Episode 308 - Top 3

— open the full-size cover

HostsMelissa Erbacher Scott Trickett

Roving reportersJohan Duvenhage Tracey Wood

Show notes

While Mel and Olly are away the fill-ins are here to interrupt your regularly scheduled program (as evidenced by the irregular schedule of this program). Johan and Tracey bring you roving reports from Delta (opens in a new tab) parkrun and St Lucia (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Plus we have some special Top 3s to share and a challenge for you!

The podcast feed and the Facebook post carry the same notes.

Roving reports

1Delta2St Lucia

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:19

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher back for one week only as the fill-ins for Mel and Ollie, acknowledging the episode is running late.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 1:31"Where is the cake?"

  Both fill-in hosts have home-event birthdays this weekend: Kawana parkrun turns 10 and Westerfolds turns 9, with a shout-out to Darwin parkrun, which shares the anniversary weekend. Themes announced: crazy hats at Westerfolds, and a "Shazza" 80s neon cheerleader theme at Kawana in support of a regular parkrunner called Dee who has had recent health issues. Delta parkrun's 500th event (South Africa's first) is covered separately in the roving report.

• International Ugly Christmas Singlet Day starts at 6:26

  Erbacher gives an ordering update: the first round sold well, a second ordering round opens in early November, and the 2022 gingerbread design ("the poo-coloured one") was pipped by the re-released reimagined original. Scott, who says the whole thing was his idea, confesses he did not order this round. Referenced again as the thing that will consume Erbacher's energy next.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 13:33

  Two reports. Johan Duvenhage from Delta parkrun, South Africa, for its 500th event, the first South African event to reach the milestone, interviewing Dieter Meyer (his own 500th, present at event 1 in November 2011), Elton Clothier-Huberts (original event-1 participant, now splitting time between South Africa and the Netherlands) and Jabulani Mkhize (252 different South African events, 24-week volunteer streak). Johan closes with Delta's stats: 700 participants, 45 volunteers, 42,000 different participants and 1.8 million km since launch. Then Tracey Wood from St Lucia parkrun at the University of Queensland for its event 201, jacarandas in bloom, park-walking and chatting to first-time volunteer Suzanne and to Charlotte, walking with three children doing their first barcoded parkrun.

• Top Threes starts at 28:55

  Two rounds. First, top three bucket-list running events: Erbacher picks Marathon du Médoc in France, the (now defunct) Sandgate Sunset Run relay, and burro racing in the USA inspired by Christopher McDougall's "Running with Sherman", mentioning the ET Full Moon Marathon near Area 51 as an also-ran; Scott wants an entirely-downhill mountain race and a race that finishes in the ocean. Second, and billed as a long-withheld reveal now that they no longer work for parkrun, top three parkrun events: Scott names The Beaches, Tring (now closed) and Phillip Island, then adds a people-based top three of Westerfolds, Studley and Jells. Erbacher gets to Margaret River and Coffs Harbour (where she completed the Pirate Club) before taking number three on notice.

• parkrun adventure challenge starts at 53:02listener challenge

  Erbacher sets the listener challenge: at parkrun this weekend, spot someone across the crowd you have never spoken to and go and have a chat with them, rather than gravitating to the people you already know. Framed around the wider idea the hosts want to revive, that an adventure can happen at your home event, not only at a new one. Scott declines to add his own challenge ("don't go up to the Event Director and tell them everything that's wrong with their course") and endorses hers. Responses to parkrunadventurers@gmail.com or Facebook.

• Sign-off starts at 58:06

  Scotty said that as fill-ins they had managed an hour-long episode and were going to wrap it up, told Mel he loved podcasting with her and floated his reunion pod idea - bringing back early guests - if Mel and Ollie would have them back, though not for a couple of weeks or months. He wished Mel a wonderful time at Kawana that week, volunteering, running or walking; she promised to wear the neon and eat the cake and looked forward to a photo of his crazy hat, which he said might just be a beanie. They signed off with "see you all whenever".