In this week’s edition of the newsletter we go seriously viral, rev it up on the GC and beat the black dog for the last time.

Just over a month ago I made an early morning drive north up the M1 past Brisbane to the beautiful Sunshine Coast for a breakfast meeting with some local council reps and parkrun Event Directors Mel Erbacher and Rachelle Crawford. After the meeting I sat down for a debrief with Mel and Rachelle and the discussion quickly turned to the upcoming launch of our 100th event in Australia at Calamvale. We all agreed this was a very exciting prospect and that it would be great to do something big to celebrate… but what?

Discussion then moved onto the usual stuff: work, parkrun, family, parkrun etc; and Mel mentioned that her husband Adam worked in film production. Knowing that a number of other parkrunners are also budding Spielbergs it made us think that we could probably throw together a pretty awesome parkrun promotional film.

Then the penny dropped. Let’s get each parkrun event to submit a video of their most beautiful or iconic 50m stretch. 100 events x 50m = 5km of footage i.e. the ultimate parkrun!

Without hesitation Mel piped up – “We’ll do it!”

And the rest, as they say, is history.

Over the last month Mel and Adam have spent countless hours coordinating this project, codenamed #parkrunAU100, with the support of all 100 parkrun Event Directors across Australia, to create what is, without question, the single most impressive piece of parkrun media ever made. And the stats don’t lie.

Since we released the film last Thursday evening on Facebook and YouTube it has been viewed over 51,000 times and reached over 187,000 people. This is an unprecedented level of exposure for parkrun and easily the most successful social media foray we’ve ever been part of.

Have you watched it?

If not, do yourself a favour and CLICK HERE.

So Mel and Adam Erbacher, and every parkrun Event Director who helped make this incredible film happen, I salute you.

Finally, I just want to note that this week’s ‘Beating the Black Dog’ will be the last in what has been an incredible series of deeply personal stories shared with me (and you) by parkrunners across Australia. I can say, without hesitation, that nothing has made me prouder than reading these and I want to thank everyone who contributed, although of course not all of them were able to be published. Keep up the great work everyone.

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

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

Number of locations – 100
Number of runners – 12,185
Number of PBs – 2,225
Number of first timers – 1,744
Number of volunteers – 899
Number of members – 155,834

parkrunners Rev It Up!!!

The usual Saturday morning run took on a different form a few weeks ago when the V8 Supercars visited the Gold Coast. A large number of parkrunners from across South East Qld got to test their speed in the 3km ‘Runners Hot Lap’ around the racetrack that was part of the V8 Superfest. In doing so, 'Team parkrun' not only raised some valuable funds for Surf Lifesaving QLD, but were also lucky enough to come away with the $2000 Community Running Reward. Former Kirra parkrun Event Directors Chris van Hoof and Matt Judd, now known as Those Guys Events loved seeing familiar faces crossing the finish line. "It's always great to see parkrunners get out there and enjoy running in different environments.  We saw at the Runners Hot Lap and we are also seeing at the Brisbane and Gold Coast Trail Running Series. The confidence that parkrun instills in people is always inspiring".

Pictured here with the giant winners cheque is Paula Moore and fellow Gold Coast parkrunners.

Festive Arrangements

There are only two days of the year where we allow parkrun events to take place outside of a Saturday morning… Christmas Day and New Year's Day. To see if your home event is hosting a parkrun on either of these days please visit our Christmas Compendium.

‘Beating the Black Dog’ by Anonymous

I have a Black Dog and most days now the Black Dog is happy just to roam freely in the garden and park, playing and enjoying the sunshine, but this has not always been the case.

I have suffered from depression for probably my whole adult life, but I have been through three huge battles in dealing with this depression over the past 14 years. All three times, exercise has helped me get better, it has only been during the past 22 months that I have actually managed my depression, recovered and got better.

Counselling has helped, however, the biggest and greatest change for me has come in changing the foods I eat. I am Gluten Free, Grain Free and pretty much Sugar free and I just eat real whole foods.

The other is parkrun and running!

In January 2013 I started walking to help with weight loss and keep my body moving. Walking turned into jog between trees or power poles, and then it just became more jogging and less walking. I set myself a goal of completing Bridge to Brisbane in under 1 hour. To achieve this I had to run more. Hell, I had to be able to actually run 10km and not stop.

I joined the local running club and attended every fortnight at their runs. I began running at parkrun on the 25th of May. I was scared, I thought I would be last and that they would be waiting for me. How wrong was I?

I love being part of parkrun. I love the family that it has created. I love running. I love cheering and supporting my fellow runners. It was all about the kms and being a part of a community each week. It was about me being out there running, for me. It was during all these runs at parkrun and making the effort for me, that is when my life began to change.

Sure I lost weight. But I had to start to process and deal with the stuff that was going around my head, while I was running. Running makes you accountable to you. Running gives you back so much more than you could ever give it.

Running gave me – “If I can’t run fast I can look good doing it”, I am known for my Fluro tights, crazy hair and motivating people on the run. Others would call it yelling….

