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Appears in 455 episodes, first in episode 1.

Every appearance

• Episode 460 - Across The Ditch

  TOC hosts from Bunurong Country with guest co-host Alison from Ngongotahā, Rotorua (home parkrun Puarenga), standing in while Lyndell is in Hong Kong for world-level triathlon officiating re-accreditation. Alison has had four straight home-parkrun weeks; TOC recaps a return to McIvor Creek Trail in Heathcote to regain statesman status (Brendan Peel, Jodi, Jo Taylor and Scotty there), repeat visits to Koonwarra and The Phar Lap Track, and a tourist streak reaching 25 before breaking it at Inverloch. Alison's year has included Japan with Roberta and Singapore with Helen and VKP.

• Episode 459 - What is your Colour?

  Sarah Jefferson opens episode 459 from Whadjuk Noongar Country in Perth and Simon Mackley joins from Quandamooka, Yarrabindra, stepping into the hosting chair while getting over the flu. They run through their parkruns since the last pod, Simon at Lota (meeting Roberta, Brendan Peel and listener Michael Hansen), a fastest-of-the-year run, Underwood Park with Dorota and Co-Event Director Stephen Parker, and a weekend missed to illness that let Peter Pohlman claim Meadowbrook; Sarah revisiting WA events, Rockingham with Luke and Sam Schroder, Galup Reserve for event 95 and Quinns Rocks with Michael and Annika Little while still nursing a knee injury. They finish on AFL, Freo fever, Sarah's purple blazer and Brisbane's tilt at a three-peat, which sets up the episode's colour theme.

• Episode 458 - The Unicorn

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Lyndell Murray in Meanjin, Brisbane, on Turrbal and Yuggera Country. TOC and Jacqui flew to Hoblers Bridge Reserve in Launceston for an H with Curly and Grumpy, timekept at Rokeby Crossover Rail Trail, then drove to Heathcote for McIvor Creek Trail only to see it cancelled at 7:20 and made Kilmore Racecourse with a minute to spare, one Victorian event still to go. Lyndell went to the Office Lady's 60th at Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan, climbed three buildings in four days at the Festival of Stairclimbing, volunteered at Ocean View and ran Maryborough, with audio to come in a future episode.

• Episode 457 - Legs Eleven

  Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country. Sarah has torn the meniscus in her left knee (hopefully rehab rather than surgery), completed her position bingo and ran Big Red Lake, Rockingham, Cottesloe and the new Murdoch University parkrun with the Storeys and Bravoses; her partner Matt and Brenton Pullman are chasing each other's average times. Simon did Macquarie University with adventurers and Listener Helen, Rocks Riverside on pacer week, Noosa with Peter Pohlman, Dorota and Josh, and Old Esk Railway Station's 100th with the South East Queensland ambassadors, a koala and a Brisbane Valley Roasters breakfast, before introducing Carlos and his Papaya Health Rewards initiative.

• Episode 456 - The hype team

  Lyndell in Meanjin on Turrbal and Yugara Country and TOC on Bunurong Country amid Gippsland floods and Brisbane's Ekka winds. Lyndell road-tripped to Charleys Creek in Chinchilla (with the big watermelon and the TARDIS motel), volunteered at Nathan Road Sports Ground and visited Gloucester District, and won second place with her dad for marmalade at the Ekka; TOC took Melissa Ellis to Ulladulla on Yuin Country for a Christmas in July with a Grinch and snow machine, and is streaking through Newborough, Grand Ridge Rail Trail and Traralgon. Feedback from Val Warwick, Ali Sheppard on pronouncing Dumfries, Alison Fraser on Māngere Bridge, and Yvette Turner heading to Bedok Reservoir and West Coast Park; merch is arriving, Renee Gimbert has stepped down as parkrun APAC MD, and Streaky September is coming with Pippa's intro.

• Episode 455 - Tantrums, Tears and Tribulations

  Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, Sarah thanking Simon for his patience after an afternoon of toddler tears and teething. Simon ran the Gold Coast Marathon 10k, then Robelle Domain for re-index 48, and marshalled at Fodder Forest while nursing a cold and at Pallara's eighth birthday to farewell co-ED Brian, who is moving to Rosebud. Sarah clocked Carine Glades with its fairy garden, Bibra Lake, her 90th Cottesloe, and Long Point, then WA's newest event, at its 10th event.

• Episode 454 - Old and New

  Lyndell in Meanjin on Turrbal and Yugara Country and TOC on Boon Wurrung Country, comparing Brisbane sunshine with a wet Inverloch winter. TOC has been to Eildon Pondage, a muddy Red Hill Rail Trail, and Kirkdale Reserve for son Dan's 250th run a week after his 100th volunteer; Lyndell went to New Farm with Bunyaville friends, Sandgate with Sarah Jantscher on a Forrest Gump dress-up day, and Nambour where Fluffy the bird was about. Feedback: pineapple belongs on pizza, Andrea Booth on updating emergency contacts in the app, Ian Brown listening after an 11-week, 14-parkrun trip, and Yvette Turner and Val Warwick locking in PALM on 20 March 2027, though the location envelope has gone missing.

• Episode 453 - Half Way There

  Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, marking the halfway point of 2026 and the winter solstice swim some adventurers braved in Canberra. Simon has been to New Farm, Wynnum for event 666, Minnippi and volunteered at the Gold Coast's newest event, Greenheart Robina Parklands; Sarah has visited Edinburgh Oval and Shelley (P-index now 10), Rockingham during a retreat weekend, then hiked 56 km of the Cape to Cape track over three days before Margaret River parkrun. Feedback from Cherie Martin on a 10-minute half-marathon PB at Hervey Bay with the pod for company, and congratulations to Ollie Spake on stepping down after seven years as Shellharbour ED with 420 volunteer credits.

• Episode 452 - The Away Game

  TOC in Inverloch on Bunurong Country and Lyndell in Meanjin on Turrbal and Yugara Country, TOC back after eight weeks away and praising Lyndell's episodes with Johan as guest co-host. Lyndell has been working on her P-index at Rocks Riverside, South Bank and Zillmere; TOC recaps a four-week overseas trip of seven parkruns plus a juniors: University of Galway and Oranmore juniors in Ireland with Ali Sheppard, Zielony Jar in Poland with Pippa White, Pokkinen and Ascension Day bonus runs in Finland with son Dan, Vingis in Lithuania, Zamek w Malborku beside Europe's largest brick castle, Oosterhout on Whit Monday with Ruth Perkins and other adventurers, and Bay East in Singapore on the way home, then a road trip to Breen Avenue in Kyabram. Roving reports from several of these are in the backlog.

• Episode 451 - Let those pies fly high

  Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Noongar lands and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, Simon greeting Sarah in Japanese after her family holiday in Japan (matcha, onsens, bullet trains and rule-abiding pedestrians). Simon met the South East Queensland ambassadors at a windy, re-routed Capestone Lake and was thrown into the First Timers Welcome at Forest Lake by RD Rory; Sarah ticked off five new events: Parramatta, The Beaches barefoot on soft sand with Michael Sharp and Peter and Sonja Pohlman, Sunshine Beach in Kyoto, her first overseas special-day parkrun at Heijo kyuseki Rekishi koen, and a post-baby PB at Urayasushi sogo koen near Tokyo Disneyland on her birthday, leaving her one run from P-Index 10. Listener feedback: Johan's co-hosting was well received on socials, David Messenger wrote about his custom challenge shirts, and news that Darren Woods (athlete 490) became the first to complete 1,000 parkruns at Morden.

• Episode 450 - Celebrations and pronunciations

  Lyndell Murray in Meeanjin on Turrbal and Yuggera lands with roving reporter Johan Duvenhage as guest co-host for episode 450, marked with a shout-out to the listeners and a carrot cake Johan's dogs have been trying to liberate. Johan ran West Coast Fossil Park in the Western Cape, leaving just before two cold fronts caused damage and parkrun cancellations, then Delta parkrun in Johannesburg for Gauteng ambassador Gillian Findley's V500. Lyndell was benched one week for triathlon officiating and visited Greenheart Robina Parklands, the newest parkrun on the Gold Coast.

• Episode 449 - Is it your first time?

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Sea Country and Lyndell Murray in Meeanjin on Turrbal and Yuggera lands, joking about a Queensland takeover and how many 'indeeds' editor David will have to ding. Lyndell has done one parkrun, at Jubilee, Tenterfield (roving report coming); Simon has stayed local at Wishart, Pallara (farewelling Brian on his last RD before moving to Victoria), Cleveland and Redland Bay. No listener feedback came in on the last episode, though Simon thanks Lyndell for pulling TOC up on his pronunciation of Reading.

• Episode 448 - Surrounded by clowns

  Lyndell Murray in Meeanjin on Turrbal and Yuggera lands with Tony O'Connell in Inverloch on Bunurong Country. Lyndell has been on the bench for four of the six parkrun days since Palm with triathlon officiating around southeast Queensland, volunteered Easter Saturday at Kelvin Grove and picked up new event Parklakes Wetlands on the Sunshine Coast (roving report to come). TOC has stayed close to home for fuel-cost reasons, RD'ing Inverloch for Shirley Dell's 500th, though he and Jack road-tripped to Canberra for Woden Town to regain capitalist status, caught up with Rex Gream over breakfast and inducted him into the dark side of City Strides.

• Episode 447 - You raise me up

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Sea Country, recording on Easter Monday over Haigh's eggs, having just met in person at Palm in the Clare Valley; Sarah spotted Josh Groban in the Adelaide airport lounge on the way home. Feedback on the Tim Oberg interview and his RAD school running program, then Simon's month: Calamvale with ambassador colleagues, P-Index 9 at Logan River, a very welcoming new event at Gatton (Lockie and Nicola, Gemma, and hundreds of noisy corellas) and Birtinya Island with the high tide over the wall. Sarah got her post-baby PB at Cottesloe (her fastest since pregnancy came at Palm), met Eman and Kristine Vergara and Chloe Bravos at Sir James Mitchell, swapped a cyclone-cancelled 28 March for the gym, and was heading to Galup Reserve as the opening runs on.

• Episode 446 - Show us your weed

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back in the boss's seat after long service leave, with TOC on Boon Wurrung Country. Since January Mel has done Queens Domain, Victory Road Reserve, Cruickshank Park, Rokeby Crossover Rail Trail and Alice Springs Telegraph Station, the last on a 10-day Red Centre trip that cost her a first PALM: the Todd River was flowing, Belinda timekept while Mel tail walked, and they bumped into Lockie and Nicola Miners on their way to PALM. TOC did Victory Road Reserve and a drizzly Rokeby with Jack; Mel walked Rokeby with her daughter Madeline and Dave on market week and visited the Noojee trestle bridge, and TOC recaps the Clare Valley PALM dress-up night before saying the next location won't be announced for three or four months.

• Episode 445 - Rainbows, Recordings and the Riesling Trail

  Recorded live at palm26 in the Clare Valley on Ngadjuri lands, Sarah Jefferson introducing TOC from Inverloch, Lyndell Murray from Meanjin as a newly promoted host, and Simon Mackley from Redland Bay on Quandamooka Country, with Melissa Ellis absent after two weeks in the Northern Territory. Thanks to office staff Sam Schroder and Dave Bravos, Belinda for the Consolidated Club report, the roving reporters in the room (Tracey Wood, Paul Kitching, David Messenger, Bert Turner, Alison Key, Calum Burrell, Ruth Perkins, Johan and Ellie Shepherd) and Clare Valley RD Sheridan's team, then TOC's show of hands over the nine PALMs since Gary Murphy, Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett started it at Shellharbour in 2018. Sarah describes the Riesling Trail out-and-back course to Sevenhill Cellars, 105 finishers and 13 volunteers about doubled the usual field, and Lyndell notes one parkrunner registered under the name Clare Valley.

• Episode 444 - Addicted to Love

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Sea Country, with PALM in the Clare Valley only days away. Sarah gives a rundown of the region for first-time attendees (Ngadjuri and Kaurna lands, one of Australia's oldest wine regions, the copper find at Burra and the Riesling Trail between Clare and Auburn); Simon has his eye on Kilikanoon's reds, while Sarah, a non-drinker for two years, will be designated driver and recalls being car sick on the Flinders Island trip.

• Episode 443 - Gelato in Milano

  Lyndell Murray on Meeanjin (Turrbal and Yuggera lands) with TOC from Inverloch on Bunurong Country. Lyndell has funnel managed at Rocks Riverside and Mitchelton, visited Victory Heights with Catherine and Yowie with Cherie, and trekked to Gayndah River Walk's fifth birthday, where the parkrunners pitch in at the local cafe; TOC and Jack did De Soza near Ballarat and drove three and a half hours to Eildon Pondage's first parkrun back after the bushfires. Listener feedback on Johan's interview with new global CEO Lil and Ali McArthur joining the board, then 2026 goals: TOC wants parkrun every week, 20 new events and to keep aparkrun streak of around 2,050 days; Lyndell's different-event streak is at 106 and she plans another 24-hour Beau Miles-style marathon; TOC also wonders whether parkrun Australia's welcome posts are swamping new events like Victory Road Reserve in week two.

• Episode 442 - A Lil Bit of Hope

  First show of the new year, Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Sea Country, both back at work (Sarah's maternity leave has ended) and swapping 2026 goals: Sarah wants 100 at her home event, her statesmanship back and a first overseas parkrun in Japan during Golden Week; Simon wants 10 new events, 250 volunteers, a lower average time and a re-index of 50. Simon's break took in Berrumbach for Lyndell's 100th-different-event streak, Cleveland, North Harbour (his 10th new event of 2025), Redland Bay on New Year's Day, Capalaba where he met Leah, former ED of Cowra, then Ballina Coast, Fodder Forest and Kelvin Grove. Sarah spent eight days in South Australia: Victor Harbor with Ryan Stoddart, Port Lincoln on New Year's Day while Matt's shark dive produced no sharks, and Torrens, where she walked a local's dog round the course.

• Episode 441 - All Aboard 2026

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country welcomes Tony O'Connell back for the new year and thanks Lyndell Murray for filling in during a family emergency in November. Since October Mel has added Lake Fyans Walking Track, De Soza, Kingscliff and Inverell, completing the Namely Challenge, spent Christmas at Toolern Creek and stayed home over New Year, tour-guiding around Wimmera River, Horsham and the silo art. TOC's family road trip in 42-degree heat took in Renmark, a New Year's Day barcode-scanning stint at Yeldulknie Weir Trail in Cleve where Dan and Sandy Baldwin turned up as a surprise, tail walking at Broken Hill, and then Jackie's 500th at The Phar Lap Track with Mel and Dave, Dawn and Deborah Jessop, marked with the event's Melbourne Cup-style milestone cup.

• Episode 440 - Stop The Clock

  Sarah Jefferson from Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley from Quandamooka Sea Country wish everyone a Merry Christmas and compare notes on their Christmas shopping, Sarah well ahead and Simon mostly done, before starting the show with a bonbon joke.

• Episode 439 - Legendary Intern

  Tony O'Connell from Inverloch on Bunurong Country with guest host Lyndell Murray, recording from Meanjin on Yuggera and Turrbal Country after Brisbane storms; Lyndell's tourist streak stands at 97 with a 100th planned for December. TOC's month: The Phar Lap Track, a walk with the Tail Walkers at Inverloch, the new Lake Fyans in the Grampians with Jackie, and Great Southern Rail Trail where he caught up with Jo McCartney, his first ever roving-report interviewee. Lyndell did Coolum Eco, Maleny Trail and Jeune Park at Beaudesert, where her friend Linda completed her alphabet, then photographed Tracey Wood's 500th at Chermside; TOC adds that Martine Barrot, Heather Morgan and Chris Fraser all completed 250 different events in Kalgoorlie.

• Episode 438 - Lota Love to Give

  Sarah Jefferson from Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley from Quandamooka Sea Country. Sarah recaps a North Island family holiday: a busy South End Reserve parkrun on Labour Day weekend, catching up with Alison King in Rotorua, Hobbiton, and a well-volunteered Ōrākei Bay before flying home, then a quiet Shelley parkrun pushing Hadley in the pram. Simon's first DNF came at Logan River when his dog Jasper wilted in the heat, followed by Glass House Mountains Conservation, an intentional Match of the Day at Sirromet and his fastest run of the year at St Lucia; he is two off a P-index of nine, they note Ryan Stoddart's upcoming 600th, and Mel's stopwatch bingo hunt for a :00 finish missed by one second.

• Episode 437 - Woe is a crowd

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

• Episode 436 - The Vote That Counts

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja, both feeling in need of a massage or chiro. Simon toured Pirrama (Gadigal land), Nambour with Glenn from Curl Curl (no Fluffy), Mansfield QLD with Peter Pohlman and Sharon Park at Beaudesert, where he met adventurers Emma and Gemma; Sarah stayed local at Applecross, South Beach Recreation Reserve and Lake Claremont, then ran her NENDY Black Swan Lake near the Mandurah Giants, bagging position 100 for position bingo and trying a running pram for the first time. Shout-out to Dave Bravos for his first edit, and feedback confirming Cairns parkrun pauses for helicopters landing at the hospital helipad.

• Episode 435 - The Restructure

  TOC recording on scratchy motel Wi-Fi from Cowra, on what he calls Wirra Wurrung people's lands, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. They confirm palm26 will be on 7 March, welcome the OG Office Lady back to the socials, and thank David Bravos for taking over editing. Mel re-indexed Bannockburn Bush, returned to Puckapunyal, was turned away from Pucka with her UK friend Rachel (plan B Goulburn River Trail), and ran Port Sorell in Tasmania on the grand final long weekend; TOC did Point Hut Pond, Inverloch's 11th anniversary, a muddy hailstorm at Red Hill Rail Trail, and Coombs to finish the ACT, then Floriade; the 5K app's Michael Clayton joining parkrun and its new Match of the Day challenge round out the chat.

• Episode 434 - It’s Upside Down

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country. Sarah's baby is now crawling and sampling around 60 foods after a stint at sleep school; Simon ran Bridge to Brisbane with 35,000 others and enjoyed mid-20s spring weather while Perth stayed fresh.

• Episode 433 - Ready, Set, Streak...

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with Mel decreeing 'cooee' as the new adventurers' call sign. Mel reflected on hearing episode 170 (Scott's departure) in Bunnings, worked out this is her 212th episode as co-host, and recapped her 500th at Sirromet on Quandamooka Country, Marriott Waters, Sunbury and a Roma trip with Belinda; TOC tail-walked Sirromet in the rain, RD'd Inverloch, ran 1.3 km at Koonwarra, and landed back at Inverloch after storm-felled trees scuppered plans A to C. Follow-ups on Simon's pod-host dip challenge, Mel's still-missing stopwatch bingo, UK adventurers covering about 11-12% of the UK's 833 events, and Streaky September's first Bingoe card.

• Episode 432 - Amazing Grace

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja, congratulating Mel on lining up her 250th event and 500th parkrun on the same day and thanking Mel and TOC for covering the six weeks since they last spoke. Simon ran Studley in Melbourne (Kanes Bridge, and a chance meeting with David's son Dermot), Logan River twice, Fodder Forest and Rocks Riverside, and completed nine yards and a longest-ever 65 km at the Clint Eastwood Backyard Ultra; Sarah travelled hand-luggage-only to Singapore and Malaysia and ran Bay East Garden parkrun, warning tourists about the humidity.

• Episode 431 - Start Spreading the News

  Melissa Ellis recording on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Boon Wurrung Country, after last week's black-screen scare turned out to have recorded fine; Mel is editing on a tight schedule before flying out Friday, and a mysterious night-time cleaner has tidied the office. TOC went to the South Australian ambassadors conference, doing Oaklands Estate Reserve with co-EDs Emma Steele and Kevin under blue sky while the Belair contingent got rained on, then Thorndon juniors, and this week Belvedere with nine Adventurers including Deb Jessop, Steve Amor and Anna, the Smiths and Bruce Purdy. Mel flew to WA for Quinns Rocks, her 249th different event, staying with Sarah and catching up with Chloe Bravos, then ran a local Peppertree, where peppercorn trees are being cleared along the Werribee River.

• Episode 430 - Cleaner Wanted!

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Bunurong Country; Mel wants an adventurers greeting after hearing Hamish and Andy's 'ahoy', and listeners are invited to suggest one after a recording dropout mid-discussion. TOC, now cleared to run laps of an oval, has been to Great Southern Rail Trail, Aintree Reserve and Inverloch, where friend Alicia marked her 250th after a 100-mile You Yangs race and tourist Steve Amor logged his 200th different event. Mel, still lining up her 250th different with her 500th, made three South Australian trips: Myponga Reservoir with Sam Schroder, then Belair National Park, where she recorded two girls' Acknowledgement of Country and co-ED Jason on the Man Walk group of blokes at the back.

• Episode 429 - It's Question Time

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, recording on a Sunday in daylight; Sarah is back after six weeks, having taken the family to Katherine in the Northern Territory. Sarah walked Aveley's 12th birthday with Hadley in the carrier and Chloe Bravos for company; Simon has been building his P-index at Logan River, Scribbly Gums and Sirromet and did Central Lakes with his dog Jasper, who was sick in the car on the way. Johan from Bloemfontein corrects last episode's South Africa stats to 12 official languages, and the hosts try out the Medibank Family Roast conversation cards before the NZ and Australian stats.

• Episode 428 - Evolution

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

• Episode 427 - Onions Have Layers

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. TOC's surgeon says his stress fracture will heal without an operation, so he is on crutches for a couple of months; he follows up last week's Run the World chat (five maps done, referral and club-points schemes that help pay the pod's bills), and Heather Hunter confirms Taree is still out with flood-damaged paths, prompting a look at Werribee Park Mansion, Risdon Brook and Whitfords Nodes on the cancellations page. TOC and Jack drove six and a half hours to Panboola Wetlands at Pambula, his mainland nearest-not-done, among dozens of kangaroos; Mel stayed at Toolern Creek, peeling off layers mid-run to a fellow runner's amazement, then brunched at Urban 35 beside a couple fresh from Aintree Reserve.

• Episode 426 - Lost Property

  Simon Mackley on the lands of the Quandamooka and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, comparing Queensland rain with Melbourne's unseasonally mild, dry weather and hoping the flooded NSW events like Taree have recovered. Feedback from Ian Thompson, who does not know Ivan Neville but ran his 500th at Fulham Palace and found he had scanned Ivan afterwards. Mel drove seven and a half hours to Reynella East parkrun (event 351) in South Australia, camping in her new Jimny at Hahndorf, meeting RDs Chris Bray and Blair Claridge and adventurer April Sweet, and leaving her puffer vest behind; Simon did Cleveland for his 10th time in light rain and raved about Hidden Vale from the previous fortnight. New Zealand and Australian stats, a Nordic Ascension Day club report led by Uppsala, and congratulations to Danny Norman on his 500th unique event at Haga in Sweden.

• Episode 425 - Tracky Dacky Doo Dah Day

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell (TOC) back in the driver's seat on Bunurong Country, TOC confessing early to a stress fracture in his tibia that will keep him on the volunteer roster for a while. Feedback from Yvette Turner marking National Volunteer Week and thanking the hosts, and Heather Hunter on the floods that inundated the event she reported from last week. TOC was RD at Inverloch event 504 with 11 volunteers and 84 finishers in drizzle that cleared to sun; Mel chose her nearby Toolern Creek (event 471, 80 parkrunners) on a nice flat out-and-back. Stats for New Zealand (Lost Lagoon launched, Hagley biggest) and Australia (The Ponds largest, records at Kununurra, Casula Parklands and Macquarie University), then news that parkrun's 11 millionth registration was Australian junior Matthew O'Toole at Edinburgh Oval, where Sarah Jefferson also ran, and TOC's deep dive into registration and volunteer count distributions.

• Episode 424 - Reaching a Rec-Ord

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country, back on the pod with a four-month-old, and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, trading weather comparisons between Perth and Queensland. Sarah did Perry Lakes on Whadjuk land for her fifth time (190 finishers, first visit since 2020), cracked 40 minutes, described nearby Bold Park's bushland and cockatoos, and then collected mutual friend Jason from the airport; Simon was at Fodder Forest for a second week, where friend Rodney finished Run Down Under after five years under Travis's arch, ED Shirley had her 50th birthday and a regular couple were surprised by family for their 50th wedding anniversary. New Zealand and Australian stats follow, with Sarah digging into Kununurra's attendance record during the Ord Valley Muster and recalling the crocodile she saw there.

• Episode 423 - The Hope Song

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, back after eight episodes away, with Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country; Mel thanks Simon and Danny for covering last week and notes Simon's recent 50th birthday. Mel went to Peppertree for founding ED Adrian Hillyer's 250th volunteer milestone, followed by brunch at Lola's in Bacchus Marsh; Simon stayed close to home at Fodder Forest for his 23rd time (82 finishers, a moved soccer game) after Redland Bay the week before with puddles, plovers and a palindromic position token. Feedback from TOC explaining that he placed the new UK event Park in the Past near Hope, rather than Wrexham as Danny suggested, because Hope is his granddaughter's name.

• Episode 422 - Potato, Potarto

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with a surprise co-host, Danny Norman, coming from Chessington in southwest London; the lead-in is only the introductions.

• Episode 421 - There's No Place Like Home

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both at their home events this week. They reflect on palm25 in Queenstown: the near-lost recording at the Queenstown Bowling Club with Tony Ross on sound, the relaxed format, and the Queen dress-up night won by Tracey Wood as the Queen Mary with Lyndell as Queen's vanilla essence, plus a firm no-announcement on next year's Palm; Mel looks up 'dingle' from Ruth Perkins' roving report. TOC celebrated Inverloch's 500th (271 finishers, a blue theme, him in a blue morph suit) but is walking for a few weeks with a calf niggle; Mel ran to her 23rd Toolern Creek with Dave and the week before both were at event 3 of Pyramid Hill Golf Trail on Barapa Barapa land, praising Timekeeper Colleen Hampson's acknowledgement and chatting to RD Tom Smith.

• Episode 420 - No Indeed. Indeed, No

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, in their first studio episode since Palm. Sarah went east to North Wollongong with Bec Bailey and Cooks River (apologising to Paul Rainbow for not warning him), then had a Merredin Peak plan fall through to train maintenance and a volunteer cancellation and instead did Cottesloe's 10th birthday with Amanda Maloney's founding spiel; Simon did Sirromet twice for a P-index of eight, his NENDY S.S. Koopa Trail and Gainsborough Parklands with Rory and Hillary, and thanks Lyndell for running his Palm quiz, written during the cyclone blackout. NZ and Australian Easter stats (an Australian attendance record of 88,515, 47 new event records, Bright running out of finish tokens) and founding host Scott Trickett's 500th parkrun at Wimmera River, Horsham.

• Episode 419 - palm 25

  Live palm25 recording from Tāhuna, Queenstown on Ngāi Tahu land, hosted by Melissa Ellis and TOC, with absent hosts Sarah, Simon and Ollie ribbed for missing the lake swim. Roving reporters Tracey Wood, Lyndell Murray, Johan Duvenhage and Ali Sheppard come up to thank the Queenstown event team, the volunteers, the Office Lady, Reginald, Pippa White and the travellers from Australia, South Africa, the UK and New Zealand; Mel recounts eight Palms since Shellharbour in 2018 with Mel, TOC and Jackie the only ones to attend all of them. TOC recaps the Winnie's pizza night, the Queen-themed dress-up dinner at Smith's craft beer (underwear not optional) and Queenstown parkrun event 311 with 241 finishes, 19 volunteers, four lake swimmers and a light dusting of snow on the peaks.

• Episode 418 - Yeah Nah

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Bunurong Country, back in the comfy chairs after Sarah and Simon's episode and ribbing Sarah's challenge to swim in cold Queenstown at Palm. TOC, as ambassador, was at the launch of Eildon Pondage parkrun (74 finishers), an 18-month process rescued when boulders appeared to separate the walking track from the fishermen's car park; Mel drove solo to South Australia for event 8 of Drage Reserve on Kaurna land, spoke about older women needing time to fill their own cup, caught up with Belinda Land and listener April Sweet, and recorded club coach Steve of the Northern Districts Athletics Club for a later roving report. Johan's reply on whether he knows Inverloch visitor Mornay Honeyball from Swakopmund parkrun is read out.

• Episode 417 - Baby Brain is Real

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Boodja, back after the birth of her and Matthew Stevens' daughter Hadley, who has already slept through six parkruns on a parent's chest. Simon came through Cyclone Alfred with minor flooding and a felled tree and, with many southeast Queensland events closed, ran a record 561-strong Wynnum event 601; Sarah walked Sir James Mitchell parkrun (event 9) in South Perth with friends, an event the City of Perth asked for and stood up in five weeks. Clarification that the numerals-in-the-name parkruns include Lake2Lake and the returned Root 44, a reminder to join the palm25 messenger group for Queenstown, NZ and Australian stats (14 new attendance records, Bibra Lake setting a WA record of 596) and a last call for adventurers buff orders, with Ali Sheppard carrying the UK batch.

• Episode 416 - Falicitating Fun

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis back home on Wurundjeri Country, opening with parkrun global CEO Russ Jeffries' departure and TOC's frustration with parkrun's communications, including no acknowledgement of France's closure. TOC had a sunny Inverloch (239 finishers, 17 volunteers) with a visitor from Namibia named Mornay who jumped in to barcode scan; Mel ran event 45 at Bungendore Common on Ngarigo Country with Dave and 75 others on a Labor Day weekend that took in the Queanbeyan Rodeo, camping at Yass, the AIS and the War Memorial, and interviewed first-timer welcomer Nat on her 25th parkrun. Feedback that Steve Milne is not Tiny Steve, a ruling that selfie frames are officially selfie frames, and New Zealand stats (Hagley, on the South Island, largest) before turning to Australia's 104 cancellations.

• Episode 415 - Pow Wow to PALM

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country welcomes Simon Mackley back on Quandamooka Country after ten days snowboarding in Hokkaido with two mates for their 50th year. Mel ran Albert Melbourne on Boon Wurrung Country with Dave and 948 others, with the Grand Prix diversion and a double funnel, then brunch at St Kilda Pier; Simon ran event two of the relocated Gainsborough Parklands (247 participants) with Alan Burrell, ahead of a cyclone expected to cross Brisbane with heavy rain and many likely cancellations. Feedback from Kathy Crispin (tutus at Panania, an Inverloch half coming up), France wiped from the parkrun map over the medical-clearance rule, congratulations to Claire and Jack Corkill on baby Amelia Wren, New Zealand stats (10,581 finishers, Porirua returning) and six Australian attendance records.

• Episode 414 - Wombling Free

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Bunurong Country, TOC having moonlighted as a guest on With Me Now with Danny while Mel's mystery co-host Peter Pohlman (Sonja's other half, former Callaghan ED, Beaches) surprised everyone. TOC wore a tutu for Tutu Day and Run the World Day at Inverloch (161 finishers) and described its A1-size ten-week volunteer roster; Mel ran her ninth Wilson Botanic ('Wilson Satanic'), event 372, with Dave and 92 others, ending February with no new events. A correction on Cannonvale juniors and Bellevue juniors, feedback from Ali Sheppard (gum trees, and what is a corflute?) and Ruth Perkins (Treviso as the parkrun closest to Venice), and Ali's email on Harleston Magpies and Funnel Managers.

• Episode 413 - Transport & Tryouts

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with a surprise fill-in co-host: after a gag opening from 'Reginald Yardley Pomphrey III' on 'Arrernte Country', Peter Pohlman joins from Awabakal Country in Newcastle, having last appeared with Sonja around the tens. Peter and Sonja walked Galston on Dharug Country, a three-lap Fagan Park course through the gardens of the world with paid parking, filming one of their roughly 90 tourism-group videos since a first at Kirra in 2015; Mel ran event 320 at Brimbank on Wurundjeri Country on her 11th parkrun anniversary, her first official run there since the launch, in a field of 105, with a Sunday parkrun still to come.

• Episode 412 - Another One Bites the Dust

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, noting the podcast is in its tenth year, with milder weather at last, Victorian fires under control and Queensland floods hopefully receding. TOC re-indexed Emerald Lake's hillier B course, walking with the regular parkrun kids, for an event ambassador catch-up and a fellow parkrunner's Freyne Club (250 unique events); Mel walked event 323 at Portarlington on Wathaurong Country with Dave and Debbie Jessop, then both ran the Bellarine Sunset Run (TOC and Craig Ryan the half, Mel the 10K, with a calf massage afterwards) and lamented that a Victorian PALM experiment drew only three Queenslanders. Feedback on Mel's musical club idea from Warwick, Alison King, Tracy Leiper, Sunil Chamund and Ali Sheppard (Harmony Boulevard, Drumchapel, Drumpellier Country, Tooting Common, plus wine and animal farm club suggestions), which spun into a mythical creatures club with Yowie, Phoenix and Pegasus.

