224 replies to this topic

[paulwilcock]

Hi everyone,

parkrun is an organisation that started in the UK a few years ago with a single weekly event, there's now over 70 races every weekend. parkrun found it's way to Australia recently and we recently launched in Sydney on Jan 21st. There is now a parkrun on every Saturday morning at 8am in Sydney Park, St Peters.

It's a free, timed, weekly 5K run. Weekly results are tracked online.

REGISTER NOW! http://www.parkrun.com.au/stpeters/

We're completely volunteer run, and the more volunteers we have the less often we'll need each person to volunteer. I know the Gold Coast team have a huge roster of volunteers and they only need each person to volunteer at one event every couple of months.

For more information about parkrun, please follow this link: http://www.parkrun.com/about/overview - All you need to do is register on the website and then bring along your "athlete barcode" on the day of the run and you're good to go.  

We're on Facebook here: https://www.facebook.com/sydneyparkrun

Our course looks like this:


Cheers!

Edited by paulwilcock, 06 February 2012 - 02:10 PM.

[Owly]

exciting!  I've listened to Marathontalk podcasts and discussion of Parkrun there and thought it would be great to have something similar in Sydney.

[paulwilcock]

We've got one of our parkrun Gold Coast organisers coming along this weekend, so if you want to get more of an idea about what how it all works definitely come along!

[silverfish]

Looks awesome! Would love to join you one of these days. In January will you still be holding it at Sydney Park or a different location?
I joined your FB group

[paulwilcock]

Awesome. Definitely come along!

This particular run will always be in Sydney Park, but that's because I'm the one of the main organisers. It's completely run by volunteers and I was the person who initially got in contact with them about putting on a parkrun event in Sydney, as as I live near the park that's why it's happening there

We're hoping that it gets popular enough that other parkrun events will pop up around Sydney. I think we could definitely do with one in the Northern Beaches as well as one a bit further west.

[silverfish]

Cool, thanks for the info. I used to live a street away from there.... the hills are a killer! Looking forward to tackling it again for the first time in ages!

[paulwilcock]

You only have to climb the big hill once on this course, and when you reach the top you're half way through the 5K

[davidrowe]

I'll be visiting Sydney early next year with my wife and can't wait to try our first 'overseas' parkrun.  We're both veterans of parkrun having clocked up well over 300 events between us and am really pleased to see it taking off in Australia.

Not sure if I'm looking forward to the big hill though!

[MsMook]

Hi,

Are you there rain, hail or shine?

regards
MsMook

[paulwilcock]

We intend to be! We did a rainy run a few weeks ago.

[Colin]

All the best with getting this going in Sydney. The weekly TT format is something that is missing over here.

Our experience here with CR5km, CR5km west (monthly) and Twilight Series (weekly but different venues only Nov-Feb) is tha the concept gets going, but there is sporadic low attendance, and we are even less formal i.e. no pre-registration etc.

As most know I usually compare it to the regular TT's in Sth Africa (and I suspect UK have it too- it probably originated there), which I used to do since '70s and even now, there is at least one any day of week somewhere in for example Cape Town (much smaller than here) and eg 5min from my brother's place there is one on a wednesday pm which gets 50-100 every week. Ten min the other way there is another one the next day. And absolutely free, no entry details required, just give your name to timekeeper at end, hang around for a prize or go home, results in paper next morning.

The Twilight Series was my attempt to get something like that started, but we suffer from having few running clubs and no formal club structure for road running. Even with only one in a local area once over summer, we still get relatively few, even with CR promotion.

So I would be very interested in your experience and if you can get the apathetic Sydneysiders out there regularly, I would love to know how.

cheers

Edited by Colin, 03 November 2011 - 12:19 PM.

[HillsAths1]

Colin, on 03 November 2011 - 12:18 PM, said:

All the best with getting this going in Sydney. The weekly TT format is something that is missing over here.


So I would be very interested in your experience and if you can get the apathetic Sydneysiders out there regularly, I would love to know how.

cheers

But you already know Colin, Charge people $50 and pretend that the money is going to charity! Simple really.

ParkRun welcome to Australia, sounds like a great idea, will be good to see if we can get our heads together and start one out West of Sydney.

