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In this week’s edition of the newsletter we get ready to celebrate parkrun’s 10th birthday, announce the new ‘Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the week’ and our parkdog needs a forever home.

Ten years ago this Thursday (2 October, 2004) 13 people gathered in a park in Southwest London and completed a 5km time trial. Equal first across the finish line was Chris Owens and Matthew Morgan in a time of 18:47. The thirteenth and final finisher was Simon Lawrence in 29:39, still a very respectable time for 5km. Unbeknownst to Chris, Matthew, Simon and the other 10 runners they had just made history… they were the first parkrunners!

Looking back now at the results from Bushy parkrun #1 a few things really jump out at me:

-8th place James Russell has since gone on to complete 291 parkruns, his most recent being just last Saturday at Crane Park parkrun.
- 4th place Andrew Lane has completed 213 parkruns and also had a run last Saturday at Norwich parkrun.
- 5th place Steve Rowland has now completed 49 parkruns… oh so close to his 50-club red t-shirt!
- 12th place Tanya Wolken, the 5th ever female finisher at parkrun… has never been back! Yep, only 1 parkrun in the bank.

This Saturday at Bushy parkrun these original 13 parkrunners will be back together for the first time in a decade. Alongside them will be parkrun Founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt CBE and around 1,000 others. At almost 500 other locations around the world something like 100,000 others will also be lining up for their free, timed, weekly 5km run or walk. Supporting them will be thousands of volunteers who we all know are the true lifeblood of parkrun.

parkrun has become nothing short of a phenomenon. It’s a running revolution. And we’re all part of it.

As parkrun is now global, the anniversary of the launch of Bushy parkrun has been anointed International parkrun Day. It will be celebrated and acknowledged at every parkrun event on the planet in big and small ways. Some will announce it in the pre-run briefing, others will wear fancy dress… many will put on cake. We all know that cake tastes better after parkrun!

So this week why not tell a friend or family member about parkrun, bring them along, and change their life for the better. Just make sure they bring their barcode!

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

p.s. Only 4 days until International parkrun Day 2014

Were you a first timer last weekend, or did you run a personal best? We would love to hear about your experience on email, @parkrun_au or on Facebook.

Essential Stats for Australia & Singapore

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Number of locations – 97
Number of runners – 12,325
Number of runners global – 78,421
Number of PBs – 2,244
Number of first timers – 2,471
Number of volunteers – 850

International parkrun Day 2014

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As mentioned above, International parkrun Day commemorates the launch of Bushy parkrun on 2 October 2004 and is now celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October. This year IpD is being held this Saturday, 4 October, which is of course parkrun's 10th birthday!

To celebrate this huge milestone we will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘most participants in a 5km run across multiple locations’. The current record was set by Cancer Research UK at the Race For Life One Big Day event and involved 101,246 participants at 23 locations across the UK on 4 June 2006.

Can we do it?

Club shirts

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Over the last few months many of you have patiently waited to receive your free 50-club and 100-club t-shirts which were supplied to us periodically by a former sponsor. We received our final batch of these a few weeks back and they are now in the process of being distributed by our Event Directors. Most, but not all, runners who ordered their shirts by the end of July will receive one of the current batch.

To give you an idea of numbers thus far 727 of you have received a free 50-club shirt however this still means around 250 are still waiting and this is regrettable. We are now hoping to develop a global strategy for manufacturing and delivering these club shirts to you however this is most likely still some time away. In the meantime those of you who do join the 50- or 100-club will no longer be asked for your shirt size in your congratulatory email. We will however reinstate this once the new shirt supply has been confirmed and anyone who has joined the club in the interim will be provided with one.

Rest assured we are doing our best to rectify this situation and we look forward to seeing lots of red 50-club and black 100-club shirts at parkrun events long into the future.

Announcing the ‘Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the month’

In partnership with our wonderful friends at Suncorp Bank we are excited and proud to launch the new ‘Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the month’ award to honour outstanding members of the parkrun community in Australia.

So how is it going to work?

One person from each event across Australia will be selected per month as the “Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the month” for demonstrating the following principles:

- Volunteering (must have volunteered at least once during the month)
- Persistence
- Improvement
- General support
- Commitment to parkrun

Each monthly winner will receive an exclusive 'Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the month' running singlet which will be awarded on the first Saturday of each month (for the previous month).

You do not need to ‘enter’ a competition to be in with the chance to win, you do not need to vote and no formal activity is required from you to be selected, other than meeting the above criteria.

