weekly newsletter 27 April 2016

Posted on April 26, 2016 by newsletteradmin

welcome to the newsletter

On Sunday parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt completed the London Marathon in a very respectable 3:32:08. I followed Paul’s run using the very fancy tracker app provided on the London Marathon website and it was impressive to see that Paul’s pace sat around 5 minutes / kilometre for the entire race... In fact his last kilometre (5:04) was actually faster than his first (5:06).

Paul is claiming that this was his final marathon, preferring to stick to shorter distances in the future. If so, what a great way to go out, raising over £20,000 for parkrun UK's official charity partner, Alzheimer's Research UK!

A few words from Paul -

“So it's all done now. My last marathon and all for Alzheimers Research UK. I ran every step with someone in mind. There are thousands of people out there who have to give up their lives while they look after a family member who suffers from Dementia. The disease is appalling, robbing people of their dignity usually after they have given great service to their families, their colleagues and to their communities. We can change this. I had many responses to my bid to raise donations from people who either asked me to run for them or their family member or who simply identified with this suffering. A great many sufferers are parkrunners. We are all in this together. And so when you see me running with a smile and fighting the lack of strength in those last six miles then you know I was doing this for them. I am so proud of the way parkrunners responded to donate a pound towards ARUK. Every little bit helps so much. ARUK is one of the smallest charities. We've raised over £20K on my page alone. This from over 1,800 donators. Simply outstanding so thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

Good on you Paul, and thanks for continuing to be an inspiration to us all.

Speaking of the London Marathon, the winner of the men's race, Eliud Kipchoge, set a course record (and the second-fastest marathon time ever) of 2:03:05 for the 42.2 kilometres... That's an average pace of 2:52 for each kilometre over an entire marathon!

Or think of it this way - eight back-to-back parkruns at an average time of 14:20 for each 5km... then a cheeky 2.2km to finish off!!!

WOW!

Happy parkrunning,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

Were you a first timer last weekend, did you run a personal best or do you have any other feedback? We would love to hear from you on email, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Essential Stats

Victorians #findyourmotivation this Saturday

Are you ready to show your friends why you ‘‎loveparkrun‬’?

This Saturday, as part of our Find Your Motivation campaign with VicHealth, we challenge each and every one of you to share why you ‘loveparkrun’ and bring a rookie friend or family member to their first ever parkrun.

They don’t even need to run, walking is great too – and it might just change their life.

Click here to find out more about VicHealth’s Find Your Motivation campaign.

Heart Week

The 1st of May until the 7th of May is Heart Week!

To celebrate we have invited Heart Foundation Walking to join our regular Saturday events for a series of Heart Week Walks at selected locations. This Saturday it is Tuggeranong parkrun in the ACT and Torrens parkrun in South Australia.

Click here for more information about Heart Week.

The books are back in town

The NEW 2016 | 2017 Entertainment Book Memberships are live. Click here to order now!

The Entertainment Book, and the Entertainment Digital Membership, are your guide to the most popular restaurants, attractions, shopping, travel and more, all with valuable up to 50% off and 2-for-1 offers.

20% of every membership sold is donated to parkrun to help us continue to grow our events around Australia. You can help us by sharing this link with your friends and family. Thanks for your support!

Upcoming Special Events

Launches:
30/04 – Parkville (Vic)
07/05 – Batemans Bay (NSW)
14/05 – The Entrance (NSW)
21/05 – Portland (Vic)
04/06 – Narrabri (NSW), West Beach (SA)
11/06 – Goondiwindi (Qld)
02/07 – Cobram (Vic)

Anniversaries:
07/05 – Cleveland (Qld) 3rd, Altona (Vic) 1st, Rhodes (NSW) 1st
14/05 – Curl Curl (NSW) 3rd, Yarrabilba (Qld) 2nd
21/05 – Coburg (Vic) 1st, Roma (Qld) 2nd, Taree (NSW) 1st, Varsity Lakes (Qld) 3rd
28/05 – Castlemaine (Vic) 1st, Devonport (Tas) 1st, Highlands (Vic) 3rd, Mt Penang (NSW) 2nd, Penrith Lakes (NSW) 2nd, The Ponds (NSW) 1st

Cancellations:
30/04 – Port Macquarie (NSW), Geographe Bay (WA)
07/05 – Sirromet (Qld)
04/06 – Penrith Lakes (NSW)

parkdog of the week

My name is Ollie. I am a 3 year old Cattle Dog cross Kelpie and have been doing parkrun with my Mum, Tracey, since late 2015. The first time I did parkrun I was really scared at the start as everybody crowded around me. Mum and I waited until most people went past and then we started running. I think that week we ran 23 minutes. Last weekend we ran our PB of 21:21. Some people think I give my Mum an unfair advantage because I am a fast runner but she has to pull me along sometimes after we hit the turnaround point. Each week is even better as I get to meet lots of other dogs to sniff and humans who like to pat me. Mitchelton parkrun is the highlight of my week and I look forward to seeing you guys there!

