Emails

Appears in 163 episodes, first in episode 222.

Every appearance

• Episode 460 - Across The Ditch

  No emails this fortnight.

• Episode 459 - What is your Colour?

  Natalie Soper writes about a weekend of recruiting, eleven colleagues brought to Parkville parkrun for an annual September challenge, and a Facebook friend in Canada, met on a tour in China eight years ago, who did her first parkrun and is now planning one in Ireland. Pete Johns answers episode 458's most-remote-parkrun challenge using parkrun's public event coordinates: Weipa is Australia's most isolated 5k event at 616.6km from Kewarra Beach, Thorndon juniors in Adelaide the most isolated overall at 622km from Aintree Reserve juniors, and Burswood Peninsula and Claisebrook Cove the closest pair at 600 metres.

• Episode 458 - The Unicorn

  Listener feedback on the last episode: Renata Koch (Facebook) on keeping the search-for-others'-barcodes feature in the app, with TOC's Inverloch RD stories in support; Cherie Martin listening while streaking laps of Centenary Park, Charters Towers; the With Me Now podcast thread about the cover photo of Danny's mum Lynn with Ali Sheppard, and a challenge to Calum and Ali to sign Lynn up as an adventurer. Rate-and-review plug and a merch update (last of the buffs sold).

• Episode 457 - Legs Eleven

  "You've got mail." One email, from Lyndell Murray, reporting a new Junior Milestone shirt spotted at Des Connor juniors on 9 August and asking whether anyone else has seen one. Neither host has, Simon hasn't been to a juniors event, and there is no junior event in Western Australia.

• Episode 456 - The hype team

  One email this week, from Ali Sheppard, confirming that ibis exist outside Australia but "bin chickens" do not, so Simon and Sarah were right that the term is purely Australian. She loves her bin chicken Ugly Christmas Shirt and recounted notable ibis encounters, some of which turned out to be statues.

• Episode 455 - Tantrums, Tears and Tribulations

  One email, from Brett and Tanya Bailey in New Zealand: South Island events still to do, they will miss palm27 because of clashing plans, a Christmas roadie from Adelaide to Melbourne, a 2026 Rugby World Cup trip, Tanya's 250th coming up and Brett's V100 later in the year.

• Episode 454 - Old and New

  No emails at all this week, "They're all posting on Facebook, TOC." TOC: "That's no good. The old bloke needs his emails." The show notes lead on this: "TOC and Lyndell have plenty of news, but no emails!"

• Episode 452 - The Away Game

  Two emails. A long one from Pippa White ("Pippa, the Streakmeister") proposing a new challenge, "birthday squared", parkrun on your own birthday at an event celebrating its anniversary the same day. She finally achieved it on 16 May 2026 at Amager Fælled parkrun in Denmark on her 55th birthday and the event's 17th, after the 2020 attempt was lost to COVID; next chance 2037. She also flags Dave Thornton's periodic table challenge and Mark Pinney's Challenge Chaser website. Second email from David Messenger flagging Queensway parkrun's launch in the UK, noting Q is the world's limiting letter for alphabet challenges with only 12 events worldwide.

• Episode 451 - Let those pies fly high

  One long email from Andy and Deb Airey (A1083171) about their two-years-in-the-planning group trip to Japan for Greenery Day and three other events over 16 days - 400 expressions of interest, 200 booked, 32 cancellations after Middle East disruption, 174 in the final group. They tripled Yuuka Family Road's attendance record to 117, broke attendance and volunteer records at three events, and helped beat the Japanese national record; roles filled by Mary Kay Gallagher (wife of USA parkrun legend Tim Gallagher of Livonia) and Keith Langdon among others; 20 of the group finished an alphabet at Yodogawa kasenkoen Hirakata chiku. Next up: South Africa and St Helena Island in April, and a New Zealand/Australia trip for Christmas-New Year 2028. Earlier in the episode, the hosts also read listener feedback from David Messenger about custom milestone and challenge shirts.

• Episode 450 - Celebrations and pronunciations

  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.

• Episode 449 - Is it your first time?

  No emails this fortnight - Simon wonders whether it is because TOC is on holidays, and both hosts ask listeners to keep them coming.

• Episode 448 - Surrounded by clowns

  A thin fortnight, one email, to TOC's mock dismay. Listener Lee (A467161) writes that having spontaneously booked a late-March-to-mid-April trip to Japan, they may have booked themselves out of PALM 2027. Lyndell reassures them that no dates or locations are set yet.

• Episode 447 - You raise me up

  Four emails read out. Sherry Brandtman on her first PALM and the dress-up dinner (Ingrid, Sam, Luke and Bec taking best costume), prompting Sarah to praise a guest who recreated Paul Rainbow's outfit from the second PALM at The Beaches. Ingrid on her 2026 goals (two new letters, P-index of five, Wilson index to 20, joining the Peel Club) and her "find the joy" outlook. Simon thanks Seriancha for a recording of a new German event that arrived too late for last pod. A listener travelling in South Africa on Cannibals Cave and the RAD Run Club. And Leanne on running the miler at the Tarawera Ultra-Trail, mud, 28 hours of rain and an electrical storm, crewed by her husband Lee, adventurer Alison King, and parkrunners Gary and Sarah.

• Episode 446 - Show us your weed

  Listener email bag, opened with a "You've got mail" sound effect. Two emails: Ian Shaw (day-one listener, guest on episode 182) on his "Tutu/Two-Two Day" numerology - 22:12 at Gungahlin on 22/2/2025 and 22:22 at Wagga Bridge on the June solstice, his birthday; and Alistair (tourism streak 28) with two coffee reports, one from an unnamed "restricted" event the hosts deduce is Puckapunyal, and one from Rhodes NSW event 516.

• Episode 444 - Addicted to Love

  Opened by Simon "Moving on to emails" with a "You've got mail" sting. One long email from UK listener Xavier Sanchez, following up his mention in episode 442, laying out a two-month Cairns-to-Sydney road trip and a 10-event shortlist (Glanoma, Cardwell, Mackay, Emerald, Workman's Beach, Vickrey Heights, Nambour, Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, The Beaches). Sarah and Simon give tourism advice and invite listener suggestions.

• Episode 443 - Gelato in Milano

  Listener email segment, cued by Lyndell as "your favourite segment, Toc" and opened by a "You've got mail" drop. Four emails, all responding to the 2026 goals discussion in episode 442: Heather Hunter (A760611, chasing her Cowell Club, one new event a month); Yvette Turner (100 different Australian parkruns, Sydney Marathon with husband Bill, keep enjoying parkrun); Eman and Christine of Team Vigara (a one-year four-continent world parkrun adventure from July, asking to borrow a Channel 5 News crew press pass); and Tutu Tracy Leiper (A845608, Date Bingo at 92%, 340 of 366 days). TOC notes his "passionate pleas" for email did spark an influx.

• Episode 441 - All Aboard 2026

  Two listener emails: David Irwin on Queenswood Country Park parkrun, the third Q event in the UK, between Hereford and Leominster; and a short note signed Sarah, which prompts Melissa Ellis's aside that she and Sarah Jantscher have matching yellow Jimnys.

• Episode 440 - Stop The Clock

  TOC's email slot. No emails at all this fortnight, 'We had nada. Zilch. Zip. Zero. Come on, listeners. Lift your game.'

• Episode 439 - Legendary Intern

  One email, from Lynn and Pete Black, praising the choice of the Clare Valley for palm26. They had already booked a Clare Valley trip and switched to Port Broughton parkrun when Clare Valley parkrun was cancelled at the last minute because of a shed and house fire backing onto the trail.

• Episode 438 - Lota Love to Give

  One email, read by Sarah. A listener who only does short runs stretched to an 8k so she could finish a whole episode, heard the hosts mention "Palm", and - South Australia being her home state - booked flights and accommodation for herself and Ian, hoping her mum will come too. She notes the latest podcast cover features her, Errol and Tracy, and that the fortnightly episodes now sync with her fortnightly long runs. Signed "Sherry Martin"; Simon thanks "Cherie".

• Episode 437 - Woe is a crowd

  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.

• Episode 436 - The Vote That Counts

  One email, from Andrea Booth (A4910289), about an unexpected parkrun conversation with an information centre worker at the Big Mango in Bowen while travelling between Brisbane and Cairns; she asks whether listeners have had similar chance parkrun conversations. Sarah answers with her own story of comparing barcodes with a stranger at a wedding.

• Episode 435 - The Restructure

  Two listener emails. Sunil, volunteering at Boultham Park juniors in Lincoln in the UK, met an Adelaide woman who works with a major health sponsor and described a beach parkrun that gives away free t-shirts; TOC and Melissa answer that the sponsor is Medibank and that the beach event could be any of Largs Bay, West Beach, Seacliff, Christies Beach, Moana or Aldinga Beach, then discuss childhood obesity, junior parkrun expansion and the coming parkrun in Schools initiative. Second, Brendan Scholarly, Event Director of Reddall Reserve parkrun, sent a photo of an "Ooroo" art installation at Shell Cove near Shellharbour and asked whether there is a better farewell than "Ooroo".

