Episode 437 - Woe is a crowd

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HostsMelissa Ellis Tony O'Connell

Roving reportersCalum Burrell Paul Kitching Ruth Perkins

Show notes

Coooeee, Adventurers – Mel and TOC have been doubling up at parkrun – so we have a shorter pod! You’re welcome. That hasn’t stopped them discussing all the things – like big number twos, missing glasses and stinky tops. Luckily the roving reporters bring some stability at Haigh Woodland (opens in a new tab), Wöhrder See (opens in a new tab) and Renmark (opens in a new tab) parkruns. And can you guess the Who Am I? Four points if you can.

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

Roving reports

1Haigh Woodland2Wöhrder See3Renmark

In this episode

• Welcome starts at 0:23

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell from Inverloch on Bunurong Country, catching up after a month: Mel's story of hunting for sunglasses that were on her head, parkrun's milestone tees now stocked from the Gold Coast, her ill-fitting 500 shirt and a stinky parkrun jacket. Mel's October was The Phar Lap Track on Phar Lap's birthday, a stay with TOC and Jackie at The Cape and a return to Inverloch parkrun, Red Hill Rail Trail with a crowd of adventurers, and Lake Colac's fifth event; TOC talks through the passive-solar design of the new house before recapping Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve near Queanbeyan and RDing at Inverloch.

• Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 28:51

  TOC hands over "Let's throw across to our roving reporters." Three reports back to back: Calum Burrell at Haigh Woodland (UK), Ruth Perkins at Wöhrder See (Nuremberg, Germany) and PK at Renmark (South Australia). Melissa Ellis recaps all three.

• Dazza's starts at 42:59

  Five listener comments read from each of the last two Dazza's posts. Week of 18 October ("adventure day" etymology prompt): Cassie Lee, Monty Slade, Brett Bailey, Michael Lyttle, Andy Poole. Week of 25 October ("world pasta day", bacon and egg gnocchi): Claire Corkill, Sam Schroder, Sarah Jefferson, Gareth Arnold, Ryan Stoddart, plus Rodney Glossop.

• Emails starts at 51:10

  Two emails. TOC reads Ryan Stoddart's on 23 months living in his Hyundai hatchback touring Australia, his South Australian plans and his intention to celebrate parkrun 600 at Palm 2026 at Clare Valley. After the Obi, Melissa Ellis reads Sarah Mars of Brisbane on the very Australian 5k app course description of Railway Park parkrun at Proston.

• the Obi Award — Ryan Stoddart starts at 53:12

  Awarded for being a "pioneer extraordinaire and adventurer in his Hyundai", 23 months living in his car touring Australia, with his parkrun travel planned years ahead.

• Club Corner starts at 56:10

  TOC hands over. Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III presents a "Who Am I?" round of seven clues, coming to us from Arrernte Country; the answer is Newy parkrun (Newcastle, NSW, out and back beside Throsby Creek, one of the first 13 Australian events). The hosts play along afterwards and Melissa Ellis gets it on the second-last clue.

• Consolidated Club Report starts at 58:45

  Saturday 25 October 2025: of 842 members, 601 took part in 12 countries across 313 locations. Internationally 69 events in the UK, 11 South Africa, 4 USA, 3 Ireland, 2 each Italy, Netherlands and Poland, 1 each Canada, Japan and Sweden. Locally 53 NSW, 52 Queensland, 45 Victoria, 22 WA, 15 SA, 11 Tas, 9 North Island, 8 ACT, 2 South Island and none in the Northern Territory.

• the Frond starts at 59:47

  Largest international fronds: 18 October, a frond of nine at Penistone (UK); 25 October, three at Bon Game Reserve and three at University of Galway. Pilgrimage at Bushy: nobody on the 18th, Michael George and Rory Marriott on the 25th. Largest fronds: 15 at Reddall Reserve on the 18th, 10 at Lake Colac on the 25th.

• Launches and anniversaries starts at 1:02:03"Where is the cake?"

  152 launches globally in 2026 so far. Eight launches on 18 October, Kilkenny Lane Country (UK), Cameron Park Wellington (NSW), Point Vernon Foreshore Reserve (Qld), Faktoria (Poland), Muromi kahan koen (Japan), Oude Warande (Netherlands), Tom Taylor Trail (Canada) and Woden Town (ACT). Four on 25 October, Parrs Park (NZ), Balijbos (Netherlands), Pine Park (USA) and St Patrick's Lane (Canada). Course descriptions have been dropped from the read-out.

• Watching the numbers starts at 1:05:44

  Brooklyn Bridge parkrun events 9 and 10. Event 9: 274 finishers, 17 volunteers, 213 first-timers, adventurer Bill Troy 150th in 23:54. Event 10: 352 finishers and walkers, 18 volunteers, 273 first-time visitors. Next week is cancelled for the New York Marathon; the hosts note an upward spike they put down to marathon visitors. This is the last instalment they will cover.

• Sign-off starts at 1:07:14

  Mel said there was nothing in the calendar for Looking Forward so they zoomed straight to next parkrun day. Over the Melbourne Cup long weekend she, Dave and Ezra were heading to Lake Fyans parkrun and hanging out in the Ararat area, though she thought Ezra would probably stay in bed, and she saved the other planned activities for a report next time. TOC, it being Cup weekend, was going to do the Phar Lap course. They noted Sarah and Simon would be back next fortnight with a month of travel news.