Feedback from the field

Ros Lowe - Some parkrun days are more special than others. Today my left Kidney from Sydney (along with its current owner!) completed its first Mount Barker parkrun in South Australia! It was a first ever parkrun for my daughter Anne Marie and my former left Kidney (which had done 50 or so parkruns before moving interstate). I am sure it was mightily pleased to join my right Kidney for a brief while!

Linda Broschofsky - Last Saturday I was lucky enough to once again partake in some parkrun tourism. Cairns parkrun was very welcoming and in spite of the torrential tropical rain, I had a fabulous run on one of the most scenic courses I've ever done. I've never run in rain that hard and had water pouring down my body from top to toes. But the smile never left my face. It was wonderful and exhilarating not to have the sun beating down on you. And best of all I got to meet the parkdog and his human that was featured in this newsletter a few weeks ago, a super friendly black Labrador.

Elke Robinson - I wanted to write to you to say thanks and also boast a bit. What an amazing concept and community you have created! Our local Lismore parkrun has only recently started and has had three events thus far. We attended week 3 as newbies however have dabbled in running over the years but my husband was always a non-runner; "I could never run 5km", "I'm not a runner", "People will laugh at me", "I'm too slow"... These were just some of the words I have heard fall from his mouth over the years. But after recently losing 20kg Peter stepped way out of his comfort zone and decided he would join me in our first foray into parkrun. And can I just say - wow! Everyone was so welcoming and warm. Not once did either of us feel out of place or embarrassed. All the attendees high fived and encouraged each other all through the course and Peter completed the whole 5km running non-stop! Thank you for creating such a wonderful community and place where you are free to walk, run or skip along if you want to. Hubby has definitely been bitten by the running bug and this will now become a wonderful way for us to start each Saturday.

Tim Ellis - Two years ago, my mum had just started to get into a little bit of running at her gym to remain fit and active in her elder years. To encourage her to have some fun with her running and to get her off the treadmill at the gym, I gifted her a parkrun barcode as a Mother’s Day present. At first, my mum was unsure and thought that I was a "cheapskate" by giving her a free barcode for Mothers Day. With some trepidation, she turned up to her first event at Bunyaville a couple of weeks later and was unsure of what to expect. She was expecting it to be full of hardcore runners and that she would be totally out of place given she had never done any form of running in the past – let alone trail running which Bunyaville parkrun is famous for. However, with some encouragement, she found that this was not the case and fell in love with the community spirit and the encouragement she received from everyone at Bunyaville parkrun. She also dragged along my father and together they now have a couple of age records at a number of parkrun courses. The attached photo is from Bunyaville parkrun last week where my Dad celebrated his 50th parkrun (hence the tutu) and my mum celebrated her 70th parkrun. My Dad has also volunteered more than 30 times along the way and now has the coveted purple volunteer shirt. Both are approaching their mid-70s and both are an inspiration to many people. I'm very proud of them for being active and getting involved and it's fair to say, that parkrun is now a highlight for them each week. In addition, they have also introduced parkrun to a number of other friends and family and are actively promoting the benefits of parkrun to anyone who will listen. I think my cheapskate present is in fact one of the best gifts that I have given them as it has helped them to meet new people and to stay active in their retirement.

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: Penny Byrne

Age: 54

Home parkrun: Wynnum

Number of runs: 103

PB: 24:39

Number of times volunteered: 23

Favourite volunteer role: Pacer because it’s great to help others run a PB and I am naturally gifted at running slowly.

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: When I was overtaken by a three-legged dog. Great motivation to speed up as I did not want a photo with him in front of me at the finish. Or possibly the time I gave out tokens 100-149 in reverse order.

I volunteer at parkrun because: that's how it works.

One thing I love about parkrun: is that anyone can participate.

