Episode 40 - Shoes for Planet Earth
2016-10-13
HostMelissa Erbacher
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 parkrun Event Directors Joanne and Scott Watkins pop into the studio for a chat about Victoria's longest running parkrun.
Enhanced transcript
Checked transcript — speakers named, sound described, segments marked.
Read the transcriptGuests
Viv Katsounas
Shoes for Planet Earth — collecting pre-loved sports shoes for people in need: donation criteria (no holes, good soles, cleaned, tied together), size ranges, distribution to homeless Australians, indigenous communities in the NT and internationally to South Africa and Kenya, the charity's origins after running the Comrades Marathon, over 36,000 pairs given since 2009, and how parkrunners and parkrun events can run a shoe collection.
Scott Watkins
In-studio interview (with his wife and co-ED Joanne) about Albert Melbourne parkrun — Victoria's longest-running event, just past 250 events — its flat lap-of-the-lake course, the Grand Prix track, Melbourne Marathon weekend, and their parkrun tourism and volunteering.
Joanne Watkins
Same in-studio interview as her husband and co-ED Scott Watkins. Her contributions: the parkrun stopwatch that got her school evacuated by the bomb squad, being the first person to run a 50th in Ireland (Malahide), her back injury ending her running and her emotional return as a walker at Darwin parkrun, her 100th run and 100th volunteer stint at Penrith Lakes, and an appeal to thank territory directors.
In this episode
Meet the ED
Studio interview with Scott and Joanne Watkins, Event Directors of Albert Melbourne parkrun, which has just earned its green 250 shirt — Victoria's longest-running parkrun. Covers the flat single-lap-of-the-lake course, the Grand Prix track diversions, the headwind on the back straight, the Melbourne Marathon weekend, Joanne's stopwatch-versus-bomb-squad story, their parkrun tourism (St Peters, Malahide in Ireland, Darwin, The Ponds, Penrith Lakes), Joanne's back injury and return as a walker, and a thank-you to territory directors. Note: not branded as a named segment on air this episode — matched to the existing Meet the ED slot on content.
Launches and anniversaries ("Where is the cake?")
Cued by Mel with "Where can we go to for some cake this weekend, Scotty?". No Australian launches this weekend; anniversaries at Brightwater QLD (2nd, Mel attending), Grafton NSW (1st), Gungahlin ACT (3rd), Kingscliff NSW and North Lakes QLD (4th), and Paradise Point (1st).
parkrun adventure challenge (listener challenge)
Follow-up on the Strava Art Contest announced the previous week. Winners Connie and Tina have asked for Club 50 and Club 100 certificates rather than personal prizes; costumes are being made. Notable mentions: Tim McKinley (fastest and most accurate effort, on an athletics track), Maxawa (longest, 24km with 647m of elevation), Melissa Taylor ("points and an honourable mention for badassery" for climbing into a local showground), and Allan Hoskins (8.2km with his dogs). Includes a listener audio clip from Ayela at Albert Melbourne, and Scott announces "we're going to do another one". Also at [00:52:03] Melissa Ellis is named as the winner of a separate Facebook competition.
Crime report
A closing bit the hosts had evidently agreed on beforehand but do not actually run: Scott asks "Have you got the crime report there?... Remember we're going to finish with the crime report?", Mel offers the story about the clowns, notes "It's not parkrun crime", and they defer it — "Let's workshop this. We've got another whole week to fine tune."