Episode 325 - Wake up, Jodi!

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HostsMelissa Ellis Oliver Spake

Roving reportersAlison Fraser (King) Tracey Wood

Show notes

From the Facebook post

Pour another coffee – Mel & Olly are delirious after their adventures at Batemans Bay (opens in a new tab) parkrun and Maria Creek Reserve (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

Luckily we have Tracey in a TuTu bouncing in at Ecco Ripley (opens in a new tab) parkrun, David swinging past at Wanneroo (opens in a new tab) parkrun, and over the ditch, Alison floats in with a report from Hamilton Lake (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

To keep us awake, we discuss worldwide parkrun elevation, we hear the March rundown from the Birthday Boy, plus there's Dazza's, mail, the Consolidated Club Report and …wake up, Jodi!!

From the podcast feed

Pour another coffee – Mel & Olly are delirious after their adventures at Batemans Bay (opens in a new tab) and Maria Creek Reserve (opens in a new tab) parkruns. Luckily we have Tracey in a TuTu bouncing in at Ecco Ripley (opens in a new tab) parkrun, David swinging past at Wannaroo parkrun, and over the ditch, Alison floats in with a report from Hamilton Lake (opens in a new tab). To keep us awake, we discuss worldwide parkrun elevation, we hear the March rundown from the Birthday Boy, plus there’s Dazza’s, mail, the Consolidated Club Report and …wake up, Jodi!!

Roving reports

1Ecco Ripley2Wanneroo3Hamilton Lake

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and a sleepy Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, comparing notes on listeners who drift off to the pod, including Brendan Peel's Jodie. Ollie was on the family's annual Lake Conjola getaway on Yuin Country and drove an hour south to Batemans Bay, a flat two-lap double out and back, where Karen from the Shellharbour team ran in; he weighed up Lake Conjola's parkrun potential, noted Huskisson was paused for the Husky triathlon, and cut his toe so is off running for a bit. Mel camped at Kingston South East on Ngarrindjeri Country for event three of Maria Creek Reserve, her 175th event and 22nd in South Australia, one second short of her last bingo number, and belatedly marked her ninth parkrun anniversary; they also recall Rachel awarding the Obi to the Office Lady.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 11:36"Where is the cake?"

  Ollie welcomes one new launch to the family: Newcastle Park parkrun in Western Australia. Melissa notes "it's all happening in WA", which leads into the Eurovision/Voyager tangent. David's roving report later flags the same event as the 50th parkrun to open in WA.

• Emails starts at 14:07

  Listener feedback read out. Johan Duvenhage writes in on parkrun elevations following last week's height discussion, Running Achievements' regionalised Dizzy Heights challenges, and the worldwide top ten highest parkrun starts (Aspen USA 2,453m, then a run of South African events), which Ollie reads while comically fumbling the pronunciations. Melissa reads the Australian top four (all New South Wales) and Ollie the New Zealand top three. Jeff also writes in teasing a big announcement at Joe Creason to come in Dazza's.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 19:53

  A big week for roving reports, three played back to back, with Lyndell Murray's held over to next week. Tracey Wood from Ecco Ripley parkrun (Queensland), David from Wanneroo parkrun (Western Australia), and Alison Fraser from Hamilton Lake parkrun (New Zealand).

• Dazza's starts at 39:49

  International Sword Swallowing Day edition. Contributions from Jodi Maisie (50th volunteer at Kirkdale Reserve, with Brendan Peel), Cameron Drake at Bibra Lake, Andrew Turner chasing TOC's lead bike at Maribyrnong on a Fibonacci attendance of 377, Jacqui O'Connell at Inverloch, Janet Reid at Moana, Jo McLean at Warrington Lakes Reserve, Tamsin Smith RD-ing at Southampton, Geoff Glaab at Joe Creason (daughter Charlotte's 50th volunteer), and a late entry from Michael Blain pacing Mitchelton and RD-ing Des Connor junior parkrun. Prompts a discussion of the lead bike role being removed from the volunteer roster.

• the Obi Award — Geoff Glaab starts at 48:33

  Ollie awards this week's Obi to Geoff Glaab of Joe Creason parkrun, "partly for Jeff and partly for Charlotte", his daughter, who achieved her 50th volunteer that morning as only the seventh person at the event to reach the milestone and by far the youngest. Melissa follows with milestone shout-outs for James (50th volunteer at juniors) and Abby's mum (100th volunteer).

• the Birthday Boy starts at 50:30

  A pre-recorded monthly look-ahead at parkrun anniversaries. March 2023: no first anniversaries until Pambula Wetlands (NSW) in week three, then Warrandyte River Reserve (Vic) and Jarrahdale Heritage (WA) in week four; fifth birthdays for Chipping Norton (NSW), Kelvin Grove, Mount Isa and St Lucia (Qld); no 11ths or 12ths, but 10ths for Parramatta (NSW) and Riverway (Qld). Includes a digression on St Lucia's infamous 800-finisher launch being "the nail in the coffin for large, aka publicised, launches".

• Emails starts at 54:38

  "You've got mail", a letter from Lynn from Cobram, who travelled a few hours to Kirkdale Reserve parkrun for Jodi Maisie's 50th volunteer and formed an adventurers' frond with TOC, Peely, Dawn, Chantelle, Gregory and others over breakfast, ticking off the Office Lady's Challenge chart on her fridge. She teases a restart date for Cobram parkrun.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 55:58

  For Saturday 25 February 2023: 393 members, the first week membership hasn't grown since the club started. 322 people took part at 168 different locations, including 22 in the UK and one each in South Africa, the USA and Sweden. Locally 41 events in Victoria, 36 in New South Wales, 31 in Queensland, nine in South Australia, eight in WA, six each in the ACT and the North Island, four in Tasmania, two in the South Island. Three-way tie for largest turnout, Maribyrnong, Point Hut Pond and The Ponds, seven adventurers each.

• Sign-off starts at 1:01:35

  Ollie called time to look forward and Mel said she was flying north to the Sunshine Coast for Kawana parkrun, a long-held ambition after doing it as a Freedom Run around Palm 2021, with Mel Erbacher alongside her and hoping to catch up with John from the parkrun Party Song. Ollie said he would be adventuring at home for Kathy's birthday, running quickly or volunteering before the family headed to Sydney for Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat, the aquarium and the Rainbow Pride concert closing World Pride. He plugged Palm, the parkrun adventurer Listener Meetup, now inside two months, gave the Facebook and email contacts, thanked Mel and signed off.