welcome to the newsletter
In this week’s edition of the newsletter we powwow in Melbourne, announce a big change at HQ and salute our #parkmums.
I’m writing this on Sunday night after a whirlwind 48 hour trip to Melbourne for our first ‘parkrun powwow’ of 2015. “What’s a parkrun powwow?” you ask. In a nutshell, it is a get-together of parkrun Event Directors and their teams in a designated location for a bit of fun and frivolity parkrun style. The format is generally the same with a dinner, a parkrun, some touristy stuff and another running event. This is exactly how we played it in Melbourne with a pub dinner on Friday evening, Lillydale Lake parkrun’s 1st anniversary on Saturday morning, Melbourne Rebels Super Rugby on Saturday night and the Puffing Billy Great Train Race on Sunday morning. It was quite a weekend and I’m now officially pooped!
Last week we received the wonderful news that our photo book 'parkrun: A Celebration' has been shortlisted as Illustrated Book of the Year by the British Sports Book Awards! This is an incredible achievement made all the better by the fact that the book was produced completely by parkrun volunteers Paul Warrington, Paul Duke, Julian Ward and Rob Kemp. At some point I’d love to see an Australian version of this book… anyone keen to help out?
Still in the UK, there was some notable parkrun tourism on Saturday with Gold Coaster Jade Brandt from my home event Kirra parkrun joining the 50-club at Bushy parkrun. Jade’s Mum Linda contacted me about this a few weeks ago so I let the Bushy crew know she was coming and they certainly gave her an unforgettable experience with a big shout out pre-run and a VIP seat at the breakfast table post-run. She even had a photo (see below) with local legend John Hanscomb who was running his 444th parkrun!!!
Changing the topic, we’ve discovered a few female 100-club shirts in small, large and extra-large. If you are still waiting for yours and would like to request one of these please email nicci.oberg@parkrun.com and provide your name, size, home event and postal address. It’s first come first served so do it NOW if you’re keen.
Lastly, it is of course Mother’s Day this Sunday so a big shout-out to all of our amazing #parkrunmums. The example you set to your children by being active and healthy is wonderful and will be the true lasting legacy of all of our involvement with 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 – 02/05/2015:
Number of locations – 95
Number of runners – 9,337
Number of PBs – 1,937
Number of first timers – 1,377
Number of volunteers – 863
Number of members – 200,821
parkrun Global welcomes new CEO
Our parent organisation parkrun Global announced last week that Nick Pearson, the former Managing Director of the largest UK independent specialist sports retailer Sweatshop, would be joining the team as the new Chief Executive Officer. With 20 years’ experience in the sports industry, Nick’s knowledge and expertise is going to be a wonderful addition to the team and I’m personally looking forward to working closely with him.
Paul Sinton-Hewitt, Chairman and founder of parkrun, had this to say - “Nick has been a supporter of parkrun since day one and has indirectly supported our growth through his various initiatives at Sweatshop. I am delighted that parkrun Global will benefit from the knowledge, passion and experience that Nick holds to lead and guide us through our next chapter. With a registered member base of 1.6 million runners, over 9 million runs recorded, and with every indication that this growth will continue, now is the time to strengthen our team to explore new opportunities and develop the parkrun phenomenon over the coming decade.”
And in case you’re wondering, Paul will continue to work closely with the executive team providing input, advice and assistance.
“Salute to the (park)Running Mums Australia” by Nicole Bunyon
With Mother's Day upon us, it is a time to reflect on what mothers mean to us. It's a time to celebrate motherhood and the richness that Mums bring to our lives.
Running Mums Australia has grown since its humble beginnings in late 2013 to over 9,500 women, and is now easily the biggest club registered with parkrun Australia. This community is the essence of what the culture of running women should be across Australia and because of this has grown at a phenomenal rate.
RMA is a place to celebrate success, build friendships, challenge ourselves and be inspired by other running women chasing their running dreams. For most RMAs, parkrun forms an important part of their running journey. For a lot of us parkrun builds on our framework of inclusiveness, whatever level runner you are, enjoyment from running, and gives us a vehicle if you will, to tangibly gather together and work towards the goals we have set, whether they be getting a specific time or the satisfaction of finishing a 5km run. To us, parkrun is so much more than a weekly free timed event. It's a time to reflect what we are about; networking together and striving to reach our goals while enjoying ourselves and creating memories.
parkrun for mothers and particularly families is crucial in living out our vision of being a driving force for healthy communities, committed to active lifestyles. By meeting together each week in a place that is social, friendly and fun we together are building a better future as Mums through the message we are sending our children. Live to the full. Encourage others and dream big.
