Episode 450 - Celebrations and pronunciations
2026-05-22
— open the full-size coverHostLyndell Murray
Guest co-hostJohan Duvenhage
Roving reportersAlison Fraser (King) Greg Moore Sarah Jefferson
Show notes
From the Facebook post
The podcast celebrates an unofficial milestone of 450 episodes, with Lyndell welcoming special guest host, Johan Duvenhage.
There were adventurers aplenty at special days in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and the hangover from Japan's special day means there are plenty of imperfect pronunciations to please - or punish - your ears.
Reginald profiles Japan, but their pronunciation hack is too late to save Lyndell and we have roving reports from サンシャインビーチparkrun - Sunshine Beach (opens in a new tab), 二子玉川 parkrun - Futakotamagawa (opens in a new tab) and Mansfield Botanic (opens in a new tab) parkruns.
From the podcast feed
The podcast celebrates an unofficial milestone of 450 episodes, with Lyndell welcoming special guest host Johan Duvenhage. There were adventurers aplenty at special days in Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden, and the hangover from Japan's special day means there are plenty of imperfect pronunciations to please - or punish - your ears. Reginald profiles Japan, but their pronunciation hack is too late to save Lyndell. We have roving reports from Sunshine Beach (opens in a new tab) and Futakotamagawa (opens in a new tab) and Mansfield Botanic (opens in a new tab) parkruns.
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Enhanced transcript
Speakers named, sound described and segments marked by the editing pass — not yet checked by a person.
Read the transcriptRoving reports
In this episode
Welcome starts at 0:30
Lyndell Murray in Meeanjin on Turrbal and Yuggera lands with roving reporter Johan Duvenhage as guest co-host for episode 450, marked with a shout-out to the listeners and a carrot cake Johan's dogs have been trying to liberate. Johan ran West Coast Fossil Park in the Western Cape, leaving just before two cold fronts caused damage and parkrun cancellations, then Delta parkrun in Johannesburg for Gauteng ambassador Gillian Findley's V500. Lyndell was benched one week for triathlon officiating and visited Greenheart Robina Parklands, the newest parkrun on the Gold Coast.
Listener Feedback starts at 4:20
Facebook comments read out: Calum Burrell on Jubilee Tenterfield being named to avoid confusion with the four other Jubilee parkruns; Helen Patricia "loving the pod and chuckling about pronunciations"; Ali Sheppard thanking the show for a Dazza's shout-out and a cover pic, and describing meeting TOC and Jackie plus a crew from Sanctuary Runners (an Irish initiative for asylum seekers and refugees); and a note from fellow Irish parkrun podcast Runs in the Park about the University of Galway parkrun segment.
parkrun news bulletin starts at 6:31
National Volunteer Week (18-25 May): sponsor Brooks is drawing five pairs of Ghost 18s from parkrun Australia volunteer results, no entry needed. Then Mudjimba Beach parkrun on the Sunshine Coast hosting a "Slow Week" on Saturday 16 May, celebrating back-of-the-pack excellence, tactical walk breaks and footwear chosen for cafe compatibility. Closes with a note from "the Office Lady" asking whether listeners want running/tick caps with the show logo, with a Facebook poll to come.
Roving reports & the Channel 5 News crew starts at 12:44
Three reports. Sarah Jefferson at Sunshine Beach parkrun near Kyoto, interviewing Event Director Shuichi Sakata (who has volunteered over 206 times and has never run the course). Alison Fraser at Futakotamagawa parkrun in Tokyo, interviewing Run Director Roger about parkrun Japan's 2019 launch and his three favourite events. Greg Moore at Mansfield Botanic parkrun in Victoria, where visiting students from Lauriston's Howqua campus lifted the field from a usual 60-70 to 215.
Dazza's starts at 28:44
Five comments from each of the two Dazza's posts (9 May, Mother's Day, 101 comments; 16 May, Love a Tree Day, 144 comments). Featured: Heather Hunter at University of Western Australia; Audrey Boswell at Ecco Ripley; Cheryl Lerves-Raymond tail walking her 243rd volunteer at Wauchope; Jan Yates at Hasenheide, Berlin; Sarah Jefferson at Urayasushi sogo koen on her birthday; Jacqui O'Connell at parkrun Vingis, Lithuania; Pippa White at Amager Faelled with a self-invented "Birthday Squared" challenge; Sherry Martin at East Richmond; David Messenger at Nightcliff completing Barra Volley and Olly Volley status; and David O'Brien at Risdon Brook for his 100th volunteer.
the Obi Award — Cheryl Lerves-Raymond starts at 38:57
The Obi goes to Cheryl (Lerves-Raymond) for her Wauchope parkrun Dazza's post - Lyndell: "Cheryl, we can't go past a party at the back. So thank you for keeping the said party in check as Tail Walker." It was her 243rd volunteer occasion, on Mother's Day weekend, walking the course with her son.
