welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s edition of the newsletter we salute Tasmania’s Mr parkrun, hear from a White Stripe-powered parkrunner and the Pointy End returns.
It seems like we’re reaching one milestone after another at the moment. Just two weeks ago we were celebrating the launch of our 100th Australian parkrun, and on the weekend just gone, I attended the first official parkrun Australia AGM on the Gold Coast. In attendance was our Board (see picture below), Management Team and a fine selection of our local Event Directors (all of our EDs have the option of becoming Associate Members).
Needless to say it was a very positive experience, reflecting on a massive 2014 in which we have gone from 56 events to 101, and from 75,000 registered runners to over 155,000!
It also provided me with the perfect opportunity to present my vision for the next 12 months.
The single biggest issue facing us as we head in to another year is ensuring we have the financial resources available to be able to fulfil our mission: a parkrun in every community that wants one.
Whilst we do receive some council funding, and have been successful with the occasional grant application, the vast majority of our revenue comes from sponsorship.
We are extremely careful about who we partner with, and strongly defend our core values and ethos. Unfortunately, this means most of the conversations we have with potential partners fail to go the distance.
One of the first questions we ask a potential sponsor is: “have you taken part in a parkrun?” You might have heard of parkrun, but you just can’t fully understand it until you’ve been to one and seen firsthand the atmosphere and environment it creates.
Pleasingly the answer to this question is increasingly “yes!”
As we grow, we can see that there is no shortage of companies that would like to partner with us. But it’s about making sure we get the right fit. To that end, we’re working hard to bring in one or two more sponsors to the family and to secure the future growth of parkrun Australia.
I think it’s a pretty unique opportunity for the right company to help us realise a healthier and happier community.
And when we re-group for the 2015 AGM, I hope we’re able to show that, with the support of our family of sponsors, parkrun Australia has doubled in size again.
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 – 11,519
Number of PBs – 2,272
Number of first timers – 1,671
Number of volunteers – 918
Number of members – 157,244
Public Relations? We need your help!
When I meet people and tell them about parkrun I tend to get one of two responses: 1. “Never heard of it”; or 2. “Oh my God I love parkrun, it has absolutely changed my life. It’s just the best thing ever!” There doesn’t seem to be much grey area and one of the reasons for this is that we don’t actively promote ourselves, having historically relied on organic growth or word of mouth.
In 2015 I’d like to see the term ‘parkrun’ become part of the Australian mainstream. I’m not saying everyone has to come along or even like what we do, but I would like to think that most people have heard of us and know that it is a free, timed, weekly 5km run open to all.
Unfortunately however I’m not a PR expert however I’m guessing that some of you are. So if you have the time, energy and most importantly passion to use your professional skills to help parkrun grow in 2015 please do get in touch. Please note this would be a volunteer position and could be tailored to suit.
“Thanks Boono” by Cathy Lawrence
Our first parkrun in Launceston, TAS was at 9am on 10th of the 11th month in 2012. Craig Boon, our founder and Event Director, loves puzzles and numbers. So it is that he has decided after overseeing 100 parkruns that it is time to step down from that role.
For the first 4 months of our existence, in addition to being our Event Director, Craig was our only Run Director. He and his wife Tina would be there early every Saturday morning to mark out the course and brief the volunteers as we saw our numbers climb from an initial 92 to our current course record of 217 achieved at our 100th run this week.
It wasn’t until March 2013 that he actually first ran in the event, proving that he is a sprightly runner as well as a great and committed organiser. Even when running or being away he has still organised the weekly volunteers, regularly spending a lot of time chasing up extra people to ensure that the event ran smoothly.
During our second year Craig started to grow a team of potential Run Directors, training each of them and always being available as they took their first tentative steps in the role. Now we have a roster of people able to lead and submit the results each week and he has had a little more time to run. Despite this he has still volunteered over 50 times, that is on average once a fortnight!
As he steps down from Event Director we are not losing him, he will continue to be a Run Director and will be supporting Christine Timms as she steps into his very large shoes. He will also spend a little more time on the trail chasing those PBs and maybe one day earn his 50-club t-shirt to go with his ‘100 Event Director’ t-shirt. Christine is pictured above presenting it to him on behalf of the almost 2000 people who have done parkrun at Launceston.
Thank you Craig for founding Launceston parkrun, and Tina for being his constant support. There are many fitter, healthier and happier people in our community who are in your debt!
‘A Seven Nation Army Couldn't Hold Clint Back’ by Kelly Underwood
I first met Clinton Bishop at a local bike-shop in 2009. He was a big guy then, and he still is a bit of a big guy. His personality is far far bigger though. One day Clinton decided he was going to run a marathon. He did. He finished last, but he finished, and then stopped running.
A few years later my husband Jeremy Savage and I got into parkrun, and well, Jeremy got VERY enthusiastic. When Jeremy and Adrian Kenny launched Canning River parkrun Clinton rocked up to the inaugural, his first parkrun event. It was to support Jeremy, but Clinton “got” parkrun immediately. Clinton runs at Canning River, and has Run Directed at Pioneer parkrun for us during our first year. Oh, and he has a bit of a thing about The White Stripes.
Clinton writes a blog called the Seven Nation Army Running Team which in his owns words is his “attempt to keep myself accountable, inspire some others and to have a record of the ongoing journey that running rakes me on.”