• Episode 411 - GPS fails

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Mel sweltering through a Melbourne heatwave while Queensland has floods. Feedback from Calum Burrell that Mel and Nicola Forward twinned at Sale and Sale Water; Mel did Coburg event 450 with Christine and Eman Vergara, Craig Ryan and friends for Christine's birthday, then accidentally drove back to Coburg parkrun instead of work on Monday; Simon stumbled into Sirromet's ninth birthday crazy-hat day without a hat, prompting a tally of winery parkruns and the idea of a grapist club.

• Episode 410 - Aussie Aussie Aussie

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell on Boon Wurrung Country, recording on the Australia Day public holiday in 38-40 degree heat after TOC's day on surf lifesaving patrol. TOC and Jackie drove 800km each way for an H at Huskisson; Mel returned to Sale, where TOC was the launch ambassador and got the permit in seven minutes; Budgie's whereabouts are unknown (Alex Turner, please report in); Charlie Pearce's stats on Sir James Mitchell forming the world's closest triad of events with Burswood Peninsula and Claisebrook Cove; baby news that Hadley Elizabeth Stevens was born to Sarah and Matt on 24 January; Australia Day community awards for many events; an Australian finishes record of 87,966 with 22 event records including Menai and Bibra Lake; and an email from Alison in New Zealand with a NZ attendance record and ten event records including Kapiti Coast and Russell Park.

• Episode 409 - Give us a hug

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Mel standing in for Sarah Jefferson while everyone waits on baby news. Simon recaps his Christmas run of Brisbane events (Scribbly Gums, Paradise Point, Pallara, Cleveland, Meadowbrook and a muddy Nathan Road Sports Ground), names S.S. Koopa Trail as his nearest not-yet-done event, aims for ten new events a year and marks 13 years since his first parkrun at St Peters; Mel did Dixon Field event 91 with Dave, Belinda and Andrea Booth, missed stopwatch bingo by a second again, and RD'd Eynesbury juniors' fourth birthday with 38 kids. Feedback from Calum Burrell that Claire Winozik is also in the parkrun calendar, then 22 Australian attendance records including a national record of 1,316 at Melbourne and a 258-week record falling at Altona Beach.

• Episode 408 - Back to the Office

  Tony O'Connell on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both back from interstate over the hot Christmas break. TOC recaps a Fremantle trip chasing alphabet letters: daily swims at South Beach, Fremantle breweries including Running with Thieves, Yokine on the 28th with Dave, Chloe, Sarah, Matt and Andrew Yeatman, a 14-strong frond at Quinns Rocks on New Year's Day (Gareth Arnold, Abdul in his poo suit, Lloyd Stridham, Dave Allmark, Lisa Mundy, Kerry O'Keefe, Daria Kiran) and a 38-degree Jarrahdale Heritage trail parkrun with Andrew Yeatman and Rhianna, before handing to the other Mel, RD at Quinns.

• Episode 407 - Highlights and Hopes

  Christmas special: Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country open the show, with Simon and Sarah to follow and Mel and TOC to close; Mel is back after an unexpected week off. Feedback on last week's episode: Mel and TOC are promoting the Ballerina Sunset Run on 8 February and Mel posted a registration link that adds you to the adventurers team, with Simon, TOC, Belinda Ferry and her girlfriend already signed up.

• Episode 406 - White-marks the spot

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country with substitute host Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country, the first time the two have recorded together. Feedback from house guest Alison corrects TOC on Auckland's Northern Pathway and Southern Path, which are not on the same path but share a highway with a no-pedestrian bridge between them; then a plug for the Bellarine Sunset Run at Portarlington on 8 February (4k, 10k and half, Flying Brick cider at the finish), early-bird pricing closing 8 December, which TOC recommends and Mel hopes to bring a crew to.

• Episode 405 - B4s Return

  Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, recording on a Sunday evening. Feedback from last week: South Beach had 145 finishers as B4 the boomerang returned home, with a Sarah roving report to come; Mel found that Richmond's number-one AFL draft pick Sam Lalor from Bacchus Marsh has done a Peppertree parkrun, and TOC recalls St Kilda training at Inverloch. TOC hosted Alison from New Zealand at a 34-degree Inverloch with 157 finishers and a swim, then Phillip Island; Mel and Dave set up Peppertree early platypus hunting along the Lerderderg Trail, she ran under 34 minutes in a Christine Imbert tribute, saw Wicked at Gold Class, and on Sunday RD'd Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors for Ezra's last-ever junior event after 78 across Westerfolds, Eynesbury and Thorndon juniors.

• Episode 404 - Boomerang

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country for her November episode and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country. Sarah, now in her third trimester, is enjoying WA's warming weather and pre-work swims; Simon recaps his leg of the Bondi to Manly relay from Rose Bay to Kirribilli (teammate Paul finished leg one a bit injured) and Calamvale's white-themed 10th birthday with 229 participants, ED Mike in a white suit. Sarah walked South Beach Recreation Reserve's under-the-sea third birthday with colleagues including Brenton Pullman and Matt, a record 194 participants, then swam and hit the garage sale trail.

• Episode 403 - In the Poo

  Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country open episode 403 straight after the Streakmeister's tribute, which Mel notes was played before the music. Both remember meeting Christine Imbert themselves: Mel in Malaysia in September 2019 doing freedom runs at Taman Pudu Ulu and Presint 18 Putrajaya with friend of the pod Harry, and TOC at Andy Airey's pizza night in Copenhagen and Sweden's special day at Växjö during last year's European trip.

• Episode 402 - With Mispronunciations Now

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Mel back after a week off editing spent recording a guest spot on Danny Norman's With Me Now. Simon went to Cormorant Bay parkrun on Yuggera lands, a small all-trail course beside Wivenhoe Dam freshly graded after washouts, where he came second among 23 runners and walkers and met a camper-vanning tourist couple; Mel made her ninth visit to Peppertree hoping to spot the platypus seen in the Werribee River, spent Cup weekend clearing the shed, and is picking up a new four-wheel-drive parkrun mobile on Friday because the old Barina can no longer get into first gear.

• Episode 401 - Adventurers Shine

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country. Sarah recounts her delayed flight to New Zealand via Christchurch (a lesson for PALM 2025 travel), meeting David Walliams in the Qantas lounge, and park walking her home Cottesloe event 452 before a Cold Chisel concert; Simon went to Fodder Forest's third birthday with the south-east Queensland ambassadors and listeners Lockie and Alan. Budgie is heading to Lithgow with Bec Bailey before the Panorama Punish; adventurers Jo McLean, Eman Vergara and Stuart and Vicky Henderson ran the Chicago Marathon; Simon updates on Aussies in the Backyard Ultra world champs on Herdy's course, and Queenstown parkrun won a Spirit of Wakatipu People's Choice award.

• Episode 400 - Thank you for the Music

  Episode 400, Mel on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Boon Wurrung Country, joking about commemorative merch and clearing up last week's homework on cinder tracks. Mel thanks listeners who responded about juniors numbers; TOC was at Inverloch with 119 finishers and two junior milestones, and thanks Val and Steve Warwick and listener Charles Gregory from his Tassie trip to O'Connors Beach. Mel hosted Sam Schroder, chased an aurora up the Bacchus Marsh thousand steps on Friday night, then ran Puckapunyal on Taungurung land with Andrew and Martine and brunched in Seymour; Budgie has passed from Karen Hamilton to Bec Bailey at Shellharbour with a new German airplane companion, and TOC describes Yzerfontein parkrun's token hoop.

• Episode 399 - Das Ist Gut

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, first time together in eight weeks. Budgie has been in Germany with Karen Hamilton for Unity Day at Alstervorland and International parkrun Day at Moorbek, where she was first female finisher after running the Berlin Marathon; Simon lists 30 adventurers across 15 German events on Unity Day. Simon ran a hot Redland Bay event 342; Mel and Dave did Puckapunyal with 11 participants, Mel announces the birth of her first grandson, and after parkrun's 20th anniversary she describes the kids singing happy birthday at Eynesbury juniors and reflects on whether small numbers make a junior event unsuccessful.

• Episode 398 - Planes, Trains and Automobiles

  Melissa Ellis back on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake, returning after a long gap, on Dharawal Country. Mel answers last week's Victoria ribbing, PALM 2025 in Queenstown is confirmed, and she reports on Pirrama parkrun on Gadigal land (event nine, 320 attendees) with the Pohlmans, Jan Yates and Andrew Blanda, including on-course audio with three early-arriving tourists and Jan, plus a snap train strike; Ollie has been volunteering at home on Wadi Wadi land and is heading to the Panorama Punish via Lithgow with his mum and Bec Bailey. Mel then describes Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan event 14, walked with Sam Schroder over the AFL Grand Final long weekend.

• Episode 397 - The Grate Return

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country, back together after five weeks. Budgie is with Karen Hamilton after a long plane ride. Sarah, in Sydney for family reasons, took her mum and nephews to Dolls Point on Bidjigal land, where event 288 set an attendance record of 382 with Cam Kerr on his first RD, then breakfast at Kiss the Barista with Sherry Brandtman, Abby, Ingrid Botha and Jazz; Simon did Samford Parklands event two on Yuggera land, with an infectious RD Tricia, about 20 friendly cows he recommends for a 50th-different-event photo, and a QR code at the finish to pre-order coffee at the Long Yard Larder.

• Episode 396 - Oh What a Feeling!

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country, recording on his birthday, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back on a Monday night schedule. Budgie has been passed to Karen Hamilton, a Shellharbour RD, and is expected to turn up at a German parkrun around the Berlin Marathon; Alana Truig, the Parramatta Tail Walker, wrote in to say she has only just started listening. TOC's Inverloch birthday event drew 125 (Mel's guess of 127 was closest) with a crazy hats and socks theme, B1 and B2, chocolate mud cake and a visit from the Equal Opportunity Employee's family; Mel and Dave drove to Nhill parkrun event 272 in the Wimmera, 22 finishers on the woodchip swamp course, then Little Desert, silo art, Dimboola's pink salt lake and Seppelt's at Great Western before RDing Eynesbury on Sunday.

• Revisits and Backflips

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, recording late at night as a one-take pod after a week off. Feedback: Gawler parkrun is in the Radelaide challenge of 27 events, of which Mel has 18; Budgie is stuck at South Toowoomba with Eman and moves to Parramatta on Sydney Marathon weekend, where an adventurer is rostered as Tail Walker. TOC and Jack flew to Queensland to escape gale-force winds for Victory Heights Trail parkrun in Gympie on Gubbi Gubbi Country (event 208, a mountain-bike park with jumps and zigzags), joined by Andrew and Martine, Margaret from Bells Parade and lunch with Greg Garner; Mel had her low-key 450th at Peppertree before her daughter's baby shower, and the week before did Gawler with Sarah and Belinda, who reminded her she had already run it in January, plus a tip on hiring EVs for touring.

• Episode 394 - Dangling the carrot

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back after last week's baby news from Sarah; TOC corrects Sarah that Lake Wallace is at Edenhope in western Victoria. Listener chat: Heather Hunter on paid-supporter challenges in the 5K app, Andrew Johnston suggesting Harmony Boulevard for the In the Streets challenge, and Ingrid Paris listing the four 'Australia' parkruns; Budgie reached Lochiel with Eman, Chris and baby Arlo but found no adventurer and heads to South Toowoomba next. Mel returned to Point Cook (event 486, her ninth visit) with new partner Dave and his son Dermot, introducing the relationship publicly, while TOC made his fourth trip to Cyril Curtain Reserve in Williamstown to celebrate Jodie Mosey's 100 finishes at 100 locations, 100th volunteer, 50th Victorian event and NENDY, with Val and Steve Warwick, Chris Fraser, Sarah Langley, Dawny, Carolyn McRae, Chantel, Martine and Eric Banner among the crowd.

• Episode 393 - Onwards and Upwards

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, a month on from their last pairing. Sarah, recovering from a run of bugs, walked Town Beach parkrun in Broome on Yawuru Country (event 60, a five-lap course past the jetty and the Catalina wreck site), leaving only Esperance to complete WA, and announced she is pregnant. Simon recovered from the Clint Eastwood Backyard Ultra (eight and a bit laps, 55k, a new longest distance, coaxed on by his wife and by ultra runners Ryan Crawford and James Blanton), then ran the new Capestone Lake event 23 with Sean, Rhonda and ambassador Megan; Sarah stayed close to home at South Beach Recreation Reserve event 142 on Whadjuk Country before a funeral, with Matthew Stevens swimming afterwards; Simon closes with a call to review and support the 5K app after its outage.

• Episode 392 - Bolting towards Septmeber

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, congratulating Simon on eight and a bit laps (55k) at the Clint Eastwood Backyard Ultra with Carolyn crewing, while TOC and Carolyn eye a 60k trail and 42k road double in November. Mel tallies Australia's K-named parkruns by state after last week's 5Ks challenge, and Budgie the travelling baton is now in the wild with a photo album to track it, next expected with Eman at a Penrith event. TOC ran McLean Beach in Deniliquin (30 finishers, steaming river gums, a ute on a pole); Mel did The Ponds event 418 on Darug Country with Jo McLean and the Ponds Adventurers before her ninth City to Surf and its 90,000 runners, then Singapore's special day at Bishan with nine adventurers, a hot air balloon landing near Coombs parkrun, and Alison's note on Hayden Wilde.

• Episode 391 - The Rookie

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with Simon nervous about his Backyard Ultra next weekend. Simon's Dexes put Mel top on eight, TOC and Ollie on six and Sarah on five, though his highest overall is Dorota on 124. He ran Lota (61 finishers, a wet southern end after the tide) with Peter Pohlman and his sister Jeanette; Mel ran Peppertree event 167, her sixth visit and fastest time there, with Adrian Hillyer, Emma Toll, Donna Markwick, Kylie Cooper and David Johnston. Richard wrote in adding Olympic triathletes Alex Yee and Hayden Wilde to the international parkrunners list.

• Episode 390 - Jumpy

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with Ollie Spake returning on Dharawal Country for a Blue Moon episode, nursing man flu and lodging a complaint about the lack of Shellharbour content; his last parkrun remains 27 April, with Zali's soccer season, Shellharbour volunteering and helping his dad sail a yacht from Jervis Bay to Shellharbour marina keeping him away. TOC's Dex challenge drew 51 comments: Mel's Olidex is 14 (their first shared parkrun was St Peters in August 2015), Ollie's Tokidex eight and Simidex six, Jackie's Tokidex of 437 is ruled out, and Calum Burrell reports budgie smuggler ads; Yvette Turner and Bill wrote in from a cricket tour bus and Southampton parkrun. Mel skipped Maribyrnong for Wyndham Vale event 373 to farewell Nicola Wright before knee surgery, fell at the start line and walked with founding ED Maria Lodola-Price, who is handing over to Daryl Smith; Ollie recaps Shellharbour's muddy white-themed 10th anniversary with Tracey in a Tutu visiting, and a Bali holiday.

• Episode 389 - What's a Melidex?

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back from New Zealand and thanking Sarah for filling in, though they correct her placing Greg Garner's Victory Heights run in Victoria rather than Queensland. Listener name suggestions for the plane mascot include Zoomy (Greg Garner) and Budgie (Helen Patricia), with Jackie noting the holder would be a budgie smuggler. TOC ran Inverloch two weeks running and scored his first Groundhog Day in about 390 parkruns; Mel ran Balclutha on the South Island (26 finishers, first female, sheep on the floodbank, then an ice bar in Queenstown with Ezra) and this week Newport Lakes, where she took a wrong turn after a fallen sign.

• Episode 388 - When 3 becomes 5

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, with Sarah set to become a monthly co-host. Simon ran Broadbeach Waters, his penultimate Gold Coast event, 100th Australian event and 50th in Queensland, and names his top Aussie picks (Albert Melbourne, Coombs, Cowra, Ocean View and Main Beach); Sarah travelled to Kalbarri with Andrew Yeatman, Tanya Pearton and Matthew Stevens for Jakes Point parkrun on Nanda Country, where UK adventurers Malcolm and Sarah Peaty were volunteering, and saw breaching whales, leaving Town Beach (Broome) and Esperance as her last two WA events. The pod is late because Mel is in New Zealand; they discuss the new reversible parkrun bucket hat and Mel's little plane mascot, which Sarah suggests tracking with a QR code.

• Episode 387 - Founders and Fashion

  Melissa Ellis opens with a full acknowledgement of country for NAIDOC Week (theme Keep the Fire Burning, Black, Loud and Proud), then TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Mel on Wurundjeri Country congratulate an absent Simon on his 100th different event at Mudgeeraba, complete with currency puns. TOC was RD at a smooth, sunny Inverloch event 457 with 105 finishers, while Mel was at Coburg event 418 with Sonja and Peter Pohlman, Craig and Rebecca Ryan, Chantal Hoskin and a surprise Dan O'Connell in his bright shorts; Mel's Pohlman index now stands at 10 with Sonja and nine with Peter. The first gate is the backlash to parkrun Australia's Lorna Jane sponsorship.

• Episode 386 - Fly High

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, rain finally at level two. Sad news first: Kedron's Michael 'Schultzy' Schultz died on 25 June (562 parkruns at 206 events, at five Palms), and Umbagong farewelled founding volunteer Graeme; then Kangaroo Island's volunteers turned out in rain to no participants, Danny Norman clarified the Ross-on-Wye baton, and Mel floated sending an adventurers item to Danny and Nicola. Mel was first female on her 10th visit to Puckapunyal; Simon ran Redcliffe, a flat coastal course that measured exactly 5 km, with pod listeners Lockie Miners and Tony Everingham.

• Episode 385 - Ice Ice Baby

  Tony O'Connell on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. TOC reports on his debut Wild Dog Backyard Ultra at Lardner Park near Warragul (12 hours, about 85 km, RD Kate Corner from SA hugging him on Janet's behalf, a WA woman winning at 45 hours) before backing up at Inverloch in a tutu for Tutu Day; Mel did the 5 a.m. drive to the new Great Southern Rail Trail, Korumburra for her 20th event number two, completing Helen Davis's pooper scooper challenge, and saw Bill Barry, Kate Luton and Vicky Thompson. Also congratulations to Eman and Chris Vergara on baby Argo and Eman's 250th at South Toowoomba, a Sportitude best-parkruns article (Shellharbour, Kate Reed, Nambour, no Mundy), and a Wagga story about the Ross-on-Wye tourist baton.

• Episode 384 - Indeed

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, welcoming Simon back to a chilly 'level two with a view' before the first segment.

• Episode 383 - Big Kahunas

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country, back after a skipped episode: the Cronulla trip left them drenched, TOC got an airport pat-down for his wet clothes, and Mel came home with COVID. They marvel at Sandgate's Speed Week (873 finishers, ten sub-15, one Timekeeper Sarah Haywood, 90 unknowns), note the Longest Weekend runs in Victoria with Sunshine Coast, WA, SA and Sydney to come, and TOC talks up his first backyard ultra in under two weeks and its food-fest training. Mel walked You Yangs with Belinda after getting lost on the dirt roads; TOC clowned up for JJ's 250th at Inverloch, ran with a young boy to a six-minute PB, and reads parkrun's call for Geneva volunteers.

• Episode 382 - What's in a name?

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country. Mel thanks Sarah for co-hosting the previous week while work got on top of her (hence a late edit and a week off), argues with Simon over whether Armidale earns her the University Challenge or the Professor Challenge, and Simon concedes Peter Pohlman's point that the Milestone Club existed in 2017 and settles the pronunciation of Jeune Park, named for a Melbourne Cup racehorse. After a rough week Mel took up TOC and Jackie's offer of a weekend away at Cronulla, where they did a live and TOC interviewed Event Director Dan.

• Episode 381 - Ah-sigh-ee

  Sarah Jefferson on Noongar Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, Simon welcoming Sarah back; the lead-in is only the greetings.

• Episode 380 - In a twist

  TOC on Boon Wurrung Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, calling it the tongue-twister or aurora episode: both saw Saturday night's aurora, Mel from the coast with her teenager by 7pm and again from her back doorstep, with Starlink satellites passing through, and photos coming in from as far as Yeppoon, Uluru and Europe. Feedback from last week's CCR from Erin Phillips (an adventurers shout-out from Eman at the Toowoomba Marathon) and Tim Robbins (number checking at Bushy juniors with V1000 wearer Nicky Clark). Roving reports from Lyndell and a new UK voice are coming, and Mel stayed local at Peppertree, letting ED Adrian Hillyer do the recap.

• Episode 379 - R2-RD

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, their first chat since Palm. Simon recounts his first international parkrun at Futakotamagawa on parkrun Japan's sixth birthday during a late white cherry blossom, meeting up with Vicky, the whole kit in one backpack, then Kedron last Saturday with its fast course records. Mel went to Bells Parade in Latrobe, Tasmania, with Andrew and Martine to see Steve and Val Warwick volunteering, brunched at Bally's with Amanda Bales and watched the end of the Collingwood-Carlton game, shares Andrew Johnston's Jetstar Bingo and Calum Burrell's note that Burnage also sits on a Mersey; Bonza's voluntary administration may upset adventurers' plans. Coming up: held-over roving reports, the Consolidated Club Report back in operation, Dazza's, launches and Rachel's return.

• Episode 378 - Run the World

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both in blue for a blue moon. Ollie adds his thanks for palm24, where he met Renata (and ran into her again at Brisbane Airport), explains his Princess Jasmine costume came from a suggestion by someone on the Channel 5 crew, and recounts being interviewed about parkrun on ABC Radio Illawarra by former Matilda Amy Duggan. Ollie's new Saturday routine of a pre-dawn gym run and Zali's football squeezed in Sandon Point with his mum and Hannah; Mel guest-RD'd Puckapunyal with TOC, Jackie and Dan O'Connell, Alicia and Belinda Taylor, who flew down from Brisbane; the delayed Consolidated Club Report is being fixed; they discuss the Bring Back the Stats group's account of its meeting with parkrun, the bus has sold out, and TOC's interview with Travis Ireland is coming up.

• Episode 377 - Purple Patches

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Bunurong Country, in the post-Palm episode: recapping the Toowoomba weekend, the garden-themed dress-up dinner (Ollie as Princess Jasmine, a swarm of bees, Martine and Andrew winning best dressed again as Floyd the Floriade gnome), the people they met (Ryan Stoddart living in his car on tour, Rex Gream, Andrew Yateman, the Bravos, Clancy and Sam from Armidale, Fiona from Fingal Bay, Amanda from Kerang Regional) and belated thanks to Eman, Sam and Pippa. The 5K app's new Voronoi map has them comparing blobs (Mel's Wynyard and Coober Pedy, Toc's Geeveston); then Toc hosted Roberta at Inverloch, where the sun and a brief aurora showed, while Mel took her P-Index to eight at Wilson Botanic, her old hood, and caught up with Sarah Hurft and Lola. Coming up: roving reports including one from the UK, Rachel and Des, and parkrun's new weekly volunteer credit for EDs and ambassadors.

• Episode 376 - palm24

  Live recording of palm24 from Toowoomba after South Toowoomba parkrun: Lyndell Murray gives the acknowledgement of the Jagera, Giabal and Jarowair traditional owners, then Ollie Spake welcomes the room with co-hosts Melissa Ellis, Simon Mackley and TOC for the podcast's seventh Palm event.

• Episode 375 - Outback parkruns

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country, back after a week off and with another break coming before the Palm live recording. TOC went to Ball Park at Corowa where Jackie stepped in as visiting RD, then RD'd Inverloch's Easter event with 325 finishers and a pop-up visit from Jack and Claire Corkill; Mel travelled with Martine and Andrew to Coober Pedy Oval on Kokatha and Arabana Country, meeting Matt and Sarah, touring the Umoona opal mine and seeing her first speedway. Also Nicki Clark's 1,000th volunteer at Riddlesdown and the new yellow shirt, TOC's 200th volunteer, April Fool's pranks including Queenstown's 'Kingstown', Shultzy on Brisbane radio, and a record 84,000 Easter weekend participants across Australia.

• Episode 374 - details, details

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, opening with the newly named Tasmanian Devils AFL club. Simon filled a Wilson index gap at Scribbly Gums Conservation; Mel went to Launceston parkrun, event 552 with 387 finishers, chatted to world tourist Laurie Snook and the Grey Nomads, then spent the afternoon at Cataract Gorge. Simon corrects last week's Kensington/Byxbee geography, Renata Koch settles the Periodic Table rules via challenge-chaser.com, and Mel argues challenges need no app, announcing her Successors challenge with Nightcliff, Rockingham and Risdon Brook still to go.

• Episode 373 - Geographical Inaccuracy

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country in a Victorian March heatwave, with Ollie Spake resting after a small operation. Mel owns up to placing Queen Elizabeth, Casino in Queensland in the Consolidated Club report; TOC was at Inverloch for a double 250th, double 100th and a 50th plus a visit from Billo and Lila, while Mel drove from Queanbeyan to Braidwood Showground with Bec Bailey, Claire and Jack Corkill and new listener Nick Graney, then took in the Queanbeyan rodeo and the Canberra Balloon Spectacular. Also International Women's Day, Lyndell's 50th volunteer at Bunyaville, the Periodic Table Challenge rules, and TOC's look at how the removed average-attendance figure understated current numbers at Inverloch, Albert Melbourne and Main Beach.

• Episode 372 - Don't follow Mel!

  Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, noting a quiet week in parkrun world, Beaufort Lake and Koonwarra back after fires and storms while Grand Ridge Rail Trail stays out. TOC flew to Queensland for Ipswich, his third alphabet's elusive I, running with Simon the Quizmaster, meeting Carmel Roll in the adventurers blue top and having breakfast with Lyndell, soon to referee triathlon at the Paris Olympics; Mel visited Cyril Curtain Reserve in Williamstown with Eman, Christine and Craig Ryan, praising ED Bronnie and taking three minutes off her course PB. Coming up: International Women's Day on 8 March, the first parkrun socks spotted on Brendan Peel, and Michael Schultz back at S.S. Koopa Trail for his 552nd with Dave Moss.

• Episode 371 - Out & Moving

  Ollie Spake opens with the sad news of the death of Stephen Jackson of the Bathurst and Panorama Punish community (interviewed with Jen in episode 229) in an accident, with wishes for Jen's recovery. Then Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie on Dharawal Country, recording on a Tuesday ahead of the Matildas match and Mackenzie Arnold keeper jerseys selling out in five minutes. Mel flew to Adelaide to join Sarah Jefferson at Stebonheath (event 244, Kaurna land, Rundown Under day, where Sarah completed her snakes challenge), brunch and the jetty at Glenelg, then volunteered at Thorndon juniors under RD Jonathan Morgan alongside Janet Reid and granddaughter Zoe, Belinda Land, Anthony Patterson and ED Kirsty Shermer, a local school's healthy-living visit lifting attendance to a record 90, before a delayed flight home.

• Episode 370 - What's in the Box?

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Simon's first episode since Ollie announced he is stepping back and his agreement to take an extra week a month. Listener feedback from Rory Marriott and Tracy Leiper on Lyndell's Ipswich report (Heartbreak Hill runs from the second marshal up to Chermside Road). Simon's parkrun was plan C at a flooded Chermside (event 393, exactly 300 participants, Turrbal land) after a wet Ashgrove the week before; Mel drove from 3.30am to Ball Park at Corowa (event 4, 65 participants, three out-and-backs on the Murray), where TOC missed parkrun for a trip to Corowa emergency department (nothing serious, he is fine), she met listener Mark Hibbard and wondered whether a midweek blood donation explained her sore quads. Then a mysterious box in the parkrun Learjet, Russ Jeffries' open letter (Freedom Runs quietly dropped from profiles) and the Yeppoon parkrun protest cancellation that went viral before parkrun Australia stepped in with a full roster.

• Episode 369 - When Paris met Harry

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, windows open in a 37-degree Melbourne heatwave, and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, after a tongue-in-cheek disclaimer that Inverloch will not be mentioned. Ollie announces he is stepping down as a regular host around the time of PALM (one episode past it), with Simon and TOC each moving to two episodes a month and Ollie returning as guest co-host on fifth Mondays; he thanks Mel and the community and confirms he is booked for the Toowoomba live recording. Mel travelled to North Wollongong (event 265, her 39th NSW event, 361 finishers) with Bec Bailey, Ollie, Andrew and Eva Blanda and Paddy Oshimo, Ollie gave a course description, and the weekend finished with brunch at Woonoona, a swim at Bulambi sea pool, dinner at the Waterfront Tavern and a family game of the family edition of Cards Against Humanity.

• Episode 368 - Gooey buttercake flavoured goodness

  TOC on Bunurong Country, back after a two-month break, with Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, recording on camera for the first time. TOC recounts his New Year road trip to NSW: Inverell on its B course in torrential rain to complete a second alphabet, Queen Elizabeth, Casino on New Year's Day (cakes and Zooper Doopers from the event team) and Yamba, where he caught up with Em Nico. Listener follow-ups on last week: Andrew Blanda explaining YMMV (Your Mileage May Vary), Calum Burrell and Helen Rudder on Bill Barker's adventurers-league idea, and Janet Reid's #WeNeedBucketHats campaign with Tracey Wood; then TOC's eight-hour drive with Jackie and son Dano to Jindabyne (event 134, his mainland NENDY and the last letter of his volunteer alphabet), where pop-up sprinklers soaked the finish chute, with a frond of Helen and Stephen Davis, Bec Bailey, Darren and Lucille Pead, Carolyn McRae, Jan Manns and marshal Galia Young.

• Episode 367 - YMMV

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, Ollie home alone for a second week. Ollie's mixed team finished around 17th in the aquathon thanks to Bec Bailey's swim leg, and he ran 7 km without stopping for the first time since November; the hosts note the pod is now in its ninth year (first episode 6 January 2016) and their fourth as co-hosts, with a returning past interviewee promised in coming weeks. Mel ran Studley (event 347, 368 finishers, Medibank and Channel 9 on site for the one millionth participant milestone) with Sarah Jefferson and Matt Stephens; Ollie was RD at Shellharbour for its biggest crowd since January 2021 and Vera's 250th.

• Episode 366 - Euphony

  Ollie Spake from the front seat of a van at a Umina Beach holiday park on Darkinjung land, with a live audience of kids and birds, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back at full-time work. Mel had her seventh Puckapunyal with ambassadors Tanya Baker and Mark Porritt, then 26 kids at Eynesbury juniors' third birthday with new co-ED Janelle; she announces Ollie's 2024 Community Sports Award from Shellharbour City Council. Ollie's planned Tuggeranong and Rooty Hill trips fell through to illness, so he stayed at a booming Shellharbour all summer.

• Episode 365 - Tick Tocky

  First episode of 2024, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, cameras on for the first time. Mel's flat phone meant no alarm, but she still made Frog Hollow for a good time; Simon stayed home over summer doing Main Beach and New Farm with Sarah and Matt, a soaking White Rock on New Year's Day, Kelvin Grove and Fodder Forest with Sydney first-timers and his brother after Redland Bay cancelled. Mel did Toolern Creek on Christmas morning, then camped nine days in South Australia with Belinda: Copper Trail, volunteering at Thorndon juniors, Port Broughton on New Year's Day and Nuriootpa, joined by Andrew Johnston and Martine Barrot.

• Episode 364 - Bumping Uglies

  End-of-year festive episode with Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, recording together for the first time and Ollie's first pairing with anyone other than Mel, before heading straight into something festive.

• Episode 363 - Old Farts and Old Ducks

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, back after a month away. Mel has been bathing and fencing in an escaping Pomeranian; Ollie recovered from the spicy cough after Tasmania, where he ran Point to Pinnacle for Carrie's Beanies 4 Brain Cancer, met Nedd Brockmann and quietly ticked off kunanyi parkrun. Mel visited Campbelltown parkrun in Sydney's heatwave with Lee, Sally McLaughlin, Bianca, Charlene Harrison and Chris Fraser in their Ugly Christmas Singlets, picking up a Rayfarer and iIndex event.

