welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s edition of the newsletter we almost lose an event, recap the Brisbane parkrun Games and Tiger roars at Mt Penang.
Earlier today I made the unprecedented decision to suspend one of our parkrun events indefinitely due to lack of volunteer support for its local community. This was not a decision I took lightly however was one that I made with the best interest of the struggling event team in mind.
Let me explain.
Our mission is “to provide a parkrun event to every community that wants one”. We don’t decide where this should be, rather we respond to requests from the local community. You could say that we are a ‘reactive’ rather than a ‘proactive’ organization.
Generally speaking the person from the local community who makes the initial request goes on to be the founding Event Director of the parkrun. Some of our Event Directors such as Gareth Saunders at South Bank parkrun and Paul Wilcock at St Peters parkrun have volunteered as an Event Director for over 3 years! On rare occasions (I can count them on one hand) the founding Event Director has decided early on that they have bitten off more than they can chew and they opt out, leaving a new parkrun with a not-quite established community who may or may not be ready to get behind the event. This was the case with regards to the event I made the decision to suspend today.
The knock on effect of the founding Event Director not sticking with it in the early stages is that the event has never really developed a unique identity or culture that each parkrun event generally has. The event has always struggled to recruit and retain volunteers, despite the fact that it has always had a steady stream of runners. One of my friends has attended this event on several occasions and his feedback was always along the same lines – “It just doesn’t feel like other parkrun events.”
Several months ago this event had another change of Event Director, once again leaving it short of leadership and yet to define its character. An Event Director from a nearby parkrun event has been overseeing things since then but has been surprised at the lack of enthusiasm by the regular runners to get involved with volunteering to keep the event going. Thankfully a couple of good people have come forward but this isn’t enough to sustain things long term.
So, as I have already mentioned, I made the decision today to suspend this event indefinitely. The good news is however, once I made the decision I was quickly talked out of it by one of the ‘new recruits’ who has committed to getting things moving again.
As I discussed with this person, parkrun events are literally run ‘by the community for the community’. They are not run to benefit me, our sponsors, the government or anything else. They are for you, the parkrun community. If you ever stop wanting parkrun to exist… it won’t. Simple.
But to keep your local parkrun event going it needs people to volunteer, not often, but enough so that each week the 5 or 6 core roles are filled. Volunteering isn’t for everyone, we appreciate that, so you’ll never be forced or pressured to do it. But it is great fun and it’s a wonderful way to meet other parkrunners.
So please keep this in mind the next time your local event needs people to step up. Think of it as your Christmas present to your parkrun!
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 – 102
Number of runners – 10,718
Number of PBs – 2,074
Number of first timers – 1,731
Number of volunteers – 871
Number of members – 159,765
‘Brisbane parkrun Games’ by Gareth Saunders
On Saturday afternoon, parkrun event teams from all over Brisbane came together to compete for glory in the 2nd annual Brisbane parkrun Games in a quest to take home the coveted BpG trophy. In tough, windy conditions, teams battled it out in a series of 'school sports carnival' style games.
Competition was fierce, and defending champions, Mitchelton parkrun, put up a gallant fight but in the end, the Sandgate parkrun team was just too strong. Congratulations to Vanessa and team Sandgate on an impressive victory.
It is rare to have an opportunity for our parkrun organising teams to come together as we are all usually at our own events on Saturday mornings. The Brisbane parkrun Games gives us a great chance to come together to 'eat then compete' while getting to meet new event teams and team members in our growing Brisbane parkrun family. I'm sure next year will be even bigger.
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? Ryan Ladd, Campbelltown parkrun course record holder at 16:23!
How the hell do you run so fast? Lots of training. Quality rather than quantity.
How many km do you run in an average training week? When I’m not injured between 50 & 70 km per week.
What type of training do you typically do? Running (3 times per week, intervals, tempo, long run), swimming, bike and weights.
How long have you been running and have you always been so dam good? Running seriously for the last 5 years. I was good at Long Distance at School.
What is your favourite distance? Half Marathon.
Do you have a Coach and do you train with a Squad? Yes and No. I do all of my training by myself. I used to train with a squad for track sessions, but due to work, I had to change my training times.