Two Saturdays ago Clinton ran his 50th parkrun and he wrote a blog entry about it called Milestone Man. It’s powerful stuff, click here to have a read.
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.
The Pointy End
Who are you? Augustine Heights parkrunner Darrell Giles.
How the hell do you run so fast? Trying to keep ahead of my faster/younger other half Taryn Axelsen.
How many km do you run in an average training week? 70-100km per week running (plus cycling and swimming)
What type of training do you typically do? Mon off; Tues sprint work; Wed 10km recovery run; Thurs sprint work; Fri 10km recovery run; Sat Augustine Heights parkrun; Sun two-hour (20-25km) long run.
How long have you been running and have you always been so damn good? Ran in my early 20s, resumed again about five years ago.
What is your favourite distance? Half marathon (PB 1.22).
Do you have a coach and do you train with a squad? Mark Turner, Tri Nation.
How much faster would you like to go? Much faster - aiming for 18min 5km, sub 38 10km, sub 1.20 half marathon, sub 3hr marathon in 2015.
What big events do you want to run? Hopefully doing New York Marathon in November 2015.
#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 is from Alison Read who is at the always amazing Cradle Mountain in Tasmania.
parkdog of the week
Say hello to Jarrah, our ‘parkdog of the week’. Jarrah is a regular at Campbelltown parkrun with his Dad Terry Baker.
My name is Jarrah and I’m a 20 month old Pug. My home parkrun is Campbelltown although I’m a bit of a parkrun tourist having visited 7 different courses around Sydney. I also have 4 inaugural events under my collar! As my legs are so little I’m yet to manage the full 5km run but my favourite volunteer role is ‘morale booster’… I’m told lots of runners perk up when I’m around!
FAQ – How can I donate to parkrun?
Thank you very much for considering donating to parkrun! More information can be found on the ‘Donations to parkrun Australia’ page.
Upcoming Special Events
Launches:
13/12 - Stanthorpe (Qld), Stockton (NSW), Menai (NSW), Cottesloe (WA); 03/01 – Lawson (NSW); 17/01 – Coodanup (WA); 24/01 – Bibra Lake (WA); 31/01 – Cooks River (NSW).
Anniversaries:
6/12 - Bunyaville (Qld) 1st, Lakeview (NSW) 1st, Torrens (SA) 2nd, Mt Gambier (SA) 1st; 03/01 – Rocks Riverside (Qld) 1st; 10/01 – Pioneer (WA) 1st, Shepparton (Vic) 1st
Cancellations
NA
Feedback from the field
Martin Auster - I'm a fairly competitive hard-training kind of guy when it comes to running. So usually I can't resist trying to improve on my local parkrun PB. But last week I decided to take it more easily. And for most of the way - at least until the last few 100m, when I couldn't prevent competitiveness taking over again - I told myself to concentrate on just enjoying the morning sun and the scenery and the great feeling of just running along with other people at a comfortable pace. One needs those kind of days, and parkrun is perfect for the purpose.
Dale Murray – A fantastic example of parkrun spirit was shown recently at Armidale parkrun with 12 children aged under 18 years, with the help of 13 adults, making sure all 128 parkrunners enjoyed their parkrun experience. The kids were absolutely fantastic.
Barb McKay - I have just watched the #parkrunAU100 video. It is fantastic - not only did I get a reminder of the parkruns I have attended but it has inspired me to be a bit more of a parkrun tourist - there are some gorgeous places out there just waiting for me to visit.
Nicki Lawlor - I would just like to let you know that we think the #parkrunAU100 video is AWESOME!!! My husband, our 8 y/o and myself run at Lake Mac parkrun and we love it. It was great to see that we were represented. parkrun is a truly amazing organisation and we love being involved in it. Thank you to the people who made the video – they have done a fantastic job. It was so inspirational to watch – I feel like going out and running right now! Thanks again for making parkrun part of our life.
Mischelle Otte - My husband and daughter were the ones that found the baby down the drain. We run the Parramatta parkrun nearly every week. As you can imagine I am extremely proud of them.
Vanessa - Just wanted to pass on my congratulations to Mel and Adam and all involved in putting together #parkrunAU100. It was fantastic. It left me with two clear thoughts: 1) without exception, every parkrun location was in a pretty location - how lucky are we to have such wonderful locations to run in each week; and 2) 100 locations!! That was a LOT of planning and organising by many, many dedicated volunteers to get a parkrun started, let alone continue it each week. Your efforts are much appreciated!
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: Ted Borodzicz
Club: Campbelltown Joggers
Age: 65
Home parkrun: Campbelltown
Occupation: Sport (retired)
Number of runs: Nil
PB: I’m always early.
Number of times volunteered: 30
Favourite volunteer role: Timing
What do like about volunteering at parkrun: The friendship. Witnessing the rivalry. Sharing with runners their achievement of personal goals. Families running together.
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: Laughing with a female runner, after her high leap off the ground for a camera shot, turned to a struggle as she tried to stop her running shorts from dropping off her butt!
How can we improve parkrun: Keep it same and simple as it is.
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 durable plastic key tag 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
All children under 11 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Guardians must ensure that children place themselves appropriately so as to prevent a situation where they are being repeatedly overtaken at the start. This is to ensure the safety of your child.
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