Running has given me so many amazing friends and stories from over the past 12 months.

Running is now part of my daily, weekly life. I can put my runners on and open the front door and just run. I can now run and get to a place of complete blankness while running.
I have now completed 2 half marathons, I can easily run 10km without even flinching at this distance.

Running has changed me. Running allows me to be not so broken. Running has given me truly amazing new friends, who I know will be with me for life.

So now my Black Dog comes running with me, but it is me that is out running him now, he can’t catch me.

#showusyourparkrun

As many of you are now proud owners of the official parkrun t-shirt we have started a new photo segment here in the newsletter where you can wear (or hold) the shirt in an interesting and exciting location… or perhaps even with a celebrity! Think “standing in front of the Pyramids” or getting Mick Jagger wearing it!!! I’m sure you get the drift.

Once you have the photo please email it to us and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #showusyourparkrun

This week’s entry was taken at the launch of Calamvale parkrun, our event #100, and includes many of our Brisbane Event Directors and friends.

parkdog of the week

Say hello to Humphrey, our ‘parkdog of the week’. Humphrey and his beagle buddies attend Balyang Sanctuary parkrun in Geelong with their Foster Mum Jo MacCarthy.

My name is Humphrey and I’m 9.5 years old. I’m lucky enough to have made several appearances at Balyang Sanctuary parkrun with my Foster Mum Jo. Jo got me and my buddies from Beagle Rescue Victoria although of course she can only take 1 of us at a time to parkrun! We may not be the fastest pair, but I love getting to sniff every metre of the course, and having a splash in the Barwon River afterwards. Jo often says “Never has a name suited a dog more as Humphrey gets into all manner of strife."

FAQ - Will I be photographed or filmed at parkrun events?

Many of our events have volunteer photographers videoing or photographing parkrunners, for the benefit of the runners. These photographs or videos may be uploaded to our websites or Facebook pages for non-commercial purposes.

To view these photos, please go to the event’s Facebook page.

If you would like to have a specific photo taken down, please get in contact with the event team directly, by going to the event website.

Upcoming Special Events

Launches:
29/11 - The Beaches (NSW); 13/12 - Stanthorpe (Qld), Menai (NSW), Cottesloe (WA).

Anniversaries:
29/11 - Minnippi (Qld) 1st; 6/12 - Bunyaville (Qld) 1st, Lakeview (NSW) 1st, Torrens (SA) 2nd, Mt Gambier (SA) 1st.

Cancellations
29/11 - Lillydale Lake (Vic).

Feedback from the field

Shontae Gama - I'm a keen parkrunner from Carine Glades parkrun in WA and just wanted to say a HUGE thank you for putting a picture of my two boys in last week’s newsletter!!! They can't believe that they're now famous. They loved volunteering with me and are keen parkrun supporters. I think parkrun is an AMAZING initiative and I'm so grateful it exists. Thank you for all your hard work.

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Sarah Firth - Having signed up to parkrun and getting my barcode many months ago, I FINALLY did my first parkrun at Claisebrook Cove in WA on Saturday. I normally do group fitness on a Saturday, but I was persuaded this week by your promotion of a 'naked' run without all the gadgets. Not only was it a beautiful morning in a beautiful location, but everyone was friendly and the atmosphere was great! And I took your advice and had no watch and no music, I just paced myself within the crowd and listened to my body. I didn't get a personal best, but it also wasn't a personal worst and it's a good starting point for me to improve on. I will definitely be making the effort to get down there on a more regular basis and run 'naked' more often!

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Nikki and Ben - We want to say a huge thanks to Nikki and Phil at Mount Gambier parkrun for making us feel so welcome. It's such a beautiful course around the Blue Lake with just the right amount of hills to keep you puffing! Thanks too to all the people who chatted with us - there were so many friendly faces. It was also great to head out for coffee and breakfast afterwards. A well run event, beautiful course and a social catch up afterwards... just what parkrun is all about!

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Shell Bell - I used to run long distance in school. 2 years and 2 months ago, at age 38, I took up running again as I needed to lose some weight after my 4th baby. I started off running 5km with my goal time of 30 minutes. I did this quite quickly so then progressed on to 10km, just running the local Oxenford Regatta Lake. I now run between 12 and 16km by myself and for 2 years wanted to do the Gold Coast Marathon 10km or eventually the half. I have been nervous to do it so have never registered, nervous because the big crowds worried me. So I eventually signed up to parkrun a few weeks ago as I thought this could be a good starting point to rid me of my nerves. Last week I ran my first parkrun at Coomera. I was super nervous but I made it to the start line ready to run. I did my average 5km time which was 28 minutes. I don’t do 5km much as I prefer to do 10+ and I only run flat tracks as I did some damage at the beginning to quads and hamstrings and haven’t risked damage again. But 2 years on I can say I finally gave it a go and even though I was nervous I did it… and I’m going to go back and hopefully get the courage to register for the half marathon next year. Thank you for the fantastic opportunity of running with this awesome organization. I think I’ll love it!

