Sub 3 @ 61

1,090 off and running at Albert Melbourne

In late 2016 I wrote a blog episode called “The parkrun phenomenon”. You can find it at https://hutz224.tumblr.com/post/152552256442/the-parkrun-phenomenon.

Seven years have passed since then. Despite parkrun being paused in much of the world during Covid, the event has flourished locally and internationally and become more popular year on year. It truly is a phenomenon. The figures do not lie. Consider these extraordinary statistics for parkrun around the world during the 2022-23 financial year*:

8.5 million registered parkrunners

2,200 different parkrun venues in 22 countries

(In 2016, by way of comparison and to illustrate the explosion of parkrun in recent years, there were 1.85 million registered parkrunners across 855 venues in 14 countries).

11.5 million people with a finishing time in a parkrun, with a weekly high of approximately 300,000 finishers.

1.5 million people in volunteer roles.

What of Australia? There is no doubt that our country has been one of the most enthusiastic adopters of parkrun. When I wrote my 2016 blog, there were already 189 different parkrun venues nationwide. There are now 481, with more starting up all the time, or so it seems. Two weeks ago, Australia recorded more than 30,000 finishers in a single Saturday. I expect that this figure was easily surpassed last week, given that Victoria alone had an estimated 15,000 finishers, led by the largest ever parkrun field in Australia of 1,090 (plus 37 volunteers) at Albert Park, as well as 602 finishers at Parkville, 504 at Gardiners Creek, 488 at Karkarook and 460 at Maribyrnong.

parkrun Australia is trumpeting the fact that it will record its one millionth finisher this coming weekend. Will this one millionth runner/walker be identified and showered with gifts and prizes, and feature on news bulletins around the country? Of course not, but it’s a nice thought.

So when you hear claims by the leading football, cricket, golf and swimming bodies that their sport is the largest participation sport in Australia, I beg to differ. Even though a healthy percentage of parkrunners are really park walkers, in my opinion the figures speak for themselves. Running is THE biggest participation sport in this country all year round by a very long way (perhaps by the length of the straight?), and the statistics reveal what we already knew – there is currently a massive local running boom.

Of course all this raises many questions. Why is parkrun so popular? Which came first – parkrun or the running boom? Why does Australia’s largest participation sport remain so under-reported? Why don’t more parkrunners get involved in club athletics? How much has parkrun contributed to the huge popularity of local and international marathons?

What cannot be denied is that thousands of Australians get tremendous enjoyment from parkruns every Saturday morning. Who would have thought that a simple five kilometre run in Bushy Park, UK, in 2004, contested by just 13 runners, would spawn such a life-affirming community event across the world?

Next blog: the parkrun record breakers.

*Figures from the parkrun Annual Report 2022-23 at https://drive.google.com/file/d/1zauAMyw9-0mm7rlKSL7omLNd7UiWInOe/view?usp=sharing

With statistical assistance from Scott Lawrence 

With just one sleep to go until the 2k relay and two sleeps to the individual Sunday races, let's have a brief look at the 70+, 75+ and 80+ age categories. These groups compete over a shorter distance - 4k as opposed to 6k - and the fields are predictably smaller, but the rivalry will be just as strong.

The M70 field features two athletes with vastly different backgrounds, but impeccable distance running credentials. John Bermingham (NT) won two world championshipship gold medals in Finland last year (1500m and 10k road) and will start as favourite. Yassine Belaabed has set a string of Victorian M70 distance records over the last year and will keep John honest. Hard to prdict who will follow these two runners home - perhaps former Olympian Chris Wardlaw (Vic) or Ron Schwebel (NSW). 

(L to R) Bermingham, Belaabed, Schwebel

There are only two W70 entrants, so both are guaranteed to win a medal! Canadian Thelma Wright may have the edge over Heather Powrie (NSW).You will understand why I make this suggestion if you look up Thelma’s Wikipedia entry. She is one of the all-time greats of Canadian distance running. In 1970, she won a bronze medal in the open age World Cross Country Championships in France. It is wonderful to see her in Australia for this event 43 years later.

There are five entries in the M75 event, all Aussies. Frank Scorzelli (NSW) has recently run 22:01 for parkrun so he will start as clear favourite. Phillip Urquhart (Vic) is extremely well known in Masters ranks as a former President of AMA. The form of the other three runners is unknown. There are no W75 entries.

(L to R) Scorzelli, Urquhart

There are six 80+ entries, three men and three women, which is well organised by them because, as long as they finish, they will all get to stand on the podium. One name among them is famous, very famous. New Zealander Roger Robinson has so many great achievements in the sport that it would fill several pages to list them all. We can be sure that he will come to the event very well prepared and I’m nominating him as the likely M80 winner. Caroline Campbell (ACT) is a 1500m bronze medallist from the World Masters T & F Champs in 2018 and she will battle it out with Myrtle Rough, who was recently named the New Zealand masters middle distance athlete of the year. Roger and Myrtle should easily win the 80+ 2k relay.

(L to R) Robinson, Myrtle

With statistical assistance from Scott Lawrence

There are now just five days until runners and fans converge upon Bathurst for the World Cross Country Championships. My previews have focussed on the Masters 6k races because the 2k relay teams largely remain a mystery to me. But a few enquiries have revealed some interesting pairings. In the 40+ division, it has been confirmed that Ben Bruce and April Lund (USA) will run as a team and they should clean up. Steve Dinneen and Anna Kasapis are the strongest Aussie pairing, followed by Nathan Crowley and Nicole Joseph. These four runners are all from Victoria and I'm not aware of any teams from other States that might challenge them.

