Meet the ED

Appears in 35 episodes, first in episode 1.

Every appearance

• Episode 445 - Rainbows, Recordings and the Riesling Trail

  Live on-stage interview with the two hosts of the day's event: Sheridan Laws, Event Director of Clare Valley parkrun (218 runs at 27 locations, 215 volunteer credits), and Sue Mayfield, one of its run directors (182 runs at 16 locations, 304 volunteer credits). Covers Sheridan's first parkrun at Torrens in June 2014, taking over as ED ~18 months after the event started, and her Bushy bucket-list wish; Sue's start at the second Clare Valley event in 2016 via her husband Alan (chairman of the Riesling Trail committee), her push toward 500 volunteers, a memorable cow-filled paddock parkrun in England, and a wish to run in Munich where her sister lives. Interviewed by Tony O'Connell and Lyndell Murray.

• Episode 115 - Matt who?

  Explicitly revived after a long absence — Scott at [00:11:43]: "It's the return of the event director interview. It's been missing, it's been in hibernation." Matt Fullerton, current ED of Bright parkrun (Victorian high country), establishing ED of Lilydale Lake and a parkrun Australia board member, on launching Bright after relocating from Melbourne, minus-two-degree winter mornings, his three kids, junior parkrun, and board strategy. In the outro the hosts ask listeners whether the ED interview should return more regularly.

• Episode 93

  Em (Emma) Nicholson, third Event Director of Kirra parkrun on the Gold Coast — Australia's fifth-oldest event, launched 18 February 2012 by Chris Van Hoof and later run by Pete Sinfield. She describes Kirra's "three Fs" (fast, flat and friendly), its growth from ~80 to ~160 finishers a week, the saga of a runner who printed out Scott Trickett's example barcode and logged runs under his name, discovering parkrun while patrolling Coolangatta as a police officer, and her favourite events (Warwick, Kingscliff, Main Beach). Closes with the show's new question — if money were no object, which parkrun? — answering Bushy Park, and breaking the news of a parkrun starting in Aspen, Colorado.

• Episode 91

  Connie Isherwood, Event Director of North Harbour parkrun at Burpengary East north of Brisbane, ahead of its launch that weekend. Covers leaving her home event Central Lakes to start a new one, the developers approaching parkrun and building a road, permanent course signage and funding the defib, the all-grass cross-country course through an 1800s sugar plantation with trip hazards and cow patties, the two trials, the resident breeding herd of cows, an expected crowd of 200-300, the event being on private land so no midweek freedom runs, and a parkrun tourist planning to kayak down to the Caboolture River to reach the start line.

• Episode 90

  Interview with Courtney White, Event Director of Warrnambool parkrun (Lake Pertobe, south-west Victoria), ahead of the event's first anniversary - the course, the sibling rivalry with her sister at Inverloch that led her to start the event, community highlights, and windy Warrnambool weather. The segment is not named on air in this episode but it is the standard ED-of-the-week slot.

• Episode 87

  Studio interview with Myf Schenk, Event Director of Dalby parkrun in inland Queensland — a flat three-lap course along the creek with a two-metre "Heartbreak Hill", 35 events in, 90% tree cover. Covers the town, forming a volunteer team (husband Chris did the early course setups), her five boys, her alphabet challenge and her idea of a volunteering alphabet, and her top three events: Wishart, Highfields and Jells.

• Episode 85

  Kelly Bright, Co-Event Director of Petrie parkrun (north Brisbane) and a serving police officer of 25 years, on the Cops and Robbers day she has organised across the North Brisbane territory (Petrie, Bunyaville, North Lakes, Warner Lakes, Sandgate, Mitchelton, plus Bundaberg, Mansfield, Cleveland and Broadbeach Waters), its police health-and-wellness message, a visit from the Petrie family including Lavinia Petrie, the Petrie course description, and Zoe the "Disney parkrunner" as parkrunner of the Month.

• Episode 84

  Interview with Nico Boon, Event Director of Riverway parkrun in Townsville. Leads with what Melissa dubs "the parkrun Story of 2017": Kevin the dog was spooked by the field, bolted into the crocodile- and eel-inhabited Ross River, and three parkrunners (Nikki, Liz and Jess) waded in to rescue him then finished their parkrun soaking wet — owner Karen came back the next week with a sign and gifts to find them. Nico then tells her own parkrun story (Couch to 5K in 2013, first event in Big W gear, run directing for four years, taking over as ED from Tracy Cohen), her "Gumby Runner" alias and Zombies, Run! mishaps, the Townsville running scene, and her top three parkruns (Nambour, Kawana, Airlie Beach).