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Linda Charnock - I was a tourist at New Farm in Brisbane on Saturday and just wanted to pass on my thanks for the warm welcome! I was very excited to be a parkrun tourist having been a Tuggeranong 'purist' for 27 runs! The earlier start was good but this southerner still found it hot going! It was interesting to see the similarity but differences between the parkruns. New Farm gives runners joining the 50 club a bib to wear which is a great idea and ensures lots of high fives! New Farm also do a warm up which was fun too. I missed the marshal at the half way point which Tuggeranong has as the smile and a word of encouragement helps as you head back. A great experience and I encourage everyone to try the parkrun tourist experience. Oh yes, really enjoying the ‘parkdog of the week’ and the positive stories on how running has helped people beat mental illness too. Go parkrun!

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Daniel Behrend - Just want to tell you how much my partner (Zor Maung) and I enjoyed our recent trip to Perth. We are parkrunners from Edinburgh and were down under visiting family and holidaying. We did Claisebrook Cove on 8/11 and Rockingham on 15/11. It was great to get a round of applause from all the runners when they heard where we had travelled from. We'd love to welcome you all to Edinburgh. Strangely, both runs were very similar to Edinburgh, especially Rockingham (except the weather, obviously). 
We can't wait to come back.

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Clinton Bishop - I just wanted to thank everybody at Canning River for making my 50th parkrun so special. Run Director Dan Baldwin let everyone know about my parkrun journey, Ben Harris paced me and others to a new PB and people came from parkruns all over the place to run with me. I knew I had a lot of great friends at parkrun, but Saturday blew my mind. It really is an event packed with awesome.

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Jon Storey - This is a picture from Bramhall parkrun (01/10/2011). My son Cameron was 7 years old and completed his first parkrun (33:24). Cameron has since completed a further 113 parkruns and achieved a PB at Geographe Bay parkrun of 24:41. Today, Tuesday 25th November, Cameron turns 11 and he's really looking forward to being able to run parkrun unsupervised. This coming Saturday Cameron will be running at his home parkrun, Claisebrook Cove parkrun. Happy Birthday Cameron.

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Steve Harris - Was it really two years ago? An article in the local paper – ‘Running event to start at Sandgate on Saturday - 5km’. Bah humbug, I don't put my running shoes on for anything less than 10km. But… it was only down the road and it was a nice morning so along I went, and even got my wife, Elaine, out for her first run in 25 years. After a week or two of maybe/maybe not, we were hooked. Now Sandgate parkrun has just had its second birthday party (a very tasteful beach party theme) and I have run 100 parkruns - and Elaine is not far off that number either. Along the way, lots of friends, fun and fitness. But my greatest pleasure is seeing the improvement in the MULTITUDE of people - most of who now seem to be passing me each week. A very big thank you to Event Directors - Dean and  Vanessa, our array of Run Directors, the many many volunteers, as well as Tim, Sarah & Gareth in HQ, all of who are essential links in the success of this phenomenon that is parkrun. And I now hardly put my running shoes on for anything over 5km.

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

Volunteer Profile

Name:  Scott Marshall

Club:  Tuggeranong Vikings Triathlon Club

Age:  50

Home parkrun:  Tuggeranong

Occupation:  Public Servant

Number of runs:  79 (including 8 x parkrun tourist)

PB:  22:50

Number of times volunteered:  6

Favourite volunteer role:  Any/all – preferably near the start/finish to share the parkrun atmosphere.

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  I am happy to help an event that sees people getting out and doing something proactive for their own health.

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  None in particular.

How can we improve parkrun:  We get a free coffee at the café after for volunteering, sounds pretty good to me already!

In this week’s edition of the newsletter we welcome event #100, sample some parkrun poetry and pace with the Prof.

Last Saturday was a significant milestone for parkrun Australia with the launch of our 100th event at Calamvale parkrun in Brisbane. As expected the event drew a big crowd with a healthy mix of locals escaping the G20 lockdown in Brisbane’s CBD and tourists from as far away as Inverloch and Mornington Peninsula in Victoria and Canning River in WA.

We have all become accustomed to parkrun launch events being quite a big deal however this one was really befitting of event #100. Event Directors Maria and Tony Becis clearly put in a mountain of work in the organization as there were volunteers galore, a breakfast BBQ for a worthy local charity (Hummingbird House) and national sponsors Suncorp Bank giving out running singlets and bucket hats. The atmosphere on course was electric and to top it off the playground in the park for the kids was out of this world. It really was a perfect parkrun launch!

To celebrate this milestone Mel Erbacher (Kawana parkrun Event Director) and her husband Adam have spent innumerable hours over the past few weeks producing a short film that will showcase the most iconic stretches of each and every parkrun course in the country. I cannot stress how much work has gone into this project by Mel, Adam and every single Event Director who has embraced the concept and submitted the required video footage. I have seen a preview version of the film and it is simply breathtaking. We will be releasing the film later in the week so stay tuned to all parkrun social media channels if you want to be the first to see it. We will also be sharing it in the newsletter next week.