(L to R) Dinneen, Kasapis, Crowley, Joseph

In the 50+ category, Steve Moneghetti has thrown the cat among the pigeons by dropping down from his 60+ age group to team up with Krishna Stanton. A clever move from the master of Masters! But I fancy the chances of Victorian duo, John Meagher and Julie Norney, who have an age advantage over this all-star pair. In a remarkable coincidence, Krishna and Julie ran identical times in their most recent parkruns (18:56), so will Mona have the speed over 2k to beat his younger rival? I am going out on a limb and tipping an upset by the younger team. Ant Rickards and Bev Thomas (also Vic) are the likely third team on the podium. Krishna's presence should at least prevent a Victorian sweep of the medals.

(L to R top) Moneghetti, Stanton, Meagher

(L to R bottom) Norney, Rickards, Thomas

Now we return to the 6k individual cross country and the top 60+ and 65+ prospects. There are only three overseas M60 entries and it's a shame that most of the best runners in this age group appear to have preferred to enter the World Indoor Track Championships in Poland next month. Nonetheless, the field remains of high quality. Mona, fresh from his 5000m world track record, is the hottest of red-hot favourites. In an ominous sign for his rivals, when asked recently about the upcoming race, Mona simply volunteered: "I like cross country", four words carrying a very clear message to his rivals, among whom will be Bruce Graham (ACT), the winner of numerous Masters track titles over many years, and Derek Froude, a two time Olympian for New Zealand but now representing the USA. Craig Downie (Tas) is another elite runner, with recent times of 10:08/17:47 for 3000m/parkrun to his name. Gary Mayor (Qld) ran 17:35 for 5000m last year and so is also a chance for a medal.

(L to R) Graham, Froude, Downie, Mayor

The W60 field is not nearly as strong and has no foreign runners, so is a de facto Australian Championships. Victoria Gunn (Tas), or Vicky to her friends, ran 21:06 and scored an age grading over 90% at the Launceston parkrun last year, which probably makes her (what else?) a gun runner. Robyn Basman (NSW) has a similar 5000m time from 2022. Anne Lord (Vic) is a four-time Australian World Cross Country representative. The other runners have little or no form on the board, so there could easily be a surprise win here from someone sneaking under my radar.

(L to R) Gunn, Basman

How good it would have been to see the two outstanding M65 runners in the world going head to head in Bathurst? But alas, it's not to be, as NSW's own Keith Bateman and Scotland's Alistair Walker are both skipping the event, unfortunately. This leaves Allan Long (formerly NT, now Vic) as the clear favourite. Ian Calder (NZ) and Peter Hutton (NSW) are experienced Masters competitors and should both be in the mix. In the W65 age group, Rosemary Roediger (NSW) has a strong claim with recent parkrun times just beyond 21 minutes and consistent 90%+ age gradings, but New Zealander Christine Adamson will be close by. Great Britain and Northern Ireland's Margaret Phillips boasts an impressive 441 parkruns to date, but she cannot match the speed of Rosemary or Christine. Helen Stanley (Vic) is another respected Masters competitor. Calder and Adamson will be a chance to win the 60+ 2k relay if they team up, although the younger pair of Downie and Gunn could conceivably take the gold medals back with them to Tasmania.

(L to R) Calder, Hutton, Adamson, Stanley

With statistical assistance from Scott Lawrence

This blog episode will cover the 50+ and 55+ age groups. But first I owe a sincere apology to one of Australia's best ever cross country runners, Anna Thompson Munro. I have known Anna for about 25 years, yet I entirely missed her entry in the W45 events at Bathurst. My feeble excuse is that she entered as Anna Munro, whereas for years I have known her as Anna Thompson. Once alerted to my omission, I hastily consulted Wikipedia, which listed five of her appearances for Australia in the World Cross Country Championships. I subsequently learned that Anna has competed in the World Cross Country nine times! She represented Australia seven years in a row from 2002 to 2008, then again in 2010 and 2011, an extraordinary record. Her contest with Anna Kasapis in the W45 race should be a beauty.

Anyway, let's get back to the other age groups. The M50 race sees six countries represented. New Zealander Wim Luijpers has great recent track form, running 4:12 for 1500m in November. He will start as favourite. If someone travels halfway around the world for a 6k race, it's a fair bet that they might be a serious runner, and it looks that way for Frenchman Frederic Gilbert, who ran 4:22/9:15 for 1500m/3k indoors last year. Victorian Ant Rickards last week ran 16:49 for 5000m. He and another Victorian, Andrew McEvoy, who had a strong winter in 2022, are likely to be the nearest challengers to the two overseas visitors. Richard Hope is a former Victorian half marathon champion, but his current form is unknown.

(L to R) Luijpers, Gilbert, Rickards

There is only one foreign W55 entrant, so the race is likely to be yet another showdown between two Victorians, who have raced each other many times over the years, and a New South Wales speedster. Julie Norney Petrie has been in sparkling parkrun form of late, while Bev Thomas is a proven cross country runner. The two met twice in Victorian cross country events last winter - Bev beat Julie over 12k, while the result was reversed over 10k. This should be another great contest. Charlotte Middleton (NSW) is the dark horse, with outstanding 800m/1500m times in 2022, but she may be better suited to the 2k relay.

(L to R) Norney, Thomas, Middleton

Well, what an interesting line up we have in the M55 category. A few overseas runners, but the locals will dominate. Shaun Creighton (ACT) needs no introduction. What a career he has had, both as an elite open age athlete and then as a reborn 50+ runner. Lately Shaun has been running big distances and looks to have peaked nicely for this one. I think he is close to the hottest favourite in any of the overage divisions. The podium places will be hotly contested. Paul Arthur (NSW) is a former City to Surf winner and it's good to see him back in action. He will have strong opposition from John Meagher (Vic). I expect to see these three guns take the medals, but Michael Eury (Vic), Ken Wilson (NSW) and Bruce Davie (Vic) may not be far behind.

