Episode 78
2017-08-24
— open the full-size artworkShow artwork, February 2017HostsMelissa Erbacher Scott Trickett
Roving reportersDavid Moss Grette Wilkinson
GuestsIan Hay Melissa Ellis Steve Betesta
Show notes
The parkrun adventurers talk Run Nation Running Film Festival, fancy dress and the launch of Medibank’s first free + active event, Brimbank (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Ian Hay joins us for Facts in a Haystack, and Dave Moss and Grette Wilkinson turn in Roving Reports from South Australia’s Aldinga Beach (opens in a new tab) parkrun. And parkrun adventurers Melissa Ellis and Steve Betesta go head to head for their states in the long-awaited, nail-biting debut of August Madness.
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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
Ian Hay
Facts in a Haystack: 59:59 stopwatch-failure stats, total Australian events, PB counts and PB/time streaks, plus his experience pacing 4:30 at the Sunshine Coast Marathon.
Melissa Ellis
August Madness quiz debut - brought on as the Victorian contestant, won 3-1 and became the first carryover champion.
Steve Betesta
August Madness quiz debut - brought on as the Queensland contestant, lost 3-1.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:06
Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett. Adam did wear Mel's home-made costume for the 2K family fun run at the Sunshine Coast Marathon, alongside Wes, with a photo promised on the Facebook page, while Mel missed parkrun that Saturday through illness. Scotty reports on the Brimbank launch of Medibank's Free and Active with Sunrise TV present, where he got itchy feet and ran the short, sharp hill he rates the toughest at any parkrun; Mel recommends the Run Nation Running Film Festival, screened on the Sunshine Coast for the first time, ahead of Ian Hay's stats segment.
Facts in a Haystack starts at 12:08
Ian Hay returns with parkrun Australia stats: only 0.3% of the 28,817 Australian events ever recorded have had a 59:59 stopwatch failure (85 in total, 36 of them in Queensland); most PBs overall (Alan Burrell, 64 PBs from 283 runs; Jordan McGaw, 58 from 197); longest PB streaks (Phil Downing, 28 in a row in 2015; Michael Holliday, 17 this year); and 'time streaks' - identical finish times repeated (Riley Watson 40:29 five times, John O'Grady 25:01 eleven times, Chris Tuck, David Harries). He also talks about pacing 4:30 at the Sunshine Coast Marathon. A no-cancellations-streak stat was requested but not ready.
August Madness — Melissa Ellis starts at 28:09
Debut of a state-versus-state parkrun quiz, long teased as March/May/April Madness. Four parkrun questions, contestants buzzing in by saying their home parkrun. Melissa Ellis (Berwick Springs, Victoria) beat Steve Betesta (Cairns, Queensland) 3-1. Questions: three Northern Hemisphere parkrun countries; three parkruns starting with C; a 'who am I' (answer Brendan Peel); and a 'what event am I' (answer Bunbury parkrun, WA). No physical prize - the winner returns as carryover champion, with the hosts debating October vs November Madness for round two. Played in front of a (joke) live studio audience.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 35:53
A double roving block from the Aldinga Beach parkrun launch in South Australia. Grette Wilkinson (her debut for the show) interviews Minchi on her 200th parkrun, a first-timer, two half-marathon-training walkers, Frank Finn on getting the event up with the City of Onkaparinga, and Event Director Denise on processing the first results (122 finishers). David Moss then interviews Miriam, Christies Beach ED, on why Aldinga was needed and the Reynella East event planned for December. The hosts wrap up afterwards, noting the run of consecutive weeks of roving reports and workshopping a new nickname for Dave Moss since 'Mossy' is already taken.
Launches and anniversaries starts at 51:52"Where is the cake?"
Upcoming launches - Port Lincoln (SA) and Newport Lakes (VIC) - followed by nine anniversaries read alternately by the hosts: Balyang Sanctuary (VIC), Cairns (QLD), Chermside (QLD), Hervey Bay (QLD), Lake Joondalup (WA), Maribyrnong (VIC), Mount Clarence (WA), Singleton (NSW) and Wilson Botanic (VIC) - every state covered but no territories.
Sign-off starts at 52:49
Scotty said 'that's it for another week' and called August Madness a big success and the highlight of the year so far; they debated whether the next one would be October or November Madness and noted the perlustration was also coming up again. Mel thanked Scotty and said she was off to the anniversary at Hervey Bay that weekend, where the theme was yellow, so she had to make yellow costumes for herself and Wes.