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

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

Number of locations – 99
Number of runners – 12,425
Number of PBs – 2,099
Number of first timers – 2,238
Number of volunteers – 891
Number of members – 154,263

‘What parkrun means to me’ by Denise Marchant

“Oh My Gosh”, those first time nerves.
The toing and throwing going on in my head.
I could just do my normal Saturday thing.
Or even choose to stay in bed.

“Oh My Gosh”, I made it. I hear my stomach groan.
I really feel a lemon now, just standing on my own.
A million times and more I fiddle with my lace.
Pluck up courage Denise, go over, and take that worried look of your face.

“Oh My Gosh”, I did. The nervous chitter chatter began.
Not just with that one lady, now there is a man.
With introductions spreading, names won’t stick in my head.
But I do remember the friendliness, the smiles and what was said.

“Oh My Gosh”, I’m not alone, we truly are the same.
Others over think and worry, with those first time nerves to blame.

“Oh My Gosh”, here I go again, the toing and throwing in my mind.
Do I keep these feelings in, or spread them to all mankind.

“Oh My Gosh”, decision made – Let the word be spread.
Because I’m so glad my routine changed, to do parkrun instead.

Why? I hear you ask. Well where do I begin?
The list is endless as to why that worried look changed to that big grin?

“Oh My Gosh”, go back to the chatting, the experience sharing,
The friendship making, the mutual caring.
The joy of cheering and supporting each other,
Seeing families run together.

The happy atmosphere, I’m sure you’ll agree,
Is because everyone is special to us in the parkrun community.

“Oh MY Gosh”, I had better come to an end,
Here’s a BIG THANK YOU to the Event Team just before I press send.

WHOOPS!!! Better mention I do also enjoy the walk, jog or run.
Whatever happens it’s always good fun.

‘Pacing with the Prof’ by Karena Stanton

Last weekend my friend Steph and I travelled from Newcastle to Brisbane for the 100th parkrun launch at Calamvale. We had the pleasure of meeting up with the Prof and his Assoc Prof (aka Alan and Roisin Burrell) the evening before for a walk through of Wynnum parkrun and dinner. It was while I was sharing a little of my story about my health struggles over the past year that Prof kindly offered to pace me the next day to try for a PB, even though it was International Run Naked Day.

The next morning Steph and I meet up with others from the Red Army – five30runners club – and Prof and I got ready to start. I have to say that running with the Prof was like running with a celebrity, throughout the course there were calls of "yeah Prof" and "Hi Alan" and "How are you going Alan?" I felt privileged to be running with him. Through the run Prof kept me focused and calm, even when I wanted to give up and walk, he knew when I needed some water and knew when I needed to slow down a bit. At one point I got upset when I saw the 30min pacer go past us and knew I wasn't going to get a PB but Alan kept me focused and talked me through it. He was amazing!!! I grunted and puffed my way through the last 1km with Prof encouraging me the whole way home. We finished strong and Prof was quick to let me know that I had done a PB at Calamvale parkrun. Yes it wasn't an overall parkrun PB but nevertheless a PB!

Anyone who ran on Saturday at Calamvale parkrun would agree that it was hot and humid and tough conditions to run in and not being use to these conditions was hard. I can't thank the Prof enough for running with me and encouraging me the whole way to a Calamvale parkrun PB. The whole weekend with Alan and Roisin was fantastic and Steph and I loved every minute of it.

‘Geographe Bay launch’ by Matty Trent

On the 8th of November the 99th Australian parkrun launched on the scenic Geographe Bay in the Southwest of WA. Typical of the WA parkrun community we had a large number of parkrun tourists attend the event. This was clearly evident by the right hand column of the results table being chock full of 50 and 100 run symbols. It’s fantastic to see the effort that these people put in to make the 250km + trip down from Perth (there was also 1 Cairns regular), but one person went above and beyond to make his way down for the launch event.

Leaving home as the sun rose on the Friday may seem like a little early to get to Busselton by the 8am Saturday start time, but this person, ‘Crazy’ Kevin Wright (shown in the above image), was saddling up for the 270km ride from Perth’s northern suburbs. He went around our course in a little over 22 minutes and got back on the bike for the return journey early Sunday morning. This is indeed a special effort, though I’m sure our magnificent launch cake made the trip worthwhile.

‘Beating the Black Dog’ by Anonymous

I'm a 28yr old mother of 2 amazing children, aged 7 and 1. When my youngest was born I was at my heaviest weight, that alone was depressing enough, then came the sleepless nights. Health issues were popping up with him as well as my eldest. With that came emotional eating and eating on the road as we traveled to numerous hospital appointments and specialists clinics. I knew I needed help, but didn't want to admit I wasn't coping. I pushed everyone away, I barley left the house, days went by where I stayed in pyjamas on the couch completely overwhelmed and feeling like I was drowning, I love my children more than anything but I felt like running away. Soon enough I wasn't able to hide it any longer and my son's health nurse and pediatrician became concerned about my mental health. I brushed their concerns off and said I was fine, too ashamed to admit I wasn't coping.

