Episode 251 - Tokyo Tales
2021-09-09
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reportersMark Scarborough Tracey Wood
GuestLyndell Murray
Show notes
From the Facebook post
The adventurers are reflecting on a big week of celebrations and paralympics, as Olly chats to Lyndell Murray about her officiating experiences in Tokyo.
We hear from Mark at Kununurra (opens in a new tab), Tracey at Bundaberg (opens in a new tab) and Dave at Waterloo Plains (opens in a new tab) parkruns, as well as all the usual from Dazza's, The Informant and some interesting mail!
From the podcast feed
The adventurers are reflecting on a big week of celebrations and paralympics and Olly chats to Lyndell about her officiating experiences in Tokyo. We hear from Mark at Kununurra (opens in a new tab), Tracey at Bundaberg (opens in a new tab) and Dave at Waterloo Plains (opens in a new tab) parkruns, as well as all the usual from Dazza's, The Informant and some interesting mail!
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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 transcriptGuest
Lyndell Murray
Lyndell's experience officiating at the Tokyo Paralympic Games, 17 years officiating triathlon, selection in 2019 through Triathlon Australia and World Triathlon, tickets not confirmed until two weeks before departure, and her role as Chief Video Review monitoring four camera feeds for the paratriathlon head referees. She describes life inside the Tokyo bubble (hotel and venue only, COVID testing on arrival, adventures to the adjacent 7-Eleven, Zoom karaoke), the cultural activities the Japanese national technical officials laid on (origami, writing Japanese characters, a traditional Edo-era water ceremony), her admiration for Dutch multi-medallist Jetze Plat, and doing aparkrun up and down a 10-metre strip of tiles in hotel quarantine.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:23
Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, with Ollie introduced as the Shellharbour ED and wished happy Father's Day, which he spent on a walk, a call to his dad and croissants with his daughters. Mel'sparkrun went with a jailbreak theme, she and Dazza dressed as prisoners, and a toy handcuff stayed stuck on her wrist after she dropped the keys at the waving corner opposite Toolern Creek parkrun. Both streaks continue, Mel falling back on Pippa's two-kilometre minimum after a draining week and Ollie behind on the bingo challenges but buoyed by first-time streakers.
Streaky September starts at 6:31
Runs through the whole episode. Hosts report on their own streaks and on the Streaky September Facebook group taking off with new members and bingo-card challenges; Mel describes a jailbreak-themed Not parkrun complete with toy handcuffs, and both hosts credit listener Pippa's two-kilometre-minimum tip for keeping their streaks alive. At Ollie and Mel announce the week's new level-up challenge: "street signing", spell out a word (ideally a parkrun name, e.g. Toolern Creek, Bundaberg, Waterloo Plains, Kununurra) using the first letters of street signs in your local area, and post a composite photo. Also discussed: Strava art, with praise for Peter Mitchell's route drawing a numeral six containing a flightless kiwi over exactly six kilometres, and Sonja Pohlman's accidental upside-down elephant.
Emails starts at 31:28
Two listener emails. Ollie reads one from Bruce congratulating the team on episode 250, noting he is member number 14 of the new adventurers Run Club, pointing out thatparkrun tallies can now be shown for run clubs, and suggesting the show try to interview the producers or actors behind the Zombies, Run! app, which the hosts say they will pursue. Mel then reads a second, mock-formal apology signed "the Inverloch Stump", apologising for listening late and missing Abby's challenge, prompting Ollie's "you're a bit stumped, are we, Mel?"
Dazza's starts at 33:53
A busy week at the cafe, which the hosts put down to the Streaky September Bingoe card. Posts read out from Pippa White (Harrington Country parkrun), Jenny Reedman (250th parkrun), Linda Coombes (Warwick parkrun's eighth anniversary), Val Warwick and Stephen Warwick (volunteering at Port Sorell, Tasmania), Mandy Oliver (Surfers Paradise), Errol Poole (South Australian statesmanship), Greg Garner (Baringa), Janet Reid (Lochiel Park's sixth birthday), Melanie McGregor, Helen Davis, Vicky Thompson, Richard, Ingrid Botha, Brett/Tanya/Rebecca Bailey (marking 11 years since the first Canterbury earthquake), Bruce Purdy, Chris Fraser, Sam Schroder, Will Barlow, Margie Lewis, Adrian Hillyer, Bernadette Bennett (a "suburban pirate" 5K loop of the seven C-named streets, which inspired Mel's own walk) and Lynette Ann. Channel 5 News Crew check-ins from Cameron Drake (Dawesville), Mark Scarborough (Kununurra), Tony O'Connell (Eagle's Nest), Alison King (Lynmore, NZ) and Tracy Wood.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 45:26
Three self-contained roving reports introduced by Ollie and thanked. Mark Scarborough files his last report from Western Australia at Kununurra parkrun (Swim Beach Park), interviewing visitor Megan from South Australia, full-time traveller Graham from Torrens, and German-born Kununurra local "Wolver". Tracy Wood reports from Bundaberg parkrun in Queen's Park, interviewing local Tanya, Timekeeper Amanda and Run Director Matt. Dave reports from Waterloo Plains parkrun at Wandoan, interviewing Co-Event Director Amber on the two-year fundraising slog (QGC staff donations and an Apex mango drive) that got the dirt trail course started in December 2020.
the Informant starts at 1:07:30
A catch-up fortnight of stats delivered in character from "Lockdown Central", leading with junior parkrun after several weeks of neglect: three junior events, 291 finishes, 33 first timers, 110 PBs and seven half-marathon milestones. Globally a post-COVID record 1,176 events with six launches; 209 runs in Australia with New Zealand still paused; 18,231 Aus/NZ attendance out of 162,861 worldwide; 2,249 PBs and 577 first timers. Five people called bingo (Karen Langdon quickest at 180 events, Carrie-Anne Berlin slowest at 314), three new statespeople, and movement in the top-20 most-events list. Signs off with a jab at the previous stats presenter ("Mr. Harry Highpants") and the blog address theinformant.me.
Adventurers Run Club update starts at 1:11:50
Update on the brand-new parkrun adventurers Run Club created around episode 250: membership is up to 26, with two members already appearing on the week's Consolidated Club Report (Claire at Meadowbrook and Tracy at Bundaberg) plus two Not parkrunners, TOC and Peter Pohlman. Ollie jokes he is letting the side down. The club also comes up in Bruce's email (member 14) and Ingrid Botha's Dazza's post (member six).
Not parkrun results starts at 1:12:22
Weeklyparkrun participation rundown, framed around the friendly rivalry Abby's end-of-pod challenge kicked off. Inverloch topped the country with 76 Not parkrunners, Wyndham Vale second with 59, and Shellharbour posted 32. The hosts declare a "friendly war" between Inverloch and Wyndham Vale and float making it best of three, with flags and mascots.
Sign-off starts at 1:20:51
After finishing the street-sign spelling challenge briefing, Mel asked Ollie whether that was it for the week, then gave the Facebook and parkrunadventures@gmail.com contacts and signed off with "that's it for another week, and we'll see you all next week for more adventures".