(L to R) Creighton, Meagher, Eury

In the W55 race, it's impossible to ignore Krishna Stanton (ACT now Qld). She was already famous as a Commonwealth Games silver medallist, Olympian and Australian champion at various distances. Then, from seemingly nowhere, Krishna set a world W55 marathon record in London last year. She looks impossible to beat here. Liz Miller (NSW) is another former Australian representative, but her form is unknown. If she is fit, the podium beckons. Englishwoman Julie Wilson is the only overseas entrant and she has a recent fast 3000m time, as does Karen Blay (NSW), so look for either or both to challenge for a medal.

(L to R) Stanton, Blay

It is less than two weeks to the World Cross Country Championships and to date attention has been focused on the open races, especially in Australian circles and rightly so, because the team of McSweyn, Caldwell, Hoare and Hull is a genuine medal chance in the 4 x 2km relay event.

But for older athletes, there is excitement surrounding the Masters events being held in conjunction with the Open championships. Holding the two events at the same time and venue is a new idea. Until now, Masters athletes were used to finding cross country races scheduled for the first day of the World Masters Track & Field Championships held every two years. This was odd scheduling, because running a tough cross country is far from an ideal preparation for track racing. It did, however, guarantee strong fields, which unfortunately can't be said for Bathurst. There are very few overseas entrants for the races, probably because for northern hemisphere residents, it's an awfully long way to travel for a 6k or 4k race, plus perhaps a 2k relay. The 100 Euro entry fee probably hasn't helped! But despite the disappointing roll up of foreign runners, there will be some great racing across the age groups. There are some world famous names among the entries such as Moneghetti, Creighton, Stanton, Froude (NZ) and Robinson (NZ).

So let's look at the age groups 40+ and 45+, with apologies to the 35+ athletes, who I'm leaving out because I think that 35-39 is far too young to be considered a "Master" of anything! For present purposes, I'm ignoring the 4 x 2k relay events because pairings are as yet unknown.

The men's 40+ 6k race has the highest number of foreign entrants of any race on the program with six countries plus Australia being represented. The strongest overseas competition will likely come from Ben Bruce (USA), who is an elite steeplechaser and ran 2:27 in last year's Boston Marathon, and is the clear favourite to win. Shane Grund from Victoria has been in sparkling form of late (14:49 for 5000m in 2022) and will be close to the front. NSW runner Russell Dessaix-Chin is another elite runner, but current form is unknown. Victoria's Steve Dinneen (Vic) will give it everything and is a strong podium chance. Sweden's Martin Kjall-Ohlsson is another runner to watch. The women's 40+ field looks comparatively weak. April Lund from the USA is the standout with times of 35:19 for 10000m and 1:19.51 for a half marathon last year and should make it a USA double. Nicole Joseph (Vic) is a former Australian W40 5000m champion, but has been quiet since her win in 2019. The form of the other W40 competitors is similarly unknown.

The M45 race is going to be a beauty, with several runners in similar form. I like Paul Mulholland from South Australia, who ran 15:43/9:19 for 5k/3k in the SA Masters Champs in March 2022. Julian Marsh (once Victoria, now living in California) ran 32:55 for 10k just yesterday, so he will fancy his chances. Nick Moore (NZ) has a similar 10k time from 2021. Jeff Chaseling from NSW had some very fast times from 3000m to the marathon in 2021, but not much since. Any one of these four runners could take the chocolates. Nathan Crowley (Vic) will be better suited to the 2k relay. It is a shame that neither Sinead Diver nor Belinda Martin will be there to dominate the W45 race, but I guess the other women will be glad of that. Again the women's field looks much softer than the men's, with only two overseas entrants. Anna Kasapis (Vic) is in brilliant form, and although 6k will stretch her, I think she will win. Another Anna will be prominent - Anna Thompson Munro (Vic) is a five times World Cross Country representative for Australia. Mainly based on their 1500m times, Katie Siebold (Vic), Melissa Oloyede (ACT) and Kriszta Kovacs (NSW) are all podium chances.

I am sure that some of my highly educated readers will have other insights into the chances of the various competitors in the 40+ and 45+ races, and I welcome any comments that readers may have. Otherwise, stay tuned for part 2 of this blog sequence, where I will preview the 50+ and 55+ events.

Turning 60 makes you eligible for a seniors card, which you can use for concessions on public transport, art gallery and movie tickets. Most senior citizens enjoy these perks while following a sedate lifestyle. But some seniors just can't stop running. And an elite few can't stop running really, really fast.

Last Thursday night in Clifton Hill, Victoria, Australia, a much decorated star of Australian distance running, Steve Moneghetti, clocked 15:52.9 for 5000m. An unremarkable time until you learn that Steve has just turned 60 years of age.

Steve was ecstatic after the race because his time broke the previous world record for his 60+ age group by more than three seconds. But a day later, Steve's Instagram post carried the news that the meet "wasn't sanctioned for WR or Oz (Australian) record". So it appeared that his great run would only be recognised as a State (Victorian) record. 

This news rang a bell for me because in the 2018 Toronto Marathon, I ran with American runner, Gene Dykes, who shortly afterwards set a 70+ marathon WR in Jacksonville, Florida. He later found that the race had not been sanctioned by USATF, the governing athletics body in the USA. As far as I know, Gene was never recognised as the WR holder, and his time has now been surpassed by a Dutch runner, who ran 2:54.19 earlier this year.

But the marathon is a road event and we all know about the distance certification requirements for road races so that there is never a repeat of Alberto Salazar's overturned marathon WR in 1981. Surely there is no such issue with track records, so why was Steve so concerned about the sanctioning issue? Setting a world record on the track should be pretty straightforward, shouldn't it? As long as the track is 400m around, and you run faster than anyone else has ever run for the distance, then you are a world record holder, right? Well maybe, or maybe not ...

Here's how it works in Victoria (and I assume the other Australian states) for track record claims. For any given track meet, a state athletic body can issue a "State Permit". Performances at a State Permit meet can be submitted as State records or national qualifying times. In order for an Australian record claim, the relevant meet must have a "National Permit" from Athletics Australia. The Clifton Hill meet had only a State Permit, which is why Steve thought that he could not claim an Australian record. And the Clifton Hill meet could never obtain a National Permit because the track has only six lanes.