One night I checked on the boys before I went to bed, as I watched them sleep I realised how helpless they were, they needed me as much as I needed them, I needed to be strong for them, and they needed their Mum.

There was something about running that appealed to me, I felt like I was struggling for air daily, I figured running felt much the same, but in a good way. I googled the couch 2 5km app, read the program and decided this was it. It was time to find myself again. Determined not to be in the high failure rate I set off the next day to buy myself a new pair of runners.

May the 7th 2014 was the day I set off for week 1 day 1, it was hard, I was 15kgs overweight, and had never been a sporty person. This was very daunting. I struggled as I barely shuffled through it, I had to talk myself into not giving up, I thought of my boys back home and how I wanted to be a good role model for them.

As I walked my 5 minute cool down, I felt on top of the world, I was smiling, it wasn't a forced smile like I had become so good at doing, I was actually happy and it felt simply amazing. The weeks went by, I took up swimming and bike riding on my rest days, I was losing weight and feeling fantastic, I could breathe again. I was happy, genuinely happy.

I completed the app and reaching the 5km mark without stopping was exhilarating. For the first time in a long time I felt like I was worth it, I deserved to be happy. Not long after I was faced with knee injury. I thought "I can either give up now or stay focused on healing so I can run again" I joined the gym, combined that with swimming and bike riding to keep myself going. I wasn't giving up, I loved running too much, it made me a better person. 6 long weeks I was able to start running shorter distances again. I was thrilled when I ran 3.5kms and felt like I could have kept going. I slowly built back up and started looking around for a fun run or running club to join. That's when I stumbled across parkrun. As I searched my local area I discovered there was a parkrun about to launch not far from home.

My first parkrun I was the tail runner, I was too nervous to run with a big crowd in case I couldn't make the whole distance. As I was walking I discovered every single person there was at a different fitness level, everyone was so encouraging, it was such a positive experience.

The following weekend I ran and got a PB, the weekend after I pulled another PB! I've volunteered as trailer runner again and plan to do so once a month. This weekend I'm taking my 7yr old for his first parkrun, I'm looking forward to running alongside him and supporting him through to the finish line.

Running has given me my life back and parkrun has opened up a whole new community to me. I've met so many different people of all ages and abilities along the way, it's shown me that the only person I'm competing against is myself.

#showusyourparkrun

As many of you are now proud owners of the official parkrun t-shirt we have started a new photo segment here in the newsletter where you can wear (or hold) the shirt in an interesting and exciting location… or perhaps even with a celebrity! Think “standing in front of the Pyramids” or getting Mick Jagger wearing it!!! I’m sure you get the drift.

Once you have the photo please email it to us and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #showusyourparkrun

This week’s entry comes from Mel Erbacher who says “Massive fangirl moment for me this morning, meeting Terri Irwin at the inaugural ‘Barefoot Breakfast’ fundraiser for the Australia Zoo Wildlife Hospital!”

parkdog of the week

Say hello to Pepsi Max, our ‘parkdog of the week’. Pepsi Max is a regular at Sandon Point parkrun in New South Wales with his owner Jeff Myers.

My name is Pepsi Max and as the slogan goes, I run with "maximum kick and no sugar." I am a 3.5 year old Australian Shepherd and I live with my sister. I have completed 13 parkruns at Sandon Point and get very excited every Saturday morning. I love all the pats, belly rubs and the swim afterwards. I especially love all the volunteers and other runners encouraging me along, and I love giving the same back. It’s great to see how parkrun pulls a local community together.

FAQ - Can my child accompany me on their bicycle (bike, cycle) or scooter?

No, we believe that bicycles or scooters and runners do not mix. The risk of injury to runners and children are too high.

Upcoming Special Events

Launches:
29/11 - The Beaches (NSW); 13/12 - Stanthorpe (Qld), Menai (NSW), Cottesloe (WA).

Anniversaries:
22/11 - Sandgate (Qld) 2nd; 29/11 - Minnippi (Qld) 1st; 6/12 - Bunyaville (Qld) 1st, Lakeview (NSW) 1st, Torrens (SA) 2nd, Mt Gambier (SA) 1st.

Cancellations
29/11 - Lillydale Lake (Vic).

Feedback from the field

Ian Watson - I did the inaugural Geographe Bay parkrun last Saturday. Very well organized, very well attended (over 80 finishers) and very scenic. I have recently recovered from a stroke and I am fortunate that I can run again. I look forward to 5 km along the coast of Geographe Bay each Saturday morning from now on. Thank you to everyone who contributed and participated.

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Geoff Hakes - It was my good fortune last Saturday to be the first (and oldest!) runner to complete 100 Torrens parkruns after being there at the very beginning (2/12/12 ) when Mr parkrun himself, aka Brian Wyld, did such a good job of promoting the event and herding 44 of us together to try it out. It took 10 months before our numbers hit 100, then on week 60 we reached 200 and finally 300 on the day of our 100th event. So now it has become a 'must do' event on the local South Australian running calendar thanks largely to the tremendous support provided by our enthusiastic volunteers. As we approach our official 2nd Anniversary I must say that it has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to jog along with so many friendly and committed runners each Saturday morning. Hopefully I will be able to keep going as long as my wonky knees hold up!

