Episode 428 - Evolution

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HostsMelissa Ellis Tony O'Connell

Roving reportersPippa White Ruth Perkins Sarah Jefferson

Show notes

From the Facebook post

This weeks episode is full of celebrations, milestones, speedsters and that's just the intro! We have news from the Tame Volunteer, Sarah drops into Palmerston (opens in a new tab), and Ruth Perkins Boogie-woogies over at Malmö Ribersborg (opens in a new tab) parkrun. You're going to want to listen in to this one!

- Sheree Cottell seemed to have the spirit of celebration at Pioneer Dairy (opens in a new tab) parkrun!

From the podcast feed

This weeks episode is full of celebrations, milestones, speedsters and that’s just the intro! We have news from the Tame Volunteer, Sarah drops into Palmeston and Ruth Perkins Boogie-woogies over at Malmö Ribersborg (opens in a new tab) parkrun. You’re going to want to listen in to this one!

Roving reports

1Stadspark, Sittard2Palmerston3Malmö Ribersborg

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, who has spotted doormats printed with your Aboriginal country. Mel's puffer vest is still lost at Reynella East; TOC went to Great Southern Rail Trail, Korumburra's first anniversary and then paced the 50-minute slot at Inverloch on crutches, meeting listener Natalie Soper on her first pacing job and one letter short of the alphabet. Mel did The Avenues in Kuitpo Forest on Kaurna and Peramangk Country, where Dave ran his 50th, then Frog Hollow with her sister Cassie, and announces she is chasing her 250th different event to coincide with her 500th, which she has chosen to walk at Sirromet in Queensland; NZ and Australian stats follow, including Goulburn at minus 10.

• parkrun news bulletin starts at 15:06

  Melissa brings the news that Professor Richard Scolyer AO, joint Australian of the Year for melanoma research, living with glioblastoma, completed his 250th parkrun on 14 June at GreenWay parkrun, Haberfield, in 40:38. A record 589 participants and 26 volunteers turned out, beating the previous 556. She reads his Facebook post in full. TOC then covers Sandgate Speed Week (14 June): 894 finishes, a new record, 183 PBs, 16 runners under 15 minutes, 328 under 20 and 657 under 30, with six adventurers present including Eman, David Moss, Michael Blain, John Pointon, Erica Liotta and Hayley Bower. Also an advertised vacancy for a non-executive director on the parkrun Australia board.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 23:41

  Melissa hands over "we might throw you over to listen to this week's roving reports". Three reports follow: Pippa White from Stadspark, Sittard in the Netherlands; Sarah Jefferson from Palmerston parkrun in the Northern Territory; and Ruth Perkins from Malmö Ribersborg parkrun in Sweden. The hosts recap all three.

• Dazza's starts at 43:32

  Split across the two Facebook posts missed during the break. From the World Blood Donor Day post and the winter-solstice post the hosts read ten comments: Barbara Luther at Bushy, Dublin; Midzi Middleton at Bendigo Botanic Gardens; Sherry Cottle at Pioneer Dairy (becoming Waratah Wanderers); Lee at Kangaroo Island; Helen Rutter at Bower Park; Dave and Chloe Bravos at Aveley for their daughter Lucy's fifth birthday; Andy Airey at Rothay Park (V-index of 12); Annabelle Johnson at Uditore, Palermo; Monty Slade at Ross-on-Wye; and Andrew Yeatman's solstice nudie swim crew at Pembroke in Tasmania. Closes with congratulations to Kev Green on his 250th at Wyndham Vale and to the Office Lady on a second consecutive all-time PB.

• parkrun adventure challenge starts at 44:36listener challenge

  The adventurer Listener Challenge for the fortnight was to incorporate something for International Bath Day. Melissa notes the response was light; entries are read out inside the Dazza's segment.

• the Obi Award — Sheree Cotterill starts at 56:40

  TOC opens the "Obilope" with some ceremony. Awarded for achieving statesmanship in New South Wales, completing every NSW event, the "Waratah Wanderers", which TOC notes took the NSW statesmen total from seven to nine, against 115 events in the state.