• Episode 434 - It’s Upside Down

  "Emails this week, Simon. We have none." The inbox was empty apart from the roving reports, one of which is being held over to the next episode.

• Episode 433 - Ready, Set, Streak...

  One email, from Sarah (Jantscher), announcing Austria's sixth parkrun, Innpromenade in Innsbruck, and attaching the German course description with a rough English translation. Melissa reads the English; the German audio is played. TOC corrects Melissa's reading that Sarah had already travelled there, she had not.

• Episode 432 - Amazing Grace

  One email this week, from Linda Black (signed 'Lynn and Pete'), congratulating Mel on her double milestone of 500 parkruns and 250 different events and thanking her for her contribution to the adventurers community and podcast.

• Episode 431 - Start Spreading the News

  One email this week, from Simon Nash of Queensland, suggesting 'Zoomy' as the adventurers' greeting to one another - 'Zoomy Mel, Zoomy TOC, Zoomy Adventurer'. The hosts run through the contenders so far (Ahoy, Ho Run, Zoomy, Cooee) and Mel adds 'wassail', a medieval toast to health and good fortune. No winner chosen; more suggestions invited.

• Episode 430 - Cleaner Wanted!

  Two emails. Andy Airey sends club stats: the Airey Airways top the combined-runs table on 269,780, ahead of the Vegan Runners, the Lonely Goat, the parkrun World Tourists and Team Vitality South Africa, with the adventurers sixth on 195,856 and Running Mums Australia tenth; he also posted a couple of alphabet flags to the hosts. The second, from Alistair, opens "Yo ho ho parkrun adventurers" (offered as a candidate for the show's new greeting) and describes touring Rex Jackson Oval parkrun at Helensburgh in the Wollongong LGA, Token Sorting in the wet, and taking Gramps for a run.

• Episode 429 - It's Question Time

  Two emails. Chris Gore writes about his son Phil, who won the Dead Cow Gully backyard ultra at Nanango, Queensland with a new world record of 119 yards (798.5 km), outlasting Sam Harvey of New Zealand, then ran New Farm parkrun in 17:48 two days later. A listener, Lisa, writes in with the current parkrun board directors, Scott Watkins, Renee Gimbert and Glenn Turner.

• Episode 427 - Onions Have Layers

  No emails at all this week - 'they were all last week and now we've got none. We should have saved one.' The slot is handed straight on to Club Corner.

• Episode 426 - Lost Property

  "And we've had some mail, haven't we, Mel? You've got mail." Four items: Travis from Run the World with the 2024 adventurer count (40 participants, double the previous year) and the Project 1000 referral incentive; a listener asking where Rachel and her successor Reginald are based, working it out from the ancestral country Reginald names and landing near Alice Springs, signed Calum Burrell A461587, with a friend of the pod confirming the geography; a new UK listener, Gary Derwent (athlete ID A684), on the European Extra Day in Copenhagen and cycling between all four Copenhagen courses; and a long one from Ali Sheppard about converting her niece to her first parkrun at Peckham Rye, with the Office Lady's explanation of Aussie rules football read out after it.

• Episode 424 - Reaching a Rec-Ord

  Sarah "moving on to emails, Simon. We had an empty inbox this week. Apart from our roving reports, we didn't have anybody writing in to us." She reminds listeners they can write in at any time.

• Episode 422 - Potato, Potarto

  An email from Mickey Mansell with three photos from a tourist trip to Tauranga parkrun on the North Island of New Zealand, their home event Puarenga having been cancelled for the Rotorua Marathon. Mel follows with an aside on the carved totem beside the course, a pou whenua, or land post, used by Maori to mark boundaries and places.

• Episode 421 - There's No Place Like Home

  One email this week, from Alana Tariq, asking whether anyone else hears a high-pitched feedback noise when TOC is presenting but not when Mel talks. TOC has changed nothing but is now hyper-conscious of his squeaking chair and mouse; Melissa admits she had assumed it was Jackie's microwave in the next room.

• Episode 420 - No Indeed. Indeed, No

  No emails at all were received this week; Sarah notes the inbox is "looking very empty" and Simon adds that nothing came in apart from the roving reports.

• Episode 418 - Yeah Nah

  Three emails. Yvette Turner (Canberra) plans to beg her way off a cruise ship docking at Lyttelton at 8.30 so she can reach Scarborough parkrun in New Zealand, and is coming to Palm in Queenstown. Calum Burrell (UK) suggests breaking same-named events into their own clubs, the two Bushys (London and Dublin) and a "Simple Minds Challenge" of the four Waterfront events (Erskine, Dover, Milford and Clermont). Tony Reeves writes about nine friends travelling to Vingis parkrun in Vilnius, the Occupation Museum and an unseen soprano rehearsing across the park; TOC teases him for logging only one Adventurer in Lithuania out of nine.

• Episode 417 - Baby Brain is Real

  "Crickets", no emails read this week. The one email received is held over for Mel and TOC next week because it concerns Palm. Sarah instead invites feedback on Reginald's new "Who am I" guess-the-parkrun bit from the previous episode.

• Episode 416 - Falicitating Fun

  Opened "We've got mail." Two letters: Dan Carmody of Tuggeranong parkrun, revealing himself as the "Tuggers Dan" referenced in episode 412, prompting the hosts to check their "Dan index"; and Brett Bailey from New Zealand with South Island travel-time advice for palm25 in Queenstown.

• Episode 415 - Pow Wow to PALM

  Melissa cues it "Now, Simon, we had an email" and Simon replies "You've got mail." One email, from Lynn Black, who has just finished listening to the entire back catalogue and thanks the team; the hosts note she carefully addressed it to "hello, podcast hosts" rather than guessing who was on. Earlier in the episode, listener feedback from Kathy Crispin about Panania's ninth celebration was also read out.

• Episode 414 - Wombling Free

  Opened by Mel "Now, Toc, we've got some mail. You've got mail." Three emails: Greg Garner on a couple arriving at Wes Mitchell parkrun by jet ski from Rainbow Beach; Sarah Langley on Hattori Ryokuchi parkrun in Osaka, Japan's newest event; and Michael Blain on catching the O-Bahn bus to Lochiel and, in winter 2024, driving up a beach and swimming 400 metres across a creek mouth to reach Tannum Sands parkrun.

• Episode 413 - Transport & Tryouts

  Peter reads an email from Michael Blain, Event Director of Des Connor Park junior parkrun in Ashgrove, Brisbane, responding to the previous episode's discussion of Funnel Managers and Number Checkers: over 400 juniors on 9 February plus about 150 parents, five rostered Funnel Managers, at least ten marshals, around ten RDs, and a newly introduced double funnel.

• Episode 412 - Another One Bites the Dust

  "We've got mail." Emails from Calum Burrell (an orchestra of instrument-named parkruns, casio, drums, horns, bells, harps, gongs), Billo (the letters needed to spell parkrun adventurers with no repeated locations), Lyndell the Legendary (volunteering at her home event Bunyaville and at each of her P-Index events) and Tony Reeves from Huntingdon, UK (getting his mate Dan into parkrun at Tuggeranong).

• Episode 411 - GPS fails

  "We have mail. You've got mail." Simon reads the New Zealand round-up sent in by Alison: a record 12,741 finishers at 56 parkruns; the launch of East Otago High School at Palmerston (the first NZ parkrun based at a school, 83 finishers); 12 new attendance records; Hamilton Lake running out of tokens and manually processing 501-515 while neighbouring University of Waikato was cancelled for path works; and Palmerston North equalling its record of 454.

• Episode 410 - Aussie Aussie Aussie

  'You've got mail' - Charles Gregory, the show's Tasmanian correspondent, writes in with Tasmanian attendance records: Launceston 507 (a state record), Bellerive 415, Montrose Foreshore 279, Windsor Precinct 224, O'Connors Beach 176, Port Sorell 209 then 233, Zeehan Golf Club 68. Earlier in the episode two further pieces of correspondence are read: Alison's New Zealand attendance-records email and Carolyn McRae's feedback about Løvstien, Bergen.

• Episode 409 - Give us a hug

  The slot is reached and passed over: "And we have no emails this week. Boo." Earlier in the show the hosts appeal for international news by email from UK, South African and New Zealand listeners.

• Episode 408 - Back to the Office

  One email, from Sarah Jantscher, flagging that parkrun has quietly released the volunteer milestone vests on the global shop with no official announcement; she has ordered her V100 vest. Leads into a short exchange between the hosts about "vest" versus "singlet".

• Episode 407 - Highlights and Hopes

  Simon: "So we had an email now." Mel reads a note from Xavier Sanchez, a parkrun adventurer in the south of England who started the podcast at episode two and is up to the low 50s. He is planning a three-month Australian road trip mid-September to mid-December, starting or finishing in Sydney where his sister lives, and asks whether to head south (Sydney-Melbourne-Adelaide) or north (Sydney-Brisbane-Cairns). The hosts advise north for that time of year, saving the southern leg for a February-April return, and invite listeners to suggest shady or iconic events along the way.