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Marguerite Schwager - I have no special story to share but just wanted to add to the list of emails you are probably getting to say I have loved the 'black dog' personal stories you have shared through the newsletter. Thank you - the stories are inspirational and reinforce how important it is for us all to connect. Engaging in our community through a parkrun has the double benefit of keeping both body and mind healthy. The stories from young people are particularly great to hear - as was the story of the farmer coming in to town to run. Please keep sharing these wonderful stories.

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Denis Snowden - Last Saturday (8/11/14) I completed my first parkrun at Lake Mac. It was fantastic and I had a great time. It is an easy flat run - great for beginners to running. It is a very friendly atmosphere and a great location - running around the lake at that time of day is inspiring. I have talked my grandson into coming on the next run. I will be stoked when we start and finish our first such run together.

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Terry Cokeley - Congratulations to Vivian Ritchie who has recently returned from the Melbourne Special Olympics 2014, with three Silver medals. Vivian was also awarded Sports Woman of the Year 2014 for Elanora State High School. Vivian has been a regular Kirra parkrunner for over 2 years and has completed 62 parkruns. Vivian has been a wonderful inspiration to all of us here at Kirra. She has encouraged both her mum Glenda, her Dad Jamie, and her younger sister Ellie to become regular parkrunners.
Well done Vivian.

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Heather Harrison - I attended my very first parkrun at Blackbutt on Saturday. After registering some time ago, each week I planned to attend, however, when Saturday arrived, I managed to talk myself out of going. Last Saturday, I eventually gathered up the confidence to actually attend the parkrun. It turned out to be a great morning, and very inspiring. I completed the hilly run in 36:45. My inaugural run was made more enjoyable as I identified myself as a "newbie" to one of the volunteers, and was then made very welcome by some of the parkrun participants, and even went for coffee afterwards with some other parkrunners. It is so hard sometimes to take the first step to go along for the first time to something new, but I am so glad that I did. I am intending to attend this parkrun each Saturday and I look forward to next Saturday's run.

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Matt Kelsall - I recently completed my first parkrun and would like to congratulate everyone on a fantastic event. There is so much emphasis and expectation in society these days on winning and competition, is it possible to have the results posted in alphabetical order or in a random list. I believe this would encourage more people to enjoy the concept of exercise and the joy of running. I am really looking forward to running naked in November, this is a fantastic approach to running and something that needs to be encouraged. Fitness is about the mind-body-soul connection not how fast you can run or how big your muscles are.

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Donella Taylor - Just thought I'd share this photo of my family all together at Brightwater parkrun last Saturday. Out of 11 of us, 9 completed the parkrun, youngest member is 7 years old and oldest 70 years old!!

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Dana Lanceman - I would just like to thank Kim, Paul and the rest of the Curl Curl parkrun community. Not only have they given me something to look forward to at the end of each week and the opportunity to make new adult friends (I'm 14), they have also this week just given me the honour of being the first Curl Curl parkrun ‘Suncorp Bank parkrunner of the month’. I feel very privileged - thanks you guys - you're awesome.

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

Volunteer Profile

Name:  Robyn Payens

Club:  NA

Age:  53

Home parkrun:  Logan River – LOVE our course – we get to cross over with all the runners 3 times and it’s so good to be able to give high fives and encourage each other!

Occupation:  Business Owner (Jetts 24 hour fitness) and proud supporter of Logan River parkrun!

Number of runs:  32

PB:  31 mins

Number of times volunteered:  8

Favourite volunteer role:  Handing out the tokens – don’t ask me to do the stopwatch!!!

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  I love cheering everyone on as they finish! It’s great to see people striving for PBs or just making it across the line!

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  When I was on token scanning and the person on the stop watch accidentally hit stop when the second runner came through! Luckily someone else was timing on their watch, so we had to just quickly get pencil and paper and write down all the times for each placing after that!

How can we improve parkrun:  I think it’s already very well organised!

In this week’s edition of the newsletter we prepare for event 100, encourage you to get naked with your clothes on and preview the parkrun 10th anniversary book.

I’ve written something like 150 parkrun newsletters over the last 3.5 years and never have I received the amount of positive feedback as I have in the last 7 days with regards to the article in last week’s newsletter ‘Beating the Black Dog’. Many of you have simply commented on how inspiring it was however I have actually received even more letters this week from people wanting to anonymously share their story of how parkrun has helped them overcome a range of mental health issues. I feel privileged to have been able to read all of these and will continue to share some of them over the next few weeks.

But it was not only via email that I received positive feedback on this topic. On Saturday I visited the team at Roma parkrun, approximately 500km west of Brisbane. Roma is the most remote location I have ever visited for a parkrun and, like many remote communities, there is a higher incidence of mental health issues and sadly, suicide. After the run I was casually chatting with one of the locals when the topic of the newsletter came up and she told me that her husband, who spends the majority of his days working solo on their farm, has started attending parkrun in order to help conquer this social isolation. She said that this simple act of coming into the town for parkrun a couple of hours every Saturday has gained him new friends and confidence and that there were plenty of other examples in their community of parkrun doing this for people. Wow.