Reminders

barcode reminder

Printed barcodes are used at all our events to record your result. Please click here to collect and print your barcode. No barcode = No result = No exceptions. To order your barcode on a laser engraved silicone wristband as shown above please click here. #dfyb (don't forget your barcode).
No printed barcode, no result.

All questions answered

Do you have a question about parkrun? How do I collect my club T-shirt? How do I get my barcode? All your questions are answered on our brand new support site

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

Children under the age of eleven must be accompanied at all times by a parent, guardian or other designated adult of the parent's choice. It must also be ensured that children place themselves appropriately at the start so as to prevent a situation where they are being repeatedly overtaken. This is to ensure the safety of your child.

Our Sponsors

At Suncorp Bank we value the communities in which we live and work. From helping keep Australians safe from the sun to supporting what matters to the community through our sponsorship of major running events and parkrun Australia, we're dedicated to making a real difference in people's lives. Explore Suncorp Bank

building our future

Stockland is Australia’s largest diversified property group. We develop and manage residential communities, retirement living villages and retail centres – the building blocks of thriving communities. Explore Stockland

weekly newsletter 19 April 2016

Posted on April 18, 2016 by newsletteradmin

welcome to the newsletter

To say the last seven days on planet parkrun has been interesting would be an understatement. In fact I would say it has been, without a doubt, the most intense week of ups and downs, highs and lows our little (well not so little anymore) organisation has ever witnessed. I’ll walk you through it:

April 12 – We launched a new website, #loveparkrun, that highlights our belief that by breaking down barriers to participation and making regular physical activity FREE, FUN and SOCIABLE, we can create a healthier and happier planet.

April 13 – Distressing news was received from the UK that overnight Stoke Gifford Parish Council became the first in the world to impose a charge on parkrun for the use of its grounds.

April 14-15 – A media frenzy ensued following Stoke Gifford Parish Council’s decision with almost every major media outlet in the UK covering the story.

April 16 – Lalor parkrun launched becoming our first event in Australia supported by its local Aboriginal Health Service. This is a wonderful milestone for parkrun and you can read more about this below.

April 17-18 – The world continued to react to Little Stoke’s plight with athletes including Paula Radcliffe and Dame Kelly Holmes Tweeting their support.

So that brings us to today. Little Stoke parkrun was cancelled on Saturday and we are yet to reach a resolution with Stoke Gifford Parish Council. However as they say, any publicity is good publicity, and we have been on the receiving end of what has been dubbed the ‘Little Stoke Effect’:

There were 2,199 additional parkrun UK registrations on Tuesday and Wednesday, an 83% increase during the height of the media attention. This was followed by a 45% increase on Thursday and a 13% increase on Friday.

By midnight Friday we can put 3,413 additional registrations in the UK down to the “Little Stoke Effect”.

Two thirds of Little Stoke runners ran anyway. 182 Little Stoke parkrun registrants ran at other parkruns on Saturday, and its average attendance in the last four weeks was 271.

So like the phoenix rising from the ashes, the impact from Little Stoke parkrun’s adversity has had a seriously positive impact on the rest of parkrun in the UK and no doubt around the world. However keep your fingers crossed for our cousins at Little Stoke as their future is far from certain.

Happy running,

Tim from parkrun Australia (get in touch)

Were you a first timer last weekend, did you run a personal best or do you have any other feedback? We would love to hear from you on email, Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.

Essential Stats

‘A true inspiration’ by Diane & Bryan Barrera (Hamilton parkrun Event Directors)

When we started Hamilton parkrun, we had a vision… to create a healthier, happier and more inclusive community. We wanted to give our local community access to a free weekly event where they could not only strive to achieve personal fitness and health goals, but they could also connect with others and socialise, building their local support networks. We also wanted to make use of Lake Hamilton, an incredible asset that has so much potential but one that is so often underutilized.

We could never have known the true benefits we would bring not only to members of our community, but also to ourselves. We are encouraged and inspired each week when we witness our regulars kicking big ‘Personal Best (PB)’ goals, and our newcomers grinning from ear to ear at the realisation that they have just found something that really ‘works’ for them.

One of the big inspirations for us at Hamilton parkrun is Dr David Rendell, pictured above. David is a regular Hamilton parkrunner, he is 59 years old, a new grandfather, and he also has Parkinson’s disease.

David has now completed 19 parkruns in total, with 18 of them being at Hamilton and one at Shepparton parkrun. David has kindly volunteered, and in March, he attended parkrun every week, achieving a personal best finishing time on two occasions. In total, David has improved his 5km run completion time by 4minutes and 27 seconds, with his fastest finishing time being 25minutes and 43seconds.

