Episode 279 - Phil Gore
2022-04-07
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reporterMelissa Ellis
GuestPhil Gore
Show notes
From the Facebook post
Join us this week to hear about Mel & Olly's fun-filled parkrun day at Albert Melbourne (opens in a new tab) parkrun and … maybe the #zoomzoom photo of the year!?!
Sam joins the team and brings us an interview with Shipwreck (opens in a new tab) parkrun ED, Phil Gore;
we have all the usual emails;
news from Dazzas;
Obi's;
Club stats; and
our favourite mini adventurer returns.
From the podcast feed
Join us this week as Mel & Olly enjoyed a fun filled parkrun day at Albert Melbourne (opens in a new tab) parkrun and … did you see that photo?!! Sam joins the team and brings us an interview with Shipwreck Creek ED Phil Gore, we have all the usual emails and news from Dazzas, Obi’s, Club stats, and our favourite mini adventurer returns.
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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
Phil Gore
Backyard ultra running, the last-person-standing format, his 50-hour win at Herdy's (just shy of his own 51-hour Australian record), his 38-hour win at Hysterical Carnage, planning out to 120 hours, his crew system and Gemma's role, the growth of the discipline in Australia (Chris Martin, Chetan, Michael Hooker, Big Kev), the new Devil's Lair backyard ultra in Tasmania and his ambition to run Big's Backyard in Tennessee in 2023. Then parkrun: his daily 5K streak, course records (including six of seven on a South Australian trip), 286 parkruns at 51 locations, how he found parkrun in 2014 via Canning River after being defeated by Pioneer's course map, becoming co-ED at Shipwreck, his upcoming volunteer 50, and a pitch for WA parkruns near Perth Airport (Claisebrook Cove and Burswood Peninsula) for palm23.
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:23
Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both still on a high from Ollie's visit to Mel in Victoria at the weekend. Mel opens differently this week with a piece of audio instead of saying where she was.
parkrun news bulletin starts at 18:41
Two news items: the official renaming of the first-timers briefing to the "First Timers Welcome" in the future roster, tied to parkrun's research on barriers to a first attendance; and the first weekend of the new dogs-at-parkrun rule (one dog on a short handheld non-extendable lead, at the participant's side, within reach). The hosts appeal to listeners to be patient with dog owners who have not heard about the change and to leave any approach to the event team.
Emails starts at 45:46
"We've got mail", listener correspondence read by both hosts. Bruce Purdy (with Donna) asks for a clue on where palm23 will be held, suggesting expressions of interest from state teams followed by Olympic- or Eurovision-style voting; the hosts run with the idea and call for bids. Earlier in the episode, the same correspondence thread also covered Johan (Duvenhage) on South African events still mothballed (18 waiting to return, 43 axed, participation about a third of pre-lockdown) and Val Warwick on Phil and Gemma Gore's Shipwreck parkrun, the new Jarrahdale Heritage parkrun, and a new backyard ultra in Tasmania.
Dazza's starts at 50:31
April Fool's-themed listener check-ins to Dazza. Contributors: Tanya Bailey (NZ, first-timers briefing and brunch cooked by Brett), Tim Robbins (a "Tracy the Troll" stowaway selfie with Stephen and Jen at Willoughby), Alison King (volunteer 100 as Timekeeper at Puarenga, 100 cupcakes for 55 finishers, a box donated to ICU staff), Bruce Purdy (the hashtag-Ballarat-renamed-to-Victoria-Park April Fool's prank and pacing in a propeller hat), Bec Bailey (Windang clan touristing to Greenway), Isaac Hill (volunteering at the Karoola Park inaugural), Juliet Colville (UK tourist, 25th different event, at a windy Ballarat), Steve Spike (a cryptic "tip of the iceberg"/possum clue) and Christine Imbert (Donau Park parkrun in Vienna).
the Frond starts at 53:22
Frond sightings reported inside the Dazza's posts rather than as a standalone block: Tim Robbins notes he was "part of a frond", and Oliver Spake says "another frond was taking place, there were a lot of fronds", reading Bec Bailey's report of the Windang clan meeting "the mini frond of Ingrid, Helen, Stephen and Chantel" at Greenway.
the Obi Award — Juliet Colville starts at 59:26
Oliver Spake opens the envelope (the hosts joke about not knowing who fills it each week) and awards this week's Obi to Juliet Colville, the UK visitor who reached her 25th different event at a windy Ballarat parkrun while touring Australia.
the Informant starts at 1:01:22
Weekly stats rundown, delivered in character from "Level 2 with a view", this week the view is inside the office, with a dig at the "new lady" updating her whiteboard with Insta and Facebook likes. 3 junior parkruns, 359 juniors (up ~130), 72 first timers, 74 PBs; half-marathon wristbands for Callum Turbett, Charlotte Davies, Lachlan Kelly and Tessa Billen, a marathon wristband for Atticus Caesar. 413 5K events down under (381 Australia, 32 NZ) of 1,673 worldwide; attendance up ~1,500 to 37,882 locally and 184,036 worldwide. Seven launches including Charters Towers Airport (QLD), Karoola Park (NSW) and Werribee Park Mansion (VIC). 4,973 PBs, 1,640 first-timers; milestones, 19 bingo callers (Martin Fleming quickest on 153 runs, Nigel Kleinschmidt slowest on 313), five new statespeople, and the return of the adventurer stats, Mark Lawton to the Peel Club, Gillian Light to the Cow Club. Signs off "my spreadsheet is fully restored."
Consolidated Club Report starts at 1:05:06
Adventurers Consolidated Club report for Saturday 2 April 2022: 151 members, 125 taking part at 74 different locations. 10 UK events (Grovelands Enfield, Southampton, Oxford, Nonsuch, Gladstone, Rushmore, Selby, Swanley, Hamsterley Forest, Alton Water), 4 in New Zealand (Pegasus, Greytown Woodside Trail, Owairaka, Trentham Memorial) and one in Austria (Christine at Donau Park, prompting a note that Austria's only two events, Donau Park and Heilbrunn, both launched in 2021). Locally: Victoria 22, NSW 14, Queensland 14, WA 4, SA 3, Tasmania 2, with no Northern Territory or ACT representation this week.
Sign-off starts at 1:07:44
Ollie said he would not be back in Victoria this weekend; Mel said she was going to week two of Werribee Park Mansion, a local event with stunning grounds that she was excited about, without Paul, who was still working Saturdays, but expecting to meet a few other adventurers. Ollie said more rain was forecast and after another Shellharbour cancellation he would have to see how far he got down his flow chart of decision making, with the possibility of touristing a new event. Mel thanked him for catching up and said it had been nicer still to see him in person at Albert, before they gave the Facebook and email contacts and closed for another week.
Mini adventurer sign-off starts at 1:11:40
The episode closes on a recorded message from a young listener: she and her sister Hannah placed third and second in their age groups at a fun run, and Wyndham Vale parkrun "was taken over by kids" with their friend Charlotte as Run Director. The show notes call her "our favourite mini adventurer" returning, so this is a recurring closing bit, but she is not named on air.