Episode 40 - Shoes for Planet Earth
2016-10-13
— open the full-size artworkShow artwork, July 2016HostsMelissa Erbacher Scott Trickett
GuestsJoanne Watkins Scott Watkins Viv Katsounas
Show notes
The parkrun adventurers get humerus running in the dark, and challenge a steam boat on the mighty Murray. We learn how we can help out fellow runners and the planet with Viv from Shoes for Planet Earth. And Albert Melbourne (opens in a new tab) parkrun Event Directors Joanne and Scott Watkins pop into the studio for a chat about Victoria's longest running parkrun.
Listen
Open on Podbean (opens in a new tab) Press any timestamp below to play from that moment.
Enhanced transcript
Speakers named, sound described and segments marked by the editing pass — not yet checked by a person.
Read the transcriptGuests
Viv Katsounas
How Shoes for Planet Earth works, collecting pre-loved sports shoes for people in need across Australia; donation criteria ("no holes, good soles, cleaned and then always tied together"); size shortages including a size 16 for a Sydney homeless man; distribution to homeless services, indigenous communities in the Northern Territory and runners in South Africa and Kenya; over 36,000 pairs given away since 2009; the charity's origin in the Comrades Marathon; and how parkruns and individuals can become shoe collectors.
Scott Watkins
Albert Melbourne parkrun's first 250 events, the flat single lap of the lake, the Grand Prix track diversion and the petrolhead tourists it attracts, the headwind on the back straight, Melbourne Marathon weekend, their parkrun adventures (a live video cross from St Peters to Albert Park in the early days, The Ponds, Penrith Lakes), and the value of the event-director community and territory directors.
Joanne Watkins
Same in-studio interview: her stopwatch parcel triggering a bomb-squad callout and school evacuation on VCE results day; being the first visitor and first 50-run finisher at Malahide parkrun in Ireland; a serious back injury ending her running and her emotional return as a walker at Darwin parkrun; her 100th run and 100th volunteer credit at Penrith Lakes; and a plea for listeners to thank their territory directors.
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:14
Scott Trickett introduces episode 40 ('40 is the new 30') and welcomes Melissa Erbacher; with lots to cover they skip the general banter and go straight to the news.
parkrun news bulletin starts at 0:49
Scripted news read alternately by both hosts: a record-breaking parkrun day worldwide (161,356 parkrunners, 14,057 volunteers); parkrun USA's seventh event, College Park parkrun in Maryland, launching 15 October; Kurt Fearnley taking silver behind Marcel Hug at the 39th Chicago Marathon; a comic item on daylight saving splitting the Australian time zones; and the third annual Sandgate Sunset Run, won overall by the relay team Too Fast Too Furious (165 laps / 41.25 km).
Launches and anniversaries starts at 47:25"Where is the cake?"
No Australian launches this weekend, but anniversaries abound: Brightwater (QLD) turning two, Mel will be attending; Grafton (NSW) turning one; Gungahlin (ACT) turning three; Kingscliff (NSW) and North Lakes (QLD) both turning four; and Paradise Point turning one.
Strava Art Competition starts at 48:12
Follow-up to last week's winners announcement. Costume and certificate update, winners Connie and Tina have asked for Club 50 and Club 100 certificates for the wider parkrun community. Honourable mentions: Tim McKinley (fastest and most accurate effort, run on an athletics track); "Maxawa" (longest, 24 km with 647 m of elevation); Melissa Taylor (points "for badassery" after climbing into a local showground); and Allan Hoskins for an 8.2 km attempt with his dogs. A recorded contribution from Ayela of Albert Melbourne follows at 00:50:46. Hosts confirm another competition is coming, but not a Strava one.
Sign-off starts at 53:12
Scotty asked for the crime report they had promised to finish on; Mel raised the clown sightings but said it was not parkrun crime, so they agreed to workshop it for another week. Citing the survey verdict of no more than 60 minutes, Mel said they should sign off, thanked Scotty for joining her again and said she would see him around in episode 41.