Episode 406 - White-marks the spot

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HostsSimon Mackley Tony O'Connell

Roving reportersCalum Burrell Emma — Event Director, Kirra parkrun Lyndell Murray

Show notes

From the Facebook post

A surprise co-host pops in to talk about the weekend away for Whitemark Wharf (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Simon goes to another Birthday celebration, at Minnippi (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Budgie's plans are changed. Two parkrunners break Australian records in longer events. There's a new first, with ANZ Pioneer achieved. Roving reports from Callum at Wendover Woods (opens in a new tab), Lyndell at Underwood Park (opens in a new tab) and Em from Whitemark Wharf (opens in a new tab). Reginald checks in with regards to Cancellations. Dazza had some creative Mo's and NZ adds yet another new parkrun.

- Some responsible adults putting their Adventurers buffs to good use at Whitemark Wharf (opens in a new tab) parkrun.

From the podcast feed

A surprise co host pops in to talk about the weekend away for Whitemark Wharf (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Simon goes to another Birthday celebration, at Minnippi (opens in a new tab) parkrun. Budgie's plans are changed. Two parkrunners break Australian records in longer events. There's a new first, with ANZ Pioneer achieved. Roving reports from Callum at Wendover Woods (opens in a new tab), Lyndell at Underwood Park (opens in a new tab) and Em from Whitemark Wharf (opens in a new tab). Reginald checks in with regards to cancellations. Dazza had some creative Mo's and NZ adds yet another new parkrun.

Roving reports

1Wendover Woods2Underwood Park3Whitemark Wharf

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country with substitute host Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country, the first time the two have recorded together. Feedback from house guest Alison corrects TOC on Auckland's Northern Pathway and Southern Path, which are not on the same path but share a highway with a no-pedestrian bridge between them; then a plug for the Bellarine Sunset Run at Portarlington on 8 February (4k, 10k and half, Flying Brick cider at the finish), early-bird pricing closing 8 December, which TOC recommends and Mel hopes to bring a crew to.

• Emails starts at 3:36

  TOC notes that this is normally the email section but no listener emails arrived, only advertising junk mail (Simon: 'The Kevin Bacon 5K'). Instead they read a message from Christy Gange: this weekend Wallaby Track parkrun in Victoria is being taken over by its local scouts group and visitors are strongly encouraged. A late email is read much later, from Brett Bailey with local background on Nelson, New Zealand (population 55,000 at the base of Tasman Bay, second-oldest city in NZ, named in recognition of Lord Nelson, fruit- and hop-growing, plus a follow-up email about the local vineyards).

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 20:19

  Simon hands over 'I think it's about time we threw to the roving reports. What do you reckon, TOC?' Three reports follow: Calum at Wendover Woods parkrun in the UK for its annual St Andrew's Day tartan event (event 254, interviewing RD Stuart Eakins); Lyndell at Underwood Park parkrun in Brisbane (interviewing RD/ED Steve about the 'U' parkrun, the course and backyard ultras); and Em at Whitemark Wharf parkrun on Flinders Island (interviewing ED Lynne about island life, access and the Flinders Island Running Festival). TOC wraps all three.

• Dazza's starts at 45:04

  This week's Dazza's prompt was National Tree Week; the listener challenge was to add a Mo for Movember to the post, and 98 comments came in. Read out: Martine Barrot (Flinders Island, Whitemark Wharf, using Budgie as her moustache, and a new Tassie Statesman with Andrew); Johan (Green Point and Century City parkruns, Cape Town, using the whole selfie frame as a moustache); Chris Gore (Port Augusta parkrun, three days out of Perth, cardboard moustaches with Karen); Carolyn McRae (Queanbeyan parkrun, a Movember air freshener found in an Uber); David Johnston (Mount Beauty, sticks as moustaches with Dermot); Tyson Flynn (Point Hut Pond, 50th volunteer day of the year, a real Movember mo); TOC himself (Whitemark Wharf, adventurers' buffs as moustaches with Sarah and Matthew); Alison King (Whitemark Wharf, a barcode moustache, with Heather Morgan); and Yvette Turner (a photo in Umbagong's selfie frame).

• the Obi Award — Chris Gore starts at 49:54

  TOC asks 'Do we have an Obi winner in that lot?' and the Obi goes to Chris Gore, 'great to see the two moustaches inside the selfie frame' at Port Augusta parkrun, on a road trip east from Perth to South Australia.

• Club Corner starts at 50:33

  TOC hands over 'before we get to that, I think we shall hear from Reginald.' Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III, coming from Arrernte Country, harks back to Club Corner number 55 on Run Directors and explains how parkrun cancellations work: advance-notice versus event-day causes, parkrun HQ's rule that the RD has ultimate authority and cannot be overruled, logging a cancellation in EMS, notifying rostered volunteers, social media images, volunteer credits, and that cancellations should never be reversed. Simon recaps and TOC adds an example of a Queensland event that cancelled 20 minutes after its course check when a creek rose a metre and a half.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 54:23

  The adventurers' Consolidated Club Report for Saturday 30 November 2024: of 714 members, 500 took part across 8 countries and 254 locations, 45 events in the UK, 9 in the USA, 6 in South Africa, and 1 each in Germany, Poland and Singapore. Locally: Victoria 46, New South Wales 45, Queensland 41, Western Australia 19, South Australia 13, Tasmania 10, ACT 9, North Island of New Zealand 6, South Island 1, Northern Territory 1. Compiled by 'our Belinda Fairy', who is also credited earlier with the Thanksgiving Day count of 17 adventurers across 8 US events.

• the Frond — Whitemark Wharf parkrun — frond of 19 starts at 55:43

  Largest international frond was 4 at Southampton (Brian Grieves, Tamsin May-Smith, Stuart Smith and Morglan Smith). A Bushy pilgrimage returns after a couple of blank weeks, welcome to Adrian Luscombe. Largest frond in Australia was 19 at Whitemark Wharf: Matthew Stevens, Tony O'Connell, Leanne Evans, Sherry Brandtman, Melissa Ellis, Andrew Johnston, Daniel O'Connell, Jacqui O'Connell, Heather Morgan, Emma Nicholson, Sam Schroder, Roberta Winters, Belinda Taylor, Sarah Jefferson, Heather Hunter, Alison King, Luke Schroder, Martine Barrot and Lee Cabarita. Fronds of six at four events: Emerald Lake, Jindabyne, Macquarie University and Rockingham.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 57:34"Where is the cake?"

  One launch worldwide this week, and New Zealand again: South End Reserve parkrun, east of the Coromandel Forest Park about 150km east-south-east of Auckland in the town of Pauanui ('big abalone'). 56 participants, 9 of them at their first ever parkrun, supported by 14 volunteers; an out-and-back along the grass foreshore from South End Reserve north to the turnaround at Royal Billy Point Reserve. Sourced partly from the show's New Zealand correspondent.

• Sign-off starts at 1:01:05

  Simon asked where TOC would be on next parkrun day: TOC was uncertain, possibly one of the Gippsland events or travelling up to Melbourne to sample something different; Simon said he would probably go to Sirromet as one of the closer ones, but if he woke early he might head off to a NENDY like Warner Lakes or Old Esk Railway. TOC noted this was the penultimate pod before the Christmas break, with the last episode of the year recorded on 9 December and recording resuming 13 January, trailed next week's all-in group challenge podcast-host Christmas special, and gave the Facebook and email contacts.