We asked David to make some comments and he says,

“Since I have joined parkrun my running has really improved. The camaraderie, encouragement and efforts of other runners has turned a boring, repetitive task into something I look forward to each week.

parkrun is helping me enormously in my journey with Parkinson's Disease. I recently participated in a University trial which showed the benefits of exercise on brain functioning.

In my case, that exercise was (participating in and preparing for) parkrun. I joined the National Centre for Farmer Health Team and participated in the 10km Melbourne Fun Run. This event got me off the couch and parkrun has kept me off the couch!”

David’s volunteer profile is at the end of this newsletter.

‘Lalor parkrun tourism’ from the blog macgirlrunning

Another Saturday, another new location for parkrun – my 17th location so far and, this time, another launch. Lalor in Melbourne’s north had their first event today which attracted 198 parkrunners who were treated to a glorious autumn morning.

Being the launch, you expect a bit of a fanfare but Lalor was in a class of its own, starting with a Welcome to Country from an elder of the Wurundjeri people, following by an enthusiastic welcome from the Mayor, a welcome from Aunty Pam (representing the Victorian Aboriginal Health Service and talking about the importance of a healthy lifestyle) and then the run briefing. Already impressed by this, we were then treated to a warm up from the team from Indigenous Hip Hop Projects before we moved off to the start line.

The course starts inside Whittlesea Public Gardens and loops around and over the High 5 Bridge (crossing the Hume Highway) which gives you great views of Melbourne and a fabulous opportunity to cheer on fellow parkrunners. From there, you run on a concrete path alongside the highway (with the noise diminished thanks to a barrier) before reaching the turnaround point and heading back to the gardens. The highlight is definitely the bridge – a lot of fun and not at all crowded. The finish is back in the gardens with easy access to toilets, playground and parking as well as spacious gardens.

As a special launch treat, participants were given apples or bananas and treated again to a performance by IHHP and, for those who still had energy to burn, a workshop to explore your own hip hop skills.

I have to say, as launches go, this one was very impressive and the team should be very proud of all they have achieved. The entire 5km was filled with supportive comments and smiles from all and the general atmosphere was very friendly, welcoming and non-competitive, fully embracing the parkrun spirit. Well done to all and wishing you many happy Saturday mornings to come.

The books are back in town

The NEW 2016 | 2017 Entertainment Book Memberships are coming soon. Click here to pre-order now!

20% of every membership sold is donated to parkrun to help us continue to grow our events around Australia. You can help us by sharing this link with your friends and family. Thanks for your support!

Upcoming Special Events

Launches:
23/04 – Clare Valley (SA)
30/04 – Parkville (Vic)
07/05 – Batemans Bay (NSW)
14/05 – The Entrance (NSW)
21/05 – Portland (Vic)
04/06 – Narrabri (NSW)
02/07 – Cobram (Vic)

Anniversaries:
23/04 – Ginninderra (ACT) 4th, Lillydale Lake (Vic) 2nd, Rockingham (WA) 3rd, Stones Corner (Qld) 2nd
07/05 – Cleveland (Qld) 3rd, Altona (Vic) 1st, Rhodes (NSW) 1st
14/05 – Curl Curl (NSW) 3rd, Yarrabilba (Qld) 2nd
21/05 – Coburg (Vic) 1st, Roma (Qld) 2nd, Taree (NSW) 1st, Varsity Lakes (Qld) 3rd
28/05 – Castlemaine (Vic) 1st, Devonport (Tas) 1st, Highlands (Vic) 3rd, Mt Penang (NSW) 2nd, Penrith Lakes (NSW) 2nd, The Ponds (NSW) 1st

Cancellations:
23/04 – Port Macquarie (NSW), Chermside (Qld), Penrith Lakes (NSW), Lismore (NSW)
30/04 – Port Macquarie (NSW), Geographe Bay (WA)
07/05 – Sirromet (Qld)
04/06 – Penrith Lakes (NSW)

parkdog of the week

My name is Sooty. I was a rescue dog, about to be euthanised, on the day I was rescued from the pound by my mistress. I don’t even know how old I am but I am eternally grateful that I am here as I would not be able to go in my favourite event of the week, parkrun! I just love parkrunday! I have become so much fitter as I have been in nearly 120 runs at Ginninderra parkrun (if you could tail runner as well). The people there are so friendly and supportive so my enjoyment of running is heightened and I am a lot fitter! I love children, being patted and meeting other friends. I see up to six other human family members at parkrun each week. Now it is so addictive even though I am getting older, my fitness is improving thanks to Gindy parkrun!

