Episode 315 - Honey Stud

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HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reportersMelissa Ellis Tracey Wood

Show notes

Dodgy sound, made up words, mispronunciations and mistakes – quality podding for your enjoyment! Olly’s back to tell us all about Hamilton Island (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Mel recounts her adventure to Goulburn (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Dazza was getting up close and personal, while the envelope turned up unexpectedly in the northern hemisphere. We have two Traceys for the price of one at Victory Heights Trail (opens in a new tab) parkrun, and it’s beginning to look a lot like ugly Christmas.

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

Roving reports

1Goulburn2Victory Heights Trail

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:24

  Ollie Spake joining from Ngunnawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, marking 100 episodes since they took over the keys at episode 216 and thanking Simon for filling in. Ollie recaps a hot 14-person family holiday on Hamilton Island, where Hamilton Island parkrun on Ngaro land was Hannah's 50th (tail walking with Laura from the Airlie Beach team), Cathy nearly PB'd on the sand and he helped a honeymooning Victorian first-place finisher register his first official result; back home he marshalled while Karen and Darwin RD'd, welcoming Craig and Rebecca from Victoria and following the Argentina-Netherlands penalty shootout over the walkie-talkies. Mel and Zoe went north to Goulburn parkrun on Wiradjuri Country with Melissa Currie and family, taking selfies at the Big Merino and brunch at the Paragon Cafe.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 13:23

  Melissa Ellis's own pre-recorded roving report from Goulburn parkrun (Wiradjuri Country), NSW. She interviews Bill, a local with 98 Goulburn runs who tips her off about the NSW Police Academy the course runs behind, then Melissa "Liss" Currie over brunch at the Paragon Cafe, covering the out-and-back riverside course with its uphill finish, parking, playground, toilets and the usual post-parkrun cafes (Gales, K&G's, Green Grocer).

• parkrun news bulletin starts at 20:32

  Ollie and Mel report that the City of Canterbury and Bankstown has declined to waive its park-use fees, so Cooks River and Panania parkruns may pause; the existing agreement lapsed the previous week. They wish parkrun HQ luck resolving it and note parkrun's global commitment to free access.

• Dazza's starts at 24:26

  Let's Hug Day theme ("a 20-second hug releases happy endorphins"). Posts from Steve's Bike (cryptic Harry Potter clue = Voldemort = Shellharbour), Graeme Wilkinson (three and a half hours to Elgin), Richard and Sally (50th location and 50th parkrun at Albert Melbourne), Susan Roddick (son Baxter's PB at San Remo), Chris Rooney (RD at Karkarook in a new ugly visor), Bruce Purdy "the ideas man" (scout takeover at Wallaby Track, 92 participants), Greg Garner (Billy Joel at the G), Brett Bailey (Pegasus number 299, new male course record), Leigh Cabarita (Sally and the ugly gingerbread singlets), Stephen Warwick (RD at Bell's Parade) and Calum Burrell (frond group hug in the snow at Burnage).

• the Obi Award — Lee Cabarita starts at 36:14

  The hosts admit they have no idea where the envelope is this week and "in good faith" throw to the keeper of the Obi, it turns up in the snow at Burnage parkrun in the UK, found by Calum Burrell while hunting for marker cones. He opens it and announces the winner. Ollie: "congratulations to our Obi winner, Lee. Very ugly and, as always, well-deserved." This leads into the porn-name bit that gives the episode its title (Mel = Honey Stud, Ollie = Poochie Channel).

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 39:08

  Tracey Wood ("Tracey in a tutu") reports from Victory Heights Trail parkrun in Queensland, about an hour and a half from North Brisbane, in company with a second tutu-wearing Tracy, Tracy Leiper, for whom it is a Queensland NENDY by 100 metres. She interviews Lindy, a very new parkrunner on her third visit, and Susan the Run Director, covering the single-track and fire-trail course, the fairy wrens, leeches and mozzies, and the event's reopening three or four weeks earlier after months of flood damage.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 46:08

  For 3 December: 341 members took part at 280 events across 146 locations, 19 events in the UK, one each in South Africa, the USA, Ireland and Sweden; locally 33 in Victoria, 31 in Queensland, 24 in New South Wales, 10 in South Australia, eight in WA, five each in the ACT, Tasmania and the North Island, two on the South Island. Largest frond was 11 adventurers at Shellharbour ("Voldemort") parkrun.

• International Ugly Christmas Singlet Day starts at 48:41

  Build-up to Ugly Christmas Singlet and Shirt Day on 17 December, uglies have shipped worldwide, with fingers crossed that New Zealand's delivery lands in time. Ollie confesses he wore only tinsel at Shellharbour and promises to be properly ugly, and thanks "the elves behind that". The hosts also flag that next week's is the last episode of the year and ask the Channel 5 News Crew for bonbon jokes, this year in audio format only.

• Sign-off starts at 52:40

  Ollie said there was plenty to cover next week and asked where Mel was going: she refused to say, wanting it to be a surprise so the event would not know she was coming. Ollie said he would be at Shellharbour, holding the Run Director vest a few times over the coming month, and confirmed he had ordered all the ugly Christmas gear and would be wearing it, layered. Mel took the outro, giving the Facebook and email contacts and saying that was it for another week.