Special thanks to Suncorp Bank for initiating and funding this award. Suncorp Bank has been a key sponsor of parkrun Australia since 2012 and this year signed a three-year major partnership extension. Suncorp Bank wants to recognise and reward the most deserving member of each parkrun event every month, based on the common Suncorp Bank and parkrun principles of supporting the community and making a positive difference.

For more information, ask your Event Director or visit the Suncorp Bank website.

Coomera parkrun goes Hawaiian!

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Coomera parkrunner Alli Cooke has put down her barcode and is heading to Kona for her long-time dream -  Ironman World Championships. From everyone at parkrun Australia we wish Alli the very best success – we know the many long and lonely hours of training will pay off.

Trail running new to Ray’s Outdoors

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As a parkrunner, your weekly run takes you off the road and onto tracks, trails and paths right across the country.

Ray’s new Trail range provides the right footwear, apparel and accessories to improve your trail running experience.

Featuring two of the trusted performers in the trail world, Salomon and Merrell, Ray’s new Trail range has something for everyone who loves multi-surface running.

SALOMON - If you want to take your running to the next level or simply want the best for your feet, Salomon Trail footwear delivers technical performance, cushioning and protection.

MERRELL – If you love running and enjoy the feel of the surface beneath your feet, their range of Merrell trail footwear is perfect. Feel the surface and feel protected.

Visit our dedicated Adventurunner zone online or instore and turn your run into an adventure with Ray’s new Trail range.

parkdog of the week

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Say hello to CeeCee, our 3rd ‘parkdog of the week’ and 1st who is currently in foster care. That’s right, she can be yours! CeeCee and her foster Mum, Marlena Kaczmarek,
completed their first Mitchelton parkrun together last Saturday! CeeCee is a 14 week old Cattle Dog X puppy. Although she has a lot of energy, the 5km was a bit far for her so Marlena had to take it slow and ended up carrying her the last 50m across the finish line. Although exhausting, CeeCee really enjoyed parkrun and loved meeting all the friendly people and other doggies!

As mentioned above CeeCee is in foster care as she was dumped at the pound at just 5 weeks old so has needed a bit of TLC. She is now ready for adoption and really hoping a parkrunner will give her a forever home! As she grows up she will make the perfect running companion for someone (as well as being a smoochy slightly over-sized lap dog)!

FAQ - Can I run without a barcode?

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Yes, but you won't get a time.

If you cross the finish line please stay in the finish funnel and to take a token from one of our volunteers. Ducking out of the funnel severely distorts our results. You can just give your token to a volunteer.

We operate a 'no printed barcode - no result' policy. If you have been told differently I'm afraid you were misinformed. We are strict with regards to this policy as we process over 70,000 results every Saturday and if we were to relax this policy it would triple the amount of work for our volunteers.

Fortunately, it is easy to print off new copies of your barcode - follow the link in the weekly newsletter, old results email or follow the 'request a reminder email' link on every event's home page. If you don't have access to a printer, why not ask a friend or relative to print it off for you?

Upcoming Special Events

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October
4 - International parkrun Day, Penrith Lakes (NSW) cancelled
11 – Mosman (NSW) 1st anniversary, Berwick Springs (Vic) 1st anniversary, Kalgoorlie-Boulder (WA) 1st anniversary, Launceston (Tas) cancelled
18 – Gungahlin (ACT) 1st anniversary, Kingscliff (NSW) 2nd anniversary, North Lakes (Qld) 2nd anniversary, Brightwater (QLD) launch, Murray Bridge (SA) launch, Launceston (Tas) cancelled
25 – Mudgeeraba (Qld) 1st anniversary, Westerfolds (Vic) 1st anniversary, Darwin (NT) 1st anniversary, Bunbury (WA) 1st anniversary, Kawana (Qld) 2nd anniversary, Main Beach (Qld) cancelled

November
1 - South Bank (Qld) 2nd anniversary, Maitland (NSW) 1st anniversary, Armidale (NSW) cancelled
8 - Diamond Creek (Vic) 1st anniversary, Launceston (Tas) 2nd anniversary, Geographe Bay (WA) launch
15 - Albert Melbourne (Vic) 3rd anniversary, Calamvale (Qld) launch, Shepparton (Vic) cancelled
22 – Sandgate (Qld) 2nd anniversary
29 – Minnippi (Qld) 1st anniversary

Feedback from the field

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Volunteer Profile

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Name:  Barry Ward

Club:  NA

Age:  67

Home parkrun:  Logan River

Occupation:  Retired

Number of runs:  17

PB:  32:25

Number of times volunteered:  5

Favourite volunteer role:  Tail Runner

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  Great way to get to know other people in the group. It feels good to contribute to the group every now and then. When you become a volunteer in a group, you get to become better known by other members of the group.