But wait, this is not the end of the story as far as Steve's record claims go. The State and National Permit requirements only apply for open age and underage records, not Masters records. Clyde Riddoch, the Records Officer for Victorian Masters Athletics, has assured me that Steve's performance will be recognised as State and National Masters records "as long as the paperwork is in order". Steve's run was hand timed and three different timekeepers were required to have recorded his time, among other requirements. The organisers of the Clifton Hill meet shrewdly engaged highly qualified Athletics Victoria officials to oversee the meeting, and as a result there is no doubt that the paperwork will meet the required standard.

That just leaves the big one - the world record. Will World Masters Athletics recognise a hand timed performance on a six lane suburban track at an unsanctioned meet (i.e. a meet without a National Permit)? Here's the advice from Hazel McDonnell, the Secretary of Oceania Master Athletics:

"When the record was obtained there are certain forms to be filled out and verified by the officials at that time. These must then go through your state statistician to be verified again and then onto your National body who will lodge it with WMA."

Keith Bateman is another very fast Australian senior citizen. He holds numerous State and National overage records, and most importantly for this article, the M55 world records for every track distance from 1500m to 10,000m - a truly incredible feat. And here's the good news for Steve: not all of these records were set at National sanctioned meets, but were accepted by WMA as world records nonetheless. In other words, the record requirements for Masters are less onerous (and bureaucratic) than for open and underage athletes, something of a seniors concession if you like.

6 March 2021 - alphabetical blog #25

So finally, it came to this. After 24 alphabetically consecutive parkruns, only the letter Z remained. And there is only one parkrun in the whole of Australia starting with Z - Zillmere.

Where the hell is Zillmere? It is a fairly nondescript suburb of Brisbane 14 kilometres north of the city. Fortunately the state borders had re-opened. Armed with a permit, I could fly to Brisbane and back without any requirement to quarantine. A round trip of around 2,800 kilometres for a parkrun might seem extreme, but my zeal for my zany project remained undiminished.

I found an AirBnB room in Zillmere close to the parkrun venue. My early arrival the day before the parkrun allowed me to catch a few zeds in the afternoon. I woke up feeling a bit zonked by the heat and humidity. I put on my running shoes and jogged to the park where the parkrun would take place. I found that the entire course was on grass. Queensland grass is lush, very, very lush. I regretted not packing my spikes.

The next morning I woke early, as Queensland parkruns start at 7.00 am. It was already warm and sunny, and I felt a bit zombie-like after a restless night. I needed to get into the “zone", that state of mind and body that allows a runner to shake off any weariness and lethargy, and run as fast as possible. A blast of ZZ Top in my headphones and some vigorous stretching helped get me going.

I felt pretty zippy by the time I arrived at the parkrun. I had left plenty of time, or so I thought until I realised that I had left my wristband at my accommodation! No wristband meant that I had no barcode, which meant that no result would be recorded for my run. I had not come all this way or run the alphabet from A to Y only to record a zero result at Zillmere, so I zoomed back to my digs and frantically searched my belongings for my wristband. The minutes ticked by, but I found it and sprinted back to the start of the parkrun. I made it there with less than a minute to spare, feeling a bit zapped.

The barest zephyr of a breeze did little to reduce the heat as we set off on the stroke of 7.00 am. Lots of zigging and plenty of zagging later, I found myself finishing my alphabetical challenge soaked in sweat, but exultant. I secured my last parkrun frame photo and wandered off for coffee with fellow Victorians Bill and Heather Carr, who had also travelled from Melbourne for the run.

Finishing the Zillmere parkrun was a special moment for me. I had started my journey at close to the lowest point in my life, suffering the ravages of chemotherapy and not knowing if I would survive, and had completed it, strong, happy and healthy, in the glorious Queensland sun. I had well and truly regained my zest for life.

Course ratings - Zillmere:

Course - complicated course with many direction changes ***

Surface - soft grass ***

Setting - open fields and sports ovals ****

Social index - lovely volunteers *****

This post’s Z count: 24.

15 February 2021 - alphabetical blog #24

With W done and dusted, next up was the letter Y. Who could resist the lure of a parkrun titled with a double Y? So it was up early for a one hour drive with two yawning whippets to the You Yangs Regional Park.

It had rained heavily in the days before and so we were not entirely sure that the event would go ahead, but a Facebook message assured us that, yes, it was all systems go. But where was the start? After following some well-placed arrows in the park, yippee, we found it.

As we jogged off to the start, two whippets indicated their displeasure at being left behind in the car with some protracted yapping and yowling. Candice decided that it was no use yelling at them to be quiet, and she would yield to their plaintive yelping and walk with them around the course.

The parkrun began with a steady uphill climb. By halfway, I was yearning to see the top. Youth was not necessarily an advantage on this section as several young athletes fell back behind me. After the hill, the going became easier but not much faster through some wet and rutted patches. I longed for my speed of yesteryear as I did the hard yards to get to the finish in third place.

I jogged back to find Candice who had not yet reached halfway. I finally spotted her over yonder and we walked to the finish, yarning with a local parkrun regular, Jacqui, as we went.

Back in the car, we refuelled with some yummy yoghurt and yellow peaches, then streamed some Yothu Yindi, appropriate music as we drove out through the beautiful natural bush of the You Yangs range.

Course ratings - You Yangs: 

Course - bush circuit on gravel roads and access tracks **** 

Surface - gravel and clay *** 

Setting - natural bush ***** 

Social index - friendly people everywhere *****

This post’s Y count: 30.

25 January 2021 - alphabetical post no. 23

Writing this blog has been a welcome diversion from the rigours of my cancer and subsequent treatment.  I have enjoyed manipulating words to match different letters of the alphabet in each episode. The result has been a somewhat weird and wacky account of my alphabetical parkrun challenge.

