, namely dog walkers, prams, cyclists and other runners. The last thing any of us want is for an event to get shut down because of an incident on the course.

On a positive note, I want to share with you some wonderful feedback coming out of New Farm parkrun last week from first time volunteer Tess Odsey –

“Thank you for making volunteer work worthwhile and fun. I saw the event from a totally different angle - this made me appreciate the concept of parkrun even more. Thanks to the core of volunteers who give so much behind the scenes making the event accessible and organised so efficiently. The experience as a volunteer is as valuable as the experience of running in the weekly events.”

That last line is really significant - the experience as a volunteer is as valuable as the experience of running in the weekly events – and I urge any of you who haven’t yet volunteered to get involved. If every regular runner volunteered 3 times per year that would be more than enough to ensure the sustainability of parkrun.

Tim from parkrun Australia

My parkrun Experience by Kathy Rae

I first became interested in parkrun when I read about the launch of Albert Melbourne parkrun in November 2011. I had just traveled to Melbourne from Sydney and despite being extremely apprehensive before the trip had a wonderful time.

I had broken my arm 6 weeks before last year's Sydney’s City To Surf and, on race day with 85 000 runners, wet roads and my arm just out of plaster, I walked it, sensible in my head but disappointed in my heart with my worst time in 12 City To Surfs. It was then I decided to head to Melbourne for the 1st 14klm City To Sea recording a time 48m47secs faster than my Sydney run, I was ecstatic. It was also a time less than 5 minutes slower than a City to Surf in 1983. I am definitely hoping to return to Melbourne this year again for the City To Sea and a visit to Albert Melbourne parkrun the day earlier on 10th November 2012.

Click here to read more.

Event launches

Registrations are live for upcoming event launches in the Gold Coast, Perth and Geelong

Coomera parkrun (Gold Coast), July 28
Claisebrook Cove parkrun (Perth), August 4
Balyang Sanctuary parkrun (Geelong), August 25
Wynnum parkrun (Brisbane), not open for registration yet

Competition - My parkrun

Even though I’m a bit of a mug with a video camera, I’m sure many of you are not. Thus, I’m hoping that our ‘My parkrun’ competition will prove exciting.

So what is it?

In a nutshell, I want you to put together a short video, no more than 3 minutes in length, that shows your typical parkrun day. It must be uploaded to YouTube and include pre-event (waking up at home, transport etc), during the run (run with the camera or get a mate to record you) and of course the post-run coffee or breakfast. The more fun you can make it the better!

Two lucky winners will receive an adidas running pack (shoes, shorts, shirt) to the value of $300! Entries close July 31 so that leaves only 2 more opportunities to film your entry.

RUN BETTER, Newcastle – 29 July @ 8am

Whether you're someone who says 'I'm not a runner' or you're someone who has been running for years & would love to learn how to improve it...RUN BETTER is for you!

What is it? – An interactive, learn-by-doing running workshop focusing on the way we run & how to improve running quantity & quality.

Who is it for? - Anyone who wants to make his or her running experience better in every aspect. This workshop caters for all runners, ranging from beginners, to those making their return, to the seasoned campaigner looking for a boost in performance.

What you will get out of it? - 3 hours with Dave Robbo (Physio and Newy parkrun Event Director) & Silas Moss (Exercise Scientist), two Health Professionals with a running obsession. The session will cover:

The practical aspects of running 'SOFT' and why it forms a fundamental part of running better.
Preparing & maintaining your body for a lifetime of running - includes how to deal with & avoid injuries.
Nutrition, hydration, & footwear/gear solutions for optimal performance.
The Naked Runners guide to putting more fun in your run.
Preparation advice for the upcoming Lake Macquarie Running Festival (Sun 26th Aug) & Blackmores Sydney Running Festival (Sun 16th Sept).

For more info see http://www.thenakedrunners.com/workshops/

Tomewin Mountain Challenge

The 2012 Tomewin Mountain Challenge running festival will be held on August 26th in the Currumbin Valley on the Gold Coast and already a number of local parkrunners have entered this unique event. In its second year, the Tomewin Mountain Challenge is the brainchild of Kirra parkrun Event Director Chris van Hoof who saw the need to showcase some of the great running tracks on offer on the southern end of the Gold Coast.

Serious parkrunners can have a crack at the 22km Mountain Challenge as individuals or in a team and enjoy the magnificent scenery as the race winds it's way up to the border between QLD and NSW. This year sees the introduction of the 6km Highland Hurry – another scenic course taking in some of the beautiful surrounds of the Currumbin EcoVillage and incorporating a couple of challenging inclines along the way – a perfect test for those parkrunners looking to step up from their weekly 5km run. The 1km Dash for Duchenne is also a new addition to the weekend and is open to all the younger members of the running community who are happy to help raise some much needed funds for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.