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  My favourite volunteer position is “Tail Runner”. The first time I did this, I found myself following 2 young ladies (I am 67!) who were walking VERY VERY slowly, just out for a chatty stroll!! I shortly realised that one of them had very recently had a baby – and this must have been the first time she had done much on her feet since giving birth and hence the slow pace.
I decided that, as I was the “Tail Runner”, I would “run” behind them all the way. Do you know how difficult it is to run 5K at 12 minutes per K?? Oh, my aching calf muscles.

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In this week’s edition of the newsletter New Farm parkrun turns 3, our shop goes live and the countdown continues to our 10th birthday.

On Saturday I was lucky enough to attend the 3rd anniversary of New Farm parkrun in Brisbane. New Farm was our second ever event (after Main Beach of course) and went on to become our first ‘big’ event, regularly attracting 200-300 people. Even today, with so many other parkrun events in southeast Queensland, their average weekly attendance is sitting at 232!

There were plenty of familiar faces in attendance at New Farm however I would like to make special mention the Pham family who have been incredibly consistent attendees over the past few years: Kiarne, a recent addition to the 20-24 category, has completed 131 parkruns (126 at New Farm) and has a PB of 21:27. She was the first New Farm parkrunner to join both the 50-club and 100-club and has won the female annual points prize all 3 years; Ethan, in the junior male 15-17 category, has completed 114 parkruns (109 at New Farm) with a PB of 18:00. He won the male annual points prize last year and came in second this year; and Hung (Dad), in the 40-44 category, has completed 67 parkruns (62 at New Farm) and has a PB of 25:03. For me, parkrun is all about family, and no family sums this up better than the Phams. Well done Team Pham, you’re a real inspiration to the rest of us.

On Sunday I ran the marathon at the Sydney Running Festival and phew are my knees hurting today (Monday)! I was thrilled to see so many parkrunners out on the course supporting (Elke Watt, you owe me a high-5), running (Adrian Royce, you left me for dead), even pacing (Jaci Richards, loved your tutu). I’m pleased to report I ran a personal best time (3:14.01) however I went out far too hard and really suffered through the final 10km. They don’t call it a marathon for nothing I guess!

Lastly this week I just want to follow up on the email you received on Sunday from parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt announcing the new parkrun worldwide retail shop in partnership with Wiggle. This is a huge step for us and one that I fully support. It has the potential to completely reshape the shoestring financial model we currently operate with and enable us to continue to launch more and more events in the future and of course keep all of our existing events powering at 100%. One thing you can count on is that your weekly, timed 5km run will always and forever be completely free of charge to the parkrun community around the world… a successful retail shop will just make this easier for us to achieve.

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

p.s. Only 17 days until International parkrun Day 2014.

Were you a first timer last weekend, or did you run a personal best? We would love to hear about your experience on email, @parkrun_au or on Facebook.

Essential Stats for Australia & Singapore

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Number of locations – 93
Number of runners – 11,122
Number of runners global – 73,643
Number of PBs – 2,206
Number of first timers – 1,999
Number of volunteers – 821

International parkrun Day 2014

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Some of you may have noticed that over the last 12 months we have been quietly counting down the days until International parkrun Day 2014. Why? International parkrun Day commemorates the launch of Bushy parkrun on 2 October 2004 and is now celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October. This year IpD is being held on 4 October and, if you do the math, you’ll realize it is parkrun's 10th birthday!

To celebrate this huge milestone we will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘most participants in a 5km run across multiple locations’. The current record was set by Cancer Research UK at the Race For Life One Big Day event and involved 101,246 participants at 23 locations across the UK on 4 June 2006.

So what does this mean for you? Mark it in your diary, tell your friends, bake a cake… and of course don’t forget your barcode!

Western Sydney Marathon

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Unlike Tim, have you recovered like magic from the Sydney Running Festival? Or perhaps you just haven’t gotten around to registering yet for the CHEAPEST and most friendly race in Sydney? Don’t hesitate, time is running out to register for the Atmosphere Health and Fitness Club Western Sydney Marathon on Saturday 4th October 2014. Choice your poison… 5km Family Fun Run, 10km Lap the Lake, Half Marathon or take on the full Marathon.