How much faster would you like to go? I’d love to go Sub 16 for 5km.
What big events do you want to run? NYC Marathon, Berlin Marathon and would love to do a 160km Ultra one day.
#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 soon-to-be Toolern Creek parkrun Event Director Mark Porritt who says – “Just received the grant cheque for Toolern Creek parkrun from City of Melton. #loveparkrun”
parkdog of the week
Say hello to Tiger, our ‘parkdogs of the week’. Tiger is a regular at Mt Penang parkrun with his parents Drew and Sarah Evens.
Tiger is a 2 and a bit year old Staffy cross with a PB of 26:49 at his home park run of Mt Penang. Tiger was a rescue dog with bundles of energy when Sarah and I got him and when Mt Penang parkrun started it seemed like a brilliant way to wear him out so the three of us all turned up for the event launch. Since then a lot of the regulars learnt Tiger's name from the correction and encouragement a young dog requires and he is better known than us now. Tiger likes to run hard in the first km but inevitably needs to stop for his 2 calls of nature on any run which puts a hand brake on faster times (We take turns so we can get a clean run). Tiger plans to become a parkrun tourist with the launch of Menai parkrun next weekend.
FAQ – What does the Event Director do?
The Event Director takes overall responsibility for each event.
They can be thought of as the chair person of the local team. Most Event Directors (though not all) will act as Run Director on a pretty frequent basis. Some events have a panel of volunteers who share the role.
Upcoming Special Events
Launches:
03/01 – Lawson (NSW); 24/01 – Tamborine Mountain (Qld), Bibra Lake (WA); 31/01 – Cooks River (NSW); 07/02 – Toolern Creek (Vic).
Anniversaries:
03/01 – Rocks Riverside (Qld) 1st; 10/01 – Pioneer (WA) 1st, Shepparton (Vic) 1st; 17/01 – St Peters (NSW) 3rd, Point Cook (Vic) 1st; 14/02 - Lake Mac (NSW) 2nd, Golden Beach (Qld) 1st, Ipswich (Qld) 1st; 21/02 - Kirra (Qld) 3rd; 28/02 - Tuggeranong (ACT) 2nd.
Cancellations
20/12 – Mt Clarence (WA); 10/01 – Mt Clarence (WA); 07/02 – Geographe Bay (WA)
Feedback from the field
Trevor Smith – I’m 43 and my son Ethan (aged 10) did our first parkrun last Saturday at Bunyaville. I wish I had of known it was one of the toughest courses going (as I've not run for 3 years), but I managed to finish (in the pouring rain). My son loves to run (as proved by him setting the record for JM10 last Saturday) so I thought what better way than to join him. We both had a great time, had in depth discussions about different parts of course and felt a strong community spirit at the event. We have already planned our next events and look forward to venturing to different course throughout South East Qld.
Super Running Girls - Great to meet Tim Oberg and Vanessa Gibson recently at Bunyaville parkrun! Red & Blue will see you at Stanthorpe parkrun next weekend Tim, feel free to wear a green shirt and stand in for our Green!
Cathy Couchman – I love the parkrun merchandise you have available for purchase. I recently got the 10th anniversary shirt... just wondering if parkrun will be releasing a cap at all? I have got a hat currently but don't want it getting ruined from sweat etc due to sentimental value... I know of quite a few people who would love one too.
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: Sam Doove
Club: five30 runners
Age: 36
Home parkrun: Lakeview
Occupation: Mum and business owner
Number of runs: 12
PB: 28:49
Number of times volunteered: 3
Favourite volunteer role: anything I can do with two children by my side! Bar code scanner is usually a winner!
What do like about volunteering at parkrun: I love meeting new people, seeing everyone out there having a go and getting the kids involved
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: I was the tail runner and a member of the public stopped me and asked if I was involved in organising the event. He said that he has never seen such a happy friendly bunch of people, everyone always gives him a smile or says good morning, and how much he looked forward to seeing the runners every Saturday. Such positive feedback for the organisers who put in so much effort to create a friendly, encouraging event every week.
How can we improve parkrun: by putting the message out that volunteering is really super fun. There is a role for everyone, even if you have one little one on your back and one by your side!!!!!
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
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