It’s now eighteen months since my operation and nearly a year since finishing chemotherapy. It’s been a wild ride and not a happy one. The drugs wrought havoc on my body and some wicked side effects persist to this day. The very good news is that I remain clear of cancer.

By 14 March 2020, I had completed 22 consecutive parkruns across four states to reach the letter “V”. Then the worldwide pandemic waltzed into our lives and parkrun was no more. But 44 long weeks later, the wait was over, parkrun was finally back and it was time to get back on the horse.

There are many “W” parkruns. Warringal Parklands was an easy choice, being just a short drive from home, and where I regularly do Sunday long runs. I weighed up whether to compile a mixed tape for the trip, perhaps featuring the Waifs, Whitlams and Wet Wet Wet, plus Billy Idol’s “White Wedding” (of course).

Though my training during lockdown had been erratic, I had not wavered in my desire to get back into regular racing, even while having some worrying doubts. I had suffered muscle wastage during chemo and often felt weak and exhausted during runs. My waistline had expanded. At least I still had my hair!

I woke up feeling optimistic on Saturday morning. I wanted to run under 20 minutes for the 5k distance, which would give me an age group record for the event. It was a soft record, but that was irrelevant! The weather conditions were perfect for fast running: cool with only a whisper of wind. 

My warm up went well, then in a flash, we were off. I went out hard, but was wary of overdoing it. Someone ran next to me for the first 2k, but it was only when he whipped past me that I recognised former Victorian teammate and Olympian, Rod de Highden. 

The course weaved along a winding, undulating route to a turnaround point before returning the same way. At 4k, my watch told me that I was close to 16 minutes, which meant that my sub 20 goal would go down to the wire. I worked really hard to cross the finish line in 19:51. Wow, that felt good, really good.

The weariness which had been my constant companion was forgotten, at least temporarily. The realisation washed over me that I had been right to continue running during the worst of times because it made the good times even better. I had been wounded but not beaten. As I wandered back to my car under skies of blue and clouds of white, I recalled the wise words of Louis Armstrong. It was indeed a wonderful world.

Course ratings - Warringal Parklands:

Course - out and back on the Yarra Trail, one 180 degree turn ****

Surface - concrete and gravel ****

Setting - natural bush and sports fields *****

Social index - willing volunteers, friendly runners and walkers *****

This post’s W count: 73.

It's been a long time between blogs. For my faithful followers (thanks Mum), my alphabetical parkrun project came to an abrupt halt in mid March with the first lockdown in Melbourne. I was left frustratingly short of my goal, with just letters W, Y and Z remaining (there are no parkruns beginning with X). As a result, there hasn't been much to write about since my last blog in August. 

The current stage 4 lockdown in Melbourne prohibits travel beyond a 5 kilometre radius of your home, with a few specific excemptions. This has cramped the style of many runners. It has been a necessary and acceptable restriction, but maybe now it's time to relax it. 

I’m a parkrun tourist at heart To travel 6k would be a nice start I feel so restricted and that is my beef It’s not as if I want to go to Tenerife (17,996k)

Maybe I’ll wait until after dark And sneak on over to Albert Park (8k) It would be a clear Covid breach To go running at Altona Beach (25k)

If only I could sprout some wings And fly on out to Berwick Springs (57k) And if Dan would give me a break I’d do two laps round Lillydale Lake (38k)

Would it be a mortal sin To jog the path at Darebin? (9k) Why can’t I make like Deek And do a long run at Diamond Creek? (25k)

If I could get to Frog Hollow (48k) A quick 5k would inevitably follow And the leafy trails at Gardiners Creek (20k) Would help me reach my post-cancer peak

I know it is out of my hands To be allowed to run at Highlands (33k) But as long as nobody tells Maybe I can get as far as Jells (22k)

Would it be such a bad look If I drove 19 k’s to Karkarook? And if I went to Wyndham Vale (38k) Would the Corona cops put me in jail?

Although I’ve not been to Point Cook (31k) I would dearly love to take a look And I’d like to see what the course holds Up and down the hills at Westerfolds (16k)

Warringal Parklands seem at my front door But the map says it’s 10k or more I’m even having hunger pangs To run around the You Yangs (60k)

This thing has gone on way too long I’m really missing Maribyrnong (10k) I’m only asking, for heaven’s sakes For a chance to run at Newport Lakes (18k)

So please please please help us Dan You have power to lift the ban This 5k limit is such a bummer For every long-suffering (park)runner

28 August 2020 - alphabetical post #22

After venturing to northern New South Wales for the Urunga parkrun, our next scheduled parkrun venue was Victor Harbor in South Australia, more than 2,100 kilometres away across our vast continent. We had six days to get there and decided to travel via the outback town of Lightning Ridge.

As we travelled, we were hearing and reading about the arrival of a deadly virus from China, but we vanquished any thoughts of it affecting our trip. We had other concerns when the heavens opened and a vigorous rainstorm transformed the landscape. The sheer volume of water on the road verges gave us cause to wonder whether flooding would cut the local highways. We voted to continue to Lightning Ridge and were vindicated when the skies cleared and the sun returned. We later learned that this was the area’s first viable rain in seven years.

Lightning Ridge had various attractions, including hot water springs and its valuable opal mining industry. I was very happy to discover that street artist, Mort Murray, lived in the town and had his art gallery there. We viewed several of his vibrant and quirky murals around town. Our final verdict was that Lightning Ridge was well worth the visit.

Turning south through Broken Hill, the landscape remained virtually unchanged for mile after mile. Our trusty vehicle had not missed a beat, but Bolt the whippet was voicing his displeasure at the vibrations whenever we hit a rough section of road. Finally we reached Victor Harbor. Candice and I were both very happy to relinquish the cramped van bed for a real one. 

The heat and dust of the interior had vanished and been replaced by a viciously cold wind for the parkrun. My chemo treatment had left me vulnerable to fatigue and unfortunately the long road trip had sapped almost the last vestige of my energy. I just wanted to get the run over and done with. This was a pity because the parkrun course was flat, visually attractive and would be very fast on a windless day. The official results verify a time of 26:08, but I really struggled and was just happy to finish.

 Post run I vacillated between choosing a veal parma or veggie burger to meet my voracious appetite. I chose the latter with a vanilla milkshake. We parted company with friends Scott and Cathy and veered back through the now verdant countryside to Victoria. The news regarding the virulent Coronavirus was growing steadily worse with no vaccine remotely in sight. But not even in my most vivid imaginings could I have foreseen the vicissitudes and vexations of the imminent pandemic. 

The timelapse video of the Victor Harbor parkrun is here.

Course ratings - Victor Harbor:

Course - out and back on coastal path *****

Surface - bitumen *****

Setting - beach/coast *****

Social index - vivacious, versatile volunteers *****

This post’s V count: 57.

19 August 2020 - alphabetical post #21

Upon the completion of my chemotherapy, I took a three month leave of absence from the unceasing and uninspiring grind of work. This would allow Candice and I to undertake a road trip to the upcoming U and V parkruns, both of which required travel to unfamiliar interstate venues.

There are only two parkruns in Australia starting with the letter U: Underwood Park in Queensland and Urunga on the far north coast of New South Wales. There are three V parkruns, two in Queensland and one in South Australia. We could have simply flown to Queensland and remained there for both runs, but I had an unshakeable urge to do a more unorthodox trip. And so it transpired in early March that we hired a campervan with unlimited kilometres and headed north to Urunga, utterly oblivious to the unprecedented Covid-19 upheaval still to come.

It was a long way to Urunga (1,354 km to be precise) and we had two whippets on board, both unused to long distance driving. We put them in safety harnesses on their beds behind us in the van so that they would be unable to roam unchecked and possibly get underfoot.

Our drive to Urunga was unhurried and uneventful, but we were shocked by the unrelenting scenes of bushfire devastation throughout New South Wales. It was upsetting to see the ugly scars wrought on the usually green forests. Seeing the damage with our own eyes gave us a real understanding of the unstoppable maelstrom of fire that had been unleashed upon the unsuspecting land.

I had done my utmost to convince Candice that this road trip would be an unqualified success, but it is fair to say that by the time we reached Urunga, she was somewhat underwhelmed by the experience. The small size of the van was proving unsuitable for us and the dogs. Then upon arrival in Urunga, my delight at finding an unspoiled riverbank camping spot was unfortunately swiftly undone by the unwelcome swarm of sandflies which invaded the van at dusk. The next day we were both covered with umpteen uncomfortable bites. Candice was unamused.

The dawn ushered in a cloudy morning. Candice undertook to mind the dogs while I did the parkrun, which started at the unaccustomed early time of 7.00 a.m. I met the event director, Nathan, and his united band of helpers which included his two daughters clad in the usual volunteers’ high-vis uniforms, but in appropriately small sizes.

53 parkrunners were soon up and running (or walking). Thankfully for this unfit runner, there were no undulations in the course, which was flat except for a slight uptick at one end. The course was only 700 metres from end to end and so it had the unusually high number of seven U-turns. I was unimpressed with my ultimate finishing time of 23:41, but I knew that I would be unlikely to run any faster unless and until the unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy subsided. One upside of the run was that my cap cam worked, showing the course under unbroken cloudy skies - see the video below. After the run, there was an uplifting moment as I posed with Nathan and his daughters for a photo. 

Later we headed off along the unique Urunga boardwalk, which extends one kilometre from the township and follows the Kalang River to its junction with the Bellinger River and then out to the ocean, with unrivalled views inland to the Great Dividing Range. It was unquestionably the highlight of our road trip to that point.

I had underestimated the difficulty of travelling in an untested campervan with two unpredictable whippets. But I remained undaunted. I was unfazed by the massive distance to the next parkrun in Victor Harbor, South Australia. We had six days to get there, so there was no urgency. What could possibly go wrong?

Course ratings - Urunga: 

Course - seven laps of 700m walking path ** 

Surface - concrete ***** 

Setting - parkland next to Kalang River ***** 

Social index - friendly volunteers *****

This post’s U count: 86.

The next post will be brought to U by the letter V.

12 July 2020 - alphabetical post #20 

The next target in my series of parkruns was the letter T, the twentieth letter of the alphabet. It was a toss up between Toolern Vale in Melton and Torquay. I chose the latter because we could stay overnight in a friend’s beach house in town just three hundred metres from the parkrun start.

We travelled to Torquay together with our two whippets, Cliffy and Bolt. There was no shortage of suitable tunes to help pass the time in the tedious Friday afternoon traffic tangle. My T playlist for the trip featured Tina Turner, Tommy Tutone, Tanya Tucker and of course Tiny Tim, with his truly terrible song “Tiptoe Through the Tulips”.

2020 is a leap year, and 29 February fell on a Saturday. This would not happen again until 2048. Thus parkrunners world wide were being encouraged to mark the day by jumping into the air. Bolt threw himself into the spirit of things at the beach house - see video below.

It had been three weeks since my chemotherapy torture had finished, but there had been no tangible change in my state of health since then. The toxic drugs had taken their toll and I was perpetually tired. It was tempting to throw in the towel and skip this one, but I decided to grit my teeth and tough it out.

The Torquay parkrun course follows a trail parallel to Fishermans Beach and thankfully the terrain is mostly flat, with some twists and turns. As we joined the assembled throng, the weather was terrific: clear, windless and at a good temperature for running. After a tentative start, I tried to run at my threshold, and this tactic netted me a finishing time of 23:10, not too bad in the absence of training.

Unfortunately that morning I must have been suffering from “chemo brain”, which clouds thinking somewhat. I had trouble operating both my running watch and tiny cap-mounted timelapse camera. The camera is touchy and, like most technology, is useless if not turned on correctly. So unfortunately there is no video footage this week.