• Episode 406 - White-marks the spot

  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).

• Episode 404 - Boomerang

  Simon: "We had no emails this week. None at all. What's happening, guys?" The slot is opened and closed with no listener email to read.

• Episode 403 - In the Poo

  Listener feedback slot: Michael George on Abbott's ownership and the Shanghai major, Simon owning up to crossing wires between UTMB and the Abbott World Marathon Majors, Michael Lyttle on koalas at Cormorant Bay, Lyndell Murray recalling her pirate-tongue roving report from Cormorant Bay in episode 183, and Yvette Turner asking for another round of adventurer shirt orders. Read here from show-notes comments and messages rather than emails proper.

• Episode 400 - Thank you for the Music

  The email slot is called for and passed over: 'We don't have any emails, I don't think.' / 'No emails this week, Mel.'

• Episode 398 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

  One email, from Leanne (signing off as Lee Caparito), planning a rough lap of the map after next year's Queenstown gathering. She asks whether a central Queenstown hotel has been recommended or chosen yet, and whether anyone has done a parkrun-focused lap of the map she could compare notes with. The hosts have no hotel answer, suggest re-establishing a group chat for it, and point her to Ryan for Tasmania, "Marvellous Mark" for the west coast, the Warwicks, the Schroders and "Kevin the Caravan".

• Revisits and Backflips

  An email from Billo answering the previous episode's question about a Meningie challenge: the challenge is called The Albert, how many parkrun locations run around the edge of Lake Albert, and the answer is two, Meningie and Wagga, with Albert Melbourne (Albert Park Lake) as an arguable third. TOC confirms his own searching found no other Albert lakes.

• Episode 393 - Onwards and Upwards

  Two emails. Stephen Warwick describes his Sausage Roll Club challenge, using the letters of SAUSAGE ROLL for events run, volunteered at and freedom-run, completed with Lake Wallace at Edenhope, and nominating the community-run Store Cafe 6343 as having the best sausage rolls in the country. That prompts the hosts to pick their own: Simon a bacon and egg roll challenge (stuck for a second O), Sarah, who eats neither bacon nor meat, an acai bowl challenge. David Messenger answers Mel's question from the previous week: 69 currently open parkruns start with K, 81 historically, with closures after COVID (about five in South Africa) offset by Killarney parkrun in Ireland renaming to Killarney House.

• Episode 391 - The Rookie

  Greg Garner answers last week's question about the kangaroo mascot Matilda: she was the mascot of the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, famous for winking her way around the stadium, and still stands at a service station near Traveston south of Gympie. A second email was held over and read inside the launches segment.

• Episode 390 - Jumpy

  A letter from Ali Sheppard, an 11-year UK parkrunner and new listener, who is coming to Sydney for work in late August and can fit in three parkruns; she already plans Dolls Point and something near Manly (Mosman or Curl Curl), asks for road-trip suggestions, offers to file roving reports, asks how to get an adventurers t-shirt, and asks what an Obilope, a frond, a Dazza and zoomies are. Mel and Ollie suggest Shellharbour, Newcastle and The Beaches, say the t-shirts were a limited release with no current plans for another run, and then explain the jargon: palm (parkrun adventurer Listener Meetup), frond, Dazza (the concrete statue at Mel's front door that fronts the Saturday virtual cafe), zoomie, Obilope, and the Obi, named for Tim Oberg.

• Episode 388 - When 3 becomes 5

  Two items. Michael Blain, RD of Des Connor Park Junior parkrun, proposes splitting the Professor Club into a junior sub-club and a volunteer sub-club to accommodate the two Australian junior parkruns hosted on school grounds (Bellevue Park and Des Connor Park). Then Simon reads a message about Adrian Royce and Lynette Ferguson's "wedding parkrun" at Wishart, the RD's full wedding-ceremony run brief, vows and all, delivered to 250 parkrunners.

• Episode 387 - Founders and Fashion

  One email, from David (a friend of Monty Slade), asking for the Ross-on-Wye baton back in time for Ross-on-Wye parkrun's fifth birthday next month. This rolls into TOC introducing "Bridgegate" - his own tiny Inverloch bridge versus Brett and Tanya's Bob's Bridge at Pegasus parkrun (NZ) - and then into planning the show's own Adventurer baton: a toy Qantas aeroplane, to be handed adventurer-to-adventurer at parkrun, round every Australian state and territory plus New Zealand before it goes to the UK.

• Episode 385 - Ice Ice Baby

  Two emails. Charles Gregory, a Hobart parkrunner, on his unbroken streak from 3 September 2022 to his 100th on 29 June 2024 at Montrose Foreshore, a Nullarbor trip taking in Port Augusta, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Claisebrook Cove, and Whitemark Wharf being the last event he needs for Tasmanian statesmanship, TOC answers his stats question with 22 Tasmanian statesmen and 30 people on T-1. Brett Bailey writes from New Zealand about sub-zero temperatures at Pegasus parkrun, teasing Simon's "cold at 14 degrees".

• Episode 377 - Purple Patches

  One email, from Brett and Tanya in New Zealand: congratulations on PALM and the live stream, memories of Perth a year ago, excitement that palm25 is planned for New Zealand, regret at losing Ollie from the pod (TOC clarifies Ollie will still pop up), and notice of a Pegasus Star Wars Day on May the 4th with a roving report to follow.

• Episode 375 - Outback parkruns

  Melissa Ellis reads an email from Bec Bailey, a long-time listener writing for the first time, about driving nine hours inland from Shellharbour to Cobar in central New South Wales over Easter: event 230, 20 finishers, mostly visitors, the closest neighbouring event Bourke Racecourse 155 km away, and ED Trudy, who took over in 2021 when numbers fell below ten and saved the event, RDing, scanning and running the Gum Nut Cafe as well.

• Episode 374 - details, details

  One email, from Michael Blain, gently correcting Melissa Ellis: to complete his Queensland statesman he trail-walked at Hamilton Island parkrun, not Hamilton parkrun in Victoria as she had said on air. He adds that he cannot make Palm because he is taking his daughter to the Australian Athletics Championships in Adelaide.

• Episode 373 - Geographical Inaccuracy

  The email slot is opened and immediately closed, there was no email this week. TOC: "Mel, this week we didn't have an email... So, people, get on the computer. What's that internet thing called? Send us an email."

• Episode 371 - Out & Moving

  An email slipped in early: Steve Warwick writes in following Mel's blood-donation discussion, explaining that recovery from a whole-blood donation can take a couple of weeks while a plasma donation only takes two to three days, which lets him donate more often and still jog that afternoon.

• Episode 371 - Out & Moving

  Second email of the episode: Calum Burrell clarifies last week's confusion about Freedom Run logging, freedom runs can still be logged and still appear in personal results; what parkrun removed is the per-event table of recent freedom runs. He cites a screen grab of five freedom runs of Burnage parkrun done before 9am in August 2020 for a Davenport Runners fifth-anniversary challenge.

• Episode 370 - What's in the Box?

  One email, from Tracey Wood: since Abby was included at the end of an episode she has listened right to the very end each week, and this week was rewarded with Melissa's giggles at the segment bloopers left in after the outro, "I was laughing along with her at the attempt to remember which episode number it was. Please continue this." Signed "Thanks so much, Tracey. Sometimes in a tutu." Prompts a discussion between the hosts about why the old post-outro "spoilers" bit was dropped (weekly pressure to come up with a special feature) and whether an outtake works better because it is spontaneous rather than canned.

• Episode 368 - Gooey buttercake flavoured goodness

  An email from Eman Vergara looking forward to hosting PALM in Toowoomba, and reporting that Team Vergara went to Futakotamagawa parkrun in Tokyo - Japan's first parkrun - on a long weekend, with clear skies and Mount Fuji on the horizon. Mel describes his photo with Christine and baby Juno in the running pram, and the Toowoomba Roadrunners flag.

• Episode 367 - YMMV

  Three emails: Andy Airey on his Airey Airways group trip of 115 tourists to Pokkinen parkrun in Oulu, Finland on 28 September, travelling by sleeper train from Helsinki, with RD Lorna on track to run-direct every Finnish event; Patrick "Paddy" Oshimo on logging his "notties" and chasing not-stopwatch bingo, plus his 50th volunteer at Shellharbour; and Chris Gore on the 24-parkruns-in-24-hours event on 13 January in WA, where Phil completed all 24, each under 24 minutes, in temperatures above 40 degrees.

• Episode 362 - West is best

  Melissa Ellis reads a listener email from Tracy Leiper ('Tutu Tracy'), who suggests that if Mel and TOC ever run their long-threatened Contiki tour they should time it for late July and add a marathon at Uluru. TOC points out the marathon around the rock is run on a Saturday, which clashes with parkrun.

