Episode 394 - Dangling the carrot

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HostsMelissa Ellis Tony O'Connell

Roving reportersAli Sheppard Alison Fraser (King)

Show notes

From the Facebook post

Mel & Toc are back with stories from Cyril Curtin Reserve & Point Cook (opens in a new tab) parkruns. Plus, we have two Alison's reporting in from Morrinsville Recreation Ground (opens in a new tab) and Pirrama (opens in a new tab) parkrun. The Birthday Boy brings us September anniversaries, Pip drops news of Streaky Septmeber and Mel is en pointe with a Polish parkrun launch . Don't believe us? Listen in!

From the podcast feed

Mel & Toc are back with stories from Cyril Curtin & Point Cook (opens in a new tab) parkruns. Plus, we have two Alison’s reporting in from Morrinsville Recreation Ground (opens in a new tab) and Pirrama (opens in a new tab) parkrun. The Birthday Boy brings us September anniversaries, Pip drops news of Streaky Septmeber and Mel is en pointe with a Polish parkrun launch. Don’t believe us? Listen in!

Roving reports

1Morrinsville Recreation Ground2Pirrama

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:24

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back after last week's baby news from Sarah; TOC corrects Sarah that Lake Wallace is at Edenhope in western Victoria. Listener chat: Heather Hunter on paid-supporter challenges in the 5K app, Andrew Johnston suggesting Harmony Boulevard for the In the Streets challenge, and Ingrid Paris listing the four 'Australia' parkruns; Budgie reached Lochiel with Eman, Chris and baby Arlo but found no adventurer and heads to South Toowoomba next. Mel returned to Point Cook (event 486, her ninth visit) with new partner Dave and his son Dermot, introducing the relationship publicly, while TOC made his fourth trip to Cyril Curtain Reserve in Williamstown to celebrate Jodie Mosey's 100 finishes at 100 locations, 100th volunteer, 50th Victorian event and NENDY, with Val and Steve Warwick, Chris Fraser, Sarah Langley, Dawny, Carolyn McRae, Chantel, Martine and Eric Banner among the crowd.

• parkrun news bulletin starts at 12:51

  News and discussion block opened by Mel "Now, news and discussion from us, TOC": the new Collegiate milestone shirts reaching the Australian shop and Janet Reid modelling the purple volunteer version; Bushy Park's 999th event in London (1,787 finishers on a wet day, 82 volunteers the previous week, and a 1,000th-event roster with 25 Funnel Managers, 11 scanners and 30 marshals); and an email from parkrun Australia HQ, signed Renee Gimbert, about early-stage work to bring parkrun to Oceania (Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu), which TOC jokes he will take on as event ambassador.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 18:59

  Mel hands over "But anyway, now let's throw to our roving reports." Two reports back to back: Alison Fraser (King) at the Morrinsville Recreation Ground parkrun launch in New Zealand with Event Director Heather, and Ali Sheppard tail-walking at Pirrama parkrun in Sydney with Co-Event Director Craig. TOC crosses back with "a pair of Alisons".

• Dazza's starts at 31:03

  Listener comments on Dazza's Facebook post, this week themed on Pluto losing planetary status 18 years ago, with the carried-over challenge word "Paris". Comments from Dave Bravos (250 shirt, adventurers buff, dog Lucy), Joe McLean (The Ponds cancelled, tourist to East Richmond), Andrew Turner (10 years of Maribyrnong), Erica Liotta (became a Queensland Stateswoman at Capestone Lake, cape and banana crown made by Tracy Lupia), Belinda Taylor (Katherine Hot Springs, NT, with Johnny and Fink Dog), Gareth Arnold (Penistone, in rhyme), Helen Rutter (a small frond at Epworth Equestrian), Peter (hand-painted route map at Atlasville, South Africa), Monty Slade (Chippenham Playing Fields, Monmouth, and boomerang number six from South Beach Recreation Reserve) and Ian Thompson (first Norwegian parkrun at Stavanger, registering a Brazilian first-timer).