Emails starts at 39:30
One email, from roving adventurer Michael Blain, congratulating the crew on episode 450 and following up on Reginald's episode 449 Malaysia profile: he was part of a frond of 15 adventurers at Presint 18 parkrun on 25 April, where the team choreographs a short dance each week for Instagram. He recommends Putrajaya, Malaysia's administrative capital, as a base, roughly 45 minutes by Uber from downtown Kuala Lumpur.
Club Corner starts at 41:39
Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III profiles Japan, the 21st country to join parkrun: the 2019 launch at Futakotamagawa with 343 parkrunners and visitors including PSH, Tim Oberg, Carol Cunningham, Tom Williams and Rene Gimbert; the 40-50 events now held weekly; the three-letter-acronym naming convention (FTG, KNH, HKG) documented on the Hero and Jam TV YouTube channel; the gear tarpaulin and service culture; the quote from Mr Nishina of Hirono kaigankoen, "I think growth is not speed, but depth"; the 50th-event tote bag; and Greenery Day on 4 May at the back end of Golden Week.
Consolidated Club Report starts at 46:11
For Saturday 16 May 2026: of 925 members, 643 took part in 19 countries across 338 locations - one Malaysian adventurer short of a clean sweep of all 20. State-by-state and country-by-country breakdown, followed by the pilgrimage (Adrian Luscombe, Ben Thompson and Janice Whittle at Bushy Park) and the Ascension Day special-day tally for the Nordics on 14 May: 52 adventurers at 20 events across Denmark, Norway, Finland and Sweden - the source of most of the episode's promised pronunciation carnage.
the Frond starts at 47:45
Largest international frond on 9 May was 14 at Yodogawa kasenkoen Hirakata chiku, Japan; a frond of eight on 16 May at Yuuka Family Road. Largest Australian frond was 14 at Yackandandah Rail Trail on 9 May - the annual parkrun World Tourist meetup for Cass Castleton's World Tourists group. On 16 May, fronds of nine at both Greenheart Robina Parklands (including roster member Simon Mackley) and Queanbeyan.
Launches and anniversaries starts at 53:18"Where is the cake?"
Eight launches over two weeks. 9 May: Abbot's Wood (UK, 347 participants), Drumlanrig Castle (Scotland, 275 with 54 first-timers) and Greenheart Robina Parklands (Gold Coast, 412). 16 May: Boulognerskogen in Gaevle, Sweden (84, with 52 parkrun first-timers), Claudy Country Park in Northern Ireland (68), Las Zlocieniec in Poland (97 with 43 first-timers), Sunrise Beach in Onslow, Western Australia (8 participants, 9 volunteers) and Ulladulla in New South Wales (166). Cake also bookends the episode: Lyndell asks Johan "it's our birthday, Johan. Did you bring cake?" for the show's unofficial 450th, and Johan is off to Heidedal parkrun's ninth anniversary and 400th event.
Looking ahead starts at 56:55
UK parkrunner Darren Wood is expected to hit his 1,000th parkrun before the next recording, having completed number 999 in Sweden. Lyndell is hoping to win a pair of Brooks shoes in the Volunteer Week draw and has no plans for the coming Saturday; Johan is heading to Heidedal parkrun for its ninth anniversary and 400th event.
Sign-off starts at 57:40
The looking-ahead exchange opened with Johan noting that UK parkrunner Darren Wood, A490, would probably hit his 1,000th parkrun by the next recording, having completed number 999 in Sweden that weekend. His co-host said what she was looking forward to was winning a pair of Brooks running shoes in the Volunteer Week promotion, Johan pointing out he was out of the running for being outside Australia, and that she had no other plans for next parkrun day. Johan was staying local at Heidedal parkrun to celebrate its ninth anniversary and 400th event, with cake promised. She thanked Johan warmly for the full feature-length appearance, he admitted to being nervous, and they signed off with Sarah and Simon back in the seats next time.