[negsplit]

Tough 5km, but a great concept. I'll hopefully be along to support this one when I am injury free as I train and coach at the park a lot. I have considered organising a 3km handicapped event here but straight up procrastination has prevented it. Talking to some guys in Brisbane yesterday they were saying that they get about 40-50 people showing up for the park run at New Farm. I really hope this gets the same type of support. Although that many people on the narrow paths of Sydney Park and it being first and foremost a dog park could make things interesting.....
Great to see enthusiasm for a short fast time trial concept though. Fantastic way to start the weekend.

[paulwilcock]

Hope to see you there negsplit

I've routed the course around the busiest part of the dog park area (nearest the kiosk). It's not too busy at 8am when we've been doing our test runs. We've also talked about moving it back to a 7am start if we end up getting in the way.

[Colin]

Sorry for parkrun hijack

HillsAths1, on 03 November 2011 - 04:51 PM, said:

... sounds like a great idea, will be good to see if we can get our heads together and start one out West of Sydney.

We already have a CR5k west monthly where we get about ten people and jump over the moon if we get 20, and that's with the attraction of pancakes. You also have a monthly 5km where you have 40 as a big number. The Twilight stuff is weekly over the best time of year and spread over Sydney, yet we get between <10 and 40.
SMC have a flat 5km for $5 and we get 40 with all our publicity, history etc

The will is there to hold it. I will host one every midweek if people are keen in my area  and you could say build it and they will come...but the above examples esp the Twilight was built as a starter and the numbers don't justify something regular.

HillsAths1, on 03 November 2011 - 04:51 PM, said:

But you already know Colin, Charge people $50 and pretend that the money is going to charity! Simple really.

Perhaps that's it, charge money, get them to register on website as these guys are doing etc.

Runs like Run4Fun get thousands, so the people are there, but they rather want the glamour...I mean how does "I did another 5km TT last night in Blacktown" sound at the office tea room?

[paulwilcock]

I'm hoping we'll be able to get a regular group run going with relative ease. The park is used by a lot of runners, and there's so many people who live within walking distance it shouldn't be too much of a problem. You never know though

[MsMook]

Hi,

Popped over to day hello this morning.
Really nice bunch of people.
Good to know that we bypass the busy kiosk.
I hope to make it next sat to flog myself on that hill.

Regards
MsMook

[Tazo]

might join you next Saturday.

[TheLogicDump]

Is this thread worth moving into the NSW races sub-forum. I know it is a free race but I suspect it will get more traction over there as fat-ass is often associated with free long run. Good luck with getting this all up and running.

[paulwilcock]

Nice to meet you too MsMook!

I'd be happy to move it to the NSW races sub-forum, I wasn't sure of the forum rules when I posted this and didn't want to step on any toes

[paulwilcock]

Tomorrow morning. 8am by the chimney stacks. Be there!

[tymb]

over in the UK on holiday at the minute and finally ran my first park run this morning in Durham, very icy under foot but really enjoyed it, can't wait for it to arrive in Sydney in 2012. Will be there when I can (I usually do my long runs on a Sat morning)

[MsMook]

Nice run  this morning, just Paul & I.
A PB for me so no complaints.
Hope to be there for New Year's eve,

regards
MsMook

[Gadfly]

 MsMook, on 24 December 2011 - 08:36 AM, said:

A PB for me so no complaints.

Nice work!!!  Well done, especially with THE hill.   A great start to the Christmas festivities.    

[MsMook]

 Gadfly, on 24 December 2011 - 08:47 AM, said:

Nice work!!!  Well done, especially with THE hill.   A great start to the Christmas festivities.    

Yeah gotta love those Hill repeats & the Hokas!

[paulwilcock]

Nice running with you on Xmas Eve MsMook. I'm pretty sure you can smash your parkrun PB again, I was far too chatty on the first half the run for serious running

I'm away this Saturday, but I know Aaron and a few of the others will be there.

[DaveRobbo]

Great work Paul & Co for getting the Sydney parkrun up and running. Good luck with the official launch in a couple of weeks. Hope to make it down on Jan 21.
I lived for a year in the Sydney Park apartments across the road so know the area well. I reckon you will get plenty of interest and popularity in the weekly event will grow & grow!
I am looking at setting up a parkrun in Newcastle this year so keen to hear how you get on.
Cheers,Robbo

[Rainlover]

Really looking forward to this. Have done a few 5km runs in Sydney Park through East Botany runners some years ago. My last 5km event gave me a rude awakening that I need to start working a little harder. I think this will be just the right incentive.

[Rainlover]

Really looking forward to this. Have done a few 5km runs in Sydney Park through East Botany runners some years ago. My last 5km event gave me a rude awakening that I need to start working a little harder. I think this will be just the right incentive.