• Episode 362 - West is best

  Tony O'Connell on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, back together for a second week. Mel had a low-key, wet Sunbury parkrun (26 finishers, their smallest ever) with Jodie Maisie volunteering, while TOC and Jack went west to a damp, windy Cyril Curtain Reserve and breakfast with pod regulars; Eynesbury juniors was cancelled for lack of volunteers, Thorndon juniors turned three, and a UK polar blast cancelled around 210 events. Rain also cancelled Sale, Bairnsdale, Traralgon and Panboola Wetlands, and the Christmas compendium now lists 195 events on Christmas Day and over 200 on New Year's Day.

• Episode 361 - TOC’s budgies

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC on Bunurong Country, both in their budgie-edition Ugly Christmas Singlets. Mel flew to WA for a 24-hour whirlwind to Newcastle Park parkrun at Toodyay in a 40-degree heatwave, with Sarah Jefferson giving the Noongar acknowledgement, a frond of Sarah and Matt, Chloe Bravos, Ellen Raven and Franz Carroll, Andrew Yeatman photographing, a Tail Walker carrying a snake catcher, and brunch at the Toodyay Bakery; TOC walked at the back of Inverloch with Jack and JJ and moved into the 350+ box on the Charlie Pearce index. Also 12 adventurers at US Thanksgiving parkruns, Jindabyne's return after a 119-week pause, PALM 2024 confirmed for 12 to 14 April in Toowoomba, and TOC correcting last week's Goulburn River Trail name.

• Episode 360 - gggrrriverside

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, a couple of weeks on from the Cheetah weekend at Bondi to Manly. Mel corrects last week'sparkrun claim: 124 was the most adventurers logging one, not the Aussie record, which was 159 on 31 January. Simon did his local Redland Bay with a small frond of Roberta Winters and Lyndell Murray; Mel walked Karkarook on Bunurong Country with her Aunty Julie in 48.17, in her budgie-edition Ugly Christmas Singlet, on Chris Ruse's 150th at the event. Then listener feedback from Stephen Walsh in England (stuck on 70 venues), a buy-swap-sell post on the Ugly Christmas Singlet page, and Peter Pohlman and Charlie Pearce prompting a look at long parkrun pauses, from Phoenix Park's 192 weeks and Stones Corner's 109 to Tramore Valley's 338, with Jindabyne relaunching next weekend.

• Episode 359 - Rrrrriverside

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, recording for the first time on Riverside after Zencastr dropped its free tier and asking listeners for feedback on the audio. Ollie was on a four-day Ovation of the Seas cruise that floated between Sydney and Newcastle instead of stopping at Eden, and ran his parkrun-day 5K as 9.12 laps of the ship's deck at 5.50am, the only finisher at 'event number two' and logged as aparkrun on the Friday. Mel went to Point Cook, which was celebrating its 50,000th finisher, to lift her attendance there to eight for her p-index, catching up with Andrew Reynolds, before the pair turn to news following on from last episode.

• Episode 358 - Log a Nottie

  TOC on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. TOC drove an 1800 km round trip to Victor Harbor parkrun on Ramindjeri Country for a V, a windy foreshore out-and-back with 69 finishers, noting Victor Harbor launched a month before Inverloch and the two teams swapped set-up notes. Mel drove to week two of the new Goulburn River Trail parkrun at Seymour on Taungurung Country, a gravel out-and-back past grapevines with 72 participants, where Sally Heppleston, Damon Young, Scott Wilson-Smith, Nicola Wright, Susan Kirk and Greg Moore were also adventuring, co-EDs Peter Nunn and Lucy Linton had their launch delayed two weeks by flooding, and the mosquitoes demand Aeroguard.

• Episode 357 - Stop watch

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, with Halloween tomorrow and both short on sweets and time (33 minutes on the clock). Ollie run directed a Halloween-themed Shellharbour in his Scream mask and cloak, with Ava volunteering in her new junior-10 outfit, Hannah and his mum along, and has already given notice he will RD on New Year's Day. Mel was in Sydney to support the Cheetah relay team (Paul Rainbow, Dorota, Damon Lynch and Simon Mackley) in the Bondi to Manly Ultra, then ubered to GreenWay parkrun on Dharug Country for its bagpiper, a flat out-and-back beside the Hawthorne Canal, and a frond of Sue Smith, Catherine O'Connor, Lee and Bianca, before leading into her interview with Nathan.

• Episode 356 - All power to the editor

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis back on Wurundjeri Country with screaming quads after the Panorama Punish at Bathurst. Mel camped two nights at Bathurst Showgrounds with Chris Fraser, Ingrid and Jazz Botha, Bec Bailey and Gaillyn Cooper, walked Orange parkrun on Saturday (event 303, 187 participants, Wiradjuri Country) with Luke Schroder, Catherine O'Connor, Helen Rubin, Michelle Fyfe, Tanya Pollard and Michael Charlton, then knocked eight minutes off her Punish time on Sunday, with Ollie arriving late to cheer; both felt like proud parents watching the adventurers' results.

• Episode 355 - Mimosas and Jell shots

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Simon Mackley back on Quandamooka Country after a Melbourne trip for a Bliss n Eso concert. Mel's daughter got married on the Mornington Peninsula (unscripted recap), then she ran a wet, windy Rosebud parkrun with her sister Cassie followed by morning mimosas at a theatre-themed wine bar, and RD'd Eynesbury juniors on Sunday with eight kids and visiting volunteers from Thorndon juniors. Simon Ubered to Jells for his J, among about 40 first-timers mostly from Brisbane for marathon weekend, arriving half an hour early on Brisbane time, and stood near listener Andrea without meeting her.

• Episode 354 - It’sa Mario

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with Ollie back after his birthday, sporting a new moustache the kids call Mario. He spent parkrun's 19th birthday and his own 40th at Shellharbour, greeted by balloons, a chocolate cake from RD Bec Bailey, 202 participants singing happy birthday and a Zoomie photo collage, with daughters Ava and Hannah marking junior 10 and 50th volunteer milestones; Sydney FC then won the cup that evening. Mel and Martine went to Parramatta (event 501, 338 participants, Darug Country) hosted by Chris Fraser and joined by Andrew Blanda, where Mel finally broke 30 minutes for the first time since Kerang Regional in January 2020; also two unrelated James Whites finishing in consecutive positions with the same time in the UK, and Mel on the difficulty of promoting Eynesbury juniors after With Me Now discussed junior parkrun.

• Episode 353 - Mel’s a dot

  Opens with a snatch of the Collingwood theme song, then Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and TOC (Tony O'Connell) on Bunurong Country, joking about Germany and the Magpies' grand final win. Mel recaps a weekend north with Andrew Johnston and Martine Barrot: big things at Euroa, Glenrowan and Canberra, the Mint, finding the pink gnome Floyd at Floriade, then Batemans Bay parkrun (event 322, 174 participants, on Walbanga Country of the Yuin Nation) where she fell one second short of a post-pandemic sub-30, brunch at JJ's, and watching Collingwood win the premiership from a Queanbeyan motel; Ollie was spotted RDing at Shellharbour in the Collingwood socks she sent him.

• Episode 352 - Black and White Army

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, noting last week's episode 351 had 351 as its number and Ollie listening to it while jogging up Saddleback Mountain. Mel drove with Andrew Johnston, Martine Barrot and Zoe to Seacliff Esplanade in Adelaide (her 27th South Australian parkrun and her quickest post-pandemic time), where the touring Chelsea Bicentennial banner Eric was left behind and rescued by the event team; they also visited the Big Koala, Big Olive and Big Hills Hoist, met Lynn Hewson and Greg Moore at Nhill, tried geocaching, and Mel bought two 99 ice creams for her 399th and 199th. Ollie was RD at Shellharbour with 75th volunteer milestones for Karen and Ralph and a 50th for Bec; also Presint 18's water-festival event with 505 participants, Marvellous Mark finishing the Berlin Marathon in 4:26:13, and TOC's notties count of 1,193.

• Episode 351 - Missing Magpies

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country with Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Mel fresh from her daughter Sarah's bridal shower and a rewatch of Priscilla, with her mother-in-law noting the first Mad Max was filmed around Melton. Mel photographed at Peppertree on Wadawurrung land for ED Adrian with her dog Lucy as parkrun-with-a-friend; Simon ran his 11th new event of the year at Coomera on Yugambeh land, about 80 people, a misty two-lap out and back with a quirky first-timers brief, and ticked off number eight on his I-index.

• Episode 350 - Black and White

  Episode 350, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, nearly three years since they took over around episode 216. Mel scored the coloured Murray Cod in her big things coin set; Ollie recaps a Shellharbour frond then North Wollongong with the Warwicks, a run at home under Karen's RD reins, and a visit from former listener Margaret from Tamworth. Mel and Martine Barrot drove 820km to Broken Hill Racecourse on Wilyakali land (36 participants, RD Simo), coinciding with the Broken Heel festival and friend Michelle Carlos, taking in the Line of Lode sunrise, the big bench, Silverton's Mad Max 2 Museum, the Pro Hart Gallery and Bell's Milk Bar before driving home for juniors.

• Episode 349 - Big Swoop

  TOC on Bunurong Country with Mel on Wurundjeri Country, thanking him for the Lego Mel figurine made in Copenhagen. TOC's month took in Kilmore, Diamond Creek, Tallangatta and Rosebud, where he and Jackie park walked for the R of the volunteer alphabet (J still to go, Jerrabomberra in mind) and met first-timer Deidre from Ireland. Mel flew to Ballina Coast (event 264, 7am start) with Martine Barrot and Dawn Branton as Uber Dawn, recorded RD Teddy, spotted dolphins and ticked off the Big Prawn beside Bunnings.

• Episode 348 - Cat Amongst the Magpies

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, Ollie fighting a cold after World Cup fever and Mel swapping her Matildas beanie for a Collingwood one with the Pies minor premiers. Mel was at Parkindula Reserve, Mount Barker (event 17, 37 runners) on Peramangk land, her 26th South Australian event, with a tourist interview to come; Ollie RD'd Shellharbour with Val and Steve Warwick visiting from Tassie, his daughter barcode scanning, and PBs across the field. They discuss the Nordic Day change (Ascension Day, a Thursday), and Mel's snipped-out ultraband chat: the shop's stock photo shows a name after the athlete ID but the order form won't allow one.

• Episode 347 - What Windmill?

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country, officially joining the team for a regular third-Monday slot, with Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. They confirm PALM 2024 will be in Toowoomba on 13 April, with Eman on the ground for local knowledge and Simon heading there in a couple of weeks for a South East Queensland ambassadors catch-up. Simon missed parkrun after sunscreen in his eye the day before; Mel was at Diamond Creek (event 437, 239 runners) on Wurundjeri land for Craig Ryan's 250th with TOC, Jacqui O'Connell and Mel Fletcher, brunch at the Vines Cafe, and still no sighting of the course's Windmill House; Streaky September is a week away with audio from Pippa.

• Episode 346 - Wonder Woman

  Ollie Spake, back in the host chair on Dharawal Country, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, announcing that Simon and TOC will join Mel as regular monthly co-hosts. Both were in Sydney for a Matildas-gripped weekend: the Centennial parkrun catch-up on Gadigal land at 7am, meeting Rex Gream, Andrew Blanda and Cherie and Jason Cottell for the first time with coffee at the Spruce Goose, then City2Surf, where Mel ran in the Wonder Woman Guinness World Record attempt organised by Sarah Foley and Caroline Stevenson for the Cure Brain Cancer Fund, alongside Toolern Creek and Shellharbour friends, and found the orange-moustache man, Carlos Durkee; Ollie ran his 15th with his eldest daughter Hannah, her boyfriend James and his mum. Sarah Foley begins treatment for brain cancer and the hosts send their best.

• Episode 345 - Level 2 with hygge

  Tony O'Connell (TOC) on Bunurong Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. TOC is back from overseas, remarking on Oslo's near-endless summer daylight and on being back to Melbourne's changeable weather, jumpers and Australian parkruns with friends on a Saturday morning.

• Episode 344 - Guess Who?

  Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, recording a day early on Sunday night because Sarah Jefferson has lost her voice and Mel is off to the World Cup with Ollie. Simon volunteered at Zillmere on Turrbal Country, taking his V index to seven, as Mosman co-ED Aileen finished her alphabet, and met adventurers Roberta Winters and Cherie Martin. Mel flew to Sydney and was driven north by Sam and Luke Schroder to Newy parkrun on Awabakal and Worimi Country (event 526, 436 finishers), with the Pohlmans and Caro Vos, followed by the Bootleg Bakery, Bar Beach, Caves Beach and Freedos of Woy Woy and San Remo; she lists the Region of Runners events and asks who the runner with the giant orange moustache was.

• Episode 343 - Favourite Things

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with a new intro and chat about the Women's World Cup (Ollie went to the Matildas' win over Ireland with his brother and daughters) and Mel seeing the Barbie movie, in which Ken wears the same Western shirt she wore at PALM. Mel ran Altona Beach on Bunurong Country for her fastest post-pandemic time, celebrating Nicola Wright's 50th volunteer and 300th event, and RD'd Eynesbury juniors with 22 kids on market week; Ollie RD'd at Shellharbour without the tutu, with Frankston tourists and his mum along. This week brings back The Birthday Boy, the Informant stats and Dazza's and the Obi.

• Episode 342 - 26

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, back after a week off for Mel's birthday. Mel flew to Perth and road-tripped with Sarah Jefferson and Matt Stevens 900 km up the west coast, over the 26th parallel, to Baxter parkrun in Carnarvon on Yinggarda Country (event 30, 29 finishers, Dan Baldwin volunteering), then the Fruit Loop Trail, the Space and Technology Museum and a night at Wooramel Station, 1,860 km all up; Ollie volunteered locally with his barcode-scanning buddy Ava. They also discuss parkrun's 10 July open letter from Tom Williams on number challenges, saying they will no longer read out comments relating to Fibonacci and Nelson events, and point listeners to With Me Now's coverage.

• Episode 341 - On the buses

  Ollie Spake back on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, thanking Sarah for filling in. Ollie took the family to Southern Highlands Botanic Gardens parkrun near Bowral while his mum was house-sitting in Burradoo, meeting Sam the Office Lady, Luke and Asha as Sam smashed her PB; this week he did course check and ran at Shellharbour and celebrated Em Scholar's 250th volunteer milestone. Mel, after airport parking was booked out for school holidays, travelled by bus, plane and ferry with Sam to Kangaroo Island parkrun, event 256, staying across the road at the Seaview Motel in Kingscote, and gave a run-down of the island's attractions she didn't have time to see. Cow congratulations to Eman and Natalie Sopa, and a half cow for Lee Cabarita.

• Episode 340 - Homework

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Country, back for a second week with the neighbour's cat Winston keeping her warm. Sarah RD'd a rain-soaked Cottesloe parkrun with 68 finishers, notched her 50th volunteer credit, talked about why RD is her favourite role, choosing Cottesloe as her home event after Curl Curl, and reported that she had done her homework and switched to EMS rostering. Mel ran event five of Maroondah Dam parkrun at Healesville with her mum and Zoe along, catching up with Sally Heppleston and Nathan Castle and meeting listeners Jason Andrews and son Ollie from Aurora parkrun; Martine Barrot and Andrew Johnston volunteered dressed as ducks at Eynesbury juniors, whose 100th event is next Sunday with cake and a fluoro theme.

• Episode 339 - West Side Story

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with Sarah Jefferson on Whadjuk Country stepping in for Ollie. Sarah introduced herself: a primary school teacher who moved from Sydney's northern beaches to Western Australia seven years ago, with a Dirty Cheetahs connection via Paul Rainbow; she RD'd Cottesloe parkrun in calm weather with no first-timers, tourists or milestones, then coffee at the Orange Box Cafe. Mel drove solo overnight to event six of Narooma Wetlands parkrun in South Australia (Ngarrindjeri Country), the new course downstream of the old Murray Bridge one, chatting with RD Wendy and adventurer Julie Doolin before driving straight home.

• Episode 338 - Hitch ’em up

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, recording on the King's Birthday public holiday. Ollie didn't RD Shellharbour's ninth, cat-themed birthday as Karen and Kayleigh stepped up, so he ran in his wife's leopard print top and ill-fitting tights, saw the Cat Empire that night, and did a Freedom Run of the original course with Patrick and Richard; Mel took house guests Eman, Christine and Juno to event three of Kilmore Racecourse Walking Track parkrun (Taungurung Country), gave a history of the town and its sculpture trail, brunched with co-EDs Ben and Nick, then joined Melbourne West's longest run for five of seven events, singling out Coburg. Feedback on rogaining from Matt Miller (UK) and Andrew Johnston.

• Episode 337 - Interference

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with Mel coaching Ollie on saying Melbourne and both reminding new listeners that the show is an unofficial hobby podcast, not parkrun itself. Ollie was in Melbourne for a family trip to see Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, with a side trip to Phillip Island, and joined Mel at Woodlands Historic Park parkrun, his third Victorian event, where Bill Lodwig, Errol Poole, Scott Trickett, Geoff Wiffen, Martine Barrot and Andrew Johnston were also present; Mel explained rogaining, they saved course details for Jorge's roving report later, and Ollie wished Em from Shellharbour a belated happy birthday.

• Episode 336 - Kagerzoomie

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Ollie spent two nights in Sydney for Vivid, including the ticketed Dark Spectrum tunnel installation at Wynyard, and ran Centennial parkrun on Gadigal land for a course PB among 381 finishers; Mel flew to Adelaide on Kaurna land, explored the CBD and library, and was driven by Brendan Peel to Anstey Hill Recreation parkrun (31 participants, 207m of gain, EARD Anne Fry), followed by the Gumeracha rocking horse, freedom walks at South Para Reservoir and Nantu Wama, and a Richard Gere movie. They note Whit Monday events in the Netherlands and National Reconciliation Week.

• Episode 335 - Soldier’s Five

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country recap volunteer week: Mel marshalled at juniors in dry weather and Ollie RD'd Shellharbour with a touch of pink in memory of a past community member, previewing a packed episode of emails, roving reports from Austria, South Australia and Queensland, the Office Lady's recap of Dazza's and national news from Sarah. Mel stayed local for Dixon Field parkrun at Gisborne on Dja Dja Wurrung and Wurundjeri land (131 finishers, brunch at Jolly Miller with Irene Bommakanti and Cheryl and Mark Smith); they read Ryan Stoddart's post about pausing the Ultra Perth 50k to run Burswood Peninsula parkrun, Eman Vergara's fifth place at the Singapore Sundown Marathon and West Coast Park visit with Paul and Michaela Curtin, and Finland's Ascension Day extra events at Tampere and Tokoinranta, where Stephen and Helen Davis met Eurovision runner-up Käärijä.

• Episode 334 - parkrun Voyager

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country welcomes Ollie Spake back on Dharawal Country after a week off spent running Run Shellharbour half marathon, celebrating Zali's birthday, Mother's Day and Eurovision, and helping at Shellharbour's 400th Kids Take Over event where Ava ran barcode scanning. Mel drove to Tallangatta Station parkrun event three on Dhudhuroa land with Zoe, who was coaxed out of the car to complete the course, then brunched at the Green Galah; listener corrections on pronouncing Tallangatta came from Georgina Devine and Adrian Hillyer, the 'swather' debate got a Rachel-and-ChatGPT treatment, the Office Lady and Heather Hunter added Prince of Wales parkrun to Rusty's coronation challenge, and Brendan Peel was congratulated on his 300th unique event at Cyril Curtain Reserve before a Eurovision recap.

• Episode 333 - Corgi Butt Buns

  Episode 333 with Simon Mackley on Quandamooka Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both cold. Simon's planned parkrun for 444 fell through after a medical emergency at home; Mel flew to Wollongong to visit Chris and Kerry Fraser, walked Bundeena to Marley Head and Bald Hill Lookout, ran Sandon Point event 461 with 206 finishers, met Darwin the parakeet with Karen, Ralph and Kayleigh, and brunched with Sam, Luke, Michael Gentle and Shellharbour's new RD Bailey before flying home via the Sea Cliff Bridge and Cronulla. They then turn to coronation weekend crowns and tiaras and the Office Lady's blessing of 'swather' as adventurer lexicon.

• Episode 332 - Severn Swather

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, where the forecast east coast low delivered only a millimetre of rain before Ollie RD'd Shellharbour parkrun on a freshly resurfaced but partly uncompacted path, with a Marshal stationed at the new 'beach' and Heather from Rouse Hill visiting. Mel took Zoe to Wangaratta overnight so she could run event two of Yackandandah Rail Trail parkrun on Dhudhuroa land, alongside Martine Barrot, Andrew Johnston, Matthew Billow-Billington and John Graham, before hightailing it back without brunch.

• Episode 331 - Quokka Quest

  Mel dedicates the episode to her dogs Chico and Bambi, Chico having died on 6 April, two months after Bambi. Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis back on Wurundjeri Country, still on WA time the day before Anzac Day; the palm23 live recording worked and roving reports will be caught up this episode. Ollie was back at Shellharbour with his daughter Ava barcode scanning; Mel recaps two weeks in WA: Freedom Runs at Heirisson Island, Garvey Park, Cottesloe, South Beach, Applecross, Lake Claremont, Mundy Regional and Bunbury, official runs at Claisebrook Cove, UWA and Margaret River, hosting by Sarah Jefferson and Matt Stephens, Rottnest quokkas, the eclipse and Margaret River sights, and thanks to David Messenger, Dave Allmark, Johan (a Bruce Fordyce-inscribed book) and Sam Schroder. The pair then relive palm highlights: favourite Freedom Runs, Winthrop Hall and Glossop Green at UWA, and the Western costume party won by the Pet Shop Boys, with Bec Bailey's Greater Western Sydney Zoo shirt.

• Episode 330 - palm23

  The palm23 live recording at the University Club after University of Western Australia parkrun, opening with an acknowledgement of the Whadjuk people of the Noongar Nation; Melissa Ellis (Wurundjeri Country) and Ollie Spake (Dharawal Country) host the sixth palm with about 67 in the room, roughly half on their first, and six originals who have been to every one. Thanks go to the UWA team, the University Club, organisers TOC, Sarah, Tracy and Sam, Power Audiovisual, the Office Lady and the Channel 5 News crew, before a potted history of the podcast since January 2016. Morning celebrations: Lynne's 250th in a university gown, a 25th, Caro's 350th, Alison Fraser completing all four 'University' parkruns, Phil second in about 16 minutes, and about 16 adventurers at a JOMO gathering at Varsity Lakes; Mel ran well while still returning from a foot injury and missed the koi pond, which Rodney showed Ollie on a guided lap.

• Episode 329 - Winter Waffle

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both with cicadas, on a waffle-themed episode with no roving reports or interviews, just Rachel and the hosts. Ollie has been previewing Eurovision playlists in Puzzles, his lockdown-built garage bar, and marshalled a slippery hill at a rainy Shellharbour after setting up the course while the usual setter recovers from a fractured foot; Mel ran Puckapunyal event 66 for a new Wilson index number, then visited a friend's farm for crumpets, camels and goats. Lyndell Murray has been named a World Triathlon technical official for the Paris 2024 Olympics (see episode 251, Tokyo Tales), Mel has sorted the back catalogue into seasons (now season eight, palm number six coming), and a New Zealand launch is next up.

• Episode 328 - Sterkte

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, better rested this week, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country for a sleep-themed episode. Ollie volunteered at Shellharbour, thanking Em and Brendan, Patty and Sue, and welcoming Bec Bailey to the event team after her first RD stint (her tenth volley role), with visitors from Kawana and Eden, moving from Port Sorell to Airlie Beach and parkrunning every stop. Mel flew to Sydney for North Sydney's event 188 and its Medibank Lounge (402 finishers, a course record), ran with Dorota and Jason, toured the Harbour Bridge and Tony Albert's Hyde Park sculpture with Michael Gentle, and bumped into Dawn Branton at the airport; Jacqui O'Connell reached 1,000 notties and Picnic Point Parklands launched in Toowoomba.

• Episode 327 - Off Script

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country (with cicadas, even in his pantry) and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country; no singing this week, though Mel reports the tune of Ollie's Jerrabomberra song was debated on her trip and puts the question to Bill. Ollie was at home; Mel drove up the Hume to camp in Queanbeyan with Sam Schroder and Luke, ran Jerrabomberra Mountain Reserve's up-and-back fire-trail course, then finally attended Queanbeyan Rodeo, admitting the weekends are getting her through a hard time. News: Cornelius Rath is the first to 1,000 consecutiveparkruns, followed by Michael Webber, with TOC due on Tuesday and Lynn, Johan and Vilna later in the week; the hosts float a 1,000 nottie milestone shirt or badge, or failing that an office-lady sticker.

• Episode 326 - Song sung blue?

  Rachel opens as synth metal host from what she calls Arrernte Country before Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country take over a quick, contribution-heavy recording. Ollie did his familiar 5K at home; Mel spent 24 hours on the Sunshine Coast on Gubbi Gubbi Country with Mel, Adam and the boys, seeing the Big Pineapple and walking Kawana event 502 for Graham Rose's 80th birthday, where she recorded John Lindsell, the man behind the parkrun Party song, and has since downloaded the Kawana Pie album. Ollie's family weekend in Sydney for Cathy's birthday took in the aquarium and Joseph and the Technicolor Dreamcoat.

• Episode 325 - Wake up, Jodi!

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and a sleepy Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, comparing notes on listeners who drift off to the pod, including Brendan Peel's Jodie. Ollie was on the family's annual Lake Conjola getaway on Yuin Country and drove an hour south to Batemans Bay, a flat two-lap double out and back, where Karen from the Shellharbour team ran in; he weighed up Lake Conjola's parkrun potential, noted Huskisson was paused for the Husky triathlon, and cut his toe so is off running for a bit. Mel camped at Kingston South East on Ngarrindjeri Country for event three of Maria Creek Reserve, her 175th event and 22nd in South Australia, one second short of her last bingo number, and belatedly marked her ninth parkrun anniversary; they also recall Rachel awarding the Obi to the Office Lady.

• Episode 324 - Radio prA

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie run-directed Pride Day at Shellharbour in the colourful mohawk from last year's 80s party with face paint recalling the old parkrun logo, the girls dressed up too, Hannah and James volunteered and Darwin came as a rainbow bird; Mel worked all weekend and missed the photos.

• Episode 323 - Big Things

  Melissa Ellis with Chico on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, with Sarah Jefferson waiting to run through the palm23 events and Dazza and Rachel's Club Corner also on the bill. Mel's Sunday juniors alarm failed her, so Chris Fraser went to Parkville while she walked Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve on Bunurong Country with Brendan while Jodie scanned, alongside Errol Poole and Michelle Taylor, then brunch at Rosie's Kitchen Pantry. Ollie travelled with Bec and housemate Lance to Chipping Norton on the Georges River, met RD Nazreen and the Sandon Point ED, bought cider from a Picton parkrunner at the market next door, and discovered in the car home that he had miscounted and was already a pirate.

• Episode 322 - Rise of the Machines

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, surnames dropped for the night, sorting out the mystery of Facebook shirt emojis showing in different colours before announcing the first Adventurers shirts and singlets, with Julian's new logo, business at the front and party at the back, sky blue, orders closing midnight 17 February to be ready for palm in April. Ollie ran Shellharbour and found a new parkrun buddy on the hills; Mel drove her newly returned green parkrun mobile to Calembeen parkrun at Creswick on Dja Dja Wurrung Country, a three-lap out and back around the lake where she found Derek and Linda Allen, Rachel Axton, Philip Caldwell and Larry April, then coffee at Smokytown Cafe. Tracey in a Tutu invited them to Ipswich for their I; Mel's research turned up new homegrown 500 clubbers Colin Chow, Ken Stewart and Carolyn Vandermeer, Michael Schultz's 500th due 4 March at Kedron, and a count of 2022's new events by state.

• Episode 321 - GO!

  Episode 321, the 'Go' episode, with Melissa Ellis back home on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Mel finished her SA holiday at Oaklands Estate Reserve's first birthday and attendance record of 274 on Kaurna Country, meeting Sarah Jefferson, Anne Fry, Michelle Dezago and ambassador Melissa Cox and shaving more off her post-injury PB, with Sarah interviewing the RD and local politicians for a roving report. Ollie ran the 7 km leg of the Wollongong Australia Day aquathon as a duo with Bec, finishing third in mixed teams, then run-directed a hot Shellharbour full of refugees from cancelled North Wollongong. Feedback from Peter Pohlman on closed Australian events, and parkrun Australia's all-time participation record of 68,160.

• Episode 320 - Summer Holidays

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Ngarrindjeri Country, recording from a resort bedroom on holiday in South Australia with two teenage girls. Mel did Goolwa parkrun, her 20th in SA, with a history of the river port, the barrage and its Cittaslow status, then volunteered at Thorndon juniors' event 100 in Adelaide with Janet Reid; Ollie run-directed a sunny Shellharbour with 180 finishers, including Linda Boxich from Charlton parkrun in the UK on her 300th. Australia's numbers were the second highest ever, roving reports from Jeff, Johan and Alison drew good feedback, and The Office Lady will start a weekly Tuesday-night discussion post.

• Episode 319 - Alphabet Ears

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, Ollie podcasting from the front room with his mum staying after a weekend helping Hannah and James move house, so no parkrun for him. Mel camped at the showgrounds for Cowra parkrun on Wiradjuri Country, her NENDY, with a long history of the POW camp breakout, the World Peace Bell and the Japanese Garden, another post-injury PB on the hilly course, then raced home for her daughter's wedding-dress appointment and celebrated Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors' second birthday with Janelle's cake. The Office Lady's challenge cards and stickers are in the post, with a few sticker sheets left.

• Episode 318 - parkrun, if you’re listening

  New year episode with Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis, plus a noisy budgerigar, on Wurundjeri Country, thanking The Office Lady for last week's summer-series episode. Ollie stayed home with family, run-directing Shellharbour on Christmas Eve, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day and welcoming visitors from Sweden, Finland, South Africa and the UK and Ireland; Mel picked up three new events: Lake Wallace at Edenhope on Christmas Eve, Toolern Creek on Christmas Day where Thomas Martin broke the course record and ran his first sub-16, then Shiraz Trail on New Year's Eve with TOC, Jacqui O'Connell and Dawn Branton, Torrens on New Year's Day, and Strathalbyn the following weekend, her first runs back after eight weeks off with an ankle injury. Feedback from Jo McLean, still in the USA after Delaware and Raritan Canal parkrun, thanking them for her pre-Christmas Obi and explaining the Medibank selfie frame on Instagram.

• Episode 317 - The Office Lady Option

  A summer-lite holiday special hosted solo by Sam Schroder, The Office Lady, on Bundjalung Country while Mel and Ollie take their two-week break. She is on holiday herself in a Tweed Heads motel after a road trip north with Luke: a run for her and a walk for Luke at Shellharbour on Christmas Eve, then back there on Christmas Day with Sam as Run Director and Luke handing out finish tokens for the first time, before an early Boxing Day drive north.

• Episode 316 - InSantagram

  Christmas party episode, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri land and a tired Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country after getting up at 1.30am for the kick-yay World Cup final, which Argentina won; they pull a bonbon and read the first cracker joke. Mel walked Peppertree parkrun on Wadawurrung land to surprise ED Adrian on his 100th volunteer, chauffeured by Craig Ryan and joined by Kev and Donna Markwick, her ankle still sore; Ollie RD'd Ugly Christmas Singlet Day at Shellharbour in wintry weather with buffs worn as shorts and about 150 to 160 attending, with Chris Fraser on photos. Feedback: Cooks River and Panania got their fee waiver with support from Active Canterbury Bankstown.

• Episode 315 - Honey Stud

  Ollie Spake joining from Ngunnawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, marking 100 episodes since they took over the keys at episode 216 and thanking Simon for filling in. Ollie recaps a hot 14-person family holiday on Hamilton Island, where Hamilton Island parkrun on Ngaro land was Hannah's 50th (tail walking with Laura from the Airlie Beach team), Cathy nearly PB'd on the sand and he helped a honeymooning Victorian first-place finisher register his first official result; back home he marshalled while Karen and Darwin RD'd, welcoming Craig and Rebecca from Victoria and following the Argentina-Netherlands penalty shootout over the walkie-talkies. Mel and Zoe went north to Goulburn parkrun on Wiradjuri Country with Melissa Currie and family, taking selfies at the Big Merino and brunch at the Paragon Cafe.

• Episode 314 - Records & Legends

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with Simon Mackley filling in for Ollie from Quandamooka Country. Mel, now out of the moon boot, tail-walked event 52 at Puckapunyal on Taungurung Country with Irene and Parth (10 finishers, no emus found) before brunch in Seymour; Simon did his first Minnippi parkrun on Yugara land, RD'd by adventurer Jenny Reedman, with Underwood as his next NENDY. A big weekend of records: Samantha Harrison's 15:37 global women's parkrun record at Long Eaton, Steve Moneghetti's 15:52 over-60 5000m in Collingwood, Brett Robinson's and Sinead Diver's Australian marathon records, and Ron Clarke elevated to legend status in the Sport Australia Hall of Fame; Australia is out of the kick-yay World Cup after losing to Argentina.

• Episode 313 - #getyourfeetwet

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country: Ollie's family sat up through a storm and he is losing sleep to the kick-yay (football) World Cup, while Mel had all five kids together for Zoe's birthday and puzzled over the Samoan flags around Melbourne for the Rugby League final. Mel park-limped event two at Prince of Wales parkrun in Ballarat on Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung land with Parth, meeting Irene, Andrew Johnston and Martine Barrot, with TOC interviewing ED/RD Kylie; Ollie was RD at home. They belatedly reveal last week's Obi presenter was Tim Oberg, note the missed Fibonacci Day (23 November), and flag that James Reynolds may be the only junior to have parkrun in all three junior parkrun countries before throwing to TOC and Johan.

• Episode 312 - parkrun party

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, Ollie just off the plane from a Tasmanian weekend with Cathy: Queens Domain parkrun in nipaluna/Hobart on muwinina Country (262 finishers), where he met adventurer Andrea, the Gordons of Lower Hutt and Westerfolds parkrunner Chris Pittock, then Point to Pinnacle the next day in 2:11:30, raising about $1,350 for Carrie's Beanies for Brain Cancer. Mel's ankle turned out to be a fractured fibula, so in a moon boot she got a lift from Donna in her hot pink car to Peppertree parkrun, hobbled round with the Tail Walker and brunched with daughter Olivia, then sat out a music festival at Werribee Mansion with Tracey in a Tutu and Renee Jackson, where the crowd sang You're the Voice for John Farnham. Feedback opens with thanks for the snoods and Sneetches discussion.

• Episode 311 - Green Eggs & Snoods

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, tired from building a deck with help from his mum and her partner Ken, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Mel flew to Queensland to join Simon Mackley at the eighth anniversary of Calamvale parkrun on Yuggera Country, where in 80s fancy dress she tripped and fell heavily in the first kilometre but hobbled on, with Simon returning on course to bring her home and a super duper stuffed in her sock for a sore ankle; brunch at a cafe next to a medical centre, an afternoon with Simon and Carolyn, then a cancelled flight home rescued by Jetstar staff and a Qantas seat.

• Episode 310 - Cheers

  After a note of condolence on the passing of an Australian parkrun tourist at parkrun on Saturday, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Ollie has blue skies again while Victoria still has rain and events slowly returning from flood cancellations; after a late night at the Bootleg Beatles in Wollongong for his dad's upcoming birthday, he recaps volunteering at Shellharbour, walking with Tail Walker Paddy on his 100th parkrun and 25th volunteer, with Luke also on 100, and notes an influx of first-timers as the warmer months return. Mel is battling spring allergies and is about to describe her own adventure.

• Episode 309 - Bruce & Gill Fordyce

  Ollie Spake from home on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis back on Wurundjeri Country, thanking Mel Erbacher and Scotty for filling in. Recording on Halloween night, Mel tells some Halloween jokes and has just spent two hours dressed as a T-Rex volunteering at a local charity event organised by Wyndham Vale parkrun founding EDs Maria and Andy. Mel then recaps the weekend at Bathurst parkrun and the Panorama Punish: thanks to co-EDs Jen and Steve, a course record 332 at event 270 with Mel and Ollie park walking, 24 adventurers plus Heather Morgan, tutus for the 22nd, Happy Birthday recorded for Janet Reid, and camping beside the Baileys at the Bathurst showgrounds.

• Episode 308 - Top 3

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher back for one week only as the fill-ins for Mel and Ollie, acknowledging the episode is running late.

• Episode 307 - Cops & Robbers

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Ollie RD'd a busy Shellharbour parkrun after an early-morning community meditation (The Sit) at Killalea, with two dozen volunteers plus Darwin, north of 150 parkrunners, a sunny day, plenty of caramilk and cake, and birthday girl Bec Bailey doing the First Timers Welcome joined in real life by two other Baileys, with Brett and Tanya Bailey over at Pegasus parkrun in New Zealand; brunch followed at the marina at Shell Cove. With widespread flooding cancelling 35 Victorian events, Mel stayed home at Toolern Creek (102 parkrunners) with Peppertree ED Adrian Hillyer and Marg Prowse from Wallaby Track, then, after Eynesbury juniors was cancelled for lack of volunteers, took visiting Sonja and Peter Pohlman to Westerfolds juniors and the Westerfolds 5K course before brunch in Templestowe.

• Episode 306 - King Gizzard

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, still on tonsillitis medication after a rough winter, and Melissa Ellis with dog Chico on Wurundjeri Country, still COVID-free alongside Ava. Ollie run-directed a sunny, puddly Shellharbour; Mel flew to Darwin parkrun on Larrakia Country, her first Northern Territory event, on a midnight-arrival ticket, ran a hot double out-and-back near Parliament House, then spent the day hunting for somewhere to charge her phone before flying home to marshal at juniors for Abby's 25th volunteer milestone as RD. Eight adventurers took part in Germany's Unity Day at Neckarau, Nidda, Hasenheide, Monrepos and Rheinpark.

• Episode 305 - You’ve Got Mail!

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, opening in fast 'pixie' voices after Bruce Pryor's International Podcast Day feedback about listening at 1.3x speed. Ollie, on tonsillitis medication, missed Shellharbour and Cameron's visit; Mel ran Charleston parkrun in the Adelaide Hills on Peramangk Country (Wilson number 167 and a south for her UK compass club) before returning for juniors and a 30 km Capital City Trail walk with Renee Jackson in support of Andrew Reynolds at the London Marathon. Feedback from Geoff Glaab and Alison King on rating the podcast, and Brett Bailey on pronouncing Waikanae.

• Episode 304 - Let Us Entertain You

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, just back from a family holiday in Fiji where he ran a self-made 5.1 km parkrun around Denarau Island in his ugly singlet, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, thanking Simon Mackley for hosting last week. Mel, Paul and Zoe road-tripped with two of the dogs to Parkes on Wiradjuri Country for the radio telescope, the Elvis museum and Northparkes Oval parkrun, where Mel was swooped by a magpie and met Timekeeper Cameron, who is heading to Shellharbour next week.

• Episode 303 - Home on the range

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country with returning guest co-host Simon Mackley, quizmaster and event ambassador, on Quandamooka Country, now living at Redland Bay and a regular at Fodder Forest, where he met Gungahlin adventurers Bill and Yvette. Mel drove seven hours to camp at Renmark, South Australia, finishing midfield of 44 and chatting with the Shepparton Runners Club's Deb and Phil Harvey and Jo and Wayne Porter of Anstey Hill Recreation, then raced home to tail-walk Eynesbury juniors, where Greg the Victorian event ambassador volunteered and Renee was swooped by a magpie and yelled at by a duck.

• Episode 302 - Lined Up

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and a slightly croaky Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, with more roving reports and news being held back until the end. Mel flew to Queensland with Tracey in a Tutu for Yowie parkrun at Kilcoy on Jinibara Country (13th of 17, Ruben first finisher), then Des Connor Park juniors with 129 kids, brunches with local adventurers and Freedom Walks at Kedron, Minnippi and Chermside; Ollie skipped Picton's pace week to be Volunteer Coordinator and marshal at Shellharbour, prompting a discussion of how that role is interpreted. They mark the death of Queen Elizabeth II, list the Commonwealth realms, and note the September volunteer update featuring Wimmera River parkrun.

• Episode 301 - Thumbs Up

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, swapping Father's Day notes: Ollie spent his on flat-pack furniture for Ava's birthday and his dad's kitchen. Ollie handed out finish tokens in the rain at a 58-finisher Shellharbour after a pre-parkrun hill run for his streak; Mel visited the new Beaufort Lake parkrun on Wadawurrung Country with Irene and Parth, Dawn, Cheryl and Mark, Rhi, Sam and Kirsty, grabbed audio with ED Katie and chatted at brunch with Wallaby Track co-ED Lorinda Coulter about the parkrun Your Way video series, which was also filming at Shellharbour.

• Episode 300 - Tricentennial

  Episode 300, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, thanking the community and the hosts who came before. Mel's streak ended after a 1pm-to-10pm work day; Ollie snuck away with his mum to a wet Willoughby parkrun in northern Sydney, still sore from City to Surf; Mel returned to Puckapunyal with Andrew Reynolds, his son James and Michelle Carlos, taking first female and fourth overall with kangaroos and an emu on course, then RD'd Eynesbury juniors on market week, where Abigail and Hannah made a 300th-episode poster and the kids named two new sharks Gary and Barry.

• Episode 299 - Buzz Buzz

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, marking 299 by sending listeners back to episode 99 and noting the parkrun Ambassadors Conference (APAC) flooding Mel's feed. Mel did a 4am drive to event four of Frank Keenan Reserve parkrun in Yarrawonga, running solo to eighth place and meeting listener Sarah; Ollie RD'd Shellharbour for Sue King's 250th, Sam Schroder's PB, and a touch-of-blue tribute to the late David Gill, with Julie Turner reading her memorial poem on air. Feedback: Joe Dinan shared an Umbagong District link about Graham; in news, Tony Martin's stat that Harris Avenue event 111 had 111 finishers in 1:11:33.

• Episode 298 - Not Flat

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both worn out after a huge weekend: Mel landed late the night before and went straight to work, Ollie has angry toes and unhappy legs from Sunday's event. Their weekend started on Saturday morning, and they throw first to audio captured by the Office Lady Sam Schroder.

• Episode 297 - The one when Mel sings

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, wishing Sphinxie a happy International Cat Day and Mel reporting her first magpie swoop of the season. Ollie was photographer at Shellharbour and caught up with Chris Fraser on his 300th; Mel was at Kirkdale Reserve for Jodie Maisie's 50th and Hoffman, with Brendan Peel scanning barcodes as B1 and a run-walk with Bruce and Donna Purdy, and she calls for a Bananas in Pyjamas outfit for Ollie at Cooks River on Saturday. No feedback on 296, but Sarah has found the message-in-a-bottle challenge in Western Australia, and the pair run through the Commonwealth Games results: Ollie Hoare's 1500m gold, Abbey Caldwell (a former Westerfolds parkrunner) bronze, Peter Bol silver, Madison de Rozario's four golds and the parkrunners in the 5000m finals.

• Episode 296 - Hot and Gold

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on a dry Dharawal Country with a hint of spring. Ollie took Ava and Zali to Shellharbour, where they rang the bell in their Oodies, junior RD Dylan took the reins again, more locals hit the 250 club and Melissa from Goulburn dropped by; Mel went back to the ACT for Umbagong District event three on Ngunnawal Country with Irene Bomakanti, TOC and Jacqui O'Connell, in sub-zero frost, learning about the axe-grinding grooves from volunteer Graham, cheered in by Will Barlow and brunching at Bunny Beans, and bumped into John Spooner and new adventurer Ian Shaw.

• Episode 295 - Aidan Hobbs

  Ollie Spake back after a week off on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, thanking Scotty for hosting and editing last week. Ollie ran Shellharbour for the first time since May 2021 alongside Lance of the Windang clan, then RD'd the following week when Lance took first finisher on his 25th parkrun, with Darwin in tinsel and Chris Fraser sorting the flag shot; Mel took Ugly Christmas in July and her new Team Veteran shirt to Puckapunyal, Australia's only military parkrun, with Brendan Peel, Jodie Maisie and Renee Jackson, then brunched in Seymour, scouted a possible course by the Goulburn River and visited the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Walk. Little listener feedback, but Scotty is fined again, this time on Johan's suggestion for his South African accent.

• Episode 294 - the new U

  Melissa Ellis and guest co-host Scotty Trickett, both on Wurundjeri Country, with Scott saying he still loves the intro music after all these years.

• Episode 293 - Hackers

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Ollie RD'd Shellharbour for NAIDOC Week with the farm kiosk joining in, Kerry and Chris Fraser back on the finish line and Paul Whelan clocking his 50th event; Mel, who grabbed a German flag instead of the Aboriginal flag by mistake, wore a yellow tutu with Jacqui O'Connell at Kirkdale Reserve event six with parkrun son Harry visiting from Malaysia, walking the course with Renee after a foot injury. They also cover both seeing Thor: Love and Thunder, the Event Day Course Check becoming mandatory, and parkrun France going on pause over medical certificate requirements.

• Episode 292 - Floods, Cows & Milkshakes

  Ollie Spake on a very wet Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on a dry Wurundjeri Country, with an acknowledgement of country for NAIDOC Week and news that the Aboriginal flag will now fly permanently on the Westgate Bridge. Ollie stayed in Sydney and ran four-lap North Sydney parkrun in the rain, his 38th event, bumping into Bruce Purdy but missing David Crook; Mel visited Chris and Kerry Fraser in Wollongong, saw the new Killalea signs, and after storm cancellations scanned in at Cowpasture Reserve, Camden for her Bradman event 334 before a nail-biting flight home ahead of the Sydney curfew with the juniors kit safely left in her garage. Also Colin Thorne at Whangarei becoming the oldest parkrunner to join the 100 Club, and Canada's extra Canada Day parkrun.

• Episode 291 - Because

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Mel flew to Queensland to run New Farm parkrun (event 487, back after flood damage) with Lyndell and listeners Pauline and Russell Taylor, staying with Tracey in a Tutu and Steve, walking the Zillmere course and lifting her III index to six, with Newy next; Ollie handed the Shellharbour RD vest to Duke of Edinburgh junior Dylan, hosted the local mayor as Killalea Park passes to National Parks, and retrieved token 64 from Elmer. Eynesbury juniors marked its 50th with a winter festival and new RD Catherine, Johan wrote in from a freedom walk at Swakopmund, Namibia, the OG Mel hit 250 volunteers at Kawana, and a new three-year Medibank partnership was announced.

• Episode 290 - 98, 99, 100!

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, noting episode 300 is nearing. Mel missed parkrun and juniors for a work training weekend and guiltily enjoyed it; Ollie took Kathy, his mum, Zali and Ava to Dolls Point's fifth birthday kids'-party dress-up (Ollie as Jack Sparrow, eyeliner included), welcomed by Tracey in a Tutu, scanned by TOC, but missing host Ingrid. Feedback: Karen Hamilton named the Picton cafe from the longest run, and Faye from Canberra reported a friendly Moora WA parkrun and asked after the Informant's missing stats.

• Episode 289 - Lorikeets are Metal

  Sam opens with a public service announcement declaring a fine amnesty while Mel and Ollie resolve the Frond Wars; then Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both worn out after big weekends of running and partying.

• Episode 288 - Travel Tips

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie is sore from a last-minute half marathon at the Wollongong Running Festival, which follows the North Wollongong parkrun course and recalls the first Palm; Shellharbour had 77 participants on a dry, freshly mowed course, Ollie and Ian invented the 'lead rake' role clearing dried grass off the path, and Alan, visiting from Clare Valley, set an age category record.

• Episode 287 - Rhubarb Lemonade

  After a listener's mock Obi-award acceptance speech, Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both ordering the ugly buff and wearing old ones on the wrist, a trend they credit to Monty Slade. Ollie cancelled Shellharbour at the last minute over an unpassable wet track and drove up to Cowpasture Reserve, Camden, for a rainbow-themed milestone morning, his fastest time of the year by a second, a chat with Paul Whelan about his event-planning spreadsheet, and a stop at the cafe he thinks is called Jelly's.

• Episode 286 - 99 Apfelsine Blätter

  Ollie Spake opens with an acknowledgement of the Wurundjeri and Dharawal people, then hosts from Dharawal Country with Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie is bunkered in from rain and storms, hoping not to lose power, while Mel reports a fine sunny day in Melton and notes Queensland and the west are also copping wild weather.

• Episode 285 - Better together

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, marking National Volunteer Week with its theme Better Together. Ollie RD'd Shellharbour with regulars including Timekeeper Patrick, the Duke of Ed kids, tourist Chris back for a disappointing sausage roll, and first-time volunteer Darwin the rainbow lorikeet alongside Karen; Ollie also enjoyed Eurovision, won by Ukraine. Mel ran and course-checked at Toolern Creek's Festival of Mel dressed as a bee, cycling there in the dark with gnome Floyd (still awaiting rescue at the turnaround) after ED Tracey Donald stepped in for a COVID-struck Mel Oakley; fines followed from Sam Schroder for Cass Castleton's mispronounced surname and for the informant's South Australia/South Africa slip.

• Episode 284 - The Very Very Best Day

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, recording on Ollie's wedding anniversary after a weekend of Mother's Day and his mum's and Zali's shared birthday. Ollie RD'd Shellharbour with 94 participants, his mum barcode scanning and Em and Brendan back on the roster, and was surprised by a visiting Bruce, the Ideas Man from Wallaby Track, who left cheetah ears for Zali after her first Dirty Cheetahs parkrun at Picton. Mel and Helen drove to Coombs parkrun on Ngunnawal Country, her sixth ACT event leaving only Mount Ainslie, with a Garmin fail and a chat with Will Barlow, brunched at Tootsie Cafe in Yass, then volunteered at Eynesbury juniors and the local Mother's Day fun run.

• Episode 283 - Eman Vergara

  Ollie Spake and Melissa Ellis, both tired after a big weekend. Mel travelled to Picton parkrun on Dharawal Country for Sam Schroder's triple celebration and Picton's fourth birthday with a frond of adventurers including Team Spake, Ollie taking all three daughters to a parkrun for the first time (gumboots came off before the turnaround) followed by a barbecue cooked by Luke Schroder. The announcement: PALM 2023 is heading to Western Australia; Singapore's West Coast Park, East Coast Park and Bishan reopen on 7 May; volunteer milestones for Tracey in a Tutu's V250 at Chermside and Jeff McMillan of Pegasus, the first V250 in New Zealand.

• Episode 282 - Cass Castleton

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country. Mel ran Warrandyte River Reserve's event five with Brendan Peel, Jodie Maisie, Irene and Paul, dodging off-leash dogs on the Yarra trail, then hosted Mossman co-ED Dorota and family at Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors; Ollie timekept at a muddy Shellharbour and was thrown by a visiting Melbourne cyclist called Steve. Graham Wilkinson corrected Ayr to Scotland and offered Rogiet pronunciation tips; Mel invited everyone to the Festival of Mel at Toolern Creek on 14 May, ten adventurers are registered for City to Surf in August, and Mel floated crowdfunding petty cash for the pod.

• Episode 281 - Hoppy Easter

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, recovering slowly, and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie was RD at a sunny Shellharbour with a new cafe operator, Easter tourists and a visit from the Fraser family, descendants of the land's former owners; Mel drove northeast to Riverbank parkrun in Yass on Ngunnawal Country for a NENDY and her 16th NSW event (71 finishers at event 59), joining Andrew and James Reynolds for James's 100th, then wore matching Easter onesies with Zoe at juniors on Sunday with brunch at Birdie's Cafe.

• Episode 280 - Breakout

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and a croaky Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, who has been unwell after his Melbourne trip, slept through parkrun and has dropped his planned Run Shellharbour marathon on 1 May, though the rest has settled his knee. Mel was at event two of Werribee Park Mansion parkrun with Helen and Steve Davis, Cheryl and Mark Smith, Errol Poole, Andrew Turner and Russ Johnson, and rates it a jewel among Victorian events; Eynesbury juniors had to cancel three marshals short on the first weekend of school holidays. Good feedback on Sam's Phil Gore interview, Eman has flown out for the Boston Marathon on Easter Monday, and Stones Corner's relaunch was flooded out at the last minute.

• Episode 279 - Phil Gore

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, both still on a high from Ollie's visit to Mel in Victoria at the weekend. Mel opens differently this week with a piece of audio instead of saying where she was.

• Episode 278 - Goldilocks

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, with budgies and chihuahuas (Bambi) in the room, and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country with his cicadas. Mel has done her pod homework and resolves not to query pronunciations this week; she stayed local for her 17th Toolern Creek, where Lynn from Cobram and her grandson Axel turned up for their T after messaging her the night before.

• Episode 277 - Stumped

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Mel watched the Skywhales balloons launch at dawn over Fairfield with Eman, Christine and Juno before walking her fourth Studley parkrun (event 253, 190 finishers) and brunching at the boathouse with Suzanne Aquilina; Ollie timekept at a wet Shellharbour under RD Ralph, reading Dazza's posts from puddle-jumping Tail Walker Bec Bailey (25th volunteer) and Sam Schroder. They thank Abby's mum for filling in on last week's stats report when the informants failed to show (Greg Garner disliked her Navy Blues theme music), and announce the Mount Panorama Punish is back on Sunday 23 October with a Bathurst parkrun camping weekend planned.

• Episode 276 - Mooving On

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both with post-Palm blues. Ollie sends wishes to flood- and fire-hit parkruns, explains Shellharbour was cancelled again with its dirt track now a gully, and ran a careful Sandon Point 400th event on a knee he strained doing hill training on Mount Wellington, missing Marvellous Mark's 200th at Huskisson; Mel ticked off event six of Cyril Curtain Reserve in Williamstown with Helen and Steve Davis, regaining her Victorian statesmanship, then scraped together a long-weekend roster for Eynesbury juniors. They reflect on Palm's exhausting format, Ollie's microphone technique, Dawn winning the first physical Obi (3D printed by Steve) and the beauty of Bellerive on the Derwent.

• Episode 275 - palm22

  Recorded live at Palm 2022 from Bellerive parkrun in Hobart, Ollie Spake (Shellharbour) and Mel Ellis (Toolern Creek) acknowledge the muwinina people and today's Tasmanian Aboriginal custodians, thank the Bellerive volunteers and Fiona's team at Hurricanes Cafe, and take a show of hands for how many Palms attendees have been to. Highlights from the morning: Brendan Peel's finish-line proposal to Jodie, the out-and-back course with its hill and stadium finish, purple for International Women's Day, Nadine Crawford's birthday, Bec Bailey's 100th and Shultzy's 450th, before a short interview with RD Brooke, the Palm quiz and more.

• Episode 274 - Johan Duvenhage

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, keeping the intro short because both are packing for Palm. Mel tail-walked Wyndham Vale's sixth birthday (her ninth visit) in purple and orange, where visiting adventurer Eman from South Toowoomba led the field home with an all-time PB, then brunched at Cafe Notorious in Werribee; on Sunday at Eynesbury juniors Abby's mum brought balloons for Mel's 100th volunteer. They throw to Mel's interview with Johan Duvenhage in South Africa.

• Episode 273 - Falling for You

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country. Ollie hit 32 tourist events after a big adventurer frond to hilly Menai parkrun, where he came fourth and finally met Ingrid and Paris in person; Mel marked her eighth parkrun birthday at event four of Lewis Park Reserve with Brendan, Jodie, Lynn, Sally and other adventurers, brunched at Vermont General Store, then had 29 kids at Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors. They congratulate Abby on a milestone, recap Ercan's popular interview, give the Informant's answer to the Cow Club challenge (137, with the New Zealand count to be confirmed), relay Adventurer Faye's question about rail trails used for parkrun, and invite listener questions before roving reports from Tracey at Bargara and PK at Oaklands Estate Reserve.

• Episode 272 - Ercan Boduk

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country (cicadas and a chihuahua in the background). Mel did not adventure this week; Ollie RD'd at Shellharbour, where the Farm Cafe has closed and parkrunners had to bring their own coffee. Listener chat: Richard on the 5K app's date bingo now counting volunteer days, Alison on the UK word game parkrundle, and Chris Fraser (Facebook) suggesting Mudgee's A Day on the Green plus parkrun; Ollie explains his new job with Transport for NSW's regional transport group, and the pair look ahead to Palm and an Easter adventure before the interview with Ercan Boduk of the new Wentworth Common parkrun.

• Episode 271 - Arise

  Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country and Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country, both sweltering. Unbeknownst to each other they each went to a music festival the day before: Mel's first, at Werribee Park with her sister (Jimmy Barnes headlining, with Diesel), Ollie seeing Montaigne, Kasey Chambers, Holy Holy and the Teskey Brothers. Ollie RD'd Shellharbour after whippersnippering the course, with 168 finishers; Mel did the first-timers briefing at Toolern Creek where every first-timer was a tourist, and took up Brendan Peel's cheeky challenge to reach 100 runs at her home event, before listener feedback on the golf club and famous five club and the informant's same-letter-count index.

• Episode 270 - The only way is up

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal Country and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri Country, Mel recording on a sweltering Melbourne night over her husband's phone hotspot after server problems. On his Lake Conjola family holiday Ollie drove to Braidwood Showground parkrun on Walbanga Country of the Yuin Nation for event 31, a bingo number and the Staying Alive Challenge, bumping into Derek and Linda from Westerfolds again; Mel drove 616 km with Zoe to Murray Bridge, her NENDY, on Ngarrindjeri Country, visited the bunyip and chatted with RD Todd for a later roving report. Also David Crook of On Every Saturday appearing on the Free Weekly Timed podcast with Helen Williams, and New Zealand back at code red with no parkrun decision yet.

• Episode 269 - Criminal Intent

  Ollie Spake on Dharawal land and Melissa Ellis on Wurundjeri land. Ollie's parkrun day began with a bag over his head, abducted by Chris Fraser and delivered to Wentworth Common in Sydney Olympic Park for his first event number two and 30th unique event, his first recorded parkrun since Bowral in May; he barcode scanned, found a cafe with no sausage rolls and walked off with half the finish tokens. Mel did Frankston Nature Conservation Reserve event two on Bunurong land with her sister Cassie, missing her last bingo number by a second, then celebrated Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors' first birthday dressed as a butterfly, with Brendan Peel and Jodie visiting; both note rising COVID numbers and the strain on volunteer rosters.

• Episode 268 - Geoff Glaab

  First episode of 2022, Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, newly dubbed parkrun poster boy after his photo landed on the parkrun Australia page. Mel camped with Abby's mum for McLean Beach parkrun in Deniliquin on New Year's Day, got locked in the toilet before the start and declared it the top of her 135 events, then went to Warringal Parklands for Brendan Peel's 250th unique event (Freyne Club) with Chris and Kerry Fraser, Lynn Hewson and others; Ollie timekept and briefed at Shellharbour's farewell to its original course, welcoming Eman, Christine and baby Juno and Derek and Linda Allen from Westerfolds, then RD'd the new course with Patrick Shymitzek stepping in as Timekeeper. Coming up: Mel's interview with Geoff Glaab, RD of Joe Creason parkrun in the USA, Dazza's highlights, roving reports and the Adventurers Club, plus news of Elizabeth Sheridan becoming a US countryman at Lillie parkrun and John Taylor's 400th at Brightwater.

• Episode 267 - parkrun spirit

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake mark their 52nd episode of the year and since taking over as hosts, in a shorter post-Christmas pod. They welcome New Zealand back (15 of 34 events returned on Christmas Day, Ōtaki River due to launch New Year's Day) while Wales, the Netherlands, Canada, Norway and Finland go back on pause, thank listeners for their response to last week's Devonport tribute, and tally their 2021: Mel 30 parkruns, 20 of them new events, plus 52 episodes edited; Ollie nine parkruns and 21 volunteer days. Thanks go to the informants, the Channel 5 News crew, Chris Fraser and Mel and Scotty for the keys, before Christmas Day parkrun experiences.

• Episode 266 - Tinsel Time

  Mel opens with condolences to the Devonport parkrun community after the jumping castle tragedy that killed Devonport parkrunner Addison Stewart, then Ollie Spake hosts with Melissa Ellis, exchanging Merry Christmases on Ollie's 50th podcast. Mel, Paul and Zoe went to Wallaby Track in Ballarat (event 40, a missing Wilson number) on the way to a farm stay, meeting Bruce Purdy supporting Donna's Volunteer 25, with brunch alongside the Ballarat parkrun team; Ollie run directed Shellharbour's return at event 332 on the new Killalea course, 182 finishers, only eight PBs, one injured faller, and the cafe opening early for parkrun. New Zealand events are returning, and Alison's story of walker Neil, who brought his barcode and vaccine pass every week just in case.

• Episode 265 - Advance to Go

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, back from a wet camping trip with a broken tent pole and a jump-started car and no run, his lastparkrun weekend before New South Wales returns. Mel and Zoe went overnight to the second Nathalia Showgrounds parkrun (29 finishers) with Helen and Steve Davis, Brendan Peel and Jodie, Rhianna Wick Gamble, Sam Esmore and Nathan Castle, brunched at Three Bells Cafe and revisited the caravan park playground of her childhood; Eynesbury juniors had 20 kids, Mel leading the warm-up with Jemima the puddle duck still needed. Listener feedback: Tracey Wood counted 18 Shellharbour mentions last week, Steve Johnston sent Burpee Man photos, and Chantelle Hosking suggested chihuahua footsteps as the Obi Award sound.

• Episode 264 - Home & Away

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake and his much-commented-on hair. Mel's trip to New South Wales went ahead despite the relaunch being postponed: she stayed with the Frasers and joined a 6am Banksia Avenueparkrun over the Windang Bridge with Chris Fraser, Caro Vos, Karen and Ralph from the Shellharbour crew, Brendan Scholarly and Patrick Shymitzek (Shimo), with Bec Bailey giving the run brief remotely and the group photo taken outside her house. Mel backed up for Eynesbury juniors, 14 kids and Abby back.

• Episode 263 - Obi - 100

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, welcoming Victoria back to parkrun and thanking TOC for stepping in and for the Palm 2022 organising. Ollie missed the Tassie trip (well done to Eman for a sub-two-hour mountain half marathon), avoided a shooting incident near the Windang Bridge and Banksia Avenueparkrun course while Bec Bailey was safely away in Victoria on a school camp, and took his daughters to a Matildas game near Rhodes parkrun; Mel eased back in at Peppertree parkrun with Abby's mum, 33 finishers and a PB. They then chew over the new barcodes-on-phones rule after Mel's wristband failed to scan for the first time, the UK's new Ultraband and parkrun's new enamel pins.

• Episode 262 - All the good things

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Tony O'Connell back in the co-host chair after Victoria's pause. TOC'sparkrun weekend was his usual Cape Paterson circuit and then the Afterglow night run on Victoria's west coast, dressed as a unicorn in last year's Ugly Christmas Singlet, winning a headlamp for his costume; Mel stayed local at the Peppertree parkrun course with Event Director Adrian Hillyer, Run Director Amy, Brendan Peel and Jodie Mainzy, three of them in the brand new Ugly Christmas Shirts, then brunch at the Bake and Brew Cafe.

• Episode 261 - Back in the ACT

  Ollie Spake, still a parkrunner in waiting and feeling 'pretty ugly' tonight, with Melissa Ellis, who is a real live parkrunner again this week after a roadie and a rendezvous, with more to come on both.

• Episode 260 - The Wild Card

  Ollie Spake with Melissa Ellis, who took herparkrun on the road to Albert Melbourne for a rendezvous with Brendan Peel and his partner Jodie, speculating on what Victoria's 100th event might be (Mel's pick is Werribee Park Mansion) and celebrating her unknowing 100th nottie, done at Toolern Creek, where all her notties will now be. Ollie has settled into a marina out-and-back at home, claimed a Strava local legend, did five notties this week and has signed up for the Run Shellharbour half marathon in December. Coming up roving reports from Tracey Wood and PK, the Informant, Adventurers Club stats, Dazza and mail; from the Streak to New Year's Day group, City Striders, Barbara's second A-to-Z nottie challenge, Patrick Shymitzek's giant Buddha in Beechworth, and Tracey in Training's nottie visiting tour.

• Epsiode 259 - Hailing TOC

  Melissa Ellis welcomes listeners to episode 259; the opening is a single line before the first segment.

• Episode 258 - Richard McChesney

  Ollie Spake with Melissa Ellis, who is bringing her Ellis Palace themed not-parkrun out of retirement for a one-off Z theme on the 30th, with her son's partner Leah keen to join. Victoria's eased lockdown let two of Mel's daughters visit on Saturday, and on Sunday she bush-bashed down an embankment with friend Cheryl (in toe socks and Oofos, having forgotten her runners) and Bubble Bird to find the Eynesbury waterfall. Ollie has measured out a new 11-lap Waprom not-parkrun on freshly opened streets across the road from home, though he says it is still not nearly enough not-parkrunning.