Afterwards runners and walkers took over the nearby Salty Dog Cafe, appropriately named given the tremendous number of dogs with their owners at the outdoor tables. The cafe offered some tasty treats, but I was happy with tea and raisin toast. Tugging on their leads and with tails wagging, our two whippets reminded us to take them to the beach, so we trudged behind them as they chased and tormented the local seagulls.

That evening we left our temporary home to travel back to Melbourne, back to our telephones and vacuous TV, with a twinge of regret that we could not tarry a tad longer in Torquay.

Course ratings - Torquay: 

Course - out and back **** 

Surface - gravel trail **** 

Setting - next to beach, low scrub **** 

Social index - Salty Dog Cafe close to the start/finish line *****

This post’s T count: 150.

The next post will be brought to you by the letter U.

1 August 2020 - alphabetical post #19

Still sadly suffering savage side effects from my chemotherapy ordeal, the selection of a parkrun starting with the letter S seemed a simple task. I live only a short distance from Yarra Bend Park and neighbouring Studley Park. The Studley parkrun traverses trails in both parks and includes some seriously steep hills. It’s a stern test on a very scenic course. Yarra Bend is a special place to run, so close to the city that at dusk you can spot the sun setting behind the CBD’s soaring skyscrapers.  

Saturday 22 February dawned fine and sunny. In a sensible effort to avoid sunburn, I slipped on my singlet, slopped on sunscreen and slapped on a cap. After sipping on a smoothie for breakfast, I strapped on my running shoes with the “swoosh” logo. 

As usual, I searched for suitable songs to play on the car’s surround sound system. Candice wanted some soothing classical music and suggested Scriabin’s Sixth Sonata, but I scoured my collection for something more stimulating to stir me from my early morning stupor. I could have tried to squeeze in songs from Sister Sledge, Sufjan Stevens and the Scissor Sisters, but instead I settled for the searing sax solo in “Baker Street”, which always succeeds in sparking me up.

Upon arrival we met friends Scott and Cathy. Scott would run with me, while Cathy and Candice would stick together. Everyone assembled in the shade at the picnic shelter for the briefing, then we were sent off on our way. There was a scramble to steer our way through a severe early bottleneck where the course entered a bush trail on the southern side of the Yarra River. After 500m, we turned around and scampered back to Kane’s Bridge, a spectacular suspension bridge connecting the two parks.

The runners shattered the serenity of the silent river as they crossed the bridge, which shuddered under the sudden surge of bodies. My suspect state of health meant that the hills to come would be a significant challenge, so my strategy was to go slow and steady for the first and second kilometres. The first hill snaked up from the riverbank with several switchbacks to negotiate. Shortly after that came a sharp slope down to the river and the furthest turnaround point, which sent us to slog back up the same slope. Then it was back down the switchbacks, trying not to collide with stragglers coming the other way.

I tried to increase speed on our return journey, and running in Scott’s slipstream helped to put a spring in my step. I lacked the strength to summon any sort of sprint, but I still had enough stamina to survive the course and stride for the line, finishing in 27:05. Although the time sucked, I was satisfied with my effort.

The Studley course was a splendid course for a timelapse video shoot, which you can see at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QvAbbL3EOLM&t=9s. The video showcases the superb scenery and is set to some superior Aussie music.

This run took place before the sad and scary pandemic which has shut down parkruns and other social events in Melbourne. After this run, we shared scones with scrumptious strawberry jam at the nearby Studley Park Boathouse. That afternoon, we sauntered off to a sausage sizzle at a friend’s place in a seaside suburb, where we savoured succulent steaks accompanied by a sublime South Australian shiraz. We sat around with a small group of friends and swapped stories of our summer shenanigans until sunset. 

We had no idea of the shocking s..tstorm soon to rock our self-absorbed world.

Course ratings - Studley:

Course - out and back first kilometre, then out and back to make up the four remaining hilly kilometres, two bridge crossings **

Surface - gravel trails, wooden suspension bridge ***

Setting - natural bush by the Yarra River *****

Social index - Studley Park Boathouse by the start/finish line *****

This post’s S count: 176 (a sensational, stupendous PB).

The next post will be brought to you by the letter T. 

22 July 2020 - alphabetical post #18

By mid February I had eight parkruns remaining to complete my alphabetical challenge. Yes, that’s right, eight, because there are no parkruns beginning with the letter X. We had returned from Tasmania and I chose Rosebud as our next running destination. Rosebud used to be known as a beach resort, but rampant development has turned it into more like a beachside suburb.

We researched a place to stay in the region and found a dog friendly AirBnB residence. We roared down the highway to Rosebud on Friday afternoon. We didn’t require random radio tunes as I had prepared a playlist for the ride. I prefer rock and roll to rap music, so the list included rollicking old tunes like “Rocky Raccoon”, “Rebel Rebel”, “Rockin’ Robin” and, appropriately, “Run Rudolph Run”, which I guess really dates me.

We repaired to the house, which sat high on a hilltop. We were rewarded with a ripping view of the receding rays of the sun as we reclined on the balcony drinking red wine, while our whippets roamed the yard below. I reckoned this was a pretty reasonable spot to rest and relax as I replenished my glass several times.

The alarm rang early the next morning, rousing us from sleep. I felt rather raw and was regretting the rum and coke I had retrieved from the refrigerator last thing before retiring. The weather had regressed and there were rain squalls rolling across the now rough sea, resulting in some resistance by the dogs to the interruption of their sleepy repose.

Our spirits were revived upon reaching the foreshore. It was the Rosebud parkrun’s second birthday and everyone received the news that, despite the rain, they were welcome to feast on a table of treats after the run. I spotted another Miler, Rob, resplendent in a Hawaiian shirt and ready to race (even though parkrun is not a race). 