This Saturday sees another massive milestone for parkrun in Australia… the launch of our 100th event at Calamvale in Brisbane. Interestingly the G20 is also on in Brisbane this weekend however I think it is unlikely we will see a parkrun-off between Obama, Putin and Abbot… although parkrun is growing steadily now in both the USA and Russia!

It blows my mind somewhat to think about Australia have a century of parkruns. Firstly, the fact that around 900 people will be volunteering to make 100 events happen across the country is amazing. And this happens each and every Saturday. Secondly, around 14,000 of you will lace up your runners and turn up for a free 5km run which is simply incredible. This really is a running and social revolution. It cannot be argued. So many of you are getting fitter, happier and healthier by getting up early on Saturday and of course remembering your barcode.

So this Saturday is a celebration for all of us. Thanks for supporting parkrun, and here’s to the next 100 events!

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

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

Number of locations – 100
Number of runners – 13,270
Number of PBs – 2,542
Number of first timers – 1,973
Number of volunteers – 859
Number of members – 152,491

parkrun… the book

Hot off the press and available very soon is the first book charting the rise of parkrun and how our weekly ritual has become more than just a run in a park.  Penned by Debra Bourne, Event Director at Lloyd parkrun in the UK, and with exclusive access to volunteers and employees around the world, the book will be a fascinating reflection on how parkrun has become the biggest regular running community in the world.

Click here to preorder your copy now.

Naked November is back!

November is famous for more than just moustaches...have you heard about Naked November? Well this Saturday marks the third annual 'International Day of Running Naked' (IDRN), a day to celebrate the pleasures of running naked (while keeping your clothes on)! You see, the 'naked' referred to here is more about gadgets than clothing, & runners are encouraged to strip-back, leaving the devices (watch, GPS, HRM, headphones etc) at home.

Why? Firstly to prove that even in this modern age of rapidly advancing technology, it can still be done, and secondly with the hope of uncovering (or rediscovering) the pure joy & freedom which can be found when we unplug the artificial additives & reconnect with our own body/mind, other runners, and the world around us.

Even parkrun HQ is on board with the 'naked' approach to running.

To help you on your journey to nakedness, this Sat 15th Nov, at all parkruns around Australia and indeed the world, you can spice up your running experience by predicting your finish time, then running gadget-free to see how close you get to your prediction.

To enter, you just need to:

1) 'Like' The Naked Runners Facebook Page.
2) Submit your predicted time using this online form.
3) Run naked & have fun!

There will be prizes for the closest predictions which include a selection of performance-enhancing Naked Runners headbands.

More info via the Naked November Facebook Event Page.

Share your naked stories and photos on Instagram/Twitter via #IDRN14 & #NakedNov14 plus tagging @thenakedrunners

‘Beating the Black Dog’ by Anonymous

When I was 16, it became apparent that my ‘anxiousness’ was becoming a bit more than just being panicky all the time and worrying about silly little things. Anxiety and depression started to rule my life and on top of that, OCD. I had always been a very clean/neat and tidy child. My room was always spotless and everything always put back in its place. Parents all around the world would count that as a blessing! Mine did, until it started to rule my life, and take up a whole lot of unnecessary time in the mornings before school, before bed in the evenings, and before going out anywhere. I'd double and triple-check that I had everything; running around the house checking all the lights were off and that everyone else had their things. All very unnecessary panic and exhaustion for no reason. It really bothered my family and I, and we started to realise that it wasn't exactly normal.

So we consulted our family doctor and he referred us to a Mental Health Nurse. After talking with her and a couple psychologists over a long period of time, they decided to put me on some antidepressants. Fast forward 3 years, I soldiered on through assignments and the torment of the teenage mind, I graduated high school, I moved to Brisbane from Cairns and started to study psychology, realised it wasn't for me and picked up a job so I could stay in Brisbane.

There were a few bumps and road blocks my first year being down here, but I conjured up strength and got around them. At the start of this year, I came off my medication and channeled my energy and thoughts into other things that I enjoyed and spending time with family and friends.

The rest of my family live here in Brisbane, along with my grandma and granddad. My Grandma is a parkrunner. She runs at Yarrabilba now, but used to be a regular at Logan River parkrun. I was never a fit person, or someone who actually enjoyed sport, but something changed in me when I saw how happy Nanny was doing parkrun. She started running at 55, and is now 69. She is my rock and my motivation and an absolute gun at running.

One day I decided to join her at Logan River, and that's where things started to change in me even more. I started doing parkrun more and trying out different locations. The parkrun community made me feel like I had a place to be running in the early hours of Saturday mornings. The environment parkrun has, wherever it may be, is always a happy one.