• Episode 257 - Cottesloe Consults

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, who is a week into a new job and short on not-parkruns; his parkrun-day nottie was a virtual Kingston Park, south of Hobart, as he works through the alphabet. Both ran City to Surf as a 14km nottie: Mel's Melton trail-to-weir route drew double last year's field and she chalked her own start line, while Ollie ran with Chris and Kerry Fraser, missed a turn and finished twice. Coming up a roving report from a new voice, the Informant and an interview with a Western flavour; from last week, Mel proposes the Big Cheese Club for a Trans-Tasman Peel Club, Patrick Shymitzek's hypnotic-nottie Strava art and Sam Schroder joining the Not Peel Club.

• Episode 256 - X Factor

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, recorded Monday 11 October. Mel's Saturday was a tired, brunch-less Ellis Palace nottie, then a picnic at Eynesbury with Abby and friends, walking the Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors course, Zoe's first time with other children since July, where Mel presented Abby with a parkrunner of the month vest sent by TOC from Inverloch, which Abby slept in. Ollie had a quiet birthday with cake, is between jobs, injured himself so missed a birthday run but is now recovered, has reached H in Septober and ran Galston on Sunday with a podcast family member; coming up are parkrun announcements, held-over roving reports and news from Dazza's.

• Episode 255 - Nottie Time to Die

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, Ollie marking a birthday that is not an age-category one. He slept in and ran the altered Bass Pointparkrun through the dog park with his home parkrun set to Dandenong for the challenge; Mel's Ellis Palace theme was James Bond on a red carpet, suggested by Bruce, who also coined Septober. Mel then announces she is retiring the weekly Saturday themes, though she will keep running Ellis Palace every week.

• Episode 254 - Ev’ry heart beats true

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, celebrating the Demons' AFL grand final win played over in Perth. Mel's 55th Ellis Palaceparkrun went red and blue with face paint and a crepe-paper banner, meat pies for lunch and a fluffy fledgling magpie at the waving corner; she is back at work doing rapid antigen testing at a supermarket distribution centre, including an accidentally accepted 4am shift, and says being out again has helped after missing parkrun's people. Ollie walked with Hannah, abandoned the Bass Point course to try to outrun a rain cloud and explored the new blocks around Shellharbour's soon-to-open marina, without chronicling it.

• Episode 253 - Runner 5(00)

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, Ollie now without the troll he chaperoned last week and back on a roadworks-altered Bass Pointparkrun through the off-leash dog park. Mel's Ellis Palace nottie was rainbows and unicorns with fairy bread and breakfast jelly, she was swooped and struck by a magpie on her two-loop course, and she is four missions into Zombies Run on her training plan. A message from Bruce proposes 'Septober', changing home parkrun through the alphabet by the end of October, and Mel explains how to switch home parkrun before logging a nottie; no roving reports or stats this week, but two interviews: Adrian Hon of Zombies Run and Brian Peters on 500 parkruns at Main Beach.

• Episode 251 - Tokyo Tales

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, with Ollie introduced as the Shellharbour ED and wished happy Father's Day, which he spent on a walk, a call to his dad and croissants with his daughters. Mel'sparkrun went with a jailbreak theme, she and Dazza dressed as prisoners, and a toy handcuff stayed stuck on her wrist after she dropped the keys at the waving corner opposite Toolern Creek parkrun. Both streaks continue, Mel falling back on Pippa's two-kilometre minimum after a draining week and Ollie behind on the bingo challenges but buoyed by first-time streakers.

• Episode 250 - The Story So Far

  Episode 250, Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake ("not Mel Erbacher" and "not Scott Trickett"), recording at night with a party blower and gifted ginger chocolate. Mel, admitting lockdown fatigue, went with a yellow spring theme and hosted the Wagi Bridge troll, taking it round Ellis Palace, the Toolern Creek Trail and a Toolern Creek Freedom Run; Ollie got aparkrun PB back on the full Bass Point course and caught up with Bec near the bridge again. Mel noted the show is the first parkrun podcast to reach 250 and surprised Ollie with a new official parkrun club, The adventurers, before a recap of the years so far.

• Episode 249 - Becky Maybury

  Ollie Spake with Melissa Ellis, introduced as the Elphaba of the West. Ellis Palace event 50 went 1950s rock and roll with burgers, fries and mudslide milkshakes, Daryl and Paul in sideburns and Mel in a Pink Ladies jacket and victory rolls; Ollie finally joined Bec for about a kilometre and a half of Banksia Avenueparkrun as far as Windang Bridge, his first non-household running company in a long time. Mel captained a team in the Curfew Crushers Relay run by Mick Duyvestyn and Peter Mitchell, running 16km of estate loops from 5am in full green witch makeup with a broomstick, and the hosts thanked Alison and Andrew for the Saturday live and asked listeners whether 7am lives should continue, before Ollie's interview with Becky at Richmond Olympic parkrun in Canada.

• Episode 248 - Bird is the Word

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, who is still running from zombies as Runner 5 with his own playlist. Ellis Palace event 49 went 80s (denim, mullets, a Walkman in its box) with a well-travelled plastic chicken called Bubble Bird as house guest, and Mel is planning the 50th and getting Ellis Palace added to her apricot shirt under Berwick Springs and Toolern Creek. Ollie, now confined to his local government area under the NSW lockdown, hunted hills for Point to Pinnacle training and hopes to sample part of Bec's Banksia Avenueparkrun up to the bridge; they welcomed Austria's launch and tracked Mark's drive across the Nullarbor towards Port Hedland.

• Episode 247 - Caitlin Adams & David Crook

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, a week overshadowed by a new global parkrun record. Ellis Palace went 1920s gangster with Mel explaining speakeasies and bathtub gin and Paul sent out for the household's first bottle; Ollie got out for a run in the rain, then finished the home Olympics with a bronze for India in the trampoline "artistic jumpy-jumpy" and a minor injury to show for it. Mel had caught up with Caitlin, the new fastest female parkrunner, for the interview.

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

  Ollie Spake with Melissa Ellis, both in lockdown. Mel's Olympic-themed Ellis Palaceparkrun drew four tourists under Victoria's new outdoor-groups-of-ten rule, with brunch booked at the Jolly Miller and Geelong event ambassador Jeff claiming the Bushy–Ellis Palace "worldwide double"; Ollie in Shellharbour managed only about two kilometres of Bass Point before trying his first Zombies Run mission near Mystics beach, and reported on his family's home Olympics (gold in Nerf shooting, motto "faster, higher, stronger, within reason"). Olympic chat covered Jess Hull and Linden Hall reaching the 1500m semis, listener Adrian Hillyer's stat that Olympic hockey player Kieran Govers ran all four of his parkruns at Shellharbour, and Maribyrnong regular Lisa Weightman's fourth Games, before mail from Eman about barcode scanning at Ecco Ripley event two.

• Episode 245 - Dan Buckley

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, both still in lockdown. Ollie ran a triple-distance ugly-festiveparkrun on Saturday out to Rebecca's bridge with 'time' written on it, then a windy Bass Pointparkrun on Sunday that just missed a post-COVID PB; Mel gave Ellis Palace a Wiggles theme with a yellow skivvy, a Dorothy the Dinosaur sun hat and roses for Daryl, and fruit salad for brunch. They thank Danny, Nicola and With Me Now for the live on England's return, note Máxima parkrun's surprise return in the Netherlands and Henderson Lake, River Valley and Saint-Paulin in Canada, and introduce Mel's interview with a returning English parkrunner.

• Episode 244 - Sarah Hudson

  Ollie Spake and Melissa Ellis, both benched by lockdowns (Mel with a 5 km limit, Ollie 10 km, South Australia now restricted too). Mel's Brisbane trip to run New Farm with Tracey in a Tutu was cancelled by Victoria's snap lockdown, so she staged a German-themed Ellis Palaceparkrun with 92 of an intended 99 red balloons, black forest cake and a frothy German beer, marking Germany's return; Ollie managed German-flag-coloured shirts and beer glasses and got out for a sunriseparkrun and Bass Point. They thank TOC for joining Saturday's live and Danny Norman of With Me Now for mentoring ahead of next week's live cross for England's return, before Ollie's interview with Sarah Hudson from Byxbee in the USA.

• Episode 243 - Weekend Work

  Ollie Spake, recorded a night early, with Melissa Ellis, who is celebrating her birthday and regaining Victorian statesmanship. Ollie, in Greater Sydney lockdown alongside Perth and Peel, slept in and skippedparkrun on Saturday, then did a slow coastalparkrun with Hannah in their new ugly buffs, nursing a sore back ahead of hill training. Mel ran Dorset Recreation Reserve at event two, with an unexpected run chat with Narelle from Westerfolds juniors, stayed with Steve and Helen for birthday cake, and had 16 kids and four junior volunteers including Abby at a foggy, puddle-free Eynesbury juniors after a kangaroo hit her car on the way in.

• Episode 242 - Dog Assisted

  Ollie Spake acknowledges Wurundjeri, Dharawal and Yuin Country; Melissa Ellis hosts with Ollie, who is locked down in New South Wales and did a 5 km bike ride with Hannah, a revived Bass Pointparkrun and a 2 km juniorparkrun with the whole household, one daughter skipping. Mel went to Pakenham, event 310, with her grand-doggie Dustin and a family crowd, posted a post-COVID PB on Strava despite a toilet stop, and read out parkrun's rules on marking dog-assisted results. Eynesbury juniors had two full puddles and rubber ducks, and listeners Tracey in a Tutu, Adrian Hillyer and Dawn Branton offered duck names including Eynesbury Puddle Duck, Bruce, Purdy and Ernie.

• Episode 241 - Toolern Creek

  Ollie Spake, in a New South Wales lockdown area, and Melissa Ellis, in a currently COVID-free Victoria. Mel stayed local after a wet 12 km Friday run left her hips sore, started Sunbury with tourist friends Helen and Steve but had to walk from 500 m, finally made sense of the Sunbury B course, and then found the puddle dry on her Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors course check, with 13 kids, first-timers and PBs after four weeks of lockdown. Ollie barcode-scanned at Shellharbour under new mask rules, got a sausage roll, and saw Hannah run and Damien Leith back for a second time with his daughter Kiki.

• Episode 240 - Raw & Uncut

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, whose Shellharbour mentions are being counted. Ollie RD'd a windy Shellharbour where Sam timekept, then did the inaugural Country to Coast longest run set up by Steve of Cowpasture Reserve, Camden: Campbelltown, Camden, Picton, Bowral, Shellharbour, North Wollongong and Sandon Point. With Victorian events cancelled again on the Friday, Mel drove north with TOC and Jackie for Tony O'Connell's 250th at Wagi Bridge, where Marvellous Mark was RD and Shellharbour's Karen and Ralph turned up, and she reads Glenn Sullivan's TOCopedia tribute from the Inverloch Facebook page.

• Episode 239 - Quack Quack

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, who is in lockdown in Victoria with the longest runs postponed. Within her 25 km radius Mel built her own seven-leg longest run: Toolern Creek in the dark, a 5k at Eynesbury where the puddle had finally filled and got its giant rubber duck, Wyndham Vale, Point Cook, a flooded and reversed Brimbank, a solo Sunbury where she slid over in the mud and overshot to nearly 6k, then home to Daryl for photos; Ellis Palace also ran a Pride theme with rainbow cupcakes. Ollie got a late call-up to RD Shellharbour's seventh birthday, with co-founder Carl Hayes and ambassador Nikki there and Ralph unwell at home.

• Episode 238 - Baked Goods

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Oliver Spake. Victoria is in its fourth lockdown, so Mel held a baked-goods themed Ellis Palaceparkrun with Daryl dressed up, snot logs and home-made gozleme, with a pride theme picked for next week; Ollie was Volunteer Coordinator at Shellharbour for Em's 21st birthday, where she received a customised apricot tee, then went to Zali's dance concert, the markets for gozleme and a snot block, forgetting National Sausage Roll Day. Mel follows with sausage roll trivia (the 111.11 m record, LadBaby's Christmas number ones) and clears up that Will's Breadtop comment last week was a bakery chain.

• Episode 236 - Snot Logs & A-Listers

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, who spent the weekend at a fancy-dress Eurovision party dressed as the Norwegian entrant, with Cathy as the Ukrainian frontwoman. Ollie stayed local at Shellharbour barcode scanning, meeting Robin who drove up from Victoria to volunteer, a tutu-and-penguin-jumper first timer and her friends Debbie (co-ED, Jubilee Way) and Karen celebrating her 50; Mel flew to Sydney for Dolls Point event 145, ran a post-COVID 5k PB alongside Chris Fraser's Dolls Point PB, brunched with Helen and Steve, Susie and Shane Smedley and the event team including Ingrid, met Paris the dog, and scouted the Centennial Park start with her suitcase. They ask overseas listeners whether tutus are an Australian thing.

• Episode 235 - Hi-Vis Heroes

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, congratulated for 21 volunteer roles so far this year in National Volunteer Week. Ollie was RD at a muddy, cold Shellharbour in the annual pink wig tribute to Kiralee, with visitors including Errol and Scott from Tuggeranong and Brendan and Em in pink on the finish line; Mel ran her third Sunbury after overnight rain, in many layers, telling its Ashes and 1970s pop-festival history, planning Happy Hill as training for Panorama Punish, taking a wrong bridge near the finish and missing her last bingo number, while her juniors puddle at Eynesbury still refuses to fill for the rubber ducks.

• Episode 234 - Mothers Day

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis after Mother's Day. Ollie stayed in Shellharbour for a packed weekend of birthdays, Mother's Day and his and Kathy's 12th anniversary, running most of parkrun with his mum on her birthday (she brought her own cake) and eating five cakes in the week. Mel ran with her son Jake and her daughter's pup Dustin in Melbourne's south-east and is hunting Kmarts for a dog water bottle; Eynesbury juniors was paused so the RD team could volunteer in pink tutus at the Mother's Day Classic, and the show turns to Alison's report from Barry Curtis parkrun via the trans-Tasman travel bubble.

• Episode 233 - Autumnal Adventures

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, recovering from the Run Shellharbour marathon. Ollie was Volunteer Coordinator then ran a social parkrun at Shellharbour, where Killalea reserve was hosting a big environmental protest, and on Sunday ran the two-lap coastal marathon past his parents-in-law's house, finishing strongly alongside fellow Shellharbour parkrunner Chris while one of their RDs attempted a Guinness record in a star costume; he also met Sam, who volunteered on the scanning crew. Mel and Paul travelled to event two of Ovens River Trail in Victoria's alpine region with a group of tourists, detouring to the Devenish military-themed silo art and her first country-pub bar drink.

• Episode 232 - Celebrating first’s

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, both winding down after Palm. Ollie was back in the vest at Shellharbour with lots of visitors and PBs on a cool morning, and is tapering for a big event next week. Mel returned to Fairpark Reserve, her mum's local, for a three-minute PB with Irene and Parth there and Zoe barcode scanning, then did the Anzac Day dawn service at the Eynesbury homestead with her Vietnam-veteran father-in-law before juniors, where kids are starting to earn 11 milestone wristbands; roving reports follow, starting with PK celebrating a milestone.

• Episode 231 - The one with the bird

  Ollie Spake and Melissa Ellis recording in front of a live audience at Palm 2021 in Nambour on the Sunshine Coast, after the group's morning at Nambour parkrun (others had been to Kawana, Ocean View, Brightwater, Golden Beach and S.S. Koopa Trail). They thank Mel and Scotty for trusting them with the pod, their families, Chris Fraser for the episode art, the Channel 5 News crew including new addition Alison from New Zealand, the informant, TOC for organising the weekend, Deb from Berry Lane for the recording venue and the Nambour team. Highlights were finally meeting Fluffy, getting to run the Plan A course across the creek, RD David's brief and Trevor's first-timers briefing, before they grab a mic to chat with Melissa and others.

• Episode 230 - Stepping up

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis on holiday on the northern New South Wales coast. Mel knocked off Kirra parkrun, where Zoe sat the run out so they could dash to the airport to collect Paul, and Mel chased two sausage dogs whose owner Natalie she recorded; she also researched the painted koala statues at the turnaround, left over from a Currumbin Wildlife Hospital art trail. The pair want listener ideas for an Australian-themed challenge for Dano when England's parkruns restart, and Ollie's eldest, Hannah, took her first turn as Run Director at Shellharbour before roving reports from Mark and James in Tassie.

• Episode 229 - King & Queen of the mountain

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, 'one half of our Main Beach parkrun live on the scene crew'. Mel and Lyndell were on the ground for the 10th anniversary of Australia's first parkrun at Main Beach, over 500 finishers all masked, after a stressful week of Brisbane's snap lockdown and a cancelled flight; Ollie gave up his Shellharbour morning to co-host the live stream with Danny Norman of With Me Now, though he still dropped the gear off at first light, and congratulates Em on 200 volunteers. Mel plans Kirra next week and a later return for New Farm, listener Peter Pohlman explains the 'Weetbix parkrun' nickname for Avondale University College (the old Sanitarium factory site), and Ollie introduces his interview with Bathurst EDs Stephen and Jen.

• Episode 228 - Bookrun

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, 'he whose volunteering spans three generations', promising a mammoth episode. Ollie barcode-scanned at Shellharbour with Hannah on camera and his mum marshalling in the puddles, then ran the 12k Run West in Western Sydney on Sunday, through the new zoo and the Rooty Hill parkrun course, alongside Dirty Cheetahs Simon Mackley and Mary. Mel did event three of the closed military Puckapunyal parkrun, bringing friend Megan and her daughter Maddie to their first parkrun, then RD'd event 10 of Eynesbury Heritage Trail juniors (37 kids) with TOC and Jackie volunteering and visitors James and Elise Scarborough from the ACT; a clip of Abigail celebrating 33rd place follows, and Mel introduces her interview with Eileen Jones, author of the book behind the UK book run relay.

• Episode 227 - Smorgasbord

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, 'the third fastest Ellis in the field'. Mel tail-walked Toolern Creek, getting Paul and Zoe to a Saturday 5k for the first time since the return from the pause, spotted roos, waved across to 'Ellis Palace parkrun', and explained the hand-painted 'Gnomeville' gnomes at the turnaround, credited to Run Director Tiani. Ollie ran at home at Shellharbour where the expected big wet never arrived, and both hosts voice concern about the serious flooding in New South Wales before introducing roving reports from TOC at Cascades on Clyde Wetlands, Marvellous Mark in gumboots at Braidwood Showground and Lyndell at Maleny Trail.

• Episode 226 - Crackerjack

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, introduced by his athlete ID. Ollie was back RDing at Shellharbour (202 finishers, daughter Hannah doubling as Marshal and photographer) but skipped his own long run, with his marathon seven weeks away and a longest run of 35 km so far; he has booked an early Friday flight for PALM, which falls before the marathon. Mel took her 'grand doggie' Dustin, daughter Sarah's Cavoodle, to event two of Cascades on Clyde Wetlands, walking four kilometres with friend Michelle and her dog Entei before running the last kilometre; she reflects that with launches now silent, the Victorian tourist community reunites at event two instead, and explains why dogs are not allowed at Eynesbury juniors.

• Episode 225 - Who let the dogs out?

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, with Mel's chihuahuas Lucy and Chico and the budgies audible in the background. Ollie was in Sydney for his wife Cathy's birthday weekend and ducked out to GreenWay parkrun, remarking on how quiet the city is without international tourists; Mel and her friend Cheryl drove five-plus hours north for an overnight trip to Ted Scobie Oval parkrun in Griffith (event 5, four laps of two split-level ovals) with Victorian friends Cheryl, Irene and Parth, lifting her Wilson Index from four to nine, while Jindabyne remains her NENDY. Mel regrets not visiting Griffith's heritage-listed Hermit's Cave and plans a return trip.

• Episode 224 - Madness & Mystery

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake. Ollie ran 35 km in loose training for a low-key local marathon that turns near Lake Illawarra, volunteered at Shellharbour alongside his mum and Hannah amid a strong Run Down Under turnout, and lost a very fast Kiama visitor on course; he also apologises to New Zealand for a careless word as the country's alert level rules out parkrun. Mel left at 4am for Louis Hamon Park parkrun, brunched with TOC, Jackie, Helen, Steve and Nathan while the ED fangirled over TOC, and starts on Sunday's juniors.

• Episode 223 - Abigail

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake. On a family holiday Ollie ran Huskisson (Husky) parkrun alone, going sub-20 and fourth with a PB on the new Moona Moona Creek course, caught up with Shellharbour friend Michael over brekkie, saluted turnaround marshal Graham (90 of 117 events volunteered) and discovered the runner he passed was a high-school mate unseen for 20 years. Mel did event three at Fairpark Reserve (101 finishers) with friend Helen, her mum walking her ninth event, and talks silo art trails; a report from Tony O'Connell, who was also there, follows.

• Episode 222 - Crickets

  Ollie Spake hosting with Melissa Ellis, Mel recording from her control room in Victoria and Ollie from Shellharbour Central with rattling garage doors. Victoria's snap lockdown meant Ellis Palaceparkrun was relaunched with a Valentine's theme, Daryl in Zoe's red 50 shirt bearing flowers, on Mel's seventh parkrun anniversary, followed by a scones-and-pancakes brunch with Paul and Zoe. Ollie skipped Shellharbour's third new Run Director in a row to go elsewhere with Hannah and record his first roving report, which follows.

• Episode 221 - parkrun Royale

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake. Ollie barcode scanned again at Shellharbour (Killalea) under another new Run Director, welcomed a pair back from Costa Rica, and did local radio interviews that brought Australian Idol winner Damien Leith to parkrun, though he forgot to record an interview; his daughter Hannah is recruited as apprentice. Mel's touring streak ended with event 348 at Westerfolds (handy for her Wilson Index, and her fifth visit toward a P-index of eight), she profiles Westerfolds Park, and the pair plan Operation Vic Spake Adventure.

• Episode 220 - parkrun fun

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake. Ollie barcode scanned at Shellharbour while a new Run Director took the reins, and cheered a regular, Liz, who hit 100 with a milestone PB of 37:49. Mel drove 577 km solo to Meningie with the Wicked soundtrack, finished fourth (second female) in a field of nine, breakfasted at the bakery with locals and Naracoorte visitors, and missed two Victorian launches so is no longer a statesman; she also wonders why Australia says launch where England says inaugural.

• Episode 219 - Lauren Reid

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake. Shellharbour farewelled outgoing Event Director Brendan with a print of the Killalea view; Mel road-tripped north with three friends to Lake Boga, a flat, fast lakeside course beside a museum for the WWII flying boat base, which completes her set of all 87 Victorian events, and then had another happy Sunday at her juniors event. Talk of a parkrun club for giant things (Swan Hill's Murray cod, Mark's big banana), then roving reports from Marvellous Mark at Coffs Harbour, from Lake Boga and from Alison at Owairaka.

• Episode 218 - Alison King

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake. Ollie finally ran (rather than volunteered at) his home Shellharbour parkrun, 270-odd runners on a summer's day, confessing he is a spitter and doing as many Zoom Zooms for the photographer as he could. Mel was at Dandenong (event four) for Victoria's return: a wet field of 20, chihuahua Chico smuggled along with Paul and Zoe, Mel briefly leading as first female and finishing second, Joanne Blackburn in the Ugly Christmas Shirt, and husband Paul reaching his 100th unique event (Cowell Club). Over 50,000 parkrunners worldwide for the first time since the restart; Marvellous Mark's roving report from Fingal Bay is next.

• Episode 217 - The Informant

  Melissa Ellis (singing that parkrun Vic is coming back in five days, on the 16th) and Ollie Spake, described as the Shellharbour ED who hasn't run a parkrun since 7 March. Ollie again skipped his undiscovered-local-parkrun homework and volunteered at Shellharbour, where numbers were up and over-sanitised barcodes went fuzzy; Mel did aparkrun on the Toolern Creek course, brunched with regulars and recorded a short interview with Toolern Creek ED Tracey Donald. Ollie is to remind Mel to bring her budgies in off the deck at the end.

• Episode 216 - Zoom zoom

  Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake, with chat about Ollie's aeroplane pose (dubbed the Zoom Zoom) and Mel's jump shot, plus a photo of them at Curl Curl from the 2019 longest run. Ollie run directed Shellharbour in pouring rain after no New Year's Day event there; Mel travelled to South Australia with six other adventurers including TOC and Jackie for New Year's Day at Mawson Lakes (event 159, 242 finishers), her 12th SA event, and ran her fastest 5k in a couple of months. Mel recalls being called in for the Victorian fire effort this day a year ago.

• Episode 215 - Bon bon voyage

  Christmas episode: Melissa Erbacher's final episode, with original co-host Scott Trickett back for one show only, the two reminiscing briefly about starting the podcast more than five years ago before handing over to Melissa Ellis and Ollie Spake. Neither did a parkrun this week: Mel stayed home with a sick household and a lurgy of her own, and Scotty still has no parkrun to go to, with hope of one on the horizon next year. Christmas bonbons and dad jokes promised.

• Episode 214 - Festive Frivolity

  Melissa Ellis and Oliver Spake, now handed the pod by Mel Erbacher (with thanks to Danny and Nicola for the welcome), sending love to UK listeners back in lockdown. Mel did her first real-life parkrun in months at Kate Reed parkrun (event six) in Launceston on a trip with her mum for her 75th birthday, where RD Ruth recognised her singlet and the volunteers sang happy birthday; their Airbnb backed onto Windsor Precinct parkrun, and her planned uni graduation (a dementia care degree) was cancelled. New South Wales parkruns including Olly's Shellharbour are cleared to return from this weekend, and Olly has just been campervanning up the NSW coast as far as Port Macquarie.

• Episode 213 - On the Rove Again!

  Melissa Erbacher, recording through a Sunshine Coast thunderstorm, with Mark Scarborough, home in a chilly Canberra about two months after his family's caravan trip around Australia. Mark was Run Director at his home event Wagi Bridge with Nicole on finish tokens and the kids scanning, and praised the new virtual volunteer app; Mel did First Timers Welcome and Volunteer Coordinator at Kawana with the boys in tow, and told of Emmett tipping out the sandcastle buckets she bought for finish tokens. Mel is sticking close to home and may change Christmas plans to head south; New South Wales has been announced as returning.

• Episode 212 - Chris Murphy

  Scott in Melbourne with Melissa Erbacher in Queensland. Scott explains Melbourne's 'doughnut days' of zero COVID cases (about 30 in a row) and the doughnut-buying that followed; Mel was back at her home event Kawana parkrun as a Barcode Scanner in Queensland's first weekend back, glad to see John Taylor (JT) finish his 350th, but felt subdued knowing so many others still have no parkrun. Five of eight states and territories are now back, with two to go after the coming weekend.

• Episode 211 - Waffle

  Melissa Erbacher with Lyndell Murray. Mel counts the states and territories with parkrun back (Northern Territory, Tasmania, now Western Australia, with the ACT due the coming week), and Lyndell recounts finishing the Blackall 100 ultramarathon out of Mapleton on the Sunshine Coast, crewed by her husband Phil, running much of it in the dark, meeting friend of the podcast Erica at a checkpoint and receiving a wristband from the Noosa ultra trail runners reading 'only 20 parkruns today'. Mel says she misses volunteering at parkrun more than parkrun itself, while Lyndell has been volunteering as a triathlon technical official; they lead into a roving report from Cameron Drake, an Event Director in WA.

• Episode 210 - Aussie adventures

  Paul Kitching (PK), back as a roving-reporter co-host from South Australia, with Melissa Erbacher. Mel sat in on Danny Norman's With Me Now Facebook/YouTube live cross to the Northern Territory for parkrun's return in Australia, one of only four events running in the world that weekend, and PK enjoyed watching it and meeting Shani on screen alongside Renee. PK has been running a home-made 5K not-parkrun course from his front door, Mel Ellis style, and keeping up Tim Oberg's 5k-a-day idea for 2020 (day 265 at recording), though not always as running.

• Episode 209 - parkrun is Coming!

  Melissa Ellis with regular sidekick Ollie Spake, on the cusp of the Northern Territory parkrun relaunch and greeting the streakers. They wonder whether Ian Hay's early-podcast tally of Scots versus Mels still holds and how many Ollies there are, before Mel asks Ollie about hisparkrun week.

• Episode 208 - We Heart the NT

  Scott Watkins from Melbourne, back for a second week, with Mel Erbacher in Queensland for her 201st hosting episode. The big news is Northern Territory parkruns reopening on 19 September and a target for England before the end of October; Scott runs through the stats for Darwin (launched 2013, the same day as Westerfolds and a year after Kawana), Palmerston and Nightcliff, and relays Mark Connolly's idea of participants dressing as Australian events. Mel recounts her two NT trips, Darwin for the Peel Club and the Compass Club she created with Christine Timms (losing her wallet, keys and Garmin and turning up a day late for her flight), then Nightcliff on 26 May 2018 as the new northernmost event; Scott did Darwin where Joanne restarted her parkrunning, and holds Statesperson status in California.

• Episode 206 - Pause?

  Tony O'Connell (TOC) from near Inverloch in Victoria with Mel Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast, comparing early magpie swooping seasons. Mel explains the gap since the last episode was a long run of non-COVID sickness through the Erbacher household; TOC is up to 70parkruns, one every day, with Inverloch topping Australia'sparkrun numbers three weeks running. Mel ran the virtual Sunshine Coast Marathon Festival 10K with Adam pushing the boys in the double pram, but Adam refused the fancy dress, so the costumes sit on the bookcase awaiting a family photo, perhaps a 2K when Streaky September starts.

• Episode 205 - Tania Hollis

  Mel Erbacher, proud to call the pod her own, with Lyndell Murray as co-host, on a roll of weekly episodes. Mel has done four weeks straight ofparkrun, two in week three, and her PB streak has ended as she returns to running after having Emmett; Lyndell has completed a virtual Peel Club in lockdown by spelling out Nightcliff with business names and Coombs with park names around her Brisbane suburbs, even finding a Studley Park in Queensland. A guest and a returning podcast stalwart with a new segment are lined up.

• Episode 204 - Steve Darby

  Melissa Ellis with Ollie Spake, recorded 5 July with a preface noting that metropolitan Melbourne has since gone back into Stage 3 lockdown. Ollie has kept up his Bass Pointparkrun to event nine (record attendance two, thanks to his mum), marked the Shellharbour parkrun virtual birthday with cupcakes from Chris Fraser, and spent the solstice on his in-laws' Swedish-Finnish midsummer traditions, maypole, frog dance and herring pie included; Mel did the winter solstice longest run with a small group of friends, seven events over the Queen's Birthday long weekend in Melbourne, and has been building Ellis Pellis parkrun at home with a selfie frame, fake results emails, a New Zealand theme complete with a flag Paul fetched, and an open invitation to Victorians, limited to five for brunch. Ollie signs off the pre-segment chat cheering the 2023 World Cup being awarded to Australia and New Zealand.

• Episode 203 - In the Dunny

  Melissa Erbacher with Dave Moss in the same room for once, recording on the last day of the financial year, with Ugly Christmas Singlet 3.0 promised for later in the year. Both are doingparkrun, which drew almost 19,000 participants across 20 countries in week one and a growing list at their home event Kawana: Mel ran her Palmwoods loop that looks like a toilet on Strava and took more than three and a half minutes off, Dave ran Boondall Wetlands and then the Mansfield course in Brisbane, going from 25:09 to 21:30. They wonder whether stopwatch bingo restarts, a question for Andy and Laura, and celebrate New Zealand relaunching this weekend with events adopting a parkrun country each in solidarity.

• Episode 202 - Tom Williams

  Tony O'Connell wakes Melissa Erbacher with the news that parkrun may return in New Zealand within a month after twelve weeks of pause; they talk quarantine, Mel's family in New Zealand and a pre-COVID trip she still hopes to make, the trans-Tasman bubble and Queensland's closed border. TOC recounts his park faff appearance with Danny and Nicola from With Me Now, complete with the Inverloch stump as his Zoom background and his custom Channel 5 News Crew apricot, and they thank Mel Ellis and Ollie Spake for holding the fort on episode 201 before lining up someone from HQ for a corona update.

• Episode 201 - Janet Reid

  Melissa Ellis hosting with Ollie Spake, co-ED of Shellharbour, in the co-host chair for the first time while the regular hosts are away, framed as a lockdown party with cake and watermelon. Ollie tells his parkrun story from stumbling on Shellharbour in 2014, volunteering nudged by co-ED Brendan, his mum the keen tourist and daughter Hannah, the Friday the 13th dark run tradition, and his one lockdown outing at what he calls Bass Point parkrun plus pre-work runs up through the woods to Heartbreak Hill; Mel is up to event eight of her front-door Ellis Palace parkrun, stopped by to reconnect with the Toolern Creek course on a shopping trip, and misses the long car trips with Paul and Zoe, whom Ollie last bumped into at Wangaratta parkrun.

• Episode 200 - Beau Miles

  Episode 200, Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, both having gone back to listen to episode one as homework: the formal opening (Tim and Mel calling him Scott until Robbo started with Scotty), recording over Skype with a Tascam and Adam emailing Mel's audio across, and a podcast landscape that now includes With Me Now, Free Weekly Timed and a new 930 Club. They recall Liv Coop launching Sirromet and Tim as a regular in year one, Scott's Christmas 2015 Whitsunday double at Airlie Beach and Hamilton Island, Australia at 150 events then versus nearly 400 now, lost SoundCloud download stats, the Ugly Christmas Singlets, and Mel's thought that her boys will one day have four and a half years of her voice to listen to, before welcoming Beau Miles back fresh.

• Episode 199 - Bek Milne

  Melissa Erbacher hosting with Scott Watkins back as guest co-host for his 2020 turn, with parkrun still paused. Mel explains the gap since episode 198: the pod is now ad hoc rather than weekly, and she skipped a week because she was not in the right frame of mind with everything going on in the world, adding that nobody can be upbeat all the time and that constant silver-lining talk can grate as much as the doom and gloom.

• Episode 198 - Phone a Friend

  Lyndell Murray hosting with Melissa Erbacher, both in Queensland and recording during parkrun time for the first time in the podcast's history, checking in on physical distancing and staying socially connected. Mel hasn't felt the urge to run at parkrun time and has been baking instead; Lyndell is running but later in the day, noting Strava friends doing the same. They chat about home-office and dumbbell shortages, chalk-art messages on footpaths, and confirm there are no roving reports this week.

• Episode 197 - Jon Pendse

  Melissa Erbacher from the studio in Palmwoods with Tony O'Connell, recorded on the Monday after the first cancelled parkrun day, with parkrun off in 22 countries. TOC filled the void by running 82 km around Phillip Island with a friend doing a virtual 100 km trail race, seeing penguins, koalas and a snake; Mel did the parkrun quiz online, scoring seven from 15, and enjoyed the live chat, and predicts new parkrun events will spring from people's local runs. A nod to Nicola of With Me Now pronouncing Dandenong, then an interview with a WA adventurer.

• Episode 196 - #PALM20 LIVE!

  Live #palm20 listener meetup recorded at Mount Barker parkrun, Melissa Erbacher hosting solo until she pulls Scott Trickett up from the audience as co-host, sharing one working mic. Mel acknowledges the Peramangk people as traditional owners, the first acknowledgement of country at a podcast meetup. Scotty recalls getting lost on an earlier Freedom Run of the out-and-back course and praises the finish-line atmosphere; Mel ran with Emmett in the pram after Adam and the boys slept in and a confused Queensland-to-South Australia time change, with photographer Paul Butler on course, before the Event Directors are called up.

• Episode 195 - Deri Thomas

  Melissa Erbacher with Mark Scarborough for about his third turn behind the mic. Mel's household was laid low by a bug so she missed parkrun; Mark returned to his old home event Gungahlin, running the lap of Yerrabi Pond and pacing his son James to a Gungahlin PB, and talked about running with his kids, Elise's return from injury and the family ticking off parkrun challenges. They wonder how the next generation will treat parkrun, and Mel introduces an interview about the new parkrun country launching this weekend.

• Episode 194 - #PALM20 Teaser

  Melissa Erbacher with Scott Trickett back as guest co-host, ribbing each other about his abrupt departure, the theme music he left as his legacy and the download stats he never handed over. Scotty was on the Gold Coast and Brisbane for the week and ran a sweltering Kedron parkrun on Saturday, having eyed off Bunyaville but picked the cheapest Uber-to-airport option; Mel broke her 28-event tourism streak at Kawana, pushing both boys in the pram and chatting with Rogan, a Johannesburg parkrunner. Mel and Adam plan to divide and conquer their NENDY list, Mel is off to WOMADelaide for #palm20 with Scotty attending, and a pre-recorded #palm20 guest interview follows.

• Episode 193 - Podding in the Rain

  Melissa Erbacher with Melissa Ellis, who dodges the intro for a fourth time. Mel E is recording through thunderstorms after repeated blackouts and power surges delayed recent episodes and killed a computer and a TV; Mel Ellis is still posted at Puckapunyal but got leave to run Frog Hollow's event 299, lifting her P-index to seven, and hopes to make palm20 in March. Mel E finally got to Ipswich QLD for event 310, a hilly two-lap course she'd long avoided in summer, with Adam pushing the double pram and the single rain cover fitted over one side, running the downhills and walking the ups for a 45-minute parkrun that just missed stopwatch bingo.

• Episode 192 - World Tourists

  David Moss hosting with Melissa Erbacher, recording at the far end of Mel's house in Palmwoods on the Sunshine Coast before Dave's since-cancelled tennis game. Dave took a spontaneous 600-700 km road trip with his friend Mark to Yeppoon on the Tropic of Capricorn, to get there while the current course still exists, and recorded audio with Run Director Natalie about the changes coming, which plays next.

• Episode 191 - Dynamic Duo

  Melissa Erbacher introduces a special guest co-host, G-Train, joining from Victoria after recently reporting in from Canada.

• Episode 190 - Chasing Vert

  Lyndell Murray guest co-hosting with Melissa Erbacher. Mel missed parkrun in the wet with two sick boys and no rain cover for the double pram; Lyndell's plan to run to Zillmere's birthday for cake fell through when the grass course was cancelled after heavy Brisbane rain, so she did a long treadmill run instead, while Dave rerouted to New Farm, one of few Brisbane events still on among 20-plus Queensland cancellations. They chat about UK ice cancellations, including one listed as 'course infested by ice skating zombie penguins', and Phillip Island's fairy penguins.

• Episode 189 - Happy New Year!

  First episode of 2020, Melissa Erbacher with Tony O'Connell back on the co-hosting couch. TOC run directed Inverloch on Christmas Day (his middle son's 50th), ran Mount Beauty on the 28th, had the Canberra New Year's Day double cancelled for smoke but joined about 60 parkrunners for breakfast at Poppy's behind the war memorial, then went to Benalla Botanical Gardens on the 4th after Bright was evacuated, where Jackie did her 250th. Mel missed Christmas Day, RD'd the Kawana B course on the 28th while Adam tried the double pram at Baringa, and did the Adelaide New Year's Day double at Jubilee Way and Lochiel with prams lent by Janet and Christy, walking with Melissa Ellis, catching PK at Lochiel and meeting listeners Parth, Irene and Chantelle.

• Episode 188 - Merry Ugly Christmas

  Melissa Erbacher alone, introducing the season four finale (episode 46 of the season, episode 188) before going straight into the first segment.

• Episode 187 - PKRUN

  Melissa Erbacher and Melissa Ellis. Mel Ellis regained her Victorian statesperson status at Aurora (event 6, a Wilson Index number) after missing a day of three launches, with Victoria now at 80 events; Bruce Purdy and Fiona Davies were there in ugly singlets, Paul was chasing Wilson numbers at Campaspe and Zoe had a week off. Mel Erbacher's tourist streak is at 24, and she debuted a new side-by-side double Bob pram, dubbed the bobsled after her family's Cool Runnings costumes at Kawana, on a late start at Berrinba's single-loop wetlands course, leaving her sore for two days and asking for tips on keeping Wes in the pram.

• Episode 186 - J.O.G.I

  Lyndell Murray and Melissa Erbacher, opening with Get Smart jokes about Agent 86. Lyndell's pirate-voiced roving report from Cormorant Bay drew plenty of feedback, but that event is now cancelled until at least January after bushfires damaged the course; the pair talk drought, the dry creek crossing at Bunyaville and Lyndell's recent trip to Ros Gregor Trail at Nanango. Lyndell timekept in a tutu at Bunyaville's sixth birthday (158 finishers) to tick off her 25-volunteer milestone, and they debate whether Bunyaville is the friendliest or one of the toughest alongside Nambour, Ocean View and Mundy Regional; Mel did nothing adventurous.

• Episode 185 - Trails and Tales

  Melissa Erbacher and Tony O'Connell, recording on a Monday night. The first Ugly Christmas Singlet has arrived in New South Wales ahead of supplier Ventoo's shipping date, with International Ugly Christmas Singlet Day set for 21 December; TOC is planning a Christmas and New Year trip taking in two northern Victoria events and a New Year's double in the ACT. TOC visited the new Aurora parkrun in Epping (four laps, 52 finishers) after a tutu pacer week at Inverloch; Mel stayed close to home at a hot Golden Beach with Adam's sister Karen and Andrew, who pushed Wes in the pram.

• Episode 184 - Margie Lewis

  David Moss and Melissa Erbacher, recording from opposite ends of Mel's house in Palmwoods to get around technology problems. Dave got a course PB at Mudjimba Beach a year after his last visit, cooled off in the beach shower and swears by a wide-brimmed Bunnings hat filled with ice, also used at Harris Avenue a fortnight earlier; Mel walked Redland Bay with Adam's brother and sister-in-law before they move to New Zealand, plus her brother Nicholas and family, picking up a Wilson Index number and narrowly missing her stopwatch bingo time after crossing the line with her niece Lani. The Margie Lewis interview that follows was recorded by Mel alone after repeated rescheduling.

• Episode 183 - parkrun: The Musical

  Melissa Erbacher with Paul Kitching, recording on a warm Tuesday night in Adelaide with U2 audible from Adelaide Oval and Kiss having cancelled. PK toured West Beach (his 146th parkrun, eyeing 150 in December) and filed mini roving chats with Ian from Kettering, England, visiting his son Alex a year after his first parkrun there, and with RD Greg, before a grumble about people talking through the briefing and the UK's quiet-please paddles; Mel run directed Kawana for Katie's 25-volunteer milestone and Dave's 100th volunteer, confessing that her Martha Stewart chocolate cake came out like a frisbee so Katie's mum Kerry's cake saved the day, and she quietly ticked off another New Year's resolution.

• Episode 182 - Ian Shaw

  Mark Scarborough co-hosting from Canberra with Melissa Erbacher, after a windy week with five degrees on parkrun day and the Canberra Times Fun Run on Sunday. Mark's new home event is Wagi Bridge in Gungahlin, event three, where he is on the event team and ran another PB with his son James; Mel dropped a planned Gatton get-together because the boys were sick and instead barcode-scanned at Kawana to protect her tourism streak, with Emmett asleep beside her, and both praise the volunteer app. Coming up, Mark's first run directing at Wagi Bridge event four while ED Ian runs a marathon in New Zealand, with his gym invited along and milestone celebrants leading the pack across the bridge.

• Episode 181 - Linda van Duynhoven

  Melissa Erbacher with Melissa Ellis. Mel Ellis was at the wet Campaspe parkrun launch, walking with her daughter Zoe and two chihuahuas while Paul ran on his birthday and came back to carry one dog home; Mel Erbacher made a weekend of Ros Gregor Trail parkrun in Nanango with a farm stay in Kingaroy, event four for her Wilson Index, a 51:14 on her parkrun birthday (shared with Nicola Forward of With Me Now) and her fifteenth different event for the year, and briefly met Nicole Sanday. Mel Ellis has hit 250 parkruns and her Cowell, her proposal for a junior parkrun in Melbourne's western suburbs is one of six new junior events approved by parkrun Australia, and she has been accepted as an outreach ambassador supporting Glen Turner on the Generations Project for older Australians.

• Episode 180 - Myths & Legends

  Tim Oberg guest-hosting with Melissa Erbacher, who is joining him only virtually and wishes she were in Airlie Beach; they joke about former host Scott Trickett and tease a big announcement at the end of the episode. Tim's highlight is his dad Terry's first parkrun at Sandgate in about 54 minutes, tying in with the Better Ageing project; Mel's NENDY trip took the family to Yowie parkrun in Kilcoy (event 38 for her Wilson Index), with a detour into Yowie folklore, Adam third finisher pushing the pram and Mel breaking 54 minutes with a 53:42, Esther the co-ED run directing.

• Episode 179 - Eliud Kiprobbo

  Melissa Erbacher with Gary Murphy, both inspired by a big marathon weekend. Gary was at Lalor parkrun, where the event team rerouted the course after the council closed the rusty bridge for pathworks, then went on to a trial run of the new Aurora event (flat, friendly, fun, fantastic and a four-lapper); Mel run directed a rain-thinned Kawana (73 finishers against 205 the week before) with PB weather and one brand-new parkrunner. They close on the Melbourne Marathon, Eliud Kipchoge's INEOS 1:59, Brigid Kosgei's world record in Chicago and Channel 5 News crew member Mark Scarborough's first marathon in 5:20:08.

• Episode 178 - Roving Reports

  Lyndell Murray hosting with Mel Erbacher, recorded on a Monday afternoon, recapping International parkrun Day. Lyndell stayed home for Bunyaville's 300th event, where regular Bruce Willis also ran his 300th, and earned her volunteer credit as a high-fiver in gold tights, clown wig and a homemade blue foam hand, clicking off 351 high fives; Mel recalled making a three-fingered Toy Story alien hand for Adam's Gold Coast Marathon, and the pair compared Bunyaville photographer Scott Triffitt with former co-host Scott Trickett.

• Episode 177 - The Doddfather

  Melissa Erbacher hosting with David Moss as the show's first international co-host, recording from Brighton Library in the UK after the pub he had scouted closed for renovations. Dave ran Mole Valley parkrun at Denbies Winery in Dorking, getting a lift from two housemates running a 55km ultra, and had been hiking the Surrey Downs near where his mother grew up around Guildford; Mel tail walked the five-event-old Harris Avenue at Narangba, which took her tourist quotient to 50 percent at 83 different events out of 166, and met listener Lisa Akerson from Lota.

• Episode 176 - International Podcast Day 2019

  A bonus episode for International Podcast Day, with Mel Erbacher solo on her back deck on the Sunshine Coast, reading the history of the day from the internationalpodcastday.com website (started by Steve Lee in 2013, rebranded from National Podcast Day) and framing episode 176 as an extra pod for the week.

• Episode 175 - Twinning

  Melissa Erbacher hosting episode 175, noting the episode count is only ten ahead of her own tally of parkruns, and introducing Channel 5 News crew newest recruit Mark Scarborough as her co-host.

• Episode 174 - Stanthorpe parkrun

  Melissa Erbacher hosting with roving reporter Grette Wilkinson of Mount Barker as guest co-host. Mel tail walked Ocean View parkrun in Queensland, run through the vines of a working winery, with Emmett in the carrier and Adam pushing Wes in the pram, meeting co-EDs Adrienne and Kelly, marshal Charlotte, Craig and Thomas from Rocks Riverside and the Murrell family, and celebrating with bubbles at the champagne breakfast afterwards; Grette took the family to hilly Cleland parkrun in the Adelaide Hills, where daughter Jess ran a course PB despite her misgivings.

• Episode 173 - Roving, Roving, Roving

  Melissa Erbacher is joined by Channel 5 news crew reporter Melissa Ellis as co-host. Mel Ellis went back to Point Cook for its Craigs Day volunteer theme after a Birdsland trip fell through, and her NENDY is now Meningie in South Australia with Victoria quiet on launches until Berwick Waters in November; Mel Erbacher completed the Sunshine Coast's unofficial Pineapple Club at Glass House Mountains Conservation parkrun, finishing 35th of 36 with the Mannings before visiting her Nana. They revisit how Mel Ellis joined the pod through early challenges, a freedom run at Jells Park and a reverse course at Portland, before her first roving report at the Lakes Entrance launch.

• Episode 171 - The Butler Boys

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Paul Kitching (PK) as the first of the Channel 5 news crew caretaker co-hosts following Scotty's departure, and both reflect on the emotional episode 170. PK run directed Mount Barker's event 291 and pedalled a borrowed bike out with the defib on a report of a collapsed runner that turned out not to need it; Mel walked across the NSW border to photograph at Kirra during the parkrun Australia Ambassador Conference on the Gold Coast, where she was emcee and the dinner had a Hawaiian theme, and Gary Murphy's propeller hat drew a magpie swoop. Will Barlow's 250th at Ginninderra is coming up, and Mel explains the Wilson Index for PK.

• Episode 170 - Linda Coombes

  Scott Trickett is back with Melissa Erbacher after a couple of weeks away, teasing Mel about the rumours she spread in his absence. He flags a big episode with Linda Coombes coming on and promises to open with news about where he has been.

• Episode 169 - Tabitha Schulz

  Gary Murphy sits in Scotty's chair as guest co-host with Melissa Erbacher, who says Scotty is not returning her messages. They chat about snow covering Orange parkrun and whether anyone has done a beach-and-snow double; Mel run directed at her home event, edging toward her 2019 RD target, while Gary timekept at a 13-strong Lancefield in cold Melbourne weather and shared the park's megafauna history. They float sending a search party of roving reporters to find Scotty.

• Episode 168 - #fluffyfactor

  Lyndell Murray returns as co-host alongside Melissa Erbacher after Scotty's decision to step away from the podcast. Lyndell was at Nambour, where Fluffy the emu walked to the start line with the field, and she plans to make Nambour a P-index event (she is on five). Mel broke her adventure drought at Baringa on the Sunshine Coast, her second-nearest event not done, finishing 48th of about 50 while pushing Emmett on his first parkrun, followed by a much-praised cafe breakfast; it did nothing for her Wilson Index and she still has two bingo numbers to collect.

• Episode 167 - Ian Rutson

  Scott Trickett, feeling inexplicably hot in the depths of winter, and Melissa Erbacher, previewing guest Ian Rutson, the Instagram showdown results and a roving report from the G-Train. The Erbachers stayed home from parkrun with two snotty little boys. Scott's planned TV segment at Ballarat fell through, so the Tricketts revisited Highlands in Craigieburn, a flat three-lap course around a man-made lake with a large share of walkers, where he ran with Gary Murphy, met listeners who quote the podcast back at him, and learned the event is named after its housing estate; no kilts spotted, though Gary Murphy has been photographed in one.

• Episode 166 - Social Prescribing

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, with Mel defending Scott against listeners' unflattering replacement suggestions. Mel was at home after a last-minute roster switch and is still some weeks off visiting new events on doctor's orders, though she may walk them; Scott admits his ankle burns after every run. Scott went alone to Sunbury, his near-NENDY, and delivers a whinge about locals only ever mentioning the hill when the course has a homestead, a lake, geese and a bluestone-bridge finish next to a winery, calling it one of the best courses he has run; Mel confesses to milk-less banana muffins, and the segment closes by introducing social prescribing.

• Episode 165 - Justin Scholz

  Scott Trickett, joking he is hosting solo after last week's shots fired, with Melissa Erbacher, who confirms Emmett's name does nod to Doc Emmett Brown of Back to the Future. Mel was at home at Kawana, where she gave an emotional announcement for a parkrunner named Bailey who had died; a bell was rung when the clock passed his 25:24 PB and participants made heart signs for the photographer. Scott's Tricketts missed Darebin and went back to Westerfolds, where Kasia set out to run alone, got a stitch and cold ears, and Scott escorted her back via the juniors course for a 44-minute 8K; Mel notes Scott has drawn level with her on the Australian most-events list and edged ahead on internationals, and she and Adam are planning adventures for the rest of the year, with a points-hacking episode floated for around episode 200.

• Episode 164 - UK Conference

  Melissa Erbacher back after her break, with Lyndell Murray as co-host and running jokes that they have replaced Scotty, who may grovel his way back for an interview later. Lyndell was at home at Bunyaville with a friend she introduced to parkrun who has already done three countries; a little rain, tacky clay, water in the creek and muddy-chested park dogs. Mel run-directed a wet and windy Kawana for the third week running: the wet-weather setup, a monsoon arriving 25 minutes in, wind scattering the finish tokens, two sub-16 finishers, a group of Victorian visitors, Emmett asleep in the carrier and Wesley dry under a newly bought pram cover.

• Episode 163 - Ada Macey

  Scott Trickett and Lyndell Murray, breaking new ground with a third co-host, Ada Macey, who says she and Lyndell go way back. Lyndell's first guess was Fluffy the emu from Nambour, and Scott promises an update on Fluffy and Miffy at the end of the episode.

• Episode 162 - Lee Troop

  Lyndell Murray, standing in for Mel, with Scott Trickett. Scott sets a goal of 187 episodes to overtake the parkrun show as the longest-running parkrun podcast; he is in week three of his four-runs-a-week plan while Lyndell admits to parkrun only, and Barney's Garmin Connect step challenge has exposed how little Scott moves working from home. Lyndell ran St Lucia alongside orphans from a cancelled South Bank (botanic gardens maintenance); Scott went back to Darebin, ending a 12-week streak of different events, with both a run away from a P-index bump.

• Episode 161 - The Amazing Robbo

  Scott Trickett with Lyndell Murray for a second week, reviewing the feedback on her debut. Lyndell ran New Farm with her friend Cherie after arriving late and missing the briefing, and was told by a local that he hated Bunyaville; Scott, under orders from his coach to do four weeks of easy running, took mate Barney to Rosebud, where Barney, fresh from surgery, sprinted the finish and came back limping, before a rare post-parkrun coffee with ED Nadine and visiting adventurers.

• Episode 160 - Coach Dinneen

  Lyndell Murray stands in for Mel alongside Scott Trickett. Lyndell went to Mitchelton's sixth anniversary dressed as an abstract licorice allsort for the iron-and-lollies theme, where long-time ED Vince handed over to Carl and Luke; Scott, holidaying at Noosa with Yvonne and Kasia, took a wrong turn on the way to Victory Heights Trail in Gympie for their V, missed the briefing and loved the single-loop switchback course. Scott reports that Mel has had her baby, Emmett Avery Erbacher, and everyone is doing well.

• Episode 159 - Kelly & Charles Hodges

  Scott Trickett, recording late at night in Research, and Mel Erbacher, squeezing in an episode before Scott's holiday. Follow-up on the V-index (a suggestion that Running Challenges could track it, with a polite email to Andy and Laura mooted); Scott ran Ballarat's fourth anniversary, where ambassador Bruce spoke, and had dinner with newsletter writer Ricky and her family; Mel volunteered at Kawana in the Queensland cold, heavily pregnant and layered up rather than in her old unicorn onesie. Scott is heading to Noosa on the Sunshine Coast, and Mel's interview with Kelly comes later in the episode.

• Episode 158 - v-index

  Mel Erbacher and Scott Trickett. Scott was in Adelaide for the zoo course at Torrens parkrun, meeting RD Robbie and his team, the celebrity Barcode Scanner Marilyn and the plaque for founding ED Brian Wild, and eyeing the par 3 golf course next door; Mel recalls her own Torrens visit at an event-director powwow around the McLaren Vale Half Marathon, where she first met Paul and Emily Wilcock. Mel timekept at Kawana, where the token handers-out spilled the first half of the tokens minutes before the first finisher, and her 25th timekeeping stint prompts her idea of a V-index for volunteer roles.

• Episode 157 - State of the Nation

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher. Scott updates listeners on last week's scare: a possible heart problem meant a solidarity walk at Darebin with two fast mates (quietly boosting his P-index), then a treadmill stress test and ultrasound that cleared him to run again; Mel adds that she saw a cardiologist herself late last year. Mel skipped a Gold Coast anniversary surprise in favour of sleep, walked two kilometres with Wes at his pace, and volunteered at her home parkrun in National Volunteers Week before Scott takes over for the State of the Nation.

• Episode 156 - Dr Lindsey Reece

  Scott Trickett with Mel Erbacher, who defied her obstetrician, yoga instructor and co-host by turning up one more week. Scott returned to Berwick Springs after six years to celebrate Medibank parkrun hero Tim (buffs all round) and Michael's 250th, but was unwell by juniors on Sunday and ended up in ER for tests that found nothing definite, so his running is on hold. Mel stayed near her hospital and did the first-timers briefing at Kawana, which leads into a chat about the new first-timers briefing and pre-event course check volunteer roles.

• Episode 155 - Oodles of Roving Reports

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher back after a week off, Mel now finished work and celebrating a wedding anniversary. Scott's fortnight: a PB at Bright on the annual boys' road trip in minus one degree with no gloves and no long pants, a freedom run at Euroa that came up 500 metres short, Westerfolds' alternate course starting and finishing at the manor on top of the hill, and a stressful new volunteer role as car park marshal alongside Yvonne and Kasia. Mel is volunteering at Kawana for the foreseeable future, co-run-directing with Kelly Hodges on her return from maternity leave with baby Charles and photographing from her favourite spot on the hill, having been laid up for a day after walking to Palmwoods' Time Warp Festival; Scott plans freedom runs when he is back on the Sunshine Coast in a month.

• Episode 154 - parkrun in prisons

  Mel Erbacher and Scott Trickett on the tail end of the Easter long weekend: Mel dedicates episode 154 to napping and to the half-price chocolate she stocks up on the day after Easter, while Scott has had enough chocolate and deflects Mel's 'incriminating evidence' of him marshalling Westerfolds juniors on Easter Sunday in a furry animal outfit. Scott's Saturday was at the show's first prison-based parkrun event, so they break with tradition and go straight to the Glen Turner interview.

• Episode 153 - parkrun Japan

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher. Scott ran a flat Parkville with 'the showman' from the Erbacher household, declared the sore hammy mended, then tested it again on a 15K trail run around Sugarloaf Reservoir with the Westerfoldians, paced by a youngster called Matty; Mel volunteered at Kawana, shadowing a new Run Director from the playground with Wes. Coming up: a Japan-heavy episode with parkrunners from the launch and a pile of roving reports, linked by Scott spotting Dalby Event Director Miff Winnie in an apricot top at Parkville the same morning Lyndell filed a report from Dalby.

• Episode 59:59 - #palm19

  Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast and Scott Trickett in Research, Victoria, for the palm19 listener-meetup episode at The Beaches. The live recording at Cooks Hill Surf Club, organised by Sonja Pohlman and the event team, was mostly lost because Scott skipped hiring Adam to monitor the audio and the recording came out off mic, so they relive the morning with what survived: a chat with Robbo, Melissa Ellis's roving report, Grette Wilkinson's report from the newly launched Naracoorte, and the interview with Michael, the Beaches Event Director.

• Episode 152 - RunWest

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, the last episode before the listener meetup and live recording at The Beaches, with Mel nursing a hot glue gun burn from costume-making. Mel timekept at Lota while her brother and sister-in-law Nicholas and Michelle run-directed for the first time, her niece Lani did the Acknowledgement of Country from memory and Adam volunteered; Scott ran a wet, muddy Centennial Park with CEO Tim Oberg, collecting his C, then went to western Sydney for the inaugural Run West and a showdown with colleague Carol, told via Tim's running commentary.

• Episode 151 - Madison de Rozario

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher; Scott has Run West fever ahead of the 12K this weekend on what he calls a three-month taper, with new shoes, a slow mile on the track with his coaching group, and the adventurers Christmas singlet settled on as his kit. A back-to-front episode: reports from Melissa Ellis, Mark and PK, and a guest who has never done a parkrun, with PK handed the intro.

• Episode 150 - Lloydy

  Episode 150, Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett trading foreign-language welcomes, with a parkrun Japan launch and its adventurers connection held over to 151. Scott has ordered his 250 milestone shirt a size small as motivation, and took his coached Westerfoldians to the flat Frog Hollow course (event 251; he was at event 1) where several got PBs, including his wife, while he ran 2K with Kasia; Mel had a quiet overcast volunteer morning at home and Adam stole no tokens.

• Episode 149 - Nadine Crawford

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with Mel's toddler Wes brought in as an apprentice co-host after feedback that last week's Nick Pearson episode ran long. Mel timekept at Kawana, where Adam brought home somebody else's token, 135, for the second week running; Scott abandoned a planned trip to Toolern Creek, messaged a mate and ran Darebin for the P-index. Nadine's interview is coming up.

• Episode 148 - Nick Pearson

  A Queensland episode, season four episode five: Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast and Scott Trickett on the Gold Coast on a hot Wednesday night, with an in-person interview to come and Scotty teasing a countdown to Mel's maternity break. Scott ran his 250th at Westerfolds with his mum and sister back, the same morning his wife was named parkrunner of the Month; Mel run-directed at home at Kawana, chasing a goal of 15 more RD stints and trying out a new first-timers briefing role, then Adam produced finish token 71 from his shorts, pilfered from Kawana the weekend she and Scott were at Sirromet.

• Episode 147 - #palm19 preview

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher, episode 4 of season 4, with Scott announcing he has lined up a replacement co-host so Mel can take podcast maternity leave after last week's baby news, and previewing the listener meetup with Gary Murphy of Highlands on shortly. Scott went to Studley's third anniversary (hat theme, Backwards Hat Club, a record 300-plus field) and, stung by With Me Now's Danny Norman calling Mel a stopwatch-bingo cheat, tried to engineer his last number, 48 seconds, by stopping short of the finish, only to let a group through and miss it; Mel had a Stones Corner stagger with the South East Queensland ambassadors, a breakfast Rhonda organised despite a forecast cyclone that fizzled, where the event broke its attendance record, Adam pushed Wes in the pram and Wes gave the slide five out of five.

• Episode 146 - Kirsten Molloy

  Mel Erbacher hosting with Scotty Trickett on the line after a weekend together; episode 145 went out late on Saturday because Scott was too busy having fun to edit. Both were at the Sirromet parkrun anniversary with its aubergine-and-orange theme for volunteers and Aussie vests: Mel, six months pregnant, walked the hilly, un-pram-friendly cross-country course through head-high grass past wallabies, blowing up on the cambered hill near 4.5km, while Scott toured the grounds with ambassador Alan, thanked the turnaround volunteers and gave in to a pineapple Zooper Dooper; both praised a particularly friendly volunteer crew.

• Episode 145 - Singleton parkrun

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher, after Stranger Things chat and Scott's plans for the opening sequence of parkrun the movie. Mel was at Wishart parkrun, one of the few Brisbane events she had not done, waving at ED Adrian Royce (chasing Queensland statesmanship) but landing an event number 231 she already had on her Wilson Index and no bingo number; that took her to 72 events and reignited the most-events rivalry, which Scott, prompted by Danny Norman's podcast, insists must now count global events (Mel 74, Scott 73). Wes rates the park five out of five and the bagel was excellent; Scott stayed home at Westerfolds, now pushing 250-260 attendees with 250-run milestones, and says hello to listener Stephen.

• Episode 144 - Glen Turner

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett back for 2019 on the fourth attempt at recording the intro, skipping January altogether. Scott made his first ever trip to Tasmania for Queens Domain parkrun in Hobart with 18 Westerfolds mates on cheap flights Amanda found (most of them a 3am same-day trip), bagging his Q with only U and Y left in the alphabet, while Yvonne has already claimed stopwatch bingo under 200 runs; Mel was in the same state volunteering as roving photographer at Launceston parkrun, walking most of the course to capture every Marshal, with a guest later in the episode to explain why she was there.

• Episode 143 - With Us Now

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher on the last episode of 2018, Scott insisting it is the Christmas episode (take two, or the sequel) while Mel points out they already had one, and Scott still cursing the mid-run break that threw the episode numbering out of whack. There is a summer break coming, so listeners get a chance to catch up and nobody misses ordering a Christmas singlet or voting in the Perlustration again.

• Episode 142 - Roving Reports

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett, with Scotty nervous because Mel visited his home Westerfolds on Saturday: he collected her from her Swanston Street hotel having left his phone at home, with a car seat lent by Chris, and she pushed Wes round in a brakeless travel pram, finding many more hills than the promised one. They compare Kawana asking volunteers to arrive 30 minutes early and fully using the app with Westerfolds' later arrivals and partial app use (Yvonne and Kasia scanning), swap wildlife stories of lorikeets, kangaroos, a dead wombat, kookaburras and Scotty's birdbath magpies, and Buster the dog interrupts the recording; Mel refuses a score out of ten, says Westerfolds did not crack her top three, and reckons she recruited four new participants.