Every finisher will receive a medal and those taking on the half or the full Marathon will receive a specially designed running cap and there will be plenty for the kids to do on the day with our family friendly activities which are all FREE.

Click here to register.

parkdog of the week

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Say hello to Lily, our 2nd ‘parkdog of the week’. In the photo above she is finishing her fastest ever parkrun at Riverway in Townsville in 36:29 (not bad for an old girl). It’s also worth mentioning that included a short dip in the river at the halfway mark to cool down! Lily is well known at Riverway parkrun as already this year she has been assistant Run Director on no less than six occasions. Everyone knows it is Lily running the show, her fur mummy Kristine is just there because she keeps getting distracted!

FAQ - How do I volunteer at parkrun?

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Each event manages its own volunteers. This is usually done by the Volunteer Coordinator. It's really easy to volunteer. Just follow the simple steps below:

1. Please update your volunteering options on your personal profile page.
Follow the link to "manage my profile". This link can be found in any of our newsletters and in any of your run results emails.
Once in 'Your Links' please click email options and opt in (and out) of receiving volunteer appeal emails.

2. Take a look at the Future Roster on your event's website (hover over the volunteering tab in the top right of your local event’s website).
If you like the look of anything, email the address at the top of the page with your full name, your athlete ID (the number under your barcode) and let the Volunteer Coordinator know when you'd like to volunteer.

If that all seems to hard simply have a chat with the event team at the run, or even better at coffee afterwards, but do also send the team an email. They'll get back to you confirming times and what volunteer role you can fill.

Later in the week the Volunteer Coordinator will send out a roster to everybody who has offered to volunteer that week to confirm roles for Saturday.

Upcoming Special Events

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September
27 – Merimbula (NSW) 1st anniversary, Toowoomba (Qld) 1st anniversary, Tamworth (NSW) launch, Bowral (NSW) launch

October
4 - International parkrun Day, Penrith Lakes (NSW) cancelled
11 - Berwick Springs (Vic) 1st anniversary, Kalgoorlie-Boulder (WA) 1st anniversary
18 – Gungahlin (ACT) 1st anniversary, Kingscliff (NSW) 2nd anniversary, North Lakes (Qld) 2nd anniversary, Brightwater (QLD) launch, Murray Bridge (SA) launch
25 – Mudgeeraba (Qld) 1st anniversary, Westerfolds (Vic) 1st anniversary, Darwin (NT) 1st anniversary, Bunbury (WA) 1st anniversary, Kawana (Qld) 2nd anniversary

Feedback from the field

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Volunteer Profile

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Name:  Andie Walsh

Club:  None

Age:  15

Home parkrun:  Carine Glades

Occupation:  Student

Number of runs:  4

PB:  41.23

Number of times volunteered:  18

Favourite volunteer role:  Timekeeping & Barcode Scanning

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  It's fun, it's sociable, you meet lots of different people.

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  Timekeeping at Claisebrook Cove's 2nd Birthday, watching the heroes and villains running up Heartbreak Hill to the finish.

How can we improve parkrun:  A t-shirt club for volunteers would be great!

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In this week’s edition of the newsletter we plant the seed for IpD, Inverloch is go and prepare to be inspired by Kirri’s comeback.

I’m going to keep it brief this week.

It seems spring has definitely sprung at parkrun as we had a total attendance record across Australia on Saturday of 11,756, a massive leap from last week’s 9,181. Our previous attendance record of 10,833 was set way back on the 8th February however I don’t expect it to take another 8 months to crack it again. In fact I’m tipping we will see 15,000 by the end of the year.

On Saturday I made my way to Wynnum parkrun’s 2nd anniversary event on a typically perfect Brisbane bayside morning. We are now the proud owners of a double-running pram so I pushed both children whilst my wife set her 3rd post-baby PB in as many attempts. Well done Nicci! If you want to see a funny photo of myself with Wynnum Event Director Alan ‘The Professor’ Burrell have a peak through their Facebook page… priceless!

There is plenty of good content in the newsletter this week so that’s probably enough from me however it would be remiss of me to sign off without acknowledging the many, many beautiful and heartfelt feedback emails I received over the past week in response to my piece in the last newsletter about my dog Clarence. So many of the emails I received provided deeply personal accounts of other human-doggy relationships and my family and I were deeply touched by the support we received. It speaks volumes for the strength and character of the parkrun family and we are so grateful.