• Episode 83 - Kelly Hodges

  Scott and Mel interview Tamworth parkrun Event Director Jeff Bartlett — Tamworth's country-music identity, the out-and-back course along the Peel River, its flood-cancellation risk, its third anniversary, and how he and his wife Jan got involved six to eight weeks after the event launched on 1 November 2014. The second half is a long travelogue: the couple visited all nine parkrun events then existing in the USA (Fletchers Cove, Roosevelt Island, College Park, Durham, Clermont Waterfront, Livonia, Mansfield, Heritage Harbor Ottawa, Crissy Field), briefly holding the record for having done every US parkrun.

• Episode 81

  Interview with Melissa Taylor, Event Director of Nambour parkrun on the Sunshine Coast — "the toughest parkrun in Australia", 100% trails, hills that add three to five minutes, the Nambour/Sunshine Coast Stack Club and its badges, how the event came about via Darren from the Anytime Fitness gym and Radar Hill, her fear of public speaking as an ED, and her top three parkruns (Millwater in Auckland, Bunyaville, Ginninderra). Approaching 100 events.

• Episode 77

  Studio interview with Renee Russell, Event Director of Varsity Lakes parkrun on the Gold Coast, where the hosts had run and volunteered during the first parkrun Australia conference: course description around the lake, 80-120 runners a week, how she was thrust into the ED role in November 2014 when the previous ED left, having the visiting territory directors take over all volunteer roles so she could run, the family-heavy demographic, and her own parkrun touring (Singapore, Darwin, Palmerston, Stockton, St Peters, Albert Park).

• Episode 76

  Studio interview with Luke Kneebone, Event Director of Castlemaine parkrun (Victoria). Covers the event's two-year history and growth (average up from mid-40s to about 60), the three-lap Botanic Gardens course, and at length the cultural day planned for that Saturday: an early quarter-to-eight start, an acknowledgement of country and smoking ceremony led by Aunty Julie, Indigenous food, storytelling and a cultural walk. Scott strongly endorses parkrun events acknowledging country. Not named as "Meet the ED" on air this week — identified by format.

• Episode 71

  Phone interview with Gavin Mathieson, Event Director of Coomera parkrun (one of the first Australian events), ahead of its fifth birthday on 22 July. Covers how he got involved after having a heart attack finishing his first marathon, Coomera's 110-140 weekly numbers, its double-loop high-five culture, tourists including Pirate Club 'C' collectors, past anniversary themes and his own parkrun-day baby. Note: the segment is not explicitly branded on air this week — it is the ED-of-the-week style interview in substance.

• Episode 68

  Ian Wickham, Event Director of Highfields parkrun (Toowoomba region, Qld). Covers the unusual four-lap course around an AFL and a soccer oval, the eventual move to a new sports park and two-lap course, the Southern Cross Circuit / "stargazer" club (Warwick, Stanthorpe, Gatton, Toowoomba, Pittsworth, Highfields, plus Dalby, Goondiwindi and bonus star Roma), his top three (Nambour, Dalby, Shepparton, with an honourable mention for Kawana), and how he became an ED after only about six parkruns.

• Episode 66

  Event Director interview with Charlotte Black of Willoughby parkrun (Sydney north shore), pitched by Scott at [00:18:34] as a twist on the usual format — "we're going to talk to one of our event directors who has never run at parkrun, but she runs an entire event". Covers how Mosman's ED recruited her, launching on 4 November 2016, directing every week but two, being 23, setting up the course with her mum, averaging 180 runners, the out-and-back Flat Rock Gully course, the Achilles group's visit, and Willoughby winning one of two defibrillators donated by First Aid Accident and Emergency.

• Episode 65

  Scott and Mel interview Dawn Courage, founding Event Director of Kingscliff parkrun (northern NSW) and one of parkrun Australia's earliest participants — she ran when there were only three or four events in the country. Covers the early days when "everything just went through Tim" before territory directors existed, her ~130 runs lost to event directing, and a course description: dead flat, straight out-and-back, sheltered from the wind, buggy-friendly, and in her view possibly the fastest course in Australia.

• Episode 64

  Interview with Nat (Natalie) Clothier, founding Event Director of Clare Valley parkrun, South Australia — the course along the Riesling Trail from the Clare showgrounds to Sevenhill, her first parkrun at Torrens on her honeymoon, volunteer support at a small event, the 50th-event donuts (50 donuts for 50 events) and upcoming first-anniversary cake, her South Australian Road Runners Club membership, and her top SA pick (Victor Harbor).

• Episode 63

  Studio interview with Mak Sawa, Event Director of Lillydale Lake parkrun (Victoria). Covers his ultra-running (198.5km in a 24-hour event), how he came to running after a US holiday in 2010, the two-lap 2.5km course around the man-made lake, current attendances of 170-205, his career change into run coaching, and the upcoming third anniversary with a "C" (third letter of the alphabet) theme, targeting the 258-person record. Scott notes founding ED and board member Matt Fullerton.

• Episode 62

  Scott crosses over at [00:08:23] "it's time to chat to one of our EDs who didn't get to run on the weekend, but she's got a damn good excuse." Leanne Paul, Event Director of Bowen parkrun in north Queensland, describes the state of her coastal course after Cyclone Debbie — storm surge washout, fallen fig trees, "the coconuts that were missiles" — the town's recovery, how Bowen parkrun started (she discovered parkrun at Riverway while living on Magnetic Island), and why she won't reopen until the course is safe.

• Episode 60

  Interview with Ben Brockman, Event Director of Devonport parkrun in Tasmania: how he found parkrun via Marathon Talk, travelling to the Launceston launch in November 2012, setting up Devonport (launched May 2015), the waterfront out-and-back course along Bass Strait and the Mersey River, growth to ~1,800 registered runners in a town of 25,000, the prospect of around six more Tasmanian events, being a Tassie Statesman, and his top three parkruns (Coburg, Bushy Park, Hobart). Not named as "Meet the ED" on air this week, but it is the standard ED interview slot.

• Episode 58

  Interview with Cassie Hughes, West Australian Territory Director, on the unadvertised launch of Calleya parkrun (121 runners, WA's 22nd event, in a Stockland estate that consulted parkrun on the course design). She explains how she found parkrun in 2013 after her son Connor was diagnosed with chronic depression and a therapist recommended running — she credits parkrun with helping save his life, and he is now about to start run directing. She coins "park-tarting" for doing a different parkrun most weeks, discusses costumes, being WA's only Dirty Cheetah and also a Zoolander, and gives her top three WA events: Geographe Bay, Kalgoorlie-Boulder and Mount Clarence/Albany.

• Episode 54

  Interview with the two co-Event Directors of Strathalbyn parkrun (SA), Paul Jude and James Clegg: the Angas River out-and-back course, how the event grew out of Mount Barker, their New Year's Day double with Mount Barker (179 runners against a usual 30-50, with course records set by visiting UK runners), winning the 2017 Community Event of the Year award at the Strathalbyn Rotary Australia Day breakfast, and the standard closing "top parkruns" question (Murray Bridge and Huddersfield for James; Mount Barker and Lawson for Paul).

• Episode 53

  Interview with Michael Sharpe, Co-Event Director of The Beaches parkrun (Newcastle, NSW) — the only parkrun run entirely on sand. Covers their 100th event record turnout of 160 (previous record 144 at launch), tide forecasting and how high vs low tide changes times by about five minutes, roughly 90% of runners going barefoot, the four-leg out-and-back 1.25km lap format, an ED completing the course pushed in a wheelchair, the slowest first finisher (~32 min male, 48 min female), and his top three other events (Lakeview, The Entrance, Port Macquarie).

• Episode 51

  Extended studio interview with Liv Coop, Event Director of both Cleveland and Sirromet parkrun, billed at [00:36:43] as "our first return ED guest" — she opened episode one of the podcast. Covers running two events at once, the trail-vs-road contrast at Sirromet, the winery/cellar-door setting, the Australian attendance record attempt, her parkrun tree tattoo for her 100th run, and handing Sirromet over to Ellie. Note: the segment is not given a name on air in this episode.

• Episode 49

  Interview with Scott Hawkins, Event Director of Mullum Mullum parkrun (Ringwood area, outer eastern Melbourne), launching that Saturday as parkrun Australia's 200th event. Covers the 18-month journey from concept to launch across three council boundaries (resolved when the EastLink highways department turned out to own the path), co-founder Matt Fullerton, the naming (Mullum Mullum Creek/Reserve rather than Ringwood), his own journey from 120kg and being unable to kick a soccer ball with his kids for five minutes, running with four of his five children, and the half-trail/half-path undulating course. Not named as "Meet the ED" on air this week, but it follows the show's standard Event Director interview format.

• Episode 48

  Interview with Mosman parkrun Co-Event Director Simon Mackley, introduced as "officially my favorite guest, E.D., on the show ever" because he actually listens to the podcast. Covers the small three-lap course by Middle Harbour with its dreaded hill, the rocky start at Balmoral (102 runners at event one, then shut down by council over approvals and branded "a menace to the community", relocating five months later to Spit West), the tight-knit volunteer community, big-name visitors including Bruce Fordyce, Pat Farmer, Marty Dent, Tim Oberg, Dave Robbo and Hannah Oldroyd, and the club's Dirty Cheetahs contingent.