• Episode 141 - Facts in a Haystack

  Scotty Trickett and Mel Erbacher winding down for the year after last week's Christmas episode; the singlet link should now be disabled. Mel was RD at home at Kawana, lending her work phone with the volunteer app to Des when he and Linda were both rostered (the screen went to sleep mid-event, so a few finish times may be seconds out), then spent Sunday replacing sticker-numbered tokens with scannable barcodes, sewing a new kit bag and dropping the laptop from the kit, with a nod to International Volunteer Day; Scotty went to Darebin with his mate Chris, who forgot his purple wristband barcode and had to be driven home for it, no exceptions. They touch on Queensland's bushfire smoke and Scotty living near the Black Saturday area before going to guest Ian Hay, with Mel's goals for next year to follow.

• Episode 140 - An Early Xmas

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett bring the Christmas episode forward to launch the limited-edition 2018 Adventurers Ugly Christmas Singlet, locally made with design nods to past episodes and a one-week ordering window; Scotty recalls learning the Event Director of Moormead juniors he lectured about the app in the UK was one of the original 13 parkrunners. Mel ran Kawana and drew finish token 149 on her 149th parkrun plus a bingo time; Scotty got a bingo time too and, travelling in Sydney, added Kamay, an out-and-back by the beach past a cemetery near Botany Bay where locals are fighting a proposed cruise terminal. Ian missed recording after a Christmas party while already sick, as his wife Michelle noted, and is promised for next week; downloads jumped after the Andy and Laura interview, credited to UK listeners.

• Episode 139 - Running Challenges

  Scotty Trickett with a sleepy Mel Erbacher, who has had late nights working on a secret Christmas gift for the adventurers that listeners will have to pay for, to be announced next week or mid-week on Facebook; coming up are the Running Challenges chat with Andy and Laura, the perlustration results, the TomTom challenge draw and a giveaway of six copies of A Scent of Fear. Mel broke her streak of parkrun misadventures, timekeeping at the finish line beside a nurse named Tracy at a third-anniversary superhero-themed event and going as Volunteer Girl in a purple and fluoro-orange cape, mask and home-made boot covers; Scotty was at home at Westerfolds, where Amanda Smith of Radio National's Life Matters came out with the Tail Walker to record a story on parkrun, and he needs a costume for a superhero-themed anniversary next week.

• Episode 138 - Tony Park

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett, recording bright and early for episode 138 while the parkrun memories are still fresh; Mel warns that recording early does not mean the episode comes out early. The opening is under a minute before the interview.

• Episode 137 - Dane Bird-Smith

  Scott Trickett doing the intro with Melissa Erbacher. Scott went back to Point Cook for its 250th event, where Event Director Craig wore his purple suit for the briefing and locals Maxine and Sean, celebrating their 200th runs, donated a mounted PB bell; Scott ran 4km then walked the last kilometre with daughter Kasia, who rolled her ankle at the Run for the Fireys the week before, and his mother-in-law again didn't make it. Mel flew to Hobart for what was meant to be her parkrun birthday, endured a rough windy landing, drove south to Geeveston through gale-force winds and rain only to find the event cancelled for safety (falling eucalypt branches), and did a freedom run of the course with Adam and three others, so no Compass Club credit.

• Episode 136 - Kelly Hodges

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, Scott back after Tim Oberg's week as guest co-host. They peel back the curtain on the parkrun Australia HQ office in Airlie Beach, a container-sized room with a standing desk and no chair, rug or lamp, which explains last week's echo; Scott proposes the staff pool for a lamp for Christmas. Scott enjoyed his first week off from organising the podcast in two and a half years, and Mel notes the usual Christmas and New Year break is coming.

• Episode 135 - Intern Pete

  Melissa Erbacher with Tim Oberg as first-time co-host while Scott is away. Tim pushed the double pram around Airlie Beach parkrun with his family, explaining that the right-hand side of the pram is the high-fiving side, and son Jack knocked two minutes off his PB and followed it with a fast junior parkrun on the Sunday. Mel pushed Wes around Kawana while Adam marshalled, handed Wes over at the 4km mark, then had a Strava fail when the phone left in the pram hood recorded the last kilometre in the car and earned her four segment trophies; the run still completed her sloth challenge virtual run.

• Episode 134 - Tim Oberg

  Melissa Erbacher on a rainy Sunshine Coast with Scott Trickett in Victoria. Scott spent Melbourne Marathon Sunday running around the course cheering mates, acting as a windbreak for his friend Chris up St Kilda Road on the way to a 2:59:58, and on the Saturday hosted the Zoolanders' walk-off at Westerfolds with Matty Trent and friends. Mel ran Underwood Park with some Zoolanders, her fourth new event in four weeks (Yamba, St Lucia, Underwood Park and Ballina Coast, an anagram of BUSY), noted Queensland's wet-weather cancellations, and took Wes to the Thunderwood Park playground and its swings afterwards.

• Episode 133 - IpD recap

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher on a Friday release, Scott teasing that he has lined up a replacement co-host for one week. International parkrun Day 2018: Mel kept it low key at St Lucia, a new event for her that Lyndell Murray reported from about a dozen episodes earlier; Scott went to The Ponds with the boss, had dinner with the event team on the Friday night, saw a councillor and the local member open a new council-funded path before the briefing, ran a negative split on a flat course and gave in to the doughnuts in the cafe, and enjoyed the mix of cultures there. Roving reports to follow.

• Episode 132 - Digger Hargreaves

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett. Mel's third New South Wales trip of September took her to Yamba, staying on a working cane farm at Tyndale, running an alternate course around a circus tent under a distant lightning storm while sick with a cold, with Adam chasing his Y; she also recommends Maclean's tartan-painted power poles. Scotty revisited Lillydale Lake for the first time in years on a footy-theme day in his Essendon jumper, running two laps and walking one with the girls, and the Digger Hargreaves interview was recorded a couple of days earlier.

• Episode 131 - Abdul-Raouf Mohamed-Isa

  Scotty Trickett in Melbourne, midweek before the footy finals public holiday with Collingwood in the grand final, and Mel Erbacher back from Ballina Coast, where she ran with extended family to gather GPX data for her long-running argument with Chris over whether Ballina Coast or Kingscliff is Australia's easternmost parkrun; dolphins were playing at the northern turnaround. Scotty stayed home for Westerfolds milestones for the Burrows family and his mate John, followed by a plant-based cafe breakfast, then tail-walked a cold, quieter juniors on Sunday.

• Episode 130 - Julian Spence

  Mel Erbacher in Queensland and Scotty Trickett in Victoria. Scotty has quietly equalled Mel on the Australian most-events list after visiting Wyndham Vale, his NENDY, with wife Yvonne and registering his mother-in-law for her first parkrun in an arctic blast; he notes the local Winfit group wears Westerfoldians colours and defends the show's top-three tradition against Danny's objections. Mel volunteered at her home parkrun, still needs eight events for her 2018 goal, and has double-booked interstate trips against her own Kawana RD roster in November and December; Scotty then turns to the Berlin Marathon and the Australians who ran it.

• Episode 129 - Beau Miles

  Scotty Trickett hosting with Mel Erbacher, recapping the parkrun Australasia conference weekend in Sydney: a lightning storm caught them on a boat heading to camp on a harbour island, with visitors from South Africa, New Zealand, Malaysia and the UK. Their GreenWay showdown saw Scotty cross the line first while Mel claims victory on high fives; 70-odd ambassadors ran, and Scotty managed a 'belly PB'. A new parkrun podcast gets a mention for later, and Grette Wilkinson's roving report with the GreenWay Event Directors follows.

• Episode 128 - Streaky September

  Mel Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast and Scotty Trickett in Melbourne for one night before flying to Sydney for the parkrun Australia conference, where both will do GreenWay as a new event and Scotty proposes a showdown. Thanks to the listeners who sent step-by-step Wilson index instructions and corrected Mel that Jessie is in Toy Story 2; Scotty ticked off his NENDY at Gardiners Creek and joined the unofficial Bee Gees Club, praising RD Trevor's briefing; Mel barcode-scanned at the deliberately quiet soft launch of Mudjimba Beach, the team moved across from the now-closed Town of Seaside. No guest this week, just roving reports.

• Episode 127 - Rob de Castella

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Scott worked the launch of Eastern Gardens parkrun in Geelong, the 40th event under Medibank's Free and Active initiative, with Channel 7 Sunrise live crosses, free coffee, massages and a footy-style banner, but didn't run so still hasn't got his E for the alphabet challenge; he walked part of the bat-lined course with Kasia. They discuss the Running Challenges Chrome extension, the Wilson Index and its Compass Club correction, Scott's failed August Freedom Challenge and the imminent Streaky September, before introducing their most requested perlustration guest, Rob de Castella.

• Episode 126 - Clinton Bishop

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett, noting the podcast has been landing on Saturday mornings and the downloads are healthy. Mel ran the Sunshine Coast Marathon 2K family event dressed as Jessie, with husband Adam a crowd-favourite Woody and Wes a mini Buzz Lightyear. Scott went to Brimbank parkrun's first anniversary, where sore ribs forced him to walk and he was well beaten by a young Westerfolds rival, Marshall; the rain left the river-crossing course wet, and three roving reports later in the episode also come from rain-soaked events.

• Episode 125 - August Madness

  Scott Trickett, just back from holiday, and Melissa Erbacher. Scott's weekend was volunteering at Cannonvale juniors, which made him the first person to have volunteered at every junior parkrun in Australia, and he has an adventure planned for the coming Saturday. Mel dragged herself to a onesie/gym-jam themed parkrun on two and a half hours' sleep, one of about five people in fancy dress including her son; they then head straight into a segment with Simon Mackley that Mel is nervous about.

• Episode 124 - parkrun and not single

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett, Mel on her second parkrun podcast of the week after guesting on With Me Now, and Scott still smarting at being called straight and boring. Both are out of sorts: Mel missed her parkrun last weekend and Scott knows he will miss this one, and they agree the missing piece is the social connection more than the run. They decide to bring back the end-of-episode sing-along, this week with one of Kasia's favourite songs.

• Episode 123 - Penny Redhead

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with Scott reading out a spoof list of demands from Mel's 'agent' and revealing Mel has been invited to fill in for Nicola on the relaunched With Me Now podcast next week. They compare podcast habits (Mel only subscribes to parkrun podcasts; Scott recommends Inside Running, Runner Chats and Marathon Talk, and flags guest Robbo's new Marathon Mystery Tour with Mona). Scott run-walked Albert Melbourne parkrun with Yvonne, who is building back up for the returning Streaky September, and launches a one-man campaign against headphones at parkrun, from which Mel pointedly removes herself.

• Episode 122 - Kelly Hodges

  Mel Erbacher and Scotty Trickett, still singing Bonnie Tyler from last week's sing-along, with another promised for the end of the episode. Kawana's 300th event was marked by a 59:59 when the event's second stopwatch died mid-run after 127 events and 18,413 times, just before the Android app announcement that Mel says saves her ordering a replacement; at Westerfolds, Scotty's daughter Kasia did course set-up for her 25th volunteer milestone and then ran an all-time PB by a couple of minutes despite a shoelace stop and a Garmin update at the start.

• Episode 121 - Mark Musk

  Scotty Trickett, back from the UK and hit by jet lag despite sleeping three hours over the Indian Ocean, with Mel Erbacher. Straight off the plane he went to Canberra and joined about a dozen local parkrunners for a midweek freedom run around Burley Griffin parkrun, which he calls a gem; he remains in a non-training phase, not running during the week.

• Episode 120 - UK Conference

  Mel Erbacher in Australia and Scotty Trickett in Nottingham, on his way from the annual parkrun conference in Coventry via Hull and the Leeds office to London with colleagues Carol and Renee. Scotty reports on England's World Cup semi-final loss watched in a pub (he has Croatia in the parkrun sweep), a freedom run at Coventry parkrun, a 700-strong Leamington parkrun run at a leisurely 26 minutes, and the inaugural Backwards Hat Run Club outing with Rowan Ardill from episode 101.

• Episode 119 - Highlight Reel

  Scotty Trickett and Mel Erbacher, a brief intro in which they settle that this is episode 119 despite being the 118th episode, and joke they will get to 113 eventually.

• Episode 118 - Matty Trent

  Mel Erbacher (in Queensland) and Scotty Trickett, fresh from a parkrun strategy weekend together on the Gold Coast. Scotty has given up on his marathon for the year and, after bailing out of a Sunday run with the boys, hopped uninvited into Mel's car to get to Southport juniors, where his phone and scanning job were waiting; Mel volunteered as Timekeeper at Main Beach, having emailed Event Director Paul Ralphs back in February, and used the app to time for the first time and airdrop the results to him. Scotty ran Main Beach in tops-off weather, and Mel teases the parkrun World Cup sweepstakes for the end of the show.

• Episode 117 - Roger Hanney

  Scott Trickett with Melissa Erbacher joining from Kawana; feedback on last week ran to support for the parkrun-balance chat, none for Scotty's ban on pants, and enjoyment of Hannah working blue, which earned the show only its second explicit rating. Mel nearly missed the start at Kawana, pushed the pram so Adam could run, and clocked her 104th parkrun and 67th at Kawana as the event heads for its 300th in a few weeks; her GPS watch is still not synced to Strava. Scotty was at Westerfolds' 250th event, his 80th there, running with Kasia and talking politics, Westerfolds juniors was cancelled on Sunday for horrendous weather, and the pair are off to the Gold Coast together this weekend.

• Episode 116 - Hannah Oldroyd

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, neither of whom made it to parkrun on Saturday, unplanned for both; Mel was cranky about it but got her fix at a trial run for a new event on Sunday, while Scotty had Westerfolds juniors and then Melbourne's Longest Run, one of three in the city this year with a proper bus laid on by a running group, walking Westerfolds with organiser Rowan and running four more, with Kasia walking a half marathon. Queensland has spread its three Longest Runs over three weeks, New South Wales ran theirs on the long weekend with a lot of meetup adventurers along, and the Sunshine Coast one is this coming weekend, though Mel has no plans to go.

• Episode 115 - Matt who?

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with Scotty's week taken over by music rather than parkrun: back-to-back albums from Father John Misty and Kanye West cheered him up after a planned romantic weekend away with his wife was cut short on the Friday night when Kasia, left with Nanny, spiked a high temperature and they drove two hours home, so no new event and no parkrun. Mel has a new album from a favourite band, the first in seven years, that she is saving until she is in the right mood. Scotty then promises something to lift her spirits.

• Episode 114 - Steph Auston

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett skip straight from 112 to 114, episode 113 having been cursed by two failed attempts to land guests. Mel did Darwin parkrun, with Mark minding Wes so she and Adam could both run in the humidity, and is now in cold, wet Melbourne with Scotty for a La Trobe University and Australian Sports Commission conference on a draft physical literacy framework. Westerfolds juniors launched with 146 participants: Scott froze a little at the volunteer briefing, got emotional at the warm-up, the roster is full for next week, and Kasia ran the 2k on her own in ten-something minutes and loved it.

• Episode 112 - junior parkrun

  Take two of episode 112 with Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, after last week's snotty, glitch-ridden recording was scrapped; Scotty is recording from his car in a car park so he can run straight afterwards, his marathon training having slipped during a bout of man flu, and he had a quiet morning at Studley. Mel was at the Woodford parkrun launch in the Queensland hinterland near her Nana, tail walking with Wes in the carrier in fingerless gloves, which has the two of them level on events again; Lyndell reported from the launch, there are heaps of roving reports after two weeks off, and Simon Mackley has asked for a two-hour episode. Scotty is nervous and excited about Sunday's launch of Westerfolds juniors, Melbourne's only junior parkrun for the next 12 months, with daughter Kasia keen on the 2k and the whole family on the volunteer roster.

• Episode 111 - Euan Bowman

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, Mel still in New York. Scott, after an early airport run to collect his brother, tried Newport Lakes parkrun on his own, a spaghetti-map loop through a converted quarry, and came home with a top-ten finish. Mel skipped an official parkrun after a rough night with Wes and did a pop-up freedom run at Prospect Park with Adam, where she was first female finisher and ran the whole way for the second week running, which Scott credits to her run-every-day March.

• Episode 110 - Paul Freyne

  Melissa Erbacher recording from New York and Scott Trickett from Melbourne. Mel drove with Adam and Wes to Washington, D.C. for Roosevelt Island parkrun, run on a brand-new plan C course, where she ran the whole way and finished ahead of Adam for the first time; Scott attended the launch of Goolwa parkrun in South Australia, one of seven launches in a weekend, then did freedom runs with PK at Strathalbyn, Mount Barker and Cleland, complete with kangaroos and echidnas.

• Episode 109 - Sonia O'Sullivan

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, both on a high after the launch of junior parkrun in Australia at Southport, where 202 juniors ran against Scott's guess of 74; Mel was on the scanner with a second scanner recruited from the Marshals, and both reflect on kids running free and unpaced. Scott got Mel's watch synced to its own app, but not yet to Strava. Mel missed Saturday parkrun because Wes was unwell; Scott walked Westerfolds with Kasia after failing to find a volunteer spot anywhere in Melbourne, then ran the Athletics Victoria cross-country relay.

• Episode 108 - parkrun Malaysia

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett; Scott is back home in Melbourne with a pulled back muscle and a fall on the Bright trails while running with Matt, but marathon training is on track, and he did Lakes Entrance parkrun with Kasia. Mel got her first international parkrun at Taman Pudu Ulu in Malaysia, where a Strava activity recorded on roaming data vanished and then reappeared once she was home; Scott sets her the task of bringing her GPS watch on the weekend so he can sync it before her US trip. Co-Event Director Harry is previewed as the guest.

• Episode 107

  Scott Trickett, still in holiday mode in Bright, and Melissa Erbacher. Scott run-directed Bright parkrun with Team Trickett on the scanners and locals on the stopwatch and finish tokens, got through with no 59:59s, and rediscovered the joy of volunteering as a way to meet people in a town where he knows no one; he asks Mel to keep him in check on volunteering this year. Mel joined the Pirate Club at Coffs Harbour parkrun on the seventh anniversary of parkrun in Australia, six family members in costume on a double out-and-back along the beach, with a stop at the Big Banana for Wes.

• Episode 106

  Mel and Scotty, courtesy of Symphony Hill Wines and Chocolate, Scotty over chocolate after Easter and on two weeks' holiday in Bright in the Victorian High Country, where he scored his first 59:59, was left for dust by his mate Matt (founder of Lillydale Lake and now Bright parkrun) running his 100th, and will guest-RD Bright this Saturday; he also owns up to a deliberate 20 km down-week in marathon training. Mel finished Run the Date and tells the day-25 story from Shellharbour: a not-a-run with Scotty past a lighthouse and marina, Strava stopped mid-run while taking a photo, so she ran about 45 minutes to get 25 on the record.

• Episode 105

  Scotty and Mel back from the listener meet-up weekend, which began as listener Gary Murphy's idea and which Brendan Scollary declared the inaugural annual parkrun adventurers Listener Meetup in the Shellharbour pre-run brief, so 2019 is already on. They then throw to the live recording made outdoors at Shellharbour parkrun on the Saturday morning, in front of the listeners, with the day's hosts as the first guests.

• Episode 104

  Mel and Scotty on the final episode before the listener meet-up at Shellharbour: Scotty is nervous for the first time, the only previous in-person recording was episode 12 in a Melbourne studio, the sound gear is untested and there is no wet-weather plan. They chat road-trip games (Spotto, the alphabet game) and car music, from Kasia's My Little Pony albums and Kanye to Mel's Disney singalongs and Tarzan in Italian, before introducing guest Liam Adams and asking whether Mel has Commonwealth Games fever for her home state.

• Episode 103

  Scott and Mel, with Mel tired from Run the Date at day 14 of 31 and having worked out the month totals 496 minutes; she ran ten minutes with a fast friend, Jerry, on Saturday, rediscovered her running playlist in the Sunshine Coast rain and is rotating two pairs of shoes. Mel recaps Facebook Live-ing JT's 250th run, the oldest parkrunner to reach it, on a wet morning with the community turning out; Scotty ran his 200th at Studley, where his mum came along only for Yvonne and the Event Director to rule it not a milestone, and he will walk Studley with Kasia next week. The coach is up next with a listener question, including shoe rotation and injury.

• Episode 102

  Mel on the Sunshine Coast and Scotty in Victoria, counting down to the listener meet-up at episode 105, with Gary Murphy's schedule of events on the meet-up Facebook page and the coach lined up for next week's show if listeners have questions. Scotty ran a Sunday team relay where he was seeded 28th of 28 and picked last, landed in the team with the fastest runner, nicknamed Smoothie, finished fourth and is now sore; Mel is a week into Run the Date her way, inspired by Rowan's challenge, is still doing Run Down Under 2 and has ticked off the Time Lord virtual run. Marathon training is on track for Scotty, and guest Kelly is next up on nutrition and hydration.

• Episode 101

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Mel's birthday present from her husband, revealed by a riddle card, was four nights in Margaret River: a gorgeous trail parkrun with Wes in a carrier on her back for the first time, volunteers Maddy Trent and Cassie Hughes travelling down to meet them, a famous tree formation called the undies, and a place straight into her top three. Scott went to Studley's second anniversary as an 80s rocker with eyeliner applied by Yvonne, high-fived RD Adam hard enough to nearly break his arm, and found himself enjoying trail running again on a Sunday detour.

• Episode 100 - Lyndell Murray

  Episode 100 with Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett; Mel is inadvertently dressed all in black, which leads to a chat about what guests should wear to their own funerals (costumes for Mel, shorts for Scott) and whether the podcast will reach 250. Mel went down to the Gold Coast for Kirra parkrun's anniversary, ocean, sunshine and three pieces of cake; Scott and Kasia celebrated one year of Darebin parkrun and regretted not dressing for the country theme.

• Episode 99 - Patrick Tiernan

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Mel missed Golden Beach parkrun's fourth anniversary and its P-party theme after new costumes, a late night and a slept-through alarm, phoning ED Rochelle to apologise; she is off to Kirra's green-and-gold anniversary next week, and her brother's family have now reached their sixth C in most events. Scott ran Albert Park with his sister and then managed to miss the Commonwealth Games baton relay at Lakeside Stadium from both sides of the stadium.

• Episode 98

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, on the cusp of the milestone. Mel spent Monday evening with future ED Kelly winning show society permission for a new parkrun at the Woodford showgrounds, volunteered at Kawana on Saturday and is fielding queries about Commonwealth Games athletes wanting to parkrun locally. Scott ticked off Mernda with a top-10 finish, then overcooked himself in the hot, windy 21.8k Bellarine Sunset Run (he beat the pirate ship); people have been checking on his marathon training, while Mel accidentally clicked interested in the Melbourne Marathon Festival half and now feels the pressure.

• Episode 97

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, second episode of 2018 and admittedly rusty. Scott is one week into a written marathon training program, aiming at Sydney Marathon after past failures at Canberra and Melbourne, and asks listeners to keep checking whether he is on track; Mel's own goal is a half marathon in every state and territory (Queensland, WA, ACT and South Australia done) and she is thinking about Melbourne in October, with no promises. Scott went back to Mullum Mullum on Saturday and caught up with the next guest.

• Episode 96

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett back for the first episode of 2018, thanking the B team who covered the break; Scott is recording outdoors with Buster barking at the fence, and Mel's neighbour's staffy keeps getting stuck on her back deck. Mel is up to 53 events and is aiming for 20 new ones this year after 15 in 2017; Scott spent Christmas in Sydney, ticked off St Peters and ran with Paul Wilcock and Bobby Prentiss at Campbelltown, and both hosts were at the Zillmere launch on Saturday. Travis Ireland from Run Down Under is coming up; Mel is doing a unicorn virtual run, and Scott's rib has come good after months out, with a resolution of no trail races in 2018.

• Episode 94

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, feeling festive on the penultimate episode of 2017. Scott has bought a real Christmas tree from the local scouts after ten years of plastic (Yvonne is allergic to pine needles); Mel recalls disposing of one in Scotland by throwing it out a third-floor window. Christmas Day plans: Scott at Westerfolds in the Santa suit, Mel volunteering with Wes and Adam running at Nambour, the only Sunshine Coast event allowed on the day because it is on state forest land, with the Christmas Compendium now out. Mel walked her NENDY Warner Lakes with her father-in-law on his first parkrun, singing made-up songs to Wes for the Tail Walkers' benefit; episode 95 next week is the last before the summer hiatus.

• Episode 93

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, back to a Wednesday night recording with Scott's dog Buster snoring beside him. Scott has had a rough couple of weeks: an emergency vet trip for Buster after flying home from North Harbour, and daughter Kasia in hospital, so on Saturday they went to Highlands in the rain, the friendliest three-lap event, so she could duck out after a lap. Mel took Wes, both dogs and family to Coomera for Adam Gimbert's 250th, where a loose horse delayed the start, and gives a shout-out to Matt Pollock's 100th at Port Macquarie, possibly in a kilt; Mel is on 47 events to Scott's 48 and he claims he is waiting for her to catch up.

• Episode 92

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett counting down to episode 100, with Christmas chat: Scott wants to make his own tree this year (Yvonne unconvinced), Mel's goes up on 1 December. Scott flew up for Saturday's North Harbour launch, nearly stacked it on the out-and-back while clowning for Mel and Wes, and was surprised by Brisbane humidity on a cool morning. He has loaded up Netflix for the flights and wants listeners' recommendations (he is on Stranger Things and Toast; Mel suggests the IT Crowd), plus suggestions for who would play Scotty in a parkrun adventurers series, Mel's own doppelganger being Alyson Hannigan.

• Episode 91

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with the old Neon Nightclub theme music back for the 90s episodes; Melbourne is in a heat wave while it pours at Mel's end, and the coach is coming on to talk heat (Mel wants to ask about pram running). Scott ran Mullum Mullum, gorgeous boardwalks and creeks for the first half and then concrete under freeways; Mel volunteered on finish tokens at Nambour's second anniversary, Wild West versus fluoro theme, in the rain with Wes asleep in the pram and mozzies everywhere, then did North Harbour's second trial on Sunday. North Harbour launches this weekend with Scott, Lyndell and Dave coming up, and Connie from North Harbour is the ED interview later in the pod.

• Episode 90

  Episode 90 with Melissa Erbacher in Queensland and Scott Trickett in Victoria, Scott over his lurgy. Scott returned to run directing at Westerfolds without a hitch, then on Sunday the Westerfoldians took the team title at the local fun run for the third time and daughter Kasia won her category in the 6K; his own run was poor, ribs still sore from his fall two months ago. Mel took a wrong turn and arrived as Kawana-style start was under way, ran with Wes in the pram to catch the Tail Walker, and asks listeners for pram-running technique tips, with Coach Dinneen and perhaps Gavin Matheson proposed for next week.

• Episode 89

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, episode 89. Scott used the Melbourne Cup public holiday to trial a new, still unofficial event in Melbourne's eastern suburbs with his Westerfoldian mates, a new letter for the alphabeteers, and has now diarised the rest of 2017 with three events to go to his 50th, though he won't say when; Mel is planning her own 50th and recounts being recognised as 'that Mel'. Coming up is the guest Scott rates the most famous parkrunner after PSH.

• Episode 88

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, episode 88 (Two Fat Ladies), compare anniversary mornings: Scott calls his a lifetime top-five weekend, with Westerfolds in green and everyone lingering after the run, then Sunday at PAX, the Penny Arcade Expo, with daughter Kasia, which has him wanting a pop-up parkrun at PAX next year. Mel's Kawana anniversary had 80s sports costumes, her Jamaican bobsled team out-liking Scott's photo on Instagram, and they spar over who will reach 50 events first before noting November is upon them.

• Episode 87

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher mark parkrun anniversary week for both their events, Westerfolds (Scott's fourth year) and Kawana (Mel's fifth), and reminisce: Mel registered after a council email about the Kawana launch and was there from event two, Australia's 15th event; Scott registered early for Albert Park, visited Highlands, then founded Westerfolds with wife Yvonne, his mother, sister and mate John, recalling first regular Naomi stepping up as a Run Director and the Christmas Day Santa run that cracked 50. Both first anniversaries had topographical course cakes Tim Oberg called the best he'd seen; this year Westerfolds goes green and Kawana, by popular vote, 80s sports athletes, before a Muppets tangent.

• Episode 86

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett open with Agent 86 and Inspector Gadget before Scott reports on his trip to Bowral, where he spent Friday with Norma Wallet, an runner who reached 100 parkruns on Saturday as the oldest female to the milestone, drawing 90-odd to an event that usually gets 50 to 60, and had dinner with the Bowral crew at the local pub. Mel went to Petrie's cops and robbers run with her brother, sister-in-law, niece and nephew, Adam pushing Wes in the pram for the first time; she walk-ran with niece Lani, met a koala beside the path, was squirted by super-soaker police volunteers and only just made it after sleeping through her alarm. A training program with special guests heading towards Christmas is flagged for later in the show.

• Episode 85

  Scott Trickett recording outside in Melbourne in magpie season (he has befriended the family in his front yard), having found his microphone wrapped in his dirty shorts after last week's on-location recording; Melissa Erbacher co-hosts. Mel ticked off Ashgrove in north-side Brisbane from her list of ten nearest unvisited events, struck by how encouraging the runners were, and spotted Event Director Pat on course. Scott's daughter Kasia ran her 100th at Westerfolds, willingly taking the milestone shout-out, joined by Scott's sister and mum and celebrated with cake, and she now wants to return to Studley; International parkrun Day brought plenty of apricot and strong attendances.

• Episode 84

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett open a live episode; the sun is shining in the lead-up to International parkrun Day and Mel has had a lovely week.

• Episode 83 - Kelly Hodges

  Scott Trickett recording on location outdoors in a heat wave near Tweed Heads, with Melissa Erbacher in Queensland. Scott ran Sandgate with daughter Kasia, praising Dean and Vanessa's event and the pier turnaround, is scouting freedom runs to keep his streak, mapping south-east Queensland by parkrun names and eyeing a rumoured Zillmere parkrun; Kasia is about to reach 99 then 100 parkruns after a barcode scare. Mel run-directed solo at home with a full set of tokens and a glitch-free morning; Scott claims to be one clear on the most events list.

• Episode 82

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, with the most-events-list rivalry hotting up though both went to the same event again: Nuriootpa parkrun (formerly Barossa Bush Gardens), a run through grape vines that Mel rates a winner, with more on it later. A roving report extravaganza is promised and the hosts met PK (Paul Kitching) in the flesh, in the suit, that day.

• Episode 81

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Scott is 'back in the stack club' after a heavy fall on rock steps near the 20km mark of a 23k Anglesea trail race in road shoes, bruising his sternum and ribs, with mate Barney coming back to finish with him; the Westerfoldians had won the Northwest Trail Series VIP tent and its massage. Mel went to Main Beach, the home of parkrun, for her brother Nicholas's 50th, carrying Wes in a carrier on Adam's bad advice about sandy bits, with niece Lani walking with her and nephew Rowan running his first sub-30; the hosts are level again on the most events list, and Main Beach gets the parkrun adventurers tick of approval.

• Episode 80

  Melissa Erbacher's opening line naming episode 80 before the first segment; only a few seconds.

• Episode 79

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, farewelling the intro music and previewing a long chat with Brady from the Tell Me Your Tales podcast. Mel took Wes to Hervey Bay's third anniversary in matching furry yellow monster outfits finished in the hotel room, timekept, and saw Sophie hand the Event Director role to Stuart Marshall and Julie Morrison. Scotty ran Westerfolds followed by brutal hill reps while his girls went to the Newport Lakes launch, and Mel is scanning the calendar to reach her 15-new-events goal for the year.

• Episode 78

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett. Adam did wear Mel's home-made costume for the 2K family fun run at the Sunshine Coast Marathon, alongside Wes, with a photo promised on the Facebook page, while Mel missed parkrun that Saturday through illness. Scotty reports on the Brimbank launch of Medibank's Free and Active with Sunrise TV present, where he got itchy feet and ran the short, sharp hill he rates the toughest at any parkrun; Mel recommends the Run Nation Running Film Festival, screened on the Sunshine Coast for the first time, ahead of Ian Hay's stats segment.

• Episode 77

  Scott Trickett with Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast, recalling Renee's week as fill-in co-host. Scotty announces Medibank's Free and Active program, which will help launch 40 new parkruns, starting this Saturday at Brimbank Park in Melbourne with Sunrise crossing live. Both attended the first parkrun Australia conference on the Gold Coast, where Mel did Finish Token Support at Varsity Lakes and Scotty, without his watch and with two pacers who sailed off ahead, ran an all-time parkrun PB of 21:05, one second better than his old mark.