Feedback from the field

Sarah & Curtis Biggs - Congratulations to Steve and Emily Parker on their wedding on Saturday 9th April. Steve and Emily managed to fit in their 5kms before their wedding, with family and friends in tow! Their ceremony and reception was very fitting, taking place along the banks of the Murray River on the Albury Wodonga parkrun course. Both are regular parkrunners and have taken on responsibilities as Run Directors. Their contribution to parkrun has been invaluable and we feel very blessed that we could share their special day with them. We wish you all both a lifetime of love and happiness.

Janice Bertram – My husband Wayne and I love parkrun and went to our first parkrun at Aveley around September 2013. Before going to Aveley for the first time for parkrun, we had no idea that the suburb of Aveley even existed! We knew about the neighbouring suburbs of Ellenbrook and The Vines, but not Aveley, and we were really taken by how beautiful the area is and fell in love with it. In July last year, after living in our then-current home in Beechboro for 30 years, we made a sudden decision to build a new home and move to a new area. The area between Beechboro and Aveley in the Swan Valley is basically a 12km strip of new homes being built, but we both knew that if we were to build it had to be in Aveley. We did do a quick drive through some of the other new areas, but chose Aveley because of how beautiful it is and it already felt like home. We should be moving into our new home in Windermere Boulevard in about three months, and are looking forward to coming home every night to such a nice area, and especially being able to walk a few hundred meters up the road to the start of parkrun on parkrundays. If it wasn't for parkrun, we wouldn't have known about Aveley, nor be moving in soon. It would be great if you can pass this onto Stockland so they know they are doing such a good job and thank them for their sponsorship of Aveley parkrun!

Renee Gimbert – How many parkruns have you completed? Well on Saturday Gold Coaster Brian Peters became the first Australian to join the illustrious 250-club. Brian was at Main Beach parkrun event #1 back in April 2011 and has hardly missed a week since. Oh... and Brian has volunteered a massive 45 times! Good on you Brian Peters, you're a legend and a true inspiration. Your name will forever be etched in the parkrun Australia history books!

Rachel Waldock - I've been running with parkrun since the beginning of the year. I haven’t run every week but each time I do, I shave a little time off my PB. Last week I ran at Newy parkrun and until then I'd only been able to run the first kilometre or so. But something clicked last week and I ran more than half way at a great pace! I was so keen to finish and get my time. When I got to the end I searched my waist band for my barcode, but I couldn't find it! It was then that I remembered I had put my phone in my waist band at one point while I re-did my hair, and it must have come out then. I was so flustered and annoyed that I couldn't get my barcode scanned, that I forgot to ask a volunteer for an approximate time! Needless to say I am very keen for my next run and I'm going to invest in a barcode wristband! Thank you to everyone who volunteers and makes parkrun possible! I love the supportive atmosphere and being able to challenge myself to go further.

Kerry Bray – A group of Woodstock Runners from Sydney's Inner West called into Bowral parkrun on our way to Canberra last Saturday. We were greeted by a friendly group of parkrunners and made most welcome. PBs all round added to the morning, as did the breakfast at Briars. Thanks to everyone for an enjoyable morning.

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: David Rendell

Age: 59 years

Home parkrun: Hamilton of course

Occupation: Veterinarian

Number of runs: 19

Favourite volunteer role: My favourite role is giving out tokens as people cross the finish line.

Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: Shaving a minute off my fastest 5km run time at parkrun on the morning after I became a grandfather.

How has parkrun changed your running?: I have gone from being a shuffler to being able to pass myself off as a runner!

What do you like about parkrun?: The anticipation before the run, the sense of achievement and camaraderie afterwards. The remarkable lift it gives me that whole day. Hamilton's National Centre for Farmer Health has been promoting the benefits of exercise for some time. Parkinson's Research is now confirming a physiological basis to the positive impact of exercise on improving all brain functioning not just movement. parkrun provides me with the incentive to exercise regularly.

Have you learnt something new about yourself, or about the local community, since parkrun was introduced to Hamilton?: How quickly I have grown to enjoy the sensation of running freely and how much I missed that sensation when an injury sidelined me from running for a week.