• Episode 360 - gggrrriverside

  Two emails: Tanya Bailey sends a photo of Jackie Hancock's airline-safety-style run briefing for Pegasus parkrun's 350th (wings theme), and Eman Vergara writes in from Kirkdale Reserve parkrun in Melbourne, where he met up with local adventurers and Melton City runners, looking ahead to hosting PALM next year.

• Episode 359 - Rrrrriverside

  Ollie reads an email from David Messenger answering the same alphabet question independently: the limit is 9 because of Q, the second limit 11 because of Z, the third 12 because of Y, and the most common letter is C with 180. Mel notes the discrepancy between Rachel's 12 Zs and David's 11, adjudicated as 11 actual Zs and 12 Z-like characters, and adds that Australia and New Zealand hold five of the world's nine Qs and eight of the Ys.

• Episode 358 - Log a Nottie

  Melissa reads an email from Brett Bailey in New Zealand, replying to the previous week's discussion of nippers. He describes the Bailey family's long involvement with junior surf lifesaving in New Zealand, Bec and Nathan both qualifying as lifeguards, Tanya and Brett as junior surf coordinators, 100-plus children each Saturday. This leads into a discussion of TOC's own surf lifesaving involvement and Jackie's work with the Cape Paterson club's nippers.

• Episode 356 - All power to the editor

  Late mail read early, out of the usual mailbag slot: an email from Stephen Jackson, one of the Panorama Punish race organisers, praising the nearly 20 adventurers who finished, Mel's long drive, Ollie's trains-planes-and-automobiles trip, Ollie's mum drumming on course with her bongos, and the Office Lady's help over the weekend. He reports nearly 800 entries and 274 finishers at Bathurst parkrun the day before, and a painted rock from Ipswich, Queensland found in a box. Signed "Stephen and Jen".

• Episode 356 - All power to the editor

  The main mailbag. Jeff (US) sends a spreadsheet of every Australian 5K launch by year (3, 15, 36 in 2011-13; 42, 42, 49, 64, 75, then a dip to 35 in 2019; 16 in 2020, 30 in 2021, 40 in 2022 and 23 in 2023), notes over 200 launches worldwide a year in 2017-19, and reports US landowner permit fees as the main barrier plus a launch at Mary S. Young parkrun in Oregon. The hosts discuss stricter HQ course approvals in Australia. Greg Garner then writes as a Collingwood supporter asking that the Collingwood song stay as the podcast's closing music, prompting Melissa Ellis's line that as the show's editor she can do whatever she likes.

• Episode 354 - It’sa Mario

  "But moving on, Mel, we have mail." One letter, from Brett Bailey in New Zealand, correcting Mel's suggestion that the Baileys had missed parkrun through overindulging - they were marshalling the New Zealand Road Relay Champs and had to be in position by 8.30am. He praises daughter Rebecca ("Bec") for Ollie's birthday cake, rules out attending the Punish next year, and flags a Christmas visit to New South Wales and a Gold Coast trip in early June.

• Episode 353 - Mel’s a dot

  Three emails: Cathy Crispin on Rocky, the painted-rock mascot of Panania parkrun; Scott Earl ("Scott Aeroplanes") promoting the Great Auckland 7 parkrun Challenge on 7 October; and Renata Koch on another hard-to-pronounce Polish launch, with a voice file of the correct pronunciation attached.

• Episode 351 - Missing Magpies

  "You've got mail" - one email, from Josh Button, who completed his sixth parkrun and his first since adding the adventurers as his club, running Huskisson parkrun on Jervis Bay over a long weekend and setting a parkrun and 5k PB, before volunteering for the first time ahead of the Sydney Marathon. The hosts discuss the two photos he sent, including one of him mid-'snot rocket' on course.

• Episode 350 - Black and White

  Two listener emails. Clancy Skinner describes marrying on 1 September 2023 and running Mt Penang parkrun the next morning in a tuxedo shirt and white dress with "just" and "married" race bibs, and shouts out Rex Gream. Calum Burrell explains the camel costume behind his 100th-location "camel cow" at Philips Park in Manchester, a steep humped course plus a barista who wrote "camel" on his cup, and notes listening to the pod with Sahara sand on his car.

• Episode 349 - Big Swoop

  Two emails. Andy Airey from the UK writes in with the history of his 'Airey Airlines' free parkrun trips, a hired bus to Bushy after his local event was cancelled, then buying out a winter ferry to Inis Meáin in Ireland on the spot after the operator asked for 1,000 euros of ticket sales, which sold out several sailings and boosted the island's shop and pub; he plans to be in Australia in December to finish his seventh alphabet. Martine Barrot submits the Rotary Duck Race at Fawcett Park on the Richmond River near Ballina Coast parkrun (10 September) for the adventurers' spreadsheet of events to note when touristing.

• Episode 348 - Cat Amongst the Magpies

  "You've got mail." A long mailbag: Paddy on sun cream and streaking, Geoff Glaab suggesting "Window Kitty" for the Streaky September Bingoe card and flagging the Lackawanna Rail Trail and Canmore launches, the Quizmaster proposing a push to 500 Adventurers Club members by the end of September, Peter Pohlman's bingo suggestions (banana for scale, wild fruit, a cat), Ingrid's garden photo, and Chris Gore answering last week's question about the six parkruns in his Norwester Challenge.

• Episode 342 - 26

  Mel: "But, Ollie, we've got mail." Four items: Johan (Duvenhage) settling on "the Adventeering Index" for the count of different volunteering locations; Heather Hunter, who found the show's own Facebook page description, "Podcast about life, if your life is all about parkrun", while drafting a new intro; Bec Bailey via Messenger, identifying Machu Picchu from her earlier photo and reporting in from the Uyuni Salt Flats in Bolivia; and Jason Andrews with an intro suggestion, "the podcast about parkrun and the places it can take you". Closes with a last-minute note from Pippa White, who has gone from four four-letter parkruns to thirteen 13-letter parkruns.

• Episode 341 - On the buses

  Three pieces of listener mail. David Bravos sends a draft mission statement / manifesto for the podcast ("we encourage, unite and celebrate the amazing parkrun adventurers community"); an anonymous contributor offers three alternative welcome lines; and Ingrid Botha writes about parkrun arriving in her hometown of Glen Innes - the Australian Standing Stones event - and what it would have meant to have had it as a schoolgirl in 1990.

• Episode 340 - Homework

  Two pieces of listener mail. Johan Duvenhage proposes an "AV club" / Adventeering index counting the number of different locations a person has volunteered at, and reports his own as AV 50; Mel is on 24 and Sarah on 10, and they throw back to Johan the question of what threshold should qualify for the club. Bec Bailey writes in from South America, high-altitude runs, meeting Australians from Parramatta, Noosa and Cairns parkruns on the Inca Trail because of her parkrun buff, and heading on to Bolivia.

• Episode 339 - West Side Story

  Two listener emails. Calum Burrell proposes a "VP index", the number of locations you have volunteered at X or more times, inspired by his wife Lindsay's 10th volunteering stint at Bramhall parkrun; her VP index is 6, his is 3, and juniors can be counted. Chris Gore reports on the Longest Run in Perth: 30-40 participants, about 15 doing all seven, from Shipwreck through Champion Lakes, Pioneer, Homestead, Canning River, Shelley and finishing at Bibra Lake.

• Episode 338 - Hitch ’em up

  Two pieces of listener mail. The quiz master sends a note about Sweden's National Day, praising a different Johan and the team at Växjösjön parkrun, whose attendance jumped from a record 56 to 727 and still ran like clockwork. Then an email from Rolf, the vision-impaired co-Run Director PK interviewed at Oaklands Estate Reserve in the previous episode, who has become a listener; the hosts welcome him and point him at the Adventurers Club.

• Episode 336 - Kagerzoomie

  Two letters. Sarah L achieved her 100th run and 50th volunteer milestone on the same day at Shepparton parkrun and asks whether the Informant knows how common a double milestone is. Brett Bailey writes in about the stats glitch that omitted him and Tanya at Pegasus, and about doing his zoomies right-hand-down because of 40 kilos of dog on his right arm, the hosts apologise for a stats report that had dropped the South Island.

• Episode 335 - Soldier’s Five

  Three items: Johan's (AI-assisted) case for "swather" as the collective noun for parkrun adventurers; Stephen and Jen on Bathurst's 300th event, their son Joshua's 250th parkrun at 16 and a sub-20 PB, plus Punish entries; and Russ Johnson claiming a "Norman frame double" for 250 locations and 100 volunteer credits, which the hosts downgrade to a Frame plus a V100, with Melissa explaining the boring Norman and super Norman milestones named after Danny Norman.

• Episode 334 - parkrun Voyager

  "We've got some mail too, Mel. You've got mail." A private message rather than an email: Sarah Jefferson followed up the wheelbarrow runs recorded at Hampton Oval's 100th event (mentioned back in episode 331) by tracking down Hampton Oval parkrunner James Robson, whose long reply the hosts read out, becoming a single parent of two young daughters, buying the sailboat Salty Jocks, sailing 1,800 nautical miles up the WA coast, running 500km in October pushing the girls in a wheelbarrow and raising $11,000 for the Royal Flying Doctor Service.