• Episode 47

  Interview with Bunyaville parkrun (Queensland) Event Directors Steve Marston and Brenda Gibb ahead of their third anniversary: the trail course and its elevation, attendance (record 231, typically 80 in winter and 100-120 in summer), falls on trail ("Bunyaville tattoos"), first aid kit provision for trail events, their own parkrun tourism and how each got into parkrun. Note: the segment is not given a name on air in this episode — it is logged under the established Meet the ED heading because it is the show's standard Event Director interview format.

• Episode 45

  Interview with Panania parkrun (Sydney) Event Director Rachel Allworth about the event's chaotic first year — flooding out over winter, a fence appearing across the course one Saturday morning at 7am, and the recent forced move across the road to a new park — plus how she came to parkrun via her own Rachel's Runners learn-to-run group and territory director Damon. CAVEAT: the segment is not named on air this week; Scott simply crosses to it with "It's time to visit Sydney and an event that I've always been interested in because they launched the same weekend as Studley." Classified as Meet the ED on the strength of the format and the show notes calling her "Event Director Rachel Allworth".

• Episode 40 - Shoes for Planet Earth

  Studio interview with Scott and Joanne Watkins, Event Directors of Albert Melbourne parkrun, which has just earned its green 250 shirt — Victoria's longest-running parkrun. Covers the flat single-lap-of-the-lake course, the Grand Prix track diversions, the headwind on the back straight, the Melbourne Marathon weekend, Joanne's stopwatch-versus-bomb-squad story, their parkrun tourism (St Peters, Malahide in Ireland, Darwin, The Ponds, Penrith Lakes), Joanne's back injury and return as a walker, and a thank-you to territory directors. Note: not branded as a named segment on air this episode — matched to the existing Meet the ED slot on content.

• Episode 39 - Simon Kilma

  Both hosts interview Victor Harbor parkrun's two Event Directors, Shane and Simon, in South Australia: clearing storm mud off the course, how Simon discovered parkrun at Torrens, the Victor Harbor Triathlon Club that grew out of the event, dolphins and seals (and sharks) on the coastal out-and-back course, the "windiest parkrun in South Australia", Shane's ultra-trail beard, and local parkrunner Andrew Bizach's plan to run Adelaide to Brisbane raising $1 million for DEBRA Australia.

• Episode 38 - Tom Do Canto

  Interview with Sally Coyle, Event Director of Burley Griffin parkrun (Canberra) — how she found parkrun via Gungahlin while supporting Heart Foundation fundraiser Gary Wilmot, the campaign to establish an event on Lake Burley Griffin (federal vs local land, funding, a local sponsor), the record 435-person launch, settled numbers around 140, and her parkrun top three.

• Episode 37 - Danny Norman

  Interview with Vanessa Gibson, Event Director of Sandgate parkrun: their 200th event that weekend, the permanent course change out onto the newly reopened Shorncliffe Pier, how she came to found the event after Tim Oberg told her to start it herself, and the Sandgate Sunset Run — a two-hour team relay around a roundabout that she and husband Dean created in 2014.

• Episode 20 - Scott Westcott

  Event Director interview with Pete Johns of Coburg parkrun (Melbourne) ahead of the event's first anniversary, themed "'C' for Coburg". Covers the out-and-back Merri Creek course and its bridges, costume teasing, Pete's couch-to-5k origins at Westerfolds, and Scott's recollection of recruiting him to found Coburg. Cued at [00:41:49]: "we couldn't let another week go by without catching up with another ED."

• Episode 18 - Rodney Turner

  Interview with Gavin Mackay, Event Director of the about-to-launch Batemans Bay parkrun in NSW (launching on the 7th). Covers the course — a double-loop with water views for 100% of it, using the new marina break wall — the lack of any running club in a 16-17,000 person town, his relationship with the elderly founders of the Broulee Runners group, his move from Glasgow four years ago on a pharmacy sponsorship, and the fact that he has never actually run a parkrun himself due to knee surgery.

• Episode 1

  Explicitly named in-episode at [00:21:34]: "Thanks for joining us on our very first Meet the ED segment." Introduced at [00:11:52] as "our ED of the week" — an interview with Liv Coop, Event Director of Sirromet parkrun (Mount Cotton, Qld), covering the trail course through the winery's grapevines, the private-property restrictions (no dogs, no outside food, no freedom runs), how she funded the launch (a $5,500 council community support grant plus $1,300 won as best cheer station at the Wynnum Twilight Bay Run), and her milestone cupcakes for Cleveland parkrun. Runs to roughly 00:21:39.