Episode 295 - Aidan Hobbs
2022-07-28
— open the full-size coverHostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake
Roving reportersAlison Fraser (King) Sarah Jefferson
GuestAidan Hobbs
Show notes
From the Facebook post
Olly is back! Yes we know we didn't tell you he was having a week off … but it's ok, we didn't miss out on hearing about his adventures, because he didn't go on any!
However some of our other team members certainly did!
This week's pod is full of fun with an interview with speedy parkrunner
Aidan Hobbs,
roving reports from Alison at Cambridge NZ (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Sarah at Willoughby (opens in a new tab) parkrun, and both
Informants make an appearance.
From the podcast feed
Olly is back! Yes we know we didn’t tell you he was having a week off … but never fear, we didn’t miss any adventures. However, this week’s pod is full of fun with an interview with speedy parkrunner Aidan Hobbs, roving reports from Alison at Cambridge NZ (opens in a new tab) and Sarah at Willoughby (opens in a new tab), and both Informants making an appearance.
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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
Roving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:24
Ollie Spake back after a week off on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, thanking Scotty for hosting and editing last week. Ollie ran Shellharbour for the first time since May 2021 alongside Lance of the Windang clan, then RD'd the following week when Lance took first finisher on his 25th parkrun, with Darwin in tinsel and Chris Fraser sorting the flag shot; Mel took Ugly Christmas in July and her new Team Veteran shirt to Puckapunyal, Australia's only military parkrun, with Brendan Peel, Jodie Maisie and Renee Jackson, then brunched in Seymour, scouted a possible course by the Goulburn River and visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Walk. Little listener feedback, but Scotty is fined again, this time on Johan's suggestion for his South African accent.
parkrun news bulletin starts at 9:56
The hosts read out Tim Oberg's departure press release in full: he has stepped down as head of parkrun in Australia and the Asia Pacific after 4,109 days (587 parkrun days) from the launch of Main Beach on 2 April 2011 to his last day on 1 July 2022, with 1.1 million registered Australian parkrunners at 441 locations. His acknowledgements name Paul Sinton-Hewitt, parkrun Australia board chairs Gareth Saunders OAM, Gareth Candy and Scott Watkins, Medibank, St Peter's ED Paul Wilcock, and his family. Ollie adds that Tim is the inspiration for the Obi Award, a former host of the podcast, and the namesake of the show's Oberg challenge.
Level 2 with a View starts at 15:11
Sam's interview slot, presented from "the comfy chair on Level 2 with a View", this week a 15-minute interview with Aidan Hobbs about his 23 parkrun course records.
Emails starts at 30:36
Two listener emails. Geoff Glaab reports from parkrun USA that three events launched (Kohler Mountain Bike Preserve, Little Sugar Creek Greenway, Osborne Metro Park), topping 2,000 participants in a single day for the first time since March 2020, with 54 of 63 finishers at Kohler brand new to parkrun. Bruce Purdy "the ideas man" sends ideas for the Streaky September Bingoe card, tied to the show reaching episode 300, photograph a 300 during your streak, a selfie with a cake, and five different road-sign types for a flush.
Dazza's starts at 34:55
Ugly Christmas in July edition. Posts from Andrew Johnston and Martine Barrot at Aurora parkrun; Rebecca (Bec) Bailey, who drove 1,000 km, got her eye and added Victoria to her Peel list at Inverloch then marshalled at her first junior event; Tanya Bailey filling in as Timekeeper at Pegasus, NZ; Brendan and Em timing at the parkrun that cannot be named; Mary Geluna at the Ponds; Johan Duvenhage at Innibos, South Africa, with new rescue dog Jason as Tail Walker; Tim Robbins at Lovstien parkrun in Bergen, Norway; Will Barlow returning a lost trolley to Aldi in ugly shirt and buff; and Nadine Crawford at Daventry parkrun, hosted by Derek Munro with the Australian national anthem at the brief and Waltzing Matilda at the 1K mark.
the Obi Award — Bec Bailey starts at 43:06
Ollie retrieves the envelope from his in-tray and awards the Obi "for 1,000 kilometres, a stump shot and Jemima Puddle Duck" to Bec Bailey. The hosts then joke that there was no bribery involved and it has nothing to do with the caramilk on anyone's desk or the lolly slice in the lunchbox, a gag paid off in the post-outro sketch.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 44:18
Two roving reports thrown to back to back: Sarah Jefferson at Willoughby parkrun (NSW) and Alison Fraser at Cambridge NZ parkrun, followed by the Informant. Ollie and Mel take the crossover back.
the Informant starts at 53:46
Both Informants appear. 444 events down under ("a double Ritchie"), down 11 on last week; 36 in New Zealand, 1,756 events worldwide, Aus/NZ attendance 32,049 of 193,000; one launch in the United States; 3,338 PBs and 1,183 first-timers; 63 junior 10s, 151 fifties, 92 hundreds, 19 two-fifties; 26 called bingo. New statespeople Tao Tan (ACT), Michael Giles (NT) and Jeremy Porter (SA). Brian Hardy reached equal 19th on most Aus/NZ events with Melissa Ellis; Garth Clee the biggest mover, up 60 to 108. Adventure Challenges: Neil Harvey joins the Peel Club, Nicole Hay the Cow Club, 12 more complete half-cow.
Consolidated Club Report starts at 59:11
Of 248 members, 194 took part at 110 different locations. 15 UK events, 2 in the USA, 1 in Ireland, 1 in the Netherlands, 1 in Norway and 2 in South Africa; locally 30 in Victoria, 19 in NSW, 16 in Queensland, 7 in SA, 6 in WA, 2 in Tasmania, 2 in the ACT and none in the Northern Territory, plus 5 in the North Island and 1 in the South Island of New Zealand.
the Frond — Three-way tie — Sandon Point, the Ponds, and Elliott Heads Beach (six adventurers each) starts at 1:00:36
The largest frond was a three-way tie at six adventurers each: Sandon Point (Paddy, Sam and Luke, Aaron and Michael Gentle, Roberta Winters), the Ponds (Charles Burns, Dennis Peden, Jeff Robinson, Louise Garbers, Joe McLean and Lisa Spencer) and Elliott Heads Beach (Lance and Robert Flarn, Barbara and Roger Luther, Ian and Catherine Greenstreet). No largest frond recorded for Victoria this week, and the largest junior frond was not looked up.
Sign-off starts at 1:04:14
Mel said she was going on a road trip to get her U at Umbagong District parkrun in the ACT, never having managed to reach the other two U events at Underwood and Yeronga, and would catch up with Will, who was on the volunteer roster. Ollie said he was going for the hat trick, volunteering at home and possibly bringing the kids, hoping to get Zali scanning some barcodes. They hoped Abby was happier with the previous week's recording after her challenge to up their game, Mel said it was good to have Ollie back, and they gave the Facebook and email contacts and closed for another week.