• Episode 333 - Corgi Butt Buns

  Two emails. First, the final instalment of the Jacksons' World Tour from Stephen and Jen of Bathurst: Delaware and Raritan Canal parkrun in New Jersey (a cabbie touting for parkrunners outside the station, first and second finishers, seven parkruns and four volunteers on the tour), then a wrap-up covering Isle of Wight junior parkrun, Norway, the naked spa session before Amsterdamse Bos, the adventurers team code, and a Michael Jackson customs joke. Second, Russell Johnson's three-kings run: King George V (St George, Queensland), King George VI / Bertie (Albert), and Charleston, South Australia on Coronation Day, complete with a "Long Live the King" shirt.

• Episode 332 - Severn Swather

  Installments four and five of the Jackson's World Tour from Stephen and Jen. Week four was Medina I.O.W. parkrun on the Isle of Wight, visiting their daughter Jenny, with grandson Thomas running his first parkrun at the junior event the next day; week five was Severn Bridge parkrun, out and straight back across the old Severn Bridge from Wales into England and back, 223 finishers, spectacular views entirely hidden by fog. Five weeks, five countries, a tourist streak of seven.

• Episode 331 - Quokka Quest

  Ollie opens "we've got some other people having special days and sharing their news of their travels. Mel, we have some mail." Two installments from Stephen and Jen Jackson ("the Bathurst Jacksons") on their world tour: week two at Amsterdamse Bos parkrun (a three-hour train from Paris, parkrun being suspended in France), then week three at Lovsteen [Lovstien] in Norway meeting Zwift friend Hilda, either side of the Paris Marathon. Then an email from "Sarah from the West Side" passing on Hampton Oval parkrun's 100th-event stats (one crocodile, two weddings, 819 icy poles, 1,566 finishes), which the hosts read out alternately. Mel notes they have "ample mail" and are drip-feeding it.

• Episode 329 - Winter Waffle

  Mel sets it up ("there's another way to spread the word, isn't there, Ollie?") and Ollie reads mail from Eman Vergara: Team Vergara travelled to the nation's capital so Juno could complete her club challenge at 19 months old, meeting Mark Scarborough and "the infamous troll" at Wagi Bridge parkrun on the hosts' recommendation; and news that Toowoomba is working on a running festival this year, with Bonza's direct flights from Melbourne making the Garden City more accessible. Signed "Eman and Chris"; a photo of Eman, Christine and Juno with Marvellous Mark was included.

• Episode 328 - Sterkte

  Julie Doolin became a South Australian statesman by completing Patawalonga River parkrun, having moved to SA in January 2022 for a two-year Defence posting and covered over 12,500km by road and 22km by ferry from Coober Pedy to Kangaroo Island and Port Lincoln to Mount Gambier. Steve Warwick wrote in about a pre-parkrun coffee in Devonport with well-travelled adventurer Carmel Roll, and bumping into Lyndell the Legendary, in town for the Oceania Triathlon Competition.

• Episode 327 - Off Script

  Melissa Ellis calls it "Ollie, it's time for some mail" and Ollie answers "You've got mail." Three letters: Steve Warwick with a Big Thing, the Big Coffee Pot at Deloraine, spotted en route to Queens Domain parkrun in Hobart; John Clements (A4663914) of Normanville, SA, on starting Myponga Reservoir parkrun and the big cherries near McLaren Vale; and Simon Mackley (A226803), the show's quizmaster, answering Alison's quiz question (Surfers Paradise) and warning that Palm questions will need WA parkrun knowledge. Melissa then publicly asks Tony O'Connell to step in as quizmaster at Palm in Lyndell Murray's absence.

• Episode 326 - Song sung blue?

  Two listener messages. Darren DeGroot sent a photo of his grey cap with his 50 and V25 pins, "to show my milestones finally". Richard Fortune wrote to thank an unnamed volunteer on the bag station at Port Macquarie Runfest who recognised him and introduced himself as an adventurer, and who suggested Mel and Ollie should come up for it; the hosts appeal for the "mystery volunteer" to show himself.

• Episode 325 - Wake up, Jodi!

  Listener feedback read out. Johan Duvenhage writes in on parkrun elevations following last week's height discussion, Running Achievements' regionalised Dizzy Heights challenges, and the worldwide top ten highest parkrun starts (Aspen USA 2,453m, then a run of South African events), which Ollie reads while comically fumbling the pronunciations. Melissa reads the Australian top four (all New South Wales) and Ollie the New Zealand top three. Jeff also writes in teasing a big announcement at Joe Creason to come in Dazza's.

• Episode 325 - Wake up, Jodi!

  "You've got mail", a letter from Lynn from Cobram, who travelled a few hours to Kirkdale Reserve parkrun for Jodi Maisie's 50th volunteer and formed an adventurers' frond with TOC, Peely, Dawn, Chantelle, Gregory and others over breakfast, ticking off the Office Lady's Challenge chart on her fridge. She teases a restart date for Cobram parkrun.

• Episode 324 - Radio prA

  Ollie reads an email from Calum Burrell nominating three UK events for the adventurers at Large big-things challenge: Sutton Manor (the giant head sculpture "The Dream"), Trentham Gardens (a giant chair) and Northwich (a giant bicycle sculpture). Mel's off-mic interjection over the Northwich/Norwich pronunciation is left in the edit, with her joking "I'll edit myself out." Mel then puts out a call for a big thing from the USA.

• Episode 323 - Big Things

  "We've got mail" - correspondence arriving by several routes, mostly on the episode's big-things theme. Brett Bailey on Gore in New Zealand's lower South Island, home of Hamilton Park parkrun and the brown trout capital, with the Big Trout 2km away. Claire Corkill sent a long list via Messenger. Sue Keen added the Big Oyster near Taree in the comments on episode 322.

• Episode 322 - Rise of the Machines

  Three emails. (1) Erica Leota proposes an "Adventurers at Large Challenge", collect 10 parkruns near giant roadside things (Stanthorpe's big apple, the big watermelon at Charleys Creek in Chinchilla, Roma's big rig, Coffs' banana); she credits Lyndell from the news crew with the challenge name, and Mel adds Bega's big ram. (2) Patrick ("Patti") shares an OpenGPT/ChatGPT essay on parkrun podcasts that ranks parkrun adventurers third behind The parkrun Show and a wholly fabricated "Global parkrun Report", the AI hallucination that gives the episode its title, with Mel objecting that With Me Now was omitted and that juniors were ignored. (3) Eman reports on Nightcliff parkrun in Darwin with RD Karen Strong, with Christine and baby Juno.

• Episode 319 - Alphabet Ears

  Ollie reads the week's mail from Alison of the Channel 5 News crew in New Zealand: Colin Thorne turned 99 on Saturday and set a new NZ age grade record, finishing in 56:04 for 107.4% in the VM95-99 category; New Zealand also set a national record of 5,612 finishers, 256 more than the previous best on Christmas Eve, with three events breaking their attendance records and the four-week average time creeping from 31:11 to 31:21.

• Episode 318 - parkrun, if you’re listening

  Two listener emails. "Our favourite Eman" reports Team Vergara's NSW parkrun tour (Rhodes on Christmas Eve, Newy on Christmas Day, Orange on New Year's Eve, Dubbo on New Year's Day), highlights being Bernadette Bennett's Christmas-carol run brief at Newy and running with previous podcast guest and former parkrun global women's record holder Lauren Reid at Orange. Then "the Ideas Man" (Bruce) suggests refilling the time capsule in December 2023 for 2024 and offers predictions: 2,000+ Adventurers Club members, PALM 2024 in the greatest state, and Ollie being offered a record deal after singing in the 400th episode.

• Episode 316 - InSantagram

  Mail from Lee Cabarita, last week's Obi recipient, on porn names, her kitten "Sexy", and an idea for the time capsule (barcodes, shoe or key tags, or the stories of Australia's earliest barcodes). Then Michael Gentle with results from the 62nd Zatopek 10 at Lakeside Stadium, Leanne Pompiani, Isabel Batdoyle, Rose Davies, Jack Rayner, Andre Waring and Amy Bunnidge, with their parkrun course records, plus a shot fired in the Greatest State rivalry (NSW has hosted two PALMs, Victoria none). Mel counters that Western Australia is the greatest state.

• Episode 314 - Records & Legends

  "You've got mail." One item, from Michael Blain, sharing his Spotify 2022 wrapped stats showing parkrun adventurers as his number one podcast, and suggesting a Facebook survey on the same. Both hosts admit they have never listened to the show on Spotify.