So check out the event website for more information and to watch clips of the spectacular scenery that will be a part of each course.

Chris is also keen to hear from anyone who can volunteer on the day to help with drink stations, timing, marshalling etc. Those available can contact Chris at kirraoffice@parkrun.com.

Feedback from the field

Pip Greig – Saturday mornings in my household now start with me jumping out of bed early to get the whole family up and on their way to New Farm parkrun. Getting a teen and a 21 yr old out of bed early on a Saturday morning is almost as challenging as a 5k run when you’re not a seasoned runner! The younger one needs to ensure every hair is in place while the older one likes to stay in bed until the last minute and appear at the car miraculously as we are about to go. My husband doesn’t/won’t run … so he starts off early and walks for 1 ¾ hrs and meets us at New Farm as we finish. My two older sisters (we’re all in our fifties!) started parkrun earlier in the year and encouraged me to come along. I’d never run 5 km in my life before parkrun and I must admit I don’t think what I do is ‘run’ but hey – I’m moving! My goal now is to keep chasing PBs and to catch my older sisters! It is a great way to incorporate ‘active’ family time into our busy lives. What a great community event this is - so well organised it runs like clockwork every week. I applaud the efforts of Gareth, Ben and Ali at New Farm and for being so encouraging when you volunteer – that’s fun too. I also really appreciate the ladies who give me a cheery ‘go girl’ or an acknowledging wave as I shuffle along each week. This has been the best thing about parkrun – the support and encouragement of anyone willing to give it a go. It isn’t just for the young and the fit though it caters very well for them too. This is becoming a very popular Saturday morning activity in Brisbane. We’re even planning a family parkrun in London later this year! We’re hooked!

Jackie Knowlman – I am writing to let you know my daughter Rachael and I attended Albert Melbourne parkrun last Saturday. She has done New Farm parkrun a couple of times and loves it and it was great that she could use her same barcode in Melbourne. We were made very welcome by the volunteers and it was a fabulous course, well done.

Charisse Maguire - My partner and I were first time runners at New Farm parkrun last Saturday. We arrived just before 7am to find out that a personal trainer was on hand to take the group through some stretches and warm up which was excellent. We then followed the other runners to the start where there were volunteers holding up time cards which was great. The thing we loved the most was that my partner and I run at different speeds and were able to run apart but still be with other people to keep us motivated. Also the support and clapping from the volunteers and other runners made it well worth getting up at 6am on a Saturday to travel in from Mt Ommaney. So thank you New Farm parkrun!

Margo Mannix – My friend Michelle and I started running about 6 years ago and attended our first parkrun last weekend. We are both in our fifties and try to run at least 3 times per week and exercise every day. We got excited when we heard about parkrun as we love running with other passionate people. Michelle and I have both experienced breast cancer and have been on an exciting journey of recovery… exercise and cancer find it hard to live in the same space

We really just want to share a big thank you and wish parkrun the biggest success!

Drop me an email if you have an interesting parkrun related fact, happening or comment that you would like to share with all parkrunners.

parkrunner of the week

Name: Ken Close
Club: None
Age: 65
Home parkrun: Newy parkrun
Occupation: Retired
Number of runs: 3
Number of times volunteered: 1
What do you do at parkruns: I enjoy the atmosphere, both as a runner and volunteer. I have found new friends and certainly impressed some old friends just by telling them I'm now a runner!
How has parkrun changed your running: I believed for decades that I couldn't run at all, but I do walk and cycle. I turned up at the 2nd event to watch my wife run and was so impressed by the enthusiasm I decided to see if I could actually run and, hey, I found I could - albeit rather slowly and only in short bursts. My first goal was to simply participate and enjoy the experience. For the first 2 runs I had to do a walk / run combo. I got sore shins and Achilles but these soon faded away. Run 3 was a milestone for me as I was able to run the 5 km continuously. My goal now is to get a little faster but without doing any damage and above all it has to be fun. Long term, I would like to catch my wife, who is at least 6 mins faster than me and she will do her best to keep it that way. Pie in the sky dream would be to run as fast as the baby buggies.
What do you like about parkrun: Great venue and nice bunch of people. The event is run by enthusiasts, who are also totally professional and friendly. It is inclusive and welcomes everybody, irrespective of ability and is free. The on-line registration is simple and publication of results and statistics really motivates you. I also like the idea of doing a parkrun in some of the other venues in Australia or the UK. Imaging being able to say you represented Australia in the 5,000m London!
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: I did volunteer duty at the turn-around point and discovered that it was really fun. All the runners were smiling as they went around and it was nice when people said thanks to me after the event. I was also pleased when members of the public walking past stopped to ask what was going on and some asked how they could get involved.
How can we improve parkrun: The concept is great and the organization spot on. It might be nice if Newcastle Council could find some funding to improve the path across the grass at the Elizabeth St end.