Although my chemotherapy regimen had finished, I would soon come to realise that the drugs would ravage my system for some time, and that my recovery could not be rushed. But on this day at Rosebud, despite feeling pretty rotten, I went out relatively hard and tried to maintain a robust rhythm. 

We ran a twice out and return course with four 180 degree turns, which seems to be a regular set up on coastal parkrun paths. The route traversed a boardwalk, which didn’t leave much room for oncoming traffic as we rounded a few bends. My watch revealed a respectable finish time of 22:57, but I do recall being passed at a rapid rate by a runner wearing rubber sandals! 

I recorded the run on my cap cam, but unfortunately water on the lens restricted the view at times. Check it out at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Va6FEgC4apg 

I am hoping that reading this blog brings a refreshing respite for my fellow Melburnians from recent lockdown restraints and until we resume our previous lives. Hopefully the reports are not becoming too repetitive. Regardless, I am relishing writing them. But now this ridiculous rant has reached an end for another week.

Course ratings - Rosebud:

Course - twice out and back with four 180 degree turns ***

Surface - part bitumen, part wooden boardwalk, some gravel ****

Setting - beachfront path and boardwalk, some ti tree scrub ****

Social index -  volunteers who like to (birthday) party *****

This post’s R count: 119.

15 July 2020 - alphabetical post #17

Given the large number of parkruns in and close to Melbourne, finding runs beginning with the letters A to P had not been a difficult task. But the letter Q was another matter entirely. For the first time, it would be necessary to travel interstate. Queanbeyan in New South Wales or Queens Domain in Hobart, Tasmania? That was the question. I was left in something of a quandary, but not for long.

The interstate trip came at a good time. Friday 7 February was the last day of my chemotherapy treatment. The same day, Candice and I boarded a Qantas flight to Hobart, where we were staying in a quaint AirBnB house in a quiet Sandy Bay street. We happily quaffed a liberal quantity of champagne with dinner to celebrate the end of my chemo ordeal, even though some side effects would not quit (and still haven’t).

Hobart qualifies as a truly beautiful city. Nobody would quibble with that proposition. Queens Domain is, to quote Wikipedia: “a small hilly area of bushland just north-east of the CBD”. It contains a range of quality sporting facilities, including a two kilometre circuit called “Max’s Infinity Loop”, named after local running coach, the late Max Cherry OAM. 

Over 200 runners and walkers queued at the start. We began quite slowly on an uphill section. The course had a trail section through the bush, but otherwise followed the quirky dual surface loop (half bitumen, half cinders) out and back, with a quick downhill finish. The hills and trails gave my quads a good workout as I clocked 26:47.

Post-run we quenched our thirsts at a Sandy Bay cafe with local runner and friend Andy Allison. Later we drove past Macca’s and I quipped: “The thought of eating a quarter-pounder makes me feel queasy, but I wouldn’t mind some quiche.” Candice, who is used to my alphabetical wordplays, rolled her eyes and said: “You will run out of words this time, even though you will be typing on a qwerty keyboard.” 

“Good one,” I said, “Now how about a Queen quiz?” Candice quelled my enthusiasm with a prompt: “No, thanks”. Ignoring the rebuff, I posed this query: “Brian May is the quintessential guitarist. Who made his guitar, the “Red Special”?” Answer next blog.

Course ratings - Queens Domain:

Course - out and back on Max’s Infinity Loop plus trail detour, hilly ***

Surface - bitumen, cinders and dirt ***

Setting - natural bush ****

Social index - helpful volunteers ****

This post’s Q count: 32.

6 July - alphabetical post #16

I knew chemotherapy would be no picnic and by February, the punishing regime of pernicious drugs was limiting me to one run per week. In the first week of February, my health plight was precarious. I seemed to be permanently exhausted and my persistent neuropathy had progressed to the point where I could no longer write properly. I was probably also paying the penalty for pushing too hard at Ocean Grove, my previous parkrun, where I had ended up prone on the pavement, providing sadistic pleasure to another Midday Miler pal, Andrew “Pins” Pintar.

The next planned alphabetical run was at Princes Park, just three kilometres from home. Princes Park is in the suburb of Parkville, which is why I would be participating in the Parkville parkrun. The park, with its beautiful trees and playing fields close to the city, is much praised. The parkrun makes use of the pedestrian path around the park’s perimeter.

Candice and pal “Pins” were prepared to partner me during the run, a pleasant prospect that helped me to stay positive despite feeling particularly poorly. 354 people lined up at the start, a phenomenal number proving the event’s popularity. We took off at a prudent pace, but passing the pond the first time, I was already feeling the pinch. We proceeded purposefully along Royal Parade and past the playing fields. I would have liked to pick up the pace, but my fatigue precluded that, and we continued to plod around painfully slowly.

I was proud not to have walked in any of my parkruns and my priority was to maintain this perfect record. The last part of my run was not pretty, but I persevered to pass the finish line in 31:31, my slowest parkrun ever. Candice and Andrew stayed patiently with me, for which I was profoundly grateful.

We looked for the parkrun’s picture frame for the usual post-run photo, but were perplexed to find that the Parkville event does not have one, unlike every other parkrun we had attended. So I posed next to the Princes Park sign instead. 

Back in our Prius, we pulled out of our parking spot and headed for Carlton, a great place for porridge, pancakes, pastries, pies or pizza if you are feeling at all peckish.

Last time, I put forward the possibility of three oxymorons in my O post. They were as follows: “oddly familiar”, “once again” and “unbiased opinion”. Perhaps a pedantic person might also argue for the word “outcome”.

Thus endeth my prolix prose for now. It’s time to publish.

Course ratings - Parkville:

Course - one and half laps of Princes Park, slightly undulating ****

Surface - gravel and bitumen ****

Setting - picturesque Princes Park *****

Social index - proficient, passionate volunteers ****

This post’s P count: 126 (a PB, putting paid to my previous best of 107).