• Episode 312 - parkrun party

  "We've got some mail. You've got mail." Two letters. Jenny Leslie writes about Achilles Melbourne partnering with Kirkdale parkrun on 3 December, International Day of People with Disability, aiming to fill every volunteer role with people with a disability. Then Alison Fraser, the Channel 5 News Crew's New Zealand correspondent, sends NZ news: founding Lower Hutt ED Richard McChesney returning from overseas for his 500th parkrun at Lower Hutt (only the second 500 milestone recorded in NZ, with current ED Mark Malone likely next on 1 January); Poirua [Porirua] parkrun closing in favour of Ara Harakeke ("meaning flax path") from 10 December because of wastewater works; and Victorian parkrunner Ricky Thackray first finishing while in Rotorua for orienteering.

• Episode 311 - Green Eggs & Snoods

  "You've got mail", a personal message from Bruce Purdy, the Ideas Man, about the zoomies at Wallaby Track and a proposal for an international parkrun zoomie day. The hosts spend several minutes hunting for a suitable date (Amelia Earhart, the Wright Brothers, Houdini's 1910 Diggers Rest flight, International Dog Day) before deciding to crowdsource it from listeners.

• Episode 310 - Cheers

  "But Mel, we've got mail". One email this week, from Stephen Jackson, one half of the team behind the Panorama Punish at Mount Panorama, Bathurst, reporting that Bathurst parkrun was cancelled under three metres of water so he and Jen touristed instead, thanking the adventurers who came to the Punish, and flagging plans for next year. Ollie adds that Stephen took out his age group in 28:28.

• Episode 307 - Cops & Robbers

  The email slot is explicitly nil this week, "Nope, nope, nope. No emails and no roving reports. The inbox was empty this week."

• Episode 306 - King Gizzard

  Ollie checks the inbox and finds no listener feedback this week - "I'm not sure we have mail." Mel confirms the address is working because it was full of roving reports; the segment is effectively a nil return.

• Episode 305 - You’ve Got Mail!

  The episode's title bit, "You've got mail", after the show discovered its inbox was working. Emails read from David Irwin (aka Monty Slade, recommending Marathon Talk), Calum Burrell (the 5K app's new "Total Days Attendance" stat, his and wife Lindsay's joint 250, and praise for Streakmeister Pippa White), Eman Vergara (recommending the AFF On Air frequent-flyer podcast), Sarah Langley (first international parkrun and first parkwalker volunteer stint at Amager Fælled, Copenhagen, then presenting at a conference), and Quizmaster Simon Mackley (a photo from Bali reading "Ollie Pake"). Both hosts also compare their own Total Days Attendance (Mel 444, Ollie 355).

• Episode 304 - Let Us Entertain You

  Ollie: "So Mel, do we have any mail?", the inbox is empty again and Mel suspects a technical fault she hasn't fixed. Becomes a running gag through the rest of the episode (the missing Informant, missing emails from HR, "there's something to test out whether our email is working").

• Episode 303 - Home on the range

  Listener feedback read by both hosts: an email from Sam Schroder ("the Office Lady") about how the Volunteer Coordinator role works at Picton, where local volunteer Vicky works the crowd with a clipboard each Saturday; a Facebook comment from Belinda Taylor asking for more overseas roving reports (praising Jeff from the US and Harry from Malaysia); and Sue Keane correcting Ollie's pronunciation of Jerrabomberra. Prompts a discussion of Volunteer Coordinators at Mossman, Curl Curl and elsewhere.

• Episode 302 - Lined Up

  The mail slot runs but is empty, Ollie: "we haven't got mail this week", Mel: "The inbox was empty. It's the Scott Trickett effect." They suspect their Dropbox/mailbox has hit its storage limit and apologise to anyone who has tried to get through.

• Episode 301 - Thumbs Up

  Three emails read out: Charles Burns offering to show the hosts around The Ponds and Rouse Hill parkruns; Leanne Rotondo asking about travel-buddy and shared-accommodation possibilities for next year's Palm weekend; and a long letter from Johan Duvenhage on South African parkrun tourism clubs, the neon orange tourist cap (20 events) and the neon yellow Windgat cap (100 events), read aloud by Melissa Ellis.

• Episode 300 - Tricentennial

  Listener feedback on episode 299 and the week's mail. Geoff Glaab on mullets being big in the US; Val Warwick praising the roving reports and Oliver Spake's "completely unintelligible song"; Heather Hunter wanting to meet Phyllis; Johan congratulating adventurers David and Ralph at Comrades. The explicit "we've got mail" block starts with Eman on completing the Compass Challenge at University of Western Australia parkrun, and Bruce "the ideas man" proposing that a statesman of the greatest state should be a "greatsman".

• Episode 299 - Buzz Buzz

  Listener correspondence, opened by Ollie "Mel, we've got some mail. You've got mail." Richard writes in from Toronto with a follow-up on North American drip coffee versus espresso (prompting a long Melbourne-coffee tangent), and Brett Bailey writes from New Zealand confirming mullets are alive and well in the rugby fraternity, which turns into a campaign to get Ollie to grow one.

• Episode 298 - Not Flat

  Feedback on last week's episode, read by both hosts: Graham Wilkinson on winning the Obi Award ("Poster boy and Obi award made my week", clarifying the Northern Ireland Assembly building behind him); Val Warwick praising the roving reports and Patrick's poem; Calum Burrell on the sea shanty; Bruce Purdy, "the ideas man", proposing a Poem Zone by request, where listeners send in a poem and nominate who reads it and in what style; and Patrick endorsing the idea. Leads the hosts to joke that the Channel 5 News crew, Abby, the Informant and the Office Lady could all be nominated to sing.

• Episode 296 - Hot and Gold

  Two long emails. Damon Young writes about missing Melissa at Yu Yangs parkrun, his home event Shepparton, and his run of 5K-app challenges (Fibonacci, position bingo, alphabet and name challenges), plus a pitch for parkruns at Seymour and Nagambie. Stephen Jackson writes with Jen from Bathurst, the event's sixth birthday celebrated with the Mayor and NSW Deputy Premier, his own 250 Club, and a funny story from Narromine Wetlands where he spent 20 minutes trying to drop a runner, Simon, who turned out to be vision impaired. He also asks for the history of Dazza's, which the hosts then supply.

• Episode 295 - Aidan Hobbs

  Two listener emails. Geoff Glaab reports from parkrun USA that three events launched (Kohler Mountain Bike Preserve, Little Sugar Creek Greenway, Osborne Metro Park), topping 2,000 participants in a single day for the first time since March 2020, with 54 of 63 finishers at Kohler brand new to parkrun. Bruce Purdy "the ideas man" sends ideas for the Streaky September Bingoe card, tied to the show reaching episode 300, photograph a 300 during your streak, a selfie with a cake, and five different road-sign types for a flush.

• Episode 293 - Hackers

  Acknowledged and empty this week. Melissa Ellis "But, Ollie, this week, no mail"; Ollie "Yep. All quiet in the inbox. As far as I know. Unless someone deleted them. I didn't check." The line is a setup for the episode's hacker running gag rather than a real mailbag.

• Episode 292 - Floods, Cows & Milkshakes

  Ollie introduces an audio message received through the show's account from Ali at Dolls Point parkrun, timed for National NAIDOC Week. Ali explains the difference between a Welcome to Country and an Acknowledgement of Country and how events can add one to their run brief, points listeners to the Indigenous Marathon Foundation's Run Sweat Inspire Festival, and flags that several events including Dolls Point are running a NAIDOC theme - red, black and yellow for the Aboriginal flag, blue, green, black and white for the Torres Strait Islander flag. This year's theme: Get Up, Stand Up, Show Up.

• Episode 291 - Because

  Two pieces of listener mail plus one message. Brett Bailey (New Zealand) thanks the hosts after winning last week's Obi, plans to visit in October, and notes his NENDY is Foster in Rolleston; the hosts belatedly credit Tanya for her roving report and apologise for mispronouncing her name. Tracey Wood suggests ABBA's Swedish-only song "Åh, vilka tider" for the upcoming episode 299, and Bruce "the ideas man" separately tracks down a song actually titled 299.

• Episode 290 - 98, 99, 100!

  Melissa "But yes, Ollie, we've got mail." Bruce Purdy "the ideas man" submits another song suggestion for the episode 299 milestone, Plastic Bertrand's "Ca plane pour moi", prompting a riff on Ollie's non-existent French and a nod to Scotty singing in a foreign language. Then Ian Shaw's email about meeting Ollie and Tracey Wood at Dolls Point, nominating TOC for a fine over the Po Teletubby costume; the hosts welcome Ian into the adventurers. Earlier listener feedback is also read-: Karen Hamilton on the Picton cafe name and on lorikeet taxonomy, and Faye from Canberra on Moora parkrun in WA.

• Episode 289 - Lorikeets are Metal

  Listener mail: Bruce sends a spiked-hair-and-eyeliner dad joke prompted by Ollie's 80s costume photo, plus a separate suggestion that Ollie sing 'Ya Ya Ding Dong' for episode 299 (rejected by Mel for being in English and a duet). Earlier feedback is also read at 00:09:12, Louise Minty on sorting Podbean episode order, Michael Gentle on app settings, and Johan recommending Overcast.