[Murgsy]

I'm so excited to find out about this. My mum, who is a regular parkrunner in the UK, heard that one was starting up in Sydney. "It's in St Peters dear, isn't that where you live?" It sure is, it's where I run all the time.

You guys are mean though. Up and over both hills? that's gonna hurt.

What a good way to get back to a routine after Christmas. I'm no sprinter though so I'll be plodding along like a snail making the rest of you look good. Your welcome  

[paulwilcock]

Great to hear Mursgy. See you there on Saturday!

http://www.parkrun.com.au/stpeters/ - REGISTRATION IS NOW OPEN!

We've got about 50 people registered so far, we'll hopefully hit 100 by Saturday

Edited by paulwilcock, 16 January 2012 - 02:06 PM.

[backofthepack]

Just signed up - looks a fantastic concept.

[MsMook]

Hi,
I've signed up too.
Looking forward to running it with 100 others!

Regards
MsMook

[trossy]

Just registered too - can't pass up a run only a few hundred meters from home.

[paulwilcock]

Wow, registrations are happening pretty fast. We've quickly closing in on 100 people so far!

[backofthepack]

Maybe a cross post to 'Other races (NSW) might spread the word? It was pure chance I found this event on the 'Fat Ass' forum.

[miraball]

 Murgsy, on 16 January 2012 - 12:36 PM, said:

I'm so excited to find out about this. My mum, who is a regular parkrunner in the UK, heard that one was starting up in Sydney. "It's in St Peters dear, isn't that where you live?" It sure is, it's where I run all the time.

You guys are mean though. Up and over both hills? that's gonna hurt.

What a good way to get back to a routine after Christmas. I'm no sprinter though so I'll be plodding along like a snail making the rest of you look good. Your welcome  

Just signed up...I've got a calf niggle at the moment so will plod along with you

[paulwilcock]

We've had about a dozen people run the course so far, times have varied between 20:00 and 38:00 mins. Everyone is very welcome to run at their own pace, you really only have to worry about beating your own time!

[Murgsy]

Well I went for a trial run during the week to get to know the route and managed 42 mins. I'll aim for 40 mins tomorrow.
Looks like I'm aiming to set the first course wooden spoon record!!

[brownsinglet]

Good luck to everyone running the first Sydney parkrun tomorrow morning.  
I also think it's time for a bit of State of Origin!  See who hits the the highest number of participants at one event by the time of the first Origin game this year??  I already know the Queenslanders will win but it's worth you guys having a go anyway  

[MsMook]

Hi,

A good turn out this morning with favourable conditions.
I went out too fast & just tried to hang on. My left hamstring
was burning all the way up the "hill".
Anyway it was a PB for one & all for the first Sydney Parkrun.

Regards
MsMook

[Gadfly]

 MsMook, on 21 January 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

I went out too fast & just tried to hang on. My left hamstring
was burning all the way up the "hill".

Blame it on yesterdays session in the morning.....my legs are sore..

Glad it went well though.

[EclecticSquirrel]

I travelled to St Peters today for the inaugral Sydney Parkrun pleased to see over 60 runners compete.

I walked up the hill about halfway and felt disheartened after reaching the top to have to head back towards the cricket field where I had just come from,I also worried about losing sight of the chimney stacks at the same place and not knowing how much further there was to go.It was a good course to run
There were so many dogs.I ran past a tap closer to the finish I was tempted to stop at it, how low it was to the ground and the dog bowl beneath it deterred me.

It was nice to speak with Hillary completing her first run and who has embarked on a weight loss program. Good Luck to Hillary.
Thank You to the volunteers who assisted. I will be back again.

Edited by EclecticSquirrel, 30 October 2012 - 09:21 AM.

[KatieR]

Yesterday I was wondering if I was dedicated or crazy. I drove a total of 113klms to be involved in Sydney's 1st 5k Parkrun.I enjoyed the run and the drives there and back.

My 1st goal was achieved, finding St Peters and Sydney Park with only 1 wrong turn on the way there and a few more wrong turns on the way home due to no left and right turns where I wanted to turn left and right.It was an early start to the day as I left home at 6am and arrived just after 7am for the 8am run.

The big question on my mind is which toilets should I be using as there wasnt any signs that I saw,a man used the one I went to after me,do the locals know which should be the right one?

As recommended I ran Naked,no ipod, heart rate monitor,watch(I couldnt find it)or chunky mobