It all started at Cleveland quite innocently back in 2013, over ten years ago. I have always run in some shape or form, for as long as I can remember. At school, after work, at all sorts of levels. I had a go at running A Grade at club level but got injured. Work and life seemed to take over from then and it was just a spare time thing.
So after seeing an article in the local paper about this "parkrun" thing, I just showed up by myself, listened to the run brief and we were off. I did the 5 km in 22:43 and was 13th out 134 runners and walkers.
parkrun seemed a perfect match for me at the time: no cost, no commitment, just show up when you can, and I got a social and running fix with like-minded people. Other running clubs and events cost time and money.
I showed up regularly when I did not have to be at work on 7 am on Saturday mornings and made a few extra friends in the local community.
A few weeks later I heard about South Bank parkrun in the middle of Brisbane. They had put the call out to see if the could break the attendance record for total number people at a parkrun. I thought it would be a bit of fun, so why not?
944 people showed up and we broke the Australian parkrun record, but not the world record which was over 1000 at Bushy in London. Currently, I think somewhere in South Africa has the record. That day I finished 123rd in a time of 23:02. I remember being a bit disappointed as I got stuck behind a lot of slow runners at the start on a narrow path but it was still good fun.
South bank parkrun record attempt run briefing below and start line above.
It was almost a year later when Capalaba parkrun started. I was there from Day One. I even won their trial event. It was pretty funny really as a volunteer marshal sent the 3 faster guys in front of me the wrong way but I had done my homework and knew exactly where I was supposed to be going. The other guys and I all had a good laugh about it and I suppose that was the point of having a trial.
In the years to come, I would regularly volunteer as a pacer at Capalaba. The green and then later orange vests had a number on the back. My job was to run at 4:30 minutes per kilometre and finish as close to 22 and a half minutes as possible so other could try for there personal bests.
I like the Capalaba course. I have run there event over 150 times.
Wynnum parkrun my different event number 4. It's a fast and flat course along the foreshore.
We decided to visit another local parkrun and help celebrate their 3rd birthday. I was 81st/280 in a time of 24:25 I must have been talking too much on the run.
Minnippi parkrun is another favourite of mine: 2 laps around a lake and no sharp U turns makes the course fast, even with a slight incline.
Sirromet parkrun is held on private land at a winery. Overall it's a pretty hard trail run with 90 odd metres of elevation gain. Especially difficult after some rain but all the mud and puddles make it all the more fun. I was there for there first ever event as well. Over 600 people showed up. The winery was very happy with all the free publicity.
Wishart was my number 7. From memory a few mates wanted to test it out so I just tagged along for a free ride. It was another wet day in "Sunny Queensland".
I was also at Logan River parkrun for their 3rd birthday event. I finished in a time of 24:40 in my oversized black t-shirt that shows I'd done at least 100 parkruns.
The next parkrun was one of the hardest in Australia. Nambour parkrun comes complete with its own friendly Emu, Fluffy. Fluffy is not always there, I have done the course 3 times but not seem him but one local parkrunner did take us to find him afterwards on one off our visits. The Nambour course is harder than the photos shows with 185 metres of elevation gain over the 5 kilometres, basically there are no flat spots. It gets steep, technical and rocky too. There are 2 different courses A and B. The B is used when you can not cross the river when the water level get too high.
Lucky number 10 is Kawana parkrun on the Sunshine Coast another great coastal path run, out and back. I am keen to redo this one in the summer school holidays as when the path gets too busy, so they run part of it on the beach.
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.
parkrun is a not for profit community event which 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.