• Episode 288 - Travel Tips

  "We've got mail", a message from Tracey Wood flagging that the Longest Run Brisbane North is on 12 June and the Longest Run Sunshine Coast on 19 June, with links. Ollie adds the other Longest Runs on 12 June (Gippsland, Melbourne North, Melbourne West, Sydney, and the coast-to-country South Coast/Southern Highlands run), and Mel insists on adding "the Renee and Mel Rebel Tour longest run". Earlier, listener feedback from Johan and Hendo Stu answers Ollie's Dutch sign-translation question from episode 287.

• Episode 287 - Rhubarb Lemonade

  "You've got mail." Two listener messages: Ingrid explains the difference between an Acknowledgement of Country and a Welcome to Country, which Mel accepts as a correction of her own wording the previous week; and Tyson from Canberra writes in with a family selfie-frame photo.

• Episode 286 - 99 Apfelsine Blätter

  One email, from Tracey Wood, read by Ollie-. She is glad the hosts liked the FROND meaning she coined the previous week, but clarifies - to head off a fine for stealing a friend's idea - that she did not coin the term "Nancy" and its ownership is unknown. She then asks whether a parkrun lingo handbook exists and volunteers to start one, asking how to receive contributions and where to host the document. The hosts discuss it: listeners can message or email contributions, Ollie recalls David Crook's parkrun lingo in "Every Saturday", and the running gag lands "Maybe we need a spreadsheet" / "Who do we know that's good with spreadsheets?" / "Who's got a really big spreadsheet?"

• Episode 285 - Better together

  Melissa "But, Ollie, we've got mail." One email, from a listener who signs off "Regards, Patrick": responding to Ollie's earlier wish for an app that gives better directions to a course than a standard navigation system, he points out the 5K app already links through to the event's own website directions "written by the locals". Ollie thanks him "probably should have worked that out myself, but this is what a community is all about" and says he has already used the tip to look up his next tourism destination.

• Episode 284 - The Very Very Best Day

  Opened with the standing joke "We've got mail. You've got mail." One email, from Matt Stevens, asking what a "frond" and a "knotty/noddy" are. The hosts explain on air: a knotty is the show's slang for aparkrun; a frond is what TOC coined for a smaller adventurer gathering, from a palm frond, referencing the palm meetups; and palm is the acronym for parkrun adventurer listener meetups. Ollie clarifies that "noddy" is only "naughty" filtered through his nose. Matt's own guesses at the acronym ("free run on another day", "friends run on next day") get an appreciative mention, and Ollie suggests a glossary for the Facebook page.

• Episode 283 - Eman Vergara

  Mail segment opened with "let's take a break, Mel, because we've got mail". Bruce ("the ideas man") proposes an all-Australian-states-and-territories-plus-New-Zealand-islands club in the 5K app and asks whether it should be named the Oberg Club after Tim Oberg, sending a screenshot showing Tim on 99 locations with Cow Club pending. Johan writes in from South Africa about the first parkrun held on the new special event day, Freedom Day, at Hartenbos Village parkrun - 38 volunteers, meeting Volunteer Coordinator Ita and Niels and Estelle Rath.

• Episode 282 - Cass Castleton

  Two items. An anonymous listener emails a long rhyming poem pitching Western Australia to host Palm 2023, read on air by an unnamed reader; the hosts note WA is the only state with a bid in. Patrick ("Paddy") asks where the podcast theme music comes from, the hosts went back to original host Scotty, who confirms the intro/outro music was purchased from a music website while the stings come from his mates Yeo and "a guy in Miami".

• Episode 281 - Hoppy Easter

  "You've got mail", the Easter mail-basket. Stephen and Jen write from Bathurst after ISO with joint positive PCRs, celebrating son Joshua's 200th parkrun on his 15th birthday; "Eman" writes from Boston ahead of the marathon after doing Jamaica Ponds parkrun with his cousins and brother; and Johan Duvenhage emails about his roving day at Loxton parkrun, teeing up his report.

• Episode 280 - Breakout

  A null week, Ollie: "So we have no mail." Mel: "The roving reports were mail, but, yeah, other than that... No fan mail." Segment acknowledged and passed over.

• Episode 279 - Phil Gore

  "We've got mail", listener correspondence read by both hosts. Bruce Purdy (with Donna) asks for a clue on where palm23 will be held, suggesting expressions of interest from state teams followed by Olympic- or Eurovision-style voting; the hosts run with the idea and call for bids. Earlier in the episode, the same correspondence thread also covered Johan (Duvenhage) on South African events still mothballed (18 waiting to return, 43 axed, participation about a third of pre-lockdown) and Val Warwick on Phil and Gemma Gore's Shipwreck parkrun, the new Jarrahdale Heritage parkrun, and a new backyard ultra in Tasmania.

• Episode 278 - Goldilocks

  Three pieces of correspondence. Chris and Karen Gore write about their son Phil Gore, ED of Shipwreck parkrun near Armadale WA with wife Gemma, who won the Herdy's Frontyard Ultra with 50 laps of 6.71km (335km in 50 hours), assisted by Shetan Sadana on 49 laps; Phil holds the Australian backyard record of 51 laps. Paddy Oshimo writes about being called Patty on last week's St Patrick's Day Dazza's and promises a return to Strava art in a couple of months. Stephen and Jen, founding EDs of Bathurst parkrun and organisers of the Panorama Punish, write about completing their ACT Statesperson Challenge at Coombs parkrun.

• Episode 276 - Mooving On

  "We got mail", one email, from Val Warwick, read out by Melissa Ellis. Val responds to Ollie's interest in the Bruny Island Ultra mentioned by Brooke, reports that Steve ran the 64km the year he turned 70, warns about the final climb to the lighthouse, and thanks the hosts and TOC for Palm weekend. Leads into a chat about Bruny Island cheese and beer.

• Episode 273 - Falling for You

  Two emails, and neither from regular correspondent Eman. Leanne (A467161, "Leigh Cabarita" on Facebook) writes as a long-time listener from Parramatta, praising last week's interview with local superstar Erkan and lamenting that a rescheduled event means she'll miss Palm. Johan Duvenhage writes from Bloemfontein, South Africa, where he is RD the next day, to say the South African parkrun Pronunciation Challenge is doing the rounds on WhatsApp, and to commend the Running Achievements app for being receptive to regional and country-specific challenges, prompting a discussion about leaving positive reviews for app developers who usually only hear from people when something breaks.

• Episode 272 - Ercan Boduk

  "We've also got mail, Ollie." Melissa Ellis reads an email from Glenn Moore ("long time listener, first time emailer") suggesting a new app challenge called On Every Saturday, to complete all 32 events listed in the book of the same name, which the hosts had previously dubbed the Cookbook Challenge. They point listeners to the in-app link for messaging the 5K app creators.

• Episode 271 - Arise

  Introduced by the "You've got mail" jingle. One letter, from Michael Blain, raising an accessibility point: he and "many others who are hard of hearing really struggle to hear clearly the informant", and he asks whether the distortion could be toned down. The hosts explain the voice changer is deliberate, to protect the Informant's identity, so they are committed to the voice, but point listeners to his published stats on Facebook and the informant.me website. They also observe that the Intern is easier to understand.

• Episode 270 - The only way is up

  "We've got mail... bagfuls of mail", a record four emails: Faye from Canberra proposing East Richmond rename itself XRH to create the world's only X event; Peter Pohlman announcing two new invented clubs (the Golf Club, four events with four-letter names; the Famous Five Club, five events with five-letter names) which sends the hosts into an Enid Blyton tangent; Bec Bailey confirming she can attend palm22 and firmly ruling out a wedding milestone; and a listener from South Toowoomba congratulating co-ED Margie Bryant on her 250th volunteer milestone.

• Episode 269 - Criminal Intent

  "But Mel, we've got mail." Ollie reads an email from Geoff Glaab (previous week's guest, USA) reporting the launch of Spindletree parkrun near Houston, Texas - a relocation of the former Woodlands Waterway parkrun - and confirming he joined the Adventurers Club. Mel then relays a message from Irene Bumacanti about the mass aeroplane-pose start line at Sherwood Reserve parkrun, NZ, explained by Alison as co-ED Scott Harrell's #ScottAirplanes tradition.

• Episode 267 - parkrun spirit

  Melissa Ellis: "But, Ollie, we had mail again this week." Oliver Spake reads an email from Richard, sharing a post by RD Gordon of Pioneer Dairy parkrun about Helen, a first-timer at the event notching up her 265th parkrun. Unable to run because of a hip condition, she walked the course with the Tail Walkers staying with her the whole way and was clapped home. Melissa notes Helen was wearing an Ugly Christmas Shirt and had previously been a distance swimmer.