I've been doing parkrun for about 7 months now, and needless to say, I love it. I always look forward to Saturday mornings now! Wanting to get up early, live and breathe the happiness and joy running and exercise brings to me. parkrun helped bring that change in me and make it more solid. I still have bad days, but I remind myself to keep focused and look forward to things to come (parkrun being weekly definitely helps - so there's always something to look forward to).

I know this was a bit of a long winded story and there are a lot of loose ends, but I've never actually written it out like this. Exercise has changed me, the endorphins get me so pumped up and excited and happy; it's brilliant! I wish I could explain things a bit clearer and explain to you the timeline / how everything really went down with the smaller details, but that's as short as I can get it. This was how my brain decided to have it come out today haha!

#showusyourparkrun

As many of you are now proud owners of the official parkrun t-shirt we have started a new photo segment here in the newsletter where you can wear (or hold) the shirt in an interesting and exciting location… or perhaps even with a celebrity! Think “standing in front of the Pyramids” or getting Mick Jagger wearing it!!! I’m sure you get the drift.

Once you have the photo please email it to us and post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #showusyourparkrun

This week’s entry comes from Gary Clarke who says “parkrun t-shirt arrived today. Yaaaaah. #loveparkrun”

parkdog of the week

Say hello to Tokens, our ‘parkdog of the week’. Tokens made his parkrun debut at the Diamond Creek parkrun 1st anniversary celebrations this week. He was all keen to complete his first parkrun but the hot weather got the better of him and he had to turn back about 100m in. Seems his big paws aren't made for running and while he didn't look to be too heat-stressed, loud puffing could be heard behind his permanent smile and he was keen to find a big bowl of water to drink. When asked what he thought of parkrun, Tokens said "Woof" which we translated as "I'll be back soon but it will be someone else's turn to wear this suit!"

FAQ - What sort of courses can I expect at parkrun?

Our courses are varied.

Some are single lap courses, others multi-laps. They are generally not too hilly, but some have a few bumps. We stay away from roads (and cars), but all are on reasonable surfaces.

As far as venues are concerned, they range from urban parks, country parks and seaside promenades to nature reserves, woodland and open fields.

Upcoming Special Events

Launches:
15/11 - Calamvale (Qld); 29/11 - The Beaches (NSW); 13/12 - Stanthorpe (Qld), Menai (NSW), Stockton (NSW), Cottesloe (WA).

Anniversaries:
15/11 - Albert Melbourne (Vic) 3rd; 22/11 - Sandgate (Qld) 2nd; 29/11 - Minnippi (Qld) 1st; 6/12 - Bunyaville (Qld) 1st, Lakeview (NSW) 1st, Torrens (SA) 2nd, Mt Gambier (SA) 1st.

Cancellations
15/11 - South Bank (Qld), Shepparton (Vic); 29/11 - Lillydale Lake (Vic).

Feedback from the field

Adam & Renee Gimbert - We had a great time at Durham parkrun in North Carolina (USA) last Saturday.

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Wendy Dawson - Saturday was my first ever parkrun at Campbelltown. Everyone was friendly and very inviting and after 5 minutes I felt like I had been coming for months. What a great concept and a great way to get people off the lounge. I will be encouraging my friends and family to join me in the coming weeks when I hit the pavement again. All of the other runners / walkers were very encouraging and helped push me along the way. I was lucky enough with my hard work to come across the line as first female finisher with a time if 24.10. I now have something to aim for, with a goal to beat this time before Christmas. A big thank you to the founder of parkrun and the wonderful volunteers that have brought this event close enough to get me out of bed on a Saturday morning. Hopefully there will be another a little closer to home soon.

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Richard Holgate - Me and another regular at Gungahlin parkrun in the ACT.

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Johanne Schlaer - I've just read the latest parkrun newsletter and I wanted to mention how proud I am of 'Anonymous' who wrote the story 'Beating the Black Dog'. Being an anxiety sufferer myself I can relate. Reading their story bought a tear to my eye! Knowing that such a great event like parkrun has bought so much joy to this person gave me the warm fuzzies! Thank you for sharing your story 'Anonymous' you have touched my heart! And I absolutely LOVE the new segment of 'parkdog of the Week'! Thank you for a great read.

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

Volunteer Profile

Name:  Karen Franks

Club:  Kalgoorlie Tri Club

Age:  33

Home parkrun:  Kalgoorlie-Boulder parkrun, WA

Occupation:  OHS Consultant

Number of runs:  6

PB:  29:53 (yes! Finally under 30 min!)

Number of times volunteered:  5

Favourite volunteer role:  Photographer

What do like about volunteering at parkrun:  It’s always nice to be able to give back, and I love to be able to try to give everyone a memento of their run, by getting as nice a photo of our parkrunners as possible. Try being the operative word! (If you’re out of focus, it’s because you’re running so fast!)

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment:  Running on Christmas Day. Just about everyone had dressed up to some degree (my sister and I both wore matching Santa hats) and it was a wonderful way to share the day with our like minded friends.

How can we improve parkrun:  The volunteer roles are well thought out and importantly, easy for people to do. The only suggestion I can make is that everyone give volunteering a go at some stage! It’s fantastic fun!