• Club Corner starts at 58:45

  Presented by Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III, focused on South Africa. parkrun there began in November 2011 at Delta parkrun, Victory Park, Johannesburg with 26 participants; Delta has since run 640+ events and peaked at 2,130. South Africa is third for event count behind the UK and Australia with 200+ active events, and has had 50+ close, some returning (Root 44 after 4 years 11 months, Odendaal Stadium after 3 years 9 months). Freedom Day (27 April) is its special day; sponsor Discovery Vitality rewards walking and running equally, and nearly 30% of South African participants walk, the highest of any parkrun country. Course variety noted, including Melkbosstrand entirely on sand. Followed by the hosts' own South Africa facts (three capitals, exchange rates, flight times).

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 1:04:22

  For Saturday 21 June 2025: of 799 members, 540 took part across 12 countries and 299 locations. Internationally 61 in the UK, 11 South Africa, four Italy, two each in Finland, Ireland and the USA, one each in Austria, Germany, Malaysia and the Netherlands. Locally 55 in Queensland, 51 in Victoria, 48 in NSW, 22 WA, 12 SA, seven each ACT and North Island, six Tasmania, three Northern Territory, two South Island. Includes the Bushy pilgrimage (Ian Brown and Cass Castleton on 14 June; none on 21 June).

• the Frond starts at 1:05:24

  Largest international fronds: three adventurers at Alice Holt (William Boughton, Alexander Broughton-Lynn, Ian Broughton-Lynn) and three at Thoulstone (Christopher Miles, Ellie Soper, Dan Horton). Largest Australian fronds: eight at Chermside in Queensland (Nicole Robinson, Lockie Miners, Simon Mackley, Belinda Cafe, Simone Edlund, Rhonda Whetton, Ellen and Rasheen Burrell, likely a Queensland ambassador meet-up) and eight at Pembroke in Tasmania (Ryan Stoddart, Rhianna Williams, Matthew Stevens, Charles Gregory, Sarah Maas, Kaz Timbrell, Andrew Yeatman, Amanda Lake).

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 1:07:32"Where is the cake?"

  Two weeks of launches. 14 June: Riverlution (Christchurch NZ, 3.8km from Hagley, 443 then 216 finishers, with Hagley itself at 527 and 499); Hays Farm, Huntsville, the first parkrun in Alabama, 90 finishes; Riverside Park, Glenrothes, Scotland (189 then 232). 21 June: Te Awa, north of Hamilton NZ (273 finishers, 20 volunteers); then a string in the UK, Christchurch Park in Ipswich, Suffolk, replacing the closed Ipswich event (696 finishes, 46 volunteers); Jubilee, Bedford (286 finishes); Heritage Coastal Path, Easington, County Durham (344 finishers, 44 volunteers); and The Mount at HMP The Mount, Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. TOC notes Australia has had no launch for six weeks while New Zealand has had seven this year, about a 10% increase on its base.

• Watching the numbers starts at 1:13:56

  Two weeks of Alice Springs Telegraph Station parkrun. Event eight: 79 finishers, 10 volunteers. Event nine: 98 finishers, 11 volunteers, a dip attributed to the Larapinta Trail events in town in prior weeks having boosted attendance. Second adventurer to visit was Margie Lewis on 14 June; none on 21 June. Melissa flags that the next report will be the last for this event.

• Podcast announcement — move to fortnightly episodes starts at 1:17:29

  Melissa Ellis's prepared monologue, and the reason for the episode title "Evolution": the podcast is cutting back from weekly to fortnightly. She reassures listeners the pod continues, explains the change comes from her need to reduce her load (marriage breakdown, bereavements, her daughter's autism diagnosis, a move to full-time work, a new relationship, job searching), thanks Ollie, Sam, the Informant, TOC, Simon, Sarah, Reginald, the equal opportunity employee and the office fairy, and says the change holds "for as long as at least I am the sole editor of the pod". Going forward TOC and Melissa will rotate with Sarah and Simon; the next fortnight is Sarah and Simon.

• Sign-off starts at 1:21:09

  Mel swapped the usual order and asked TOC first: with a social commitment on the Friday night that could run late and another on the Saturday, he was staying close to home, probably not Inverloch, and wanted a gravel surface rather than concrete to spare his legs, but had not decided and pointed listeners to his Friday post. Mel was driving about eight hours west to South Australia to Myponga Reservoir, which she reckoned is her NENDY, to catch up with Sam Schroder, with TOC looking up that it sits south of Aldinga Beach. Mel trailed Sarah and Simon for the next fortnight, thanked TOC, and closed with the Facebook and email contacts and "that's it for another fortnight".