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

p.s. Only 24 days until International parkrun Day 2014

Were you a first timer last weekend, or did you run a personal best? We would love to hear about your experience on email, @parkrun_au or on Facebook.

Essential Stats for Australia & Singapore

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Number of locations – 93
Number of runners – 11,794
Number of PBs – 2,476
Number of first timers – 2,116
Number of volunteers – 771

International parkrun Day 2014

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Some of you may have noticed that over the last 12 months we have been quietly counting down the days until International parkrun Day 2014. Why? International parkrun Day commemorates the launch of Bushy parkrun on 2 October 2004 and is now celebrated annually on the first Saturday in October. This year IpD is being held on 4 October and, if you do the math, you’ll realize it is parkrun's 10th birthday!

To celebrate this huge milestone we will be attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the ‘most participants in a 5km run across multiple locations’. The current record was set by Cancer Research UK at the Race For Life One Big Day event and involved 101,246 participants at 23 locations across the UK on 4 June 2006.

So what does this mean for you? Mark it in your diary, tell your friends, bake a cake… and of course don’t forget your barcode!

‘Inverloch parkrun Launch’ by Tony O’Connell

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Following possibly the shortest Event Permit application in parkrun history (only 8 working days), sensational conditions greeted 104 runners, walkers and volunteers for the seaside launch of Inverloch parkrun, located some 140km (or 28 parkruns) south east of Melbourne.

The Inverloch parkrun course weaves along our foreshore so there are plenty of great photo opportunities with the sea as a backdrop.

After a briefing from our stump by yours truly, the group walked up to the starting line ready to roll. Bass Coast Shire Councilor Jordan Crugnale expressed Bass Coast Shires delight in hosting a parkrun at Inverloch and then proceeded to cut the ribbon… Inverloch parkrun was go!

94 runners and walkers completed the course supported by 10 volunteers with a massive 64 of these people participating in their first ever parkrun.

Inverloch local Thierry Rolland says of the launch, “There was a great atmosphere. It is refreshing to see so many different people involved and a real community event rather than a highly competitive one. It’s a very handy location when you live in ‘Invy’. I’ll be back!”

From a personal point of view, I was delighted with the turn out and it was great to see so many smiling people running and walking including our first international ‘parkrun tourist’ Nneka Okonta from New Zealand who completed her 100th parkrun right here in Inverloch. We have had so much support from local businesses and volunteers; we are already looking forward to next week.

‘Kirri’s Comeback’ by Simon Redhead

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Newy parkrun has gained a bit of a reputation over the last 12 months or so for engaging with a number of community health initiatives, providing a platform for increasing awareness of health issues in our community.

A couple of weeks ago the Stroke Research and Support Team at Hunter Medical Research Institute and John Hunter Hospital provided a complete team of volunteers for us and, this week, following their own fundraising efforts, sent a team of fifty or so runners to run at Newy parkrun to raise awareness of stroke.

What a morning! We were fortunate enough to meet an amazing and inspiring young woman, Kirri Flanagan, who has a remarkable story to tell.

A little background first. Kirri is a fitness fanatic, doing all the right things in terms of her health. She is a sub-50 minute 10k runner, regularly goes to the gym, does bootcamp - you know the type! She was a very young, fit and healthy 22 year old woman when, in May 2012, she suffered what was diagnosed as a migraine. It was in fact the precursor to a massive stroke that occurred a few weeks later.

She suffered significant cranial bleeding following the rupture of a blood vessel in her brain and the blockage of her carotid artery by a large clot. Her condition was so serious she had to be airlifted from Newcastle to Royal North Shore Hospital in Sydney, attended by Dr. Ferdi Miteff who drove himself down to RNS Hospital to gain insight into implementing a revolutionary surgical technique for stroke treatment.

She suffered full left side paralysis, neglect, palsy and loss of vision. She was initially diagnosed as requiring 24 hour medical care. Walking was out of the question.

So, why is this relevant to parkrun? Well on 13th September we were all privileged to see Kirri complete her first parkrun at Newy following her stroke.

This follows years of hard work and determination on the part of Kirri, her family and her support team including close friend and physiotherapist Lauren Gradwell. Kirri spent three months in hospital and full time rehab at the John Hunter Hospital and has made herself available to any number of research programs on the effects of stroke.

As Run Director on Saturday, it was a huge privilege to be involved in something as wonderful and inspiring as Kirri’s return to running. It just goes to show the power of parkrun in our community and is a perfect example of what parkrun can and should be. The supportive cheer she received from those milling around the finish funnel was wonderful.