• the Obi Award — Erica Liotta starts at 38:41

  Mel asks "Now, TOC, do you have the Obilope?" and TOC opens it. This week's winner is Erica Liotta, for becoming a Queensland Stateswoman at Capestone Lake parkrun with a group of friends, complete with a cape and banana crown, Mel adds "good work at getting around all those parkruns around Queensland"., the second rendering is used here.

• the Birthday Boy starts at 39:29

  Mel throws to the segment. The Birthday Boy runs through September 2024 anniversaries, 36 events in all, one more than August, picking out Wilson Inlet Heritage Trail (1), Robelle Domain (paused), Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve (2), Marina (5), Broadbeach Waters (10) and Warwick (11) in week one; Tynwald Park (2), Bega (9) and Wynnum (12) in week two; Kingston Park (5), Palmerston NT (8) and New Farm (13) in week three; and Memorial Park SA (2), Braidwood Showground, Cowpasture Reserve Camden, Montrose Foreshore, Perry Lakes and Stebonheath (all 6) plus Toowoomba (11) in week four. Closes with a reminder about the parkrun cancellations page, a nudge to watch for a Malaysia Day event, and a response to Rachel's call for topics with a request for volunteer club information. TOC notes an omission: Inverloch turns 10 in week two.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 44:37

  For Saturday 24 August 2024: of 675 members, 501 took part in 11 countries across 245 locations. Internationally, adventurers were at 48 UK events, seven in South Africa, four in Canada, three each in the USA and Ireland, and one each in Germany, Norway, Singapore and Italy. Locally, Queensland took gold with 58 events, the UK silver, New South Wales bronze with 46, then Victoria 39, South Australia 16, Western Australia 13, Tasmania 7, five on the North Island, three in the ACT, two in the Northern Territory and one on the South Island.

• the Frond — Inis Meáin parkrun frond of eight (Stuart Henderson, Andy and Deb Airy, Dennis Evans, Adrian Luscombe, Mark Perkins, Heather Morgan, Kaz Timbrow) starts at 46:05

  The international frond of eight went to Inis Meáin parkrun in Ireland, Stuart Henderson, Andy and Deb Airey, Dennis Evans, Adrian Luscombe, Mark Perkins, Heather Morgan and Kaz Timbrow, part of a large group Andy had organised who crossed on a rough ferry for the 11am start. The largest frond of the weekend was at Cyril Curtin Reserve parkrun, where the adventurers gathered for Jodie's quadruple milestone (declared early by Mel and confirmed).

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 48:10"Where is the cake?"

  TOC opens "Moving along to launches, TOC" and swaps the usual order so he takes the New Zealand launch and Mel the Polish one. Morrinsville Recreation Ground parkrun (south-southeast of Auckland, east of Hamilton) launched with about 170 finishers, 46 first-ever parkrunners and 19 volunteers. Poland's newest event, east of Warsaw, drew 246 finishers, 34 volunteers and 46 first-ever finishers on a one-lap forest course, welcomed as Las Malcanow parkrun, with Mel promising help from her Polish friend Dorota on the pronunciation.

• Streaky September starts at 50:01

  TOC previews the start of Streaky September on 1 September and hands to a pre-recorded piece from Pippa (the UK Streakmeister), who explains the commitment, 30 minutes of exercise a day, roughly two kilometres walking, a little less swimming, a little more running, or gym, yoga or Pilates if injured, and encourages people to keep themselves honest by posting in the Facebook group. TOC and Mel then trail the Streaky September Bingoe card, due out by 1 September, with TOC urging people not to complete it all on day one.

• Sign-off starts at 55:26

  TOC asked where Mel was off to: she was heading to South Australia to meet Sarah from the West Side and Belinda Ferry, hoping to do Gawler, an event she knew nothing about and rarely heard mentioned; TOC was going back to the Great Southern Rail Trail parkrun at Korumburra, an event he is ambassador for and had attended for its launch, to see how the team was going. They riffed on inventing a 'share the love' challenge for parkruns that fit no existing challenge. TOC then announced there would be no episode the following week, and Mel explained it was because her daughter is in her school production leaving her no time to edit, with both reminding listeners the Bingoe card and Streaky September would still be running. Mel thanked TOC for joining her and closed with the Facebook and email contacts and 'that's it for another week, we'll see you all in a couple of weeks'.