• Episode 266 - Tinsel Time

  Two listener emails. Geoff Glaab, a Run Director at Joe Creason parkrun in the USA, writes about Aspen parkrun in Colorado recording one finisher and no volunteers on 11 December, saluting sole finisher Michael Ireland. Then a note from Eman (Eman Vergara), who celebrated New South Wales' return at Tamworth parkrun along the Peel River and caught up with ED Mark Makepeace, whom he had met at Goondiwindi parkrun.

• Episode 264 - Home & Away

  "Mel. You've got mail." One email, from Parth (of the Bomakanti family), saying he and Irene love Abigail's report at the end of the outro music and asking to have their names read out - which the hosts duly do.

• Episode 262 - All the good things

  Tony O'Connell reads one listener email, from Eman and Christine, who took baby Juno on her first interstate trip and fourth unofficial tourist event to Montrose Foreshore parkrun in Tasmania ahead of the Point to Pinnacle run up Mount Wellington, signing off that they're "saving Bell Reef [Bellerive] for the 2022 parkrun adventurers Listener Meetup".

• Episode 261 - Back in the ACT

  Mail from Peter Pohlman, who reports 100% street completion of Waratah and Georgetown in New South Wales and asks how many listeners tried citystrides.com after last week's mention. Mel corrects last week's fumble, it is City Strides, not City Striders, and explains how the site connects to Strava or Garmin to map every street you have run.

• Episode 260 - The Wild Card

  One email, from Channel 5 News Crew member Alison Fraser in New Zealand: with only 34 operational NZ events she could not do Septober's alphabet, so logged aparkrun every day working through the NZ events alphabetically, landing at Whangarei on her birthday. She is now working on her 'not p-index', real p-index 5. Leads into a discussion of how hard not-parkrun history is to track.

• Epsiode 259 - Hailing TOC

  Two pieces of listener correspondence. First from Gaillyn Cooper - revealed by Melissa to be Ollie's mother - writing from the South Coast dairy country that she is looking forward to her home parkrun at Shellharbour reopening, has "identified some cows as parkrunners", and is coming to the PALM meetup. Second from Nadine, with the November challenge ideas list and a nudge at Melissa's "we need a new challenge" post on the Streak to New Year's Day page.

• Episode 258 - Richard McChesney

  Ollie: "Mel, I believe we've got mail." Correspondence from Bruce on the final stretch of Septober, encouraging everyone to log aparkrun for Zillmere on the 30th or come to Dazza's Cafe and "show us your Z's".

• Episode 257 - Cottesloe Consults

  Opened by the "You've got mail" sting. A message from Bruce "the ideas man": the Naughty Alphabet was meant to pace to Zillmere on 30 October but became a PB sprint, so he and Nadine are filling the gap with an "S" challenge; he tells Ollie to use "the old one-two, skip a few" if he cannot finish the alphabet and to meet them at Zillmere on the 30th. Earlier in the show Melissa Ellis also responds to last week's mail - proposing the "Big Cheese Club" as a name for a trans-Tasman version of the Peel Club, since Tim Oberg was reportedly first to complete it.

• Episode 256 - X Factor

  "Mel, we've got mail", a letter from Eman following up on the previous episode's question about newborn daughter Juno. After her six-week vaccinations the family did their first parkrun adventure together at Yowie parkrun, Kilcoy (20 finishers), with Eman and Christine swapping pram-pushing duties. Neatly coincidental with Lyndell's roving report from the same event.

• Episode 254 - Ev’ry heart beats true

  Listener correspondence, opened with the caveat "we don't per se have mail, Mel, but we have heard from a couple of our podcast family": Brian (last week's 500-milestone guest) passing on his thanks for the congratulations and support, and Bruce with a tip for not parkrun adventurers wanting to change their home parkrun without the update wait, "each time you log your knotty, you then swap your home parkrun straightaway, ready for the next day."

• Episode 253 - Runner 5(00)

  One listener letter, read aloud by Ollie, from "Tracy in training", she opens with "Brains!" in keeping with the zombie theme, reports being inspired by the "kind of things" segment to collect a full bag of roadside plastic while walking the dog, enjoyed the previous week's goalball chat with Jenny Blow, and complains about missing Abigail's chirpy voice at the end of last week's pod. Mel and Ollie respond that Abigail records only when she feels like it and cannot be replaced.

• Episode 252 - Jenny Blow

  "You've got mail", Melissa Ellis reads an email from Andrew Turner of Maribyrnong parkrun, who suggests Paralympian Jenny Blow (goalball, Achilles Club member, 10 parkruns) as a guest while she is in hotel quarantine. The hosts acted on it, which is how this week's interview came about; they thank Andrew again.

• Episode 251 - Tokyo Tales

  Two listener emails. Ollie reads one from Bruce congratulating the team on episode 250, noting he is member number 14 of the new adventurers Run Club, pointing out thatparkrun tallies can now be shown for run clubs, and suggesting the show try to interview the producers or actors behind the Zombies, Run! app, which the hosts say they will pursue. Mel then reads a second, mock-formal apology signed "the Inverloch Stump", apologising for listening late and missing Abby's challenge, prompting Ollie's "you're a bit stumped, are we, Mel?"

• Episode 250 - The Story So Far

  One email, from Eman [Vergara]: South Toowoomba parkrun hosted Olympian Pat Tiernan, who was interviewed afterwards by Robbie, but Eman missed it because he and Christine had just welcomed their daughter Juno on Thursday 26 August. He looks forward to sub-20-minute pram parkruns. The hosts congratulate the family.

• Episode 248 - Bird is the Word

  Oliver Spake reads a listener email from Tracy, who enjoyed the Caitlin Adams and David Crook interviews, asks whether a milestone episode is coming up in about three episodes, and suggests the parkruns in David Crook's book could become "the Crookbook Challenge", a name both hosts immediately take to.

• Episode 247 - Caitlin Adams & David Crook

  An email from listener Bruce with further Bingoe card suggestions for Streaky September; the hosts are collating entries and will announce the final cut of bingo challenges closer to the time.

• Episode 246 - Faster, Higher, Stronger, within reason

  Ollie announces "You've got mail" and reads an email from listener Eman, who ticked off a volunteering event at one of Australia's newest parkruns, Ecco Ripley (event number 2), and clarifies that the "Green Streets" mentioned last episode are a parkrun couple, Ian and Kathy, not a running group. This rolls straight into a discussion of parkrun club affiliations and a listener callout asking whether people would join an "Adventurers" parkrun club.

• Episode 245 - Dan Buckley

  "You've got mail" - the hosts read an email from regular correspondent Eman, who did a couple of RD duties at South Toowoomba then travelled to Brisbane with the Green Streets and ran Underwood parkrun in his Ugly Christmas in July singlet, finishing first by 41 seconds. Ollie checks his stats live on air.

• Episode 240 - Raw & Uncut

  "You've got mail." A single email read out from Eman at South Toowoomba parkrun, who was RD for event number 136 with 156 participants: parkrun adventurer Michael "Shortsy" Schultz visited while padding out his Wilson Index and completing his 418th event, and co-ED Robbie hit unofficial milestones of 350 parkruns and 325 volunteer events. Followed by a private message from Bruce Purdy, who worked out that the next parkrunday falling on February 14th (relevant to the new Valentine's Peak parkrun in the USA) is in 2026, conveniently a World Cup year in the States.

• Episode 238 - Baked Goods

  Listener correspondence: a note from Eman [Vergara], who is chasing his III index, and a long email from Em thanking the hosts for singing happy birthday on last week's pod, describing her 21st at Shellharbour parkrun with her poppy and auntie visiting from Brisbane, the personalised parkrun shirt reading "Em from Shellharbour", and wishing Shellharbour parkrun a happy seventh anniversary.

• Episode 237 - Emma Keer

  Listener feedback read out: a correction on last week's brief Auslan discussion. Olly gives a shout out to Georgia for volunteering in the Sign Language Support role at Shellharbour, and apologises for having said she 'performed' Auslan rather than speaking it as a language.

• Episode 235 - Hi-Vis Heroes

  "You've got mail", the hosts read listener email, delighted to have received more than one ("Plural!"). The main letter is from Eman of the South Toowoomba parkrun team, inviting Ollie and Mel to visit South Toowoomba as an alternative "South" for the Compass Challenge, with an offer to act as tour guide; the South Toowoomba team also plan to tourist at Shellharbour.

• Episode 224 - Madness & Mystery

  "You've got mail", Ollie reads an email from listener Leanne, a long-time listener and first-time communicator, who was running through South Bank in Brisbane while listening to the episode covering it, and who is heading back to her home parkrun Parramatta. Mel ties it back to Lyndell's roving report from the same location. The show's email address, parkrunadventurers@gmail.com, is given out.

• Episode 222 - Crickets

  Listener Pippa White writes in with an alternative to "Aotearoan" as the demonym for someone who has completed every New Zealand event: "New Sealander", a play on having seen the whole country. The hosts now have two options and plan a listener poll, hampered by Facebook pages not supporting polls.