Episode 4 - Matt Shields
2016-01-26
— open the full-size artworkShow artwork, 3 January 2016HostsMelissa Erbacher Scott Trickett
Roving reporterTony O'Connell
GuestsDave 'Robbo' Robertson Matt Shields
Show notes
The parkrun adventurers talk volunteers and roving reporter Tony O’Connell (aka TOC) gets news on the ground at Churchill (opens in a new tab) parkrun’s launch. We take the adventure to the Northern Hemisphere where we interview parkrun Ireland’s Country Manager Matt Shields, and we’re joined by Naked Runner Dave Robbo to discuss all things Region of Runners.
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Enhanced transcript
Speakers named, sound described and segments marked by the editing pass — not yet checked by a person.
Read the transcriptGuests
Dave 'Robbo' Robertson
How the Hunter got the nickname "the Region of Runners" (from the Ethiopian documentary Town of Runners); the launch of The Terrace parkrun at Raymond Terrace; The Beaches parkrun run entirely on soft sand and the tide's effect on it; the region's "more parkruns than a fast food athlete" challenge; and a running joke about wine-region parkruns and the show landing a red wine sponsor.
Matt Shields
parkrun in Ireland: winter cancellations from flooding, black ice and high winds; the shift from tarmac park courses to forest and trail courses; 45 events with three or four more in the pipeline; Department of Health / Healthy Ireland backing and the National Activity Plan; the RTÉ-style TV programme Operation Transformation driving weekly participation from ~3,000 to 9,200 in four weeks; Bere Island parkrun as the event that best captures the Irish community ethos; and his own runs at Albert Melbourne while visiting his daughter.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:06
Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett: another Australian attendance record of 23,162, close to the global record, with Australia Day themed events breaking course records and snowy photos coming out of Russia. Mel attended an Australia Day awards ceremony with the Sunshine Coast Event Directors and notes Ipswich founding ED Lachelle also received an award. Scott was RD at Jells, now his event, with helpers from Diamond Creek, Lillydale Lake and Westerfolds and Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan volunteering to marshal; he describes the two-lap lakeside course.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 5:30
Scott hands over to TOC's field recording from the Churchill parkrun launch in Gippsland, Victoria. Two interviews: Jo (Balyang Run Director, 144 runs, 34 different courses) on volunteering and parkrun tourism, then Heather, Churchill's other co-ED and the day's Run Director, on why the community wanted the event. Scott closes it with a how-to pitch for listeners wanting to send in their own reports, record on a smartphone voice memo app and email show@parkrunadventurers.com.
Social Adventurers starts at 37:16
Round-up of listener posts on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter: Kelly Underwood's group photo of Bibra Lake's orange-themed first anniversary; "underscore PK", who ran his first ever parkrun at Mount Barker and hashtagged the show; and Dadathlonblog, who dressed in orange but ran Phillip Island instead.
Launches and anniversaries starts at 38:57"Where is the cake?"
First anniversaries this week: Tamborine Mountain in Queensland (trail course, small creek crossing, rated among some parkrunners' five hardest) and Cooks River in Sydney, celebrating with an apron theme. Bibra Lake's orange-themed first anniversary was covered a moment earlier in the social round-up, and The Terrace parkrun's launch at Raymond Terrace was previewed in the Robbo interview.
Sign-off starts at 41:26
Scott trailed next week's show, Tim Oberg returning, with the question forum opened to listeners via a Facebook post, email or Twitter, and Mel added that they would also be adventuring to South Australia with an Event Director guest whose identity they kept as a surprise. They closed with a reminder to keep in touch during the week using the hashtag parkrunadventurers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, Scott's instruction to shout "yes" if a run briefing asks whether there are any adventurers present, and a goodbye until next week.