Episode 320 - Summer Holidays

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HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reporterTracey Wood

Show notes

It’s a summer holiday edition of the pod this week with Mel back in South Australia adventuring to Goolwa (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Thorndon junior parkrun. Olly donned the RD vest, welcoming adventurers from afar, while Tracey sent us a roving report from Scribbly Gums Conservation (opens in a new tab) parkrun. We had lots of newcomers at Dazzas, the Obi has gone to an old favourite, and there’s a new boy in town … a birthday boy!

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

Roving reports

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Ngarrindjeri Country, recording from a resort bedroom on holiday in South Australia with two teenage girls. Mel did Goolwa parkrun, her 20th in SA, with a history of the river port, the barrage and its Cittaslow status, then volunteered at Thorndon juniors' event 100 in Adelaide with Janet Reid; Ollie run-directed a sunny Shellharbour with 180 finishers, including Linda Boxich from Charlton parkrun in the UK on her 300th. Australia's numbers were the second highest ever, roving reports from Jeff, Johan and Alison drew good feedback, and The Office Lady will start a weekly Tuesday-night discussion post.

• parkrun news bulletin starts at 13:35

  Oliver Spake reads an ABC news piece about Renmark runner Holly Ranson, the first Australian woman (and fourth Australian overall) to complete 24 parkruns in 24 hours, running more than 120km across Adelaide courses from Mawson Lakes to Largs Bay to raise funds for a rehabilitation program in South Australia's Mount Lofty Ranges. Melissa Ellis adds that Renmark parkrun is on hiatus because of the Murray River flooding. Earlier in the same stretch they note Australian attendance was at its second-highest ever for the weekend.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 17:46

  Tracey Wood's roving report from Scribbly Gums Conservation parkrun, east of Brisbane. She asks local Brad about the scribbly gum trees, interviews visiting volunteer Peter (Timekeeper, home event Robelle Domain) about why the volunteers wear red vests, tail walks with Caroline who describes the hilly hard-packed trail course, and interviews Event Director Blair at event 14 about setting the event up, his Wilson and p-Index chases and his top three parkruns. Signs off with course notes: not pram friendly, no toilets, bring insect repellent.

• Dazza's starts at 25:50

  Listener check-ins read by both hosts: Phil Olson at Wanaka (the #ThatWanakaTree photo), Richard touristing at Curl Curl with Chloe and David Bravos also there, Ingrid Botha barcode scanning at Dolls Point, Helen Davis at Calembeen (Creswick) event 2 with her new "Pooper Scooper" event-number-two challenge, Heather Hunter's 60th different event, Rebecca Bailey's volunteer trifecta at Shellharbour, Josephine Moon's 250th at Ashgrove, Michael Sharp run directing, Cherie Cottle at Henry Kendall Reserve, Susie Hempsel at Kelvin Grove, Johan Duvenhage in South Africa, Lynette Ann at Bushy in minus three degrees, and Damiano Le Negro's PB at Calembeen. Hosts note a lot of first-time posters ticking off challenge cards.

• the Obi Award — Michael Sharp starts at 36:13

  Melissa Ellis retrieves the Dazza's envelope (shoved under her motel bedroom door) and awards the week's Obi to Michael Sharp for his "perfect in purple" photo, run directing and accidentally twinning with Mark Gray, both photographed from behind in matching 25-volunteer shirts and hats, while closing in on a 1:1 run-to-volunteer ratio at 241 to 238. The hosts add that he is Co-Event Director at The Beaches parkrun alongside Sonja Pohlman. He will receive one of the Office Lady's challenge cards in the mail once he sends his address.

• the Birthday Boy starts at 37:42

  Brand-new monthly look-ahead segment, introduced by Melissa Ellis as "another new segment" and presented in character by "the Birthday Boy". February 2023 has four parkrun days; first anniversaries at Cyril Curtin Reserve (Vic), Henry Kendall Reserve (NSW) and Jamestown Golf Course (SA), all launched together but now on event numbers 50-53; Kirra (Qld) turns 11; and Fibonacci event numbers 233 and 337 are coming up at Dawesville, Risdon Brook, Maitland, Maribyrnong, Oakey, Echuca-Moama and Margaret River, with Australia still waiting on a 610. Closes by pointing listeners at the parkrun cancellations page.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 41:07

  For Saturday 21 January 2023: 374 members, 306 taking part at 165 locations, 17 in the UK, three in South Africa, one each in the USA, Ireland and Namibia, plus 38 events in NSW, 33 in Victoria, 32 in Queensland, 11 in SA, 9 in WA, 7 on the North Island, 5 in the ACT, 3 each in Tasmania and the South Island and one in the Northern Territory. That last one completes a "bowling strike" across every region, thanks to Jonathan Morgan at Nightcliff on his way to Thailand, letting Melissa Ellis finally use her long-unused strike sound effect.

• the Frond starts at 42:50

  The week's frond went to Calembeen (Creswick, Victoria) event 2, with 11 adventurers, Stephen and Helen Davis, Matt and Erica Hopcraft, Irene Bumacanti, Andrew Johnston and Martine Barrot, Renee Jackson, Cheryl Smit, Bruce Purdy and Dawn Branton, all working on their event-number-twos challenge. The hosts confirm they were not disqualified this week.

• Sign-off starts at 43:17

  Ollie noted Mel's holiday was keeping her on the road for next parkrun day: she was doing another South Australian event, Oaklands Estate Reserve, which she knew nothing about yet, and meeting up with Sarah from the West Side. Ollie would be back run directing at Shellharbour, among the first to debut the new volunteer vests, on Triple J Hottest 100 day. They discussed the new vests - black and white for Run Directors, red for most others and high-vis yellow for Tail Walkers, with juniors keeping the old blue and white. He hoped she enjoyed the rest of her holiday week and trailed a new segment, Mel's Book Club; Mel gave the Facebook, email, Twitter and Instagram contacts and said that was it for another week.