My eleventh different parkrun was Redland Bay. It was there first ever event. In the past inaugural events were a big deal everyone used to go and show support for a new event, nowadays they keep launches pretty quiet in the cities as some got too big and there were problems with parking and crowd numbers. This parkrun was a little different for me as I walked it in 55 minutes instead of running. I was injured with plantar fasciitis "a strained tension under my foot", I picked it up playing touch football and even ended up joining my local Sharks triathlon club to do a bit of cross training on the bike and swimming in the pool to try and rest my foot a bit.
Luckily it was not too long before I was running again. Looking back I was definitely attracted to the fast and flat courses of which Kirra is definitely one. My fastest ever parkrun was here in a time of 20 minutes 39 seconds.
Since my foot injury I signed up to do a full distance Iron Man event. I did not want to give up on the parkruns so I just incorporated them into my training. For number 13, I cycled to the Lota event which made my time a little slower at 29:07.
Sandgate was number 14 another fast and flat course and I was there to meet and introduce a few work mates to there first parkrun event
Number 15 was a special event day. One of my running friends suggested we run New Year morning as Ashgrove to collect an A for his alphabet challenge. I though he was joking. He explained how I was too old and needed to move with the times. The in thing now was to visit and run a parkrun starting with each letter of the alphabet. Really I thought but if its important to you I tag along as I do not mind where I get to run.
Special event day in Australia used to mean there was 2 official events on the same day, Unfortunately New Years day doubles no not exist any more. Any way our second event for that day was Zillmere. It was hot and people had flown in as it was holiday season and they were all after there Z for there Alphabet challenge. The photo below is quite special as I was just about to be overtaken for the second time that day by this hot looking barefooted chick The first time was at Ashgrove earlier in the morning. My excuse was I was training for Iron Man. As usual after most parkruns a big group of us went for coffee afterwards and that was the first time I meet 
Less than two weeks later and a lot of phone calls I was flying to Sydney to run with
Caroline had plans to travel to Adelaide to pick up an Interstate parkrun for her collection. The next thing I knew I was booking holidays from work to visit Lochiel as well for my event number 18. Getting to Lochiel parkrun involved getting on a bus that drove on a guided track another first for me.
Lochiel was memorable for another reason too as the finish line was at the golf club and the locals had us drinking wine post parkrun instead of coffee and even gave us a lift back into town where we were staying.
Bunyaville was number 19 there run director was a dead set comedian and had us laughing through the hole run brief. you need to laugh at the run brief because there parkrun is another hilly trail and my time was 28:56. I actually forgot my barcode the first time I visited Bunyaville so I had to return a few weeks later to get the stat.
Our visit to St Lucia was Caroline 50th different parkrun and my 20th, she got to celebrate her milestone with a graduation outfit as St Lucia is also home to a major University in Brisbane. My time the was 23:25 on a flat gravel course along the river.
All photos in this post have to be credited to the parkrun volunteer photographers who give up there run and time each week so I get to see what I actually look like while running.
To celebrate my 10 years of parkrun, I thought I would make a few posts of all the different parkrun events I have visited.
@new.things/my-parkrun-tourist-obsession-the? 1 to 10
parkrun is a not for profit community event held every weekend. It started in England and has now spread to over 20 countries world wide. If there is not one near you, I would have a look at helping start one so I can come and visit you.