• Episode 76

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, with Lyndell's Channel 5 news team report and plenty of roving reports promised. Mel updates the campaign to get Adam into a costume for the Sunshine Coast Marathon later in August, and Scotty, in new fluoro shoes, has finally cracked a Westerfolds PB after almost five years while Mel's overall PB dates from Kawana in 2013. Scotty's August run streak lasted three days; he plans to start again on 1 September and challenges all adventurers to a September run streak.

• Episode 75

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Scott is crashing without chocolate after Kasia found the stash he hid from himself, while Mel is still working through her last ten blocks of tropical pineapple. Mel is excited about parkrun Australia's first Territory Directors conference in a couple of weeks and the Barossa trip next month; Scott is excited about a proper haircut, the NFL season and defending his fantasy title, which leads into a Seahawks-versus-direwolves Game of Thrones tangent before they steer back to parkrun.

• Episode 74

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, back-to-back weeks. Scott returned to Parkville parkrun in Princes Park, an event he spent months helping set up, and nobody knew him or the Castlemaine ED he bumped into; Mel was RD at Maryborough and says she prefers going unrecognised too. Melbourne's cold has sapped Scott's running mojo, not helped by a fartlek on a dark trail with a dying head torch; listeners texted 'intervals!' to settle last week's terminology muddle, Mel points to a parkrun Tourism Facebook thread on getting mojo back, and she flags an inspirational episode ahead.

• Episode 73

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher back after a couple of weeks' break, which Scott says was his call, with his dogs barking at the roofers. Mel has not missed a parkrun since Wes was born: she walked Sandgate with him in the pram and niece Lani pushing, volunteered at Noosa with him in the carrier, and walked Nambour with Renee Gimbert in about an hour twenty, which cleared her NENDY and put her ahead of Scott on the Australian events column. Scott revisited Mount Gambier, Airlie Beach and Lalor for NAIDOC week, ran Tring in the UK with its cow marshals and PB bell, has started enjoying wine again, and they pencil in the Barossa Bush Gardens launch on 16 September as a joint adventure.

• Episode 72

  Melissa Erbacher back with newborn Wesley on her lap, Scott Trickett recording from London. Mel was in labour during parkrun on 3 June, missing her first in years; Renee smashed her predicted 70.3 time and is talking about a full Ironman. Scott ran with a non-English-speaking stranger in suburban Bangkok, walked 38,000 steps a day in London and did his first international parkrun at Bushy, dodging deer on the path and finishing near his PB; they warn it will be a short episode, timed by how long Wes stays settled.

• Episode 71

  Scott Trickett hosting alone with guest co-host Renee Gimbert, Mel away because baby Wesley arrived on parkrun day, the day after she finished work. Renee is off to Cairns at the weekend for her first 70.3 half Ironman, so triathlon is the episode's theme: she rates running her weakest leg after injuries, Scott hated the bike, and she explains the accessories cost more than the bike; Scott promises a check-in next week and a chat with one of her competitors later in the show.

• Episode 70

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett reach episode 70, Scott bringing 70s-inspired music, before Mel asks whether he has matched her number 39 on the most-events list.

• Episode 69

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, neither of whom ran on a big weekend of UTA, the Warwick Pentathlon and the Great Ocean Road Marathon; Mel volunteered alongside someone heading to the Great Ocean Road. Scott walked Coburg's birthday, under-the-sea fancy dress with his daughter on her own birthday, the family dressed as pirates in $2-shop costumes with an eye patch that did not fit.

• Episode 68

  A short cold open of Simon Mackley asking a young parkrunner whether they listen to the show (no), then Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher joking that the under-fours are the only demographic not growing; the lead-in is about a minute long.

• Episode 67

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher. Scott entered the Wings for Life run in Melbourne on a whim after Brendan Davies' interview, aimed for 25 km but stopped at 21.1 km after vertigo-induced nausea, drenching rain and cramping, then walked wrapped in a space blanket until the bus came; Robbo passed him after MCing the start. They discuss Nike's Breaking 2, the missing clock at the finish and Scott's track attempt at 2:50 pace with his mate Barney. Mel quietly volunteered for the 100th time at Kawana.

• Episode 66

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, joking about how long it would take to reach episode 666. Scott did his first Kids Takeover at Westerfolds, where set-up with his daughter took longer for trying shortcuts and the young Run Director read a briefing she had written herself; he sees junior parkrun, coming to Australia soon, as a chance for kids to take charge. Mel notes the launch of Emerald in Queensland, Australia's first E, home of the world's biggest easel with a Van Gogh picture, and guesses it is 800 to 900 km north of Brisbane, expecting to be corrected.

• Episode 65

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher on a weekend of milestones: Mel, still hobbling, went to Golden Beach for her sister-in-law Karen's 100th, where Karen's eldest daughter Alicia did the course for the first time keeping Mel company; Scott went back to Studley for Big Adam's 50th, taking a Run Bundle article quoting PSH that parkrun is not a race to heart. They debate a 9am start before introducing Oyiela's interview at Newborough with three generations, Amber, Jenny and Corey, running their 250th.

• Episode 64

  Melissa Erbacher hosts an Easter-weekend episode with Scott Trickett, who has bought a new microphone. Scott did a family run with his two girls and sampled the eggs at the finish; Mel's event pushed close to 300 with 80 first-timers, most of them tourists. Australia set a national attendance record of 33,192 (over 210,000 worldwide) with around two dozen events from Hobart to Airlie Beach breaking course records, though Westerfolds was slightly down, and Phil Rourke, the Eggman, has had a crack at two egg-and-spoon Guinness World Records.

• Episode 63

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, who both ran Coburg parkrun on Saturday: Mel's first Coburg, one of her 'high C's' toward pirate status, done in about an hour twelve with Ivona, Kasia and tail runner Catherine; Scott took a top-10 finish and a Coburg PB with a mate pacing him, hampered by vertigo on the bridges. Mel and Adam spent the rest of the weekend eating their way around Melbourne on tips from the parkrun Tourism AU Facebook group, including the fairy penguins at St Kilda pier.

• Episode 62

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett; Mel is sore from pregnancy sciatica and may miss a parkrun towards her Pirate Club, while Scott blames a sore knee on his new desk setup after running every day since last week. Cyclone Debbie cancelled many events in Queensland and northern NSW, with credit to EDs clearing courses midweek and a shout-out to Lismore, flooded days after their party interview; the Sunshine Coast escaped, Melbourne has had its first cold snap ('PB season'), and Mel is heading to Victoria this weekend.

• Episode 61

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, lamenting a lack of running: Scott has rested a niggle for five days and walked his home parkrun with Kasia, while Mel is walking parkrun and racing off to Saturday pregnancy yoga, which keeps her adventures close to home. Scott floats a parkrun bracket, 'March Madness in May', to be workshopped through April, and Mel asks whether any events are planning April Fool's jokes this weekend.

• Episode 60

  The Diamond Edition, episode 60, with Melissa Erbacher and a bejewelled Scott Trickett. Run directing at her home parkrun Kawana on Saturday, Mel held the start about five minutes while a newly hatched loggerhead turtle, the last of its clutch, made its way to the ocean under the eye of turtle-care volunteers, with video and photos on the Facebook page. Scotty moved one closer to Mel on the most-events table with Chelsea Bicentennial, a flat beachside course chosen over a hilly park because his wife is chasing the letter C for a pirate.

• Episode 59 - Nicola Forwood

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher for episode 59; a short opening in which Scotty observes that parkrun has no off-season, so there is always something to talk about.

• Episode 58

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett. Scotty's weekend adventure was a second visit to Phillip Island parkrun, run on neighbouring Churchill Island with its farm and cafe, a flat, pretty course all the way round the island that is nudging his top three; it is on Mel's must-do list. No pirates were sighted.

• Episode 57

  Scott Trickett, recording on his deck in the sun in Melbourne, with Melissa Erbacher in Queensland. Mel thanks everyone who congratulated her on the baby due in June and reveals what Scotty was coy about last week: he has left SBS to become the third full-time staff member of parkrun Australia. Scotty celebrated Studley parkrun's first birthday with an under-the-sea theme (his girls as jellyfish, him as a surf lifesaver) and finally got a friend of ten years to his first parkrun.

• Episode 56

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, opening with a Dutch welcome and no news segment this week. Scotty has sent Errol the koala packing after a quality-control dispute, started a new job, and launched Darebin parkrun on Saturday, where Mel's spies say he forgot to ask the adventurers where they were from; Mel spent the weekend with Nicola Forwood of the UK parkrun show, touring Australia and New Zealand with her daughter Poppy, and lined her up for a future episode. Mel also confirms she is expecting a baby.

• Episode 55

  Scott Trickett with Mel Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast for episode 55, after a week's gap that had Mel's brother texting to ask where the podcast was; real-life jobs got in the way. Scott raced a 3k on an athletics track under lights, his first track race since Little Athletics 30 years ago, and came last but was chuffed to have tried something new. That leads into how each of them started running: Scott through Little Athletics and a lifelong active streak that lapsed before parkrun helped him reverse it, Mel as a self-described non-athletic kid who did some Irish dancing in Mount Isa and only took up running in her 30s, after her married-life eating caught up with her and she began walking, then running, with her dog.

• Episode 54

  Mel Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett for a self-described chocolate-fuelled episode 54. Mel reveals that Adam reorganised the pantry and found 19 blocks of pineapple chocolate, Scott says he prefers expired chocolate and offers to take it, and Mel suggests posting it out as prizes to listeners, which prompts an admission that the show's overdue prizes are still coming.

• Episode 53

  Scott Trickett and Mel Erbacher open episode 53, the number they have long joked about; they have changed the theme for their episode pictures but agree to make one final exception for this one.

• Episode 52

  Episode 52 with Mel in Queensland and Scott in Victoria, their first ever morning recording. Mel was at the Wondai launch, where Gary Nisbet recruited four newcomers at his hotel on the Friday night and got them barcodes, the town's accommodation sold out with people staying in Kingaroy and Murgon, and Mel walked the course with tail runner Debbie, who knew everyone she didn't; Event Director Ros is interviewed later in the show. Scott had met Gary and Schultzy at Westerfolds on New Year's Day, complete with the box of Maltesers, and Mel confesses an autocorrect mishap in a message to Ros.

• Episode 51

  First episode of 2017 with Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, opening with a mock rebrand as the "fiddle adventurers" because Mel has just spent five days at Sunshine Fiddle Camp on the cello. Scott ran Westerfolds on Christmas Day in a full Santa suit, then on New Year's Day handed out finish tokens at a record Westerfolds (220-odd) before running Mullum Mullum, which he rates highly. Mel did a rain-soaked Christmas Day at Cleveland with her sister-in-law and niece while her nephew ran the whole 5k for the first time, then a New Year's Day double at Chermside and Kedron with family and Sunshine Coast parkrunners, walk-running both with Gareth Saunders, who is coming back from injury.

• Episode 50

  Scott Trickett hosting with Melissa Erbacher for the 50th episode, which Mel counts as their second milestone after episode 25 matched the volunteer milestone. Both are dressed in red for the occasion, Mel in red sequins and a Santa hat, Scott with Christmas drinks going on a hot night, and Scott promises their biggest episode ever.

• Episode 49

  Melissa Erbacher in Victoria and Scott Trickett in Queensland. Scott's highlight of the week was finishing on top of his fantasy football league for a cash prize, with the playoffs to come, ahead of his daughter's Christmas concert; Mel's was playing cello at her own Christmas concert in her second year of learning, getting through every song rather than miming as she had the year before, in a green dress with her GPS watch and parkrun wristband on show.

• Episode 48

  Scott Trickett hosting with Melissa Erbacher, in the run-up to Christmas. They reckon they started the news segment about ten weeks ago, not long after some terrible feedback led them to restructure the podcast, which has made a big difference to downloads.

• Episode 47

  Melissa Erbacher hosting with Scott Trickett. With episode 50 in sight, they compare the wait to running every week to reach a first 50 shirt, and to Scott planning every week of the run-up to his 100th parkrun last year.

• Episode 46

  Scott Trickett hosting with Melissa Erbacher. Scott asks whether Mel has done her homework from last week, studying up on cricket so they can impress Bruce next time he is on and when they go on tour; Bruce is not back this episode, and Mel argues the cricket season is only just starting so she has plenty of time, and Scott gives her a few more weeks.

• Episode 45

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, Mel eating tacos and Scotty enchiladas, wondering whether parkrun has reached Mexico yet beyond the Homes of adventurers segment.

• Episode 44

  Scott Trickett with Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast. Scotty tries to coax a South African accent out of Mel (she says it came out more Irish) as a lead-in to a South African-themed episode.

• Episode 43 - Satoshi Ashida

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, back after a week off. Mel belatedly wishes Scotty a happy 43rd birthday for a fortnight ago and jokes they should have timed the Hamilton Island trip to match episode 43; Scotty says he is 34, as discussed back at episode 34, and Mel retracts the salutations.

• Episode 42 - Tim Oberg

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher mark the 42nd 'marathon edition'. Scotty tells the story of his first marathon over ten years ago, Melbourne Marathon from Frankston into the city on a hot day: under-prepared on long runs, he cramped around 30 to 32k at Brighton, walked the last ten kilometres and finished in just over four hours, by which time family and friends expecting him in three and a half had gone home. He has run six marathons, calls them all disasters, and says the next will be under three and a half hours with proper training.

• Episode 41 - Noah Carter

  Kasia hosting with Melissa Erbacher, noting the show has reached episode 41.

• Episode 40 - Shoes for Planet Earth

  Scott Trickett introduces episode 40 ('40 is the new 30') and welcomes Melissa Erbacher; with lots to cover they skip the general banter and go straight to the news.

• Episode 39 - Simon Kilma

  Melissa Erbacher opens episode 39 with co-host Scott Trickett, saying it has been a big weekend in the parkrun world so it will be another big episode, and heads straight to the news.

• Episode 38 - Tom Do Canto

  Scott Trickett introduces episode 38 with Melissa Erbacher; Scotty says he is a bit sore and tender, self-inflicted with no one else to blame, and Mel tells him to suck it up.

• Episode 37 - Danny Norman

  Melissa Erbacher opens episode 37, hosting with Scott Trickett, and the two swap hellos.

• Episode 36 - Lucy Bartholomew

  Scott Trickett introduces episode 36, checking his maths (six sixes are 36) and welcoming Melissa Erbacher, who congratulates him on it before he concedes nobody is interested in his maths skills.

• Episode 35 - Tom Williams

  Scott Trickett with co-host Mel Erbacher, neither with a PB after the personal-best Saturday. Scott managed only a 500-metre warm-up before a windy run at Jells, now his equal second favourite, and has been converted by Matt Ratchke to the mental game of two-lap courses; Mel ran Kawana's out-and-back without walking, with husband Adam volunteering, and finished alongside a young parkrunner, Jack, and the family greyhound Nellie, who tends to give up before the line. She is three minutes off a PB with six runs to her 100th, and Scott sets a goal of getting there.

• Episode 34 - Bill Irving

  Melissa Erbacher hosts episode 34, her long-claimed age, with Scotty. Scott partied at Maribyrnong's second anniversary, an attendance record in the 250s with a last-man-standing finish, and vows to start a 2K warm-up; Mel was up at 3.30 for Hervey Bay's fancy-dress day, with stormtroopers, bat people, a teabag and ED Kirsty as the Cat in the Hat, around 173 finishers and a picnic afterwards. Scott teases Ian Hay later in the pod and a global attendance record for the weekend, helped by Sweden's first event with 91 runners.

• Episode 33 - Euan Bowman

  Scott Trickett with Mel Erbacher, who trade opposite reviews of the new Jason Bourne film. Scott ran a Melbourne half marathon as a Two Bays qualifier and paced his Westerfolds friend Lee under two hours with eight seconds to spare; Mel had the Sunshine Coast Marathon weekend, with visiting adventurers at Kawana, four tents set up with Brightwater ED Deborah Mills and the Sunshine Coast Running Chicks, 22 Event Directors on hand, and her own 2k fun run as James Bond after drawing bib 7007, complete with black tutu and water pistols. She was proud of 50-club parkrunners chaperoning disabled kids, which Scott flags as a future segment.

• Episode 32 - Lorraine Lawson

  Melissa Erbacher hosts episode 32 with Scotty, who greets her in Portuguese picked up from years at a multicultural broadcaster. Mel reports back on her Olympic homework (canoe slalom, and Australia's bronze), they marvel at women's marathon splits, and Scott says his one PB shot a year is Maribyrnong's anniversary in a couple of weeks. Scott ran Jells on a fine Melbourne weekend, numbers were up across the Sunshine Coast too, and Mel is already planning for the spring and summer crowds.

• Episode 31 - Stephen Dinneen

  Scott Trickett, in Melbourne, has Olympic fever and promises Melissa Erbacher a bumper Rio episode with guests to give her the fever too. Scott finally got to his nearest event, Diamond Creek, and ran the whole 5k alongside his wife, who has been coming back from injury; Mel volunteered on Saturday and then ran her Sunshine Coast longest run on Sunday, seven parkruns starting in the dark at Central Lakes at 6am, peaking at 27 runners at Kawana, with Nambour slotted in fifth, perfect weather and ten people completing all seven.

• Episode 30 - Hamilton Island

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett back after a break, having holidayed together on Hamilton Island, where Mel ran Hamilton Island parkrun for the first time, calling it an enigma and a must-visit, and completed the Whitsunday double. Scott's wife Yvonne reached 100 parkruns there after false starts at Studley and Westerfolds through injury, running it with Mel and Kasia, and the group also hit the trails. A couple of weeks earlier Mel timekept at Maryborough's first anniversary, praising the inclusive community Andrew and Mel have built and the number of walkers still finishing at the back.

• Episode 29 - Jessica Trengove

  Scott Trickett, joined by Mel Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast; Scott is in a five-week volunteering stretch at the still-new Studley while Mel keeps adventuring, this week to Airlie Beach parkrun, her 32nd event. Friday dinner with the Whitsunday Running Club turned up a French runner on his own adventure who had never heard of parkrun; Mel, her husband and Tim Oberg signed him up on the spot, printed his barcode, drove him to parkrun in the morning and Mel interviewed him afterwards.

• Episode 28 - The Run Beyond Project

  Melissa Erbacher hosting with Scott Trickett, who joined the Stack Club at a trail run ten minutes from home on Sunday, hurting his hip in a fall at 2k and dragging on to 11.5k of 17k before his first ever DNF. Mel recalls her own stack while walking the Nambour course, took the dogs to a dog-heavy Kawana, and has ordered three lucky-dip pairs of Vibram five-toed shoes for $99. The pair apologise to Wauchope for mispronouncing it, with Mel's mum among the listeners who set them straight, and say hi to Scott's mum, a listener since episode one.

• Episode 27 - Dani McLaren

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with a hello to Mel's mum joining 27 episodes in. Mel missed the Freedom Run at Main Beach on Friday night but made the drinks and dinner at the surf club afterwards, putting faces to Facebook names and catching up with Chris Timms from Launceston parkrun, whose husband Daniel was running Sunday's marathon.

• Episode 26 - Double Anniversary

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, Scott fresh from an anniversary at Jells parkrun where he set up in the dark and rain, wore crazy socks and handed out the new medals he had helped design, while Mel had a spectacular morning as volunteer photographer at Gladstone. Mel confesses a territory director fail from a fortnight earlier, taking the Gladstone medals to Town of Seaside's anniversary and having to ask the prize winners for them back after the photo. She also went up early on Friday to walk three candidate courses with Gladstone co-ED Craig for a new event near Tannum Sands, hopefully a couple of months away, whose GPS trace looks like a headless dancer.

• Episode 25 - parkrun Singapore

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett for episode 25, the aubergine edition with another logo change coming. The Sunshine Coast, Brisbane and Sydney Longest Runs were postponed by torrential weather to 31 July (Sydney) and 7 August (Queensland), and Mel dares adventurers to do more than one in a year. Scott recounts Victoria's first Longest Run in perfect weather: a headlamp-blinded start in the dark at Jells, the day's biggest field of about 70 at Westerfolds where his wife Ivona and daughter Kasia joined via shortcuts, autumn leaves at Coburg, Maribyrnong where Lorraine ran an extra 3K, Parkville through the Trails Plus finish chute, a hot jam doughnut at Studley and on to Albert, with runners having done all seven still being counted.

• Episode 24 - Rochelle Vaisanen

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher; Mel's weekend adventure was a girls' night out with Sunshine Coast parkrunning friends, now spread across different events, ending in ten-pin bowling and sore arms, which spawns the idea of running shoes styled like bowling shoes. Scott had a social run with mates that morning testing courses for a new parkrun, three courses in a row, and the groans have him rethinking Sunday's Longest Run (he may skip the Westerfolds hill), though he is looking forward to the social side and meeting new people as he has been at the new Studley event.

• Episode 23 - Brendan Davies

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett after a wet weekend of cancellations up and down the east coast that halved national numbers, though Melbourne was merely wet. Mel flew to Darwin for her first Northern Territory trip, meeting Darwin ED Mark Connolly, running the Darwin City to Surf for an icy finisher's towel, holding a baby saltwater crocodile named Fluffy and becoming the tenth member of the Peel Club (a parkrun in every Australian state and territory), with vox pops from Sunshine Coast visitors and Darwin locals Louise, Jill and Joe. She also drew level with Scott on 30 events, finishing 150th, and vows to overtake him.

• Episode 22 - Anita Afonso

  Scott Trickett opens in schoolboy French with Melissa Erbacher, ahead of an interview with Anita, the country manager launching parkrun in France. Mel took house guests to a busy Noosa parkrun timed with the Noosa Sports Festival; Scott ran Highlands' third anniversary, where the event team named the Trickett Trestle Bridge after his family on the three-lap course, alongside spots like Mary Ann's Meander and Muscle Park. Mel says her favourite course feature is the spectacular reveal and invites listeners to suggest a name for it, with a Strava segment joked about.

• Episode 21 - Longest Run

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher mark episode 21 as the half-marathon edition, arguing parkrun is the gateway run to half marathons (Mel, after a couple of halves, now fancies 10Ks for the social side). Mel explains the Longest Run, the unofficial winter-solstice day of up to seven freedom runs on parkrun courses, set for Sunday 19 June: Melbourne's first starts at Jells at 6:30am, Sydney and the Sunshine Coast have one, WA is yet to confirm, and last year's Sunshine Coast day had Mel timekeeping and patching up a bloodied adventurer who still finished seven. Scott reports on Coburg's anniversary, where his caveman costume fell apart and he went as a chief while his mate John came as a clock.

• Episode 20 - Scott Westcott

  Episode 20, Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with different music through the show as a treat and several guests promised. Scott is back in Melbourne after almost a week in Sydney that missed a Saturday, but he squeezed in freedom runs at Cooks River and Rhodes and recorded audio afterwards to play.

• Episode 19 - Facts in a Haystack

  Scott Trickett in Sydney for work and Melissa Erbacher elsewhere, both healthy again. Scott has mapped out freedom runs and coins the NENYD (nearest event not yet done): Mel's is Petrie, about 78 km away, which she is saving strategically; Scott's is Wyndham Vale or Pakenham. They note Colleen O'Shea at Fingal Bay becoming the oldest woman in the world to reach 100 parkruns, joining Norm from episode two in Aussie longevity.

• Episode 18 - Rodney Turner

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, Mel back on the Sunshine Coast with a voice-altering lurgy. She finished her Tasmanian trip with a soaked Devonport freedom run (walked, in sideways rain) that she wants to repeat on a parkrun day, and Launceston parkrun on Saturday, shown around by Christine who has been on the show; Scotty floats a parkrun adventurers tour bus starting in Tasmania.

• Episode 17 - South Australia

  Scott Trickett, under the weather, and Melissa Erbacher, with new intro music this week. Mel ran Hobart parkrun incognito in long pants while holidaying in Tasmania, enjoying the trail course around a reservoir and the 9am start, with Launceston next Saturday. Scott was at Studley for daughter Kasia's 50th parkrun, the first time the three of them had run together; RD Rob interviewed her and she named Westerfolds as her favourite, and the homemade cape that stood in for a 50 shirt kept choking her.

• Episode 16 - Pat Farmer

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett. Scotty reports on the Lalor parkrun launch: a Welcome to Country from a local elder, the mayor, Aunty Pam Pedersen welcoming the runners, a hip-hop warm-up from the Indigenous Hip Hop Project, and his own confession that he forgot to high-five on the High Five Bridge; Mackay launched the same weekend. Also raised: Brian Peters as the first Aussie to 250 parkruns on Australian soil (240 at Main Beach), a likely new attendance record over 25,000, a mummy unearthed in Mongolia wearing Adidas-style shoes and the show's recurring Mongolian listener, and Mel wrongly naming Diamond Creek as Melbourne's biggest parkrun.

• Episode 15 - Melissa Flentjar

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, with Scott's Jells run and a chat with Mel Flentjar ahead of this weekend's Lalor launch promised later. Mel went to Western Australia for the first time, walked Bunbury parkrun around the Big Swamp among black swans and birdwatchers, then ran the whole Bunbury Three Waters half marathon on Sunday, got her bling and successfully broke every rule from last week: local wine the night before, new food (which Tim judged terrible on sugar grounds), and a Derek Zoolander derelict costume whose face paint stung her eyes when rain hit at 16 km; she also met the WA parkrun family at dinners and a Q&A. Scott and Ivana did the Great Pursuit amazing-race event around Melbourne on Sunday, running about 8 km after a better-planned third attempt.

• Episode 14 - Brendan Murray

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, self-appointed poets of podcasting, mark parkrun Australia's fifth birthday and recall their first parkruns: Scott turned up to volunteer at Highlands and found Event Director Sue doing every role, a keep-it-simple lesson echoed by Albert Park starting Saturday with 300 runners and no equipment, getting through on an iPhone and post-it notes. Scott volunteered Saturday and broke his own rules on Sunday with a solo headphones run finishing on the Diamond Creek course; Mel explains her song deals on shuffle and her plan to break runners' rules at the Bunbury Three Waters half marathon this weekend: eating on the run, a last-minute costume with body paint and glitter, and wine the night before. They ask listeners for pre-race rituals and superstitions.

• Episode 13 - Junior Adventurers

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett after the Easter long weekend. Scott went up to Ballarat, where daughter Kasia ran her 20th different event and made the most-events table on a cold, flat, fast course with no PBs; Mel credits Scott and Ivana for the transport and supervision, and Kasia fired some interview questions at a Ballarat volunteer, which follows.

• Episode 12 - Trevor Allen

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, episode 12, wondering whether listeners are bingeing or getting their midweek fix. Mel is back on the Sunshine Coast after flying to the launch of Rockhampton parkrun, already called Rocky: two shaded laps through the Botanic Gardens next to the zoo, past an emu enclosure (no emus at the fence), pelicans and corellas, an avenue of bamboo, a Japanese garden and a cenotaph whose RAN topiary she read as 'ran'. Scott promises a Sly Stallone impersonation at the end of the episode.

• Episode 11 - Freedom

  Melissa Erbacher has flown from Queensland to Melbourne and is in the studio with Scott Trickett for the first time, so the episode is admittedly Victoria-centric. Mel volunteered at the three-week-old Studley parkrun, with new Run Director Oliver on his first week, and survived the wobbly bridge; Scott was there too, walking with Kasia, and both met the bush doof that keeps popping up on the course. Scott then gave Mel a private freedom run of Westerfolds, the event she had really wanted to do.

• Episode 10 - Brad Beer

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher mark episode 10. Scott spectated two Melbourne fun runs on consecutive weekends, Eltham (run by the local YMCA) and the better-organised Warrandyte, where Kasia ran the 2.2k; they plug the Merimbula Fun Run on 29 May, whose race director Donella is a parkrun event and territory director, and the Warwick Pentathrun on 21 May. Favourite events: Scott's Salomon Trail Series starting at Studley Park, and Mel's Pomona King of the Mountain up Mount Cooroora, where she came last and loved it; Mel is visiting Studley parkrun, two events old, this Saturday.

• Episode 9 - Jakub Fedorowicz

  Melissa Erbacher hosting without her regular co-host, joined in the studio by the Studley Event Director, before the first segment begins.

• Episode 8 - parkdogs

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher open with a few seconds of greeting before the first segment.

• Episode 7 - Ashley Cowley

  Melissa Erbacher and Scott Trickett, after listener judgment over Scott's indifference to The Princess Bride; both saw Zoolander 2 at the weekend, Mel dressed as Mugatu with her running club, Scott doing blue steel with Scotty Hawkins at Jells. Listeners including Watching As I Run, Danella Taylor and Tony O'Connell reported listening on their runs, prompting a debate on headphones at parkrun (Scott against, Mel on why she needed music when starting at Kawana). Mel timekept at Golden Beach's second anniversary, helping Rochelle and her team.

• Episode 6 - Northern Territory

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher, on Lunar New Year, look back over the first five episodes and talk about Zoolander 2 opening that week, which both are seeing with their running clubs: Mel's Derek Zoolander Centre for Kids Who Can't Run Good on the Sunshine Coast and Scott's Westerfoldians. From there it is all-time favourite films (Scott's Jerry Maguire, Mo' Better Blues and Wildcats against Mel's Princess Bride, Ferris Bueller, Clueless, Star Wars and Aliens), six degrees of Keanu Reeves, and Scott's wish for more running clubs named like the Hogwarts running club he has seen in Melbourne.

• Episode 5 - Dave Robbo

  Scott Trickett with Buster the dog asleep in his studio and Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast with Clover and Inu; another record week of 24,000-plus, with 16 of Australia's 150 events breaking course attendance records and The Terrace launching with over 600. Mel credits Queensland's 'stumidity' and sweaty Facebook photos rather than New Year's resolutions; Scott admits he never takes a good running photo and says his sister run-directed Jells for him. Mel tells of two Kawana parkrunners in two weeks who found their lost car keys in their undies despite the event's key bag.

• Episode 4 - Matt Shields

  Melissa Erbacher hosts with Scott Trickett: another Australian attendance record of 23,162, close to the global record, with Australia Day themed events breaking course records and snowy photos coming out of Russia. Mel attended an Australia Day awards ceremony with the Sunshine Coast Event Directors and notes Ipswich founding ED Lachelle also received an award. Scott was RD at Jells, now his event, with helpers from Diamond Creek, Lillydale Lake and Westerfolds and Olympian Sonia O'Sullivan volunteering to marshal; he describes the two-lap lakeside course.

• Episode 3 - Ian Hay

  Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher: Mel ran a saturated, gale-blown Kawana; Scott held the Studley trial run on Sunday with 54 runners, having arrived to find a pop-up rave on course and the turnaround flag later souvenired and dumped on the riverbank, launch is about a month away. Mel explains the Southern Cross Circuit 'stargazers' (Gatton, Warwick, Toowoomba, Pittsworth, Stanthorpe, Highfields, with Roma as the pointer star), devised by Sonja and Peter Pohlman with former Warwick ED Linda Coombes; she has done Stanthorpe and Roma and praises Roma's riverside bush course. Scott names tiny Highlands as Melbourne's friendliest.

• Episode 2 - Norm Phillips

  Norm Phillips voices the intro, then Scott Trickett and Melissa Erbacher note the good feedback and subscriptions after episode one and a new parkrun Australia attendance record of 22,624 (up from 18,489) with 4,912 first-timers and 2,345 unknowns. Ian Hay from Queensland is promised next week for Fun Facts with Ian. Scott, holidaying with family in Victoria's high country, added Wangaratta, a bridge crossing, a fairy garden about 1 km in, noisy frogs and a photo with the ED and RD.

• Episode 1

  First episode: Scott Trickett in Melbourne and Melissa Erbacher on the Sunshine Coast introduce themselves, Mel is Event Director at Kawana, formerly at Brightwater, and a Sunshine Coast territory director; Scott founded Westerfolds, helped Coburg start, is ED at Jells and launches Studley in Kew on 13 February. Over Christmas Mel guest-RD'd Nambour dressed as a Christmas tree and timekept at Kawana on Boxing Day, while Scott did Airlie Beach on Christmas Day and Hamilton Island on Boxing Day with his wife and daughter Kasia. On New Year's Day Mel ran Minnippi and Capalaba with family in Brisbane, and Scott did Coburg then Maribyrnong for his 100th, alongside Albert Park founders Carol and Troy and Coburg RD Ashni.