Happy Mother's Day to all the parkrunmums from Running Mums Australia.
Tracey’s Social Side
Happy Mother’s Day to all those hardworking Mums out there. A big shout out to all those Mums who will be joining me at the annual Mothers Day Run in Brisbane on Sunday. In previous years, my children would get up on Mothering Sunday, eager to please with their home-made cards and pasta necklaces, only to find their Mum not reclining in bed expecting breakfast, but instead arriving home all hot, sweaty and dying for a shower.
So, I hope all you gals gets lovely presents this year. Here is my Top Ten of Mothers' Day gifts for the running mums (I hope my children are reading this):
1. Coffee!
2. Socks - doesn't every runner need new socks?
3. Running apparel - hey look there's an online parkrun store (HINT HINT).
4. Hot breakfast and coffee at the markets after the Mothers Day Classic.
5. A long soak in a hot shower/bath with something that doesn't smell like wet shoes.
6. Breakfast in bed after a hot, sweaty run... with coffee.
7. A foot rub after my run, then soft fluffy slippers to sink my feet into... and a coffee to enjoy them with.
8. Coffee and chocolates always go hand in hand!
9. A good book to read while I put my weary feet up, while wearing slippers, eating chocolate and drinking coffee.
10. All of the above, plus an endless supply of coffee!
Toodles!
parkrun smartphone wallpapers
For those who want to proudly display a parkrun wallpaper on your smartphone - you now can! During the week we launched a parkrun wallpapers webpage so that, when accessed on a smartphone, one of 15 designs can be downloaded at a range of aspect ratios. The wallpapers have been designed in such a way that some work best on the 'home' screen and others are better on the 'lock' screen.
Entertainment Books Are Back
The Entertainment Book, and the brand new 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. Purchasing your entertainment book through parkrun helps us in two ways:
- Approximately 20% from each book sold is donated directly to parkrun Australia.
- If 5 people from the same parkrun event make a purchase the Event Director will be provided with a FREE Entertainment Digital Membership.
Click here for more information or to purchase your Entertainment Book or Entertainment Digital Membership.
The Pointy End
Who are you?
Mosman parkrun age graded record holder David Loader who runs 17:23 / 85.52% as a VM50-54.
How the hell do you run so fast?
I am not really sure; just push it as hard as I can.
How many km do you run in an average training week?
Around 50-60 km per week.
What type of training do you typically do?
A long run, speed session, hill repeats, a tempo run and of course a parkrun.
How long have you been running and have you always been so damn good?
I have been running for most of my life and have improved over the last ten years. My wife says I am like a good red wine, that I get better with age!
What is your favourite distance?
I like all distances from 5k to the marathon – they all hurt the same!
Do you have a coach and do you train with a squad?
I have never had a coach. I run my long run with the Sydney Striders and have just started to run a speed session once a week with the Balmoral Triathlon Club.
How much faster would you like to go?
I am always looking for that next PB.
What big events do you want to run?
I would like to run some of the big marathons such as Paris, Boston and Chicago.
#showusyourparkrun
As many of you are now proud owners of some of the official parkrun merchandise available from our online store we have started a new photo segment here in the newsletter where you can wear (or hold) the kit in an interesting and exciting location… or perhaps even with a celebrity!
Once you have the photo please email it to us or post it to Twitter or Instagram with the hashtag #showusyourparkrun
This week’s entry is from Heather Powrie who writes “As the Australian Running Festival hijacked my parkrun time recently I thought I'd christen my new t-shirt and advertise us at the same time. So of course I met other parkrunners who'd also been done out of their runs. I usually run with Tuggeranong parkrun but enjoy being a parkrun tourist too and am looking forward to finding some European parkruns later in the year."
parkdog of the week
My name is Diezal. I have just turned 1 and am a pure border collie. Over the last few months I have been learning to run longer and longer distances each time. My longest distance to date is 13km! My human, Kat Dart, tells me that I’m very affectionate and love to be the centre of attention. Kat has recently started taking me to Augustine Heights parkrun where I love to chase everyone that passes me! I have done 3 parkruns to date, and in that time, have shaved 4 minutes off my PB! I also enjoy doing my evening runs with Springfield Runners Group.
