Episode 20 - Scott Westcott
2016-05-18
— open the full-size artworkShow artwork, April 2016HostsMelissa Erbacher Scott Trickett
Roving reporterScott Trickett
GuestsPete Johns Scott Westcott Tom Williams
Show notes
The parkrun adventurers explore Sydney and Ian Hay asks the tricky questions for ‘Facts in a Haystack’. parkrun Australia male record holder and Australian Olympic Team member Scott Westcott joins us to chat about his journey to Rio. Event Director Pete Johns gears up for ‘C’elebration at Coburg (opens in a new tab) parkrun and parkrun Global C.O.O. Tom Williams stops by with news from HQ.
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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
Scott Westcott
The episode's headline interview. His Rio selection (delayed two and a half weeks by Jeff Hunt's appeal), his 2:15:30 qualifier and 2:11:36 PB set in Japan at 30, training at 40 (140-165km/week, AlterG treadmill miles, a two-and-a-half-hour Sunday long run, three speed sessions), his "100 Days to Rio" blog on the Run NSW site, his parkrun record set at Newy on International parkrun Day, losing the Fingal Bay record to Aaron Royle by a second, and when he might take his son to parkrun.
Pete Johns
Coburg parkrun's first anniversary and its "C" costume theme, the out-and-back course along Merri Creek with three bridges each way, Pete's route into parkrun via couch-to-5k and Westerfolds, and Scott's account of recruiting him to found the event.
Tom Williams
A returning HQ update on the Little Stoke parkrun charging dispute, parkrun challenging the robustness of the parish council's 6-4 decision, the 28 May deadline, and the philosophical argument about free events on public land, plus parkrun UK reaching its one millionth different runner and shifting global attendance records as Australia and South Africa grow.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:07
Episode 20, Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with different music through the show as a treat and several guests promised. Scott is back in Melbourne after almost a week in Sydney that missed a Saturday, but he squeezed in freedom runs at Cooks River and Rhodes and recorded audio afterwards to play.
Facts in a Haystack starts at 11:38
Ian Hay's monthly stats segment, introduced by Mel as a chance for him to "redeem himself from what has been described as a lackluster Facts in a Haystack". Two batches of stats: junior parkrunners with the most unique events (by state and nationally, Scott's daughter sits 22nd by state percentage and 11th nationally, one event off the top 10; 12 of the national top 13 are JR10s), then parkrun adventurers as a share of attendance. Highest adventurer percentage at a 2016 launch was Sirromet, Queensland (479 of 620 runners, 77%), with Maylands Peninsula (WA) second and Kedron third; Studley was sixth on 66%, prompting Mel's "666, I think the devil's in your stats this week" joke. By raw numbers Sirromet again led, The Terrace second (443 adventurers of a 693 launch), Kedron third, Studley fifth. Outside launches, The Beaches took the top four weeks for highest adventurer percentage (73% down to 64%), with Hamilton Island next.
Meet the ED starts at 41:49
Scott interviews Pete Johns, Event Director of Coburg parkrun (Melbourne), ahead of the event's first anniversary. Covers the out-and-back course along Merri Creek and around the lake with its three bridges each way and two underpasses, the uphill start and downhill finish that runs toward the water, Pete's route into parkrun via couch-to-5k and Westerfolds, his top three courses (Westerfolds, Hobart, Dubbo), and Scott's recollection of recruiting him to found Coburg on a six-month promise. The anniversary has a "C" costume theme (Pete's outfit "begins with a C and has something to do with running"), and a cake is confirmed.
Launches and anniversaries starts at 59:36"Where is the cake?"
Portland parkrun launches in western Victoria this week. First anniversaries: Coburg (Victoria, "C" theme) and its twin Taree (NSW, blue theme). Second anniversary: Roma, Queensland, noted as the bonus pointer star of the Stargazer Circuit. Third anniversary: Varsity Lakes, Queensland.
Sign-off starts at 1:01:31
Scott said that was it for episode 20 of the parkrun adventurers and hoped listeners had enjoyed the episode's different musical twist, remarking that life is sometimes too short so you may as well enjoy what you have right now. He said they would leave listeners with a full song by the band Big Smoke, and wished everyone good adventures for the week.