Kirri no longer uses a walking stick but her cane bore a sticker, “Dry your eyes princess and HTFU”. For those of you who don’t know what the acronym means Google it with caution. It sums up the willpower and determination of this amazing young woman.

Kirri’s aim is not to be what she was before her stroke, but to be better. I have no doubt that she will achieve this goal with her attitude towards life, her iron willpower and the support she has around her.

On behalf of Newy parkrun, thank you for running with us today Kirri. You are amazing and we look forward to seeing you again very soon.

FAQ - Can children take part?

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We love to see happy children taking part and finishing. We ask that children under 11 are accompanied at all times by a parent or guardian.

If you would like your child to receive a time then you will need to register them separately. However, please note that they must be able to complete the course themselves in order to register and have their barcode scanned (i.e. if they have been pushed around in a buggy, pushchair etc then they cannot have a barcode scanned).

Please visit here to register.

If you're registering for someone else, do remember to check out our policy on registering others.

Upcoming Special Events

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September

20 - New Farm (Qld) 3rd anniversary, Pakenham (Vic) launch, Penrith Lakes (NSW) cancelled
27 – Merimbula (NSW) 1st anniversary, Toowoomba (Qld) 1st anniversary, Tamworth (NSW) launch, Bowral (NSW) launch

October

4 - International parkrun Day, Penrith Lakes (NSW) cancelled
11 - Berwick Springs (Vic) 1st anniversary, Kalgoorlie-Boulder (WA) 1st anniversary
18 – Gungahlin (ACT) 1st anniversary, Kingscliff (NSW) 2nd anniversary, North Lakes (Qld) 2nd anniversary, Brightwater (QLD) launch, Murray Bridge (SA) launch
25 – Mudgeeraba (Qld) 1st anniversary, Westerfolds (Vic) 1st anniversary, Darwin (NT) 1st anniversary, Bunbury (WA) 1st anniversary, Kawana (Qld) 2nd anniversary

parkdog of the week

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Say hello to Roxy, our first ever ‘parkdog of the week’, who is a 4year old Belgium Shepard cross. She was a rescue dog but is now a regular at Augustine Heights parkrun where her PB is 24:54. Roxy claims she could run faster if her Mummy, Narelle Cabassi, was faster herself! Narelle is one of the Run Director’s at Augustine Heights parkrun and on those weeks Roxy still comes along hoping someone else will want to run with her. Roxy’s running highlight outside of parkrun was being the only dog to complete the recent Ipswich Park2Park half marathon and in the process helped her Mum take 11 minutes off her PB.

Feedback from the field

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Volunteer Profile

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Name:  Michael Brown

Club:  Kembla Joggers (although not an active participant

Age:  55

Home parkrun:  Sandon Point

Occupation:  Leisure Specialist and part time Rock and Roll God (in other words…retired)

Number of runs:  22

PB:  22:38

Number of times volunteered:  14

Favourite volunteer role:  Timekeeper

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  It's a nice way to contribute towards such a wonderful event. Sandon Point is an awesome location with a great group of runners, and fabulous volunteers.  Thanks to Nikki McCarthy-Hicks without whose efforts and selfless leadership makes it all happen!  Without her, it may have never come to be!

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  Hmm... well, my most memorable experience was as the timekeeper.  Having grown complacent with my extraordinary timekeeping skills I accidentally pressed the wrong button and stopped the clock as the first runner crossed the finish line. Thankfully I noticed it (almost) immediately, and restarted the clock. The more serious runners would have noticed an 8 second improvement on their times. Thankfully, it wasn't the other way around! And luckily the first runner was spot on and there were no course records set on the day!   I was horrified! (Nikki was non-plussed)...and I still live in fear of the day when I might reset the stopwatch accidentally and lose all the times (nah, it'll never happen).  I do enjoy timekeeping as I like to call out the times as runners come in and I encourage those that are so close to coming in under those magic minute markers and I like the challenge of such an awesome responsibility!

How can we improve parkrun:  It all works pretty well.  The biggest challenge of course is rounding up enough volunteers each week. This might be made easier if we explore the active recruitment of a few non-runners amongst the family and/or friends of the regular participants. Some running clubs also require members to volunteer a few times a year...we might want to look at that. Then there are those of us that are constantly managing some injury or another....which makes for a great opportunity to volunteer while rehabbing...ha ha!