Upcoming Special Events
Launches:
09/05 – Altona Beach (Vic)
16/05 – Taree (NSW), Coburg (Vic)
23/05 – Castlemaine (Vic)
30/05 – The Ponds (NSW), Devonport (Tas)
06/06 – Ballarat (Vic)
20/06 – Town of Seaside (Qld)
11/07 – Dubbo (NSW)
Anniversaries:
09/05 – Curl Curl (NSW) 2nd, Stones Corner (Qld) 1st, Yarrabilba (Qld) 1st
16/05 – Roma (Qld) 1st, Varsity Lakes (Qld) 2nd
23/05 – Highlands (Vic) 2nd, Penrith Lakes (NSW) 1st
30/05 – Mt Penang (NSW) 1st
06/06 – Berrinba (Qld) 1st, Canning River (WA) 2nd, Sandon Point (NSW) 2nd
13/06 – Frog Hollow (Vic) 1st, Mitchelton (Qld) 2nd, Shellharbour (NSW) 1st, Newy (NSW) 3rd
20/06 – Carine Glades (WA) 1st, East Coast Park (Singapore) 1st, North Shore (Qld) 1st
27/06 – Gladstone (Qld) 2nd, Logan River (Qld) 2nd, Mornington Peninsula (Vic) 1st
Cancellations:
09/05 – Heirisson Island (WA)
23/05 – Warwick (Qld)
30/05 – Mitchelton (Qld)
10/10 – Geographe Bay (WA)
Other:
16/05 – Wear fluro for National Volunteer Week
03/10 – International parkrun Day
Feedback from the field
Andrew Whatson - I was weighing in at 125kg and at 198cm I could carry it off but like all males my age (46) it was mainly belly fat. I started with just walking for 30 minutes a day and really enjoyed it. After a visit to my family doctor it was advised to move it or start taking tablets. I started running around the block (400m) and felt really good accomplishing that (my kids laugh at me). I started to slowly increase my running distance until I stumbled across the parkrun website. My next goal was to run a parkrun and I was lucky enough to find the flat course of Cooks River parkrun. I have lowered my PB from 31:00 to now at 27:12 with 25:00 not far away. I have currently lost 15kgs and 8cm from my waistline and feel fantastic....thank You....PARKRUN is my new drug with Sydney City to Surf on my list for 2015 and an 18km trail run in August. Not bad for someone who struggled with 400m just six months ago.
Jade Johansen - In the past (pre- parkrun) I have always avoided winter and preferred to hide away till summer returned, thus gaining winter kilos. However, through parkrun, I now love winter and find it refreshing running in the rain. It’s not so daunting to get out there. No winter pudding for me this year!
Barbara-Rose - My hometown of Newcastle has 5-6 park runs within 45min drive of my house. The fab USA where I am currently staying has just 3 in the whole country! I ran the 5 km loop in Central Park on Christmas Day amongst thousands of other people, dogs, bikes, rollerbladers and skateboarders. Now I'm in New Orleans where they have the Rock n Roll Marathon with 10km, 1/2 and full marathons accompanied with free beer and jazz playing afterwards. This I like!! Can our great Aussie parkrun culture move across the Pacific and hit the USA? I hope so because there are so many beautiful places to run. The American supersize culture needs parkrun. Although I did enjoy a 1 litre daiquiri in plastic cup while following a mardi gras parade, a 5 km parkrun the next day would make the whole experience perfect!!
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: Simon Elliott
Club: Derek Zoolander Centre For Kids Who Can’t Run Good
Age: 27
Home parkrun: St Peters
Occupation: Software Consultant
Number of runs: 110
PB: 20:52
Number of times volunteered: Officially 13 on my profile, but I help sort the tokens over/around a coffee at Sydney Park Kiosk most weeks, unless I am off as a tourist at one of the other parkruns around Australia.
Favourite volunteer role: Timekeeper or Barcode Scanner because they’re core roles without which parkrun cannot happen and you get to speak to almost all the other parkrunners.
What do like about volunteering at parkrun: I love giving something back to my parkrun family, who spend their time to give me my parkrun every other week of the year. When I reached the milestone 50th parkrun, I volunteered 3 weeks in a row, and then a 4th week because I loved it that much.
Most memorable or funniest parkrun moment: I got the parkrun logo tattooed on my ankle, to celebrate my 100th parkrun in December 2014. No plans yet for 250… We’ll see.
How can we improve parkrun: With the Tribesports “25” Volunteer t-shirt on the way, I don’t think our wonderful Event Directors will have any troubles finding willing participants. The best thing is, when you have volunteered once, you realise what you have been missing out on and you will count down the days until you can pull on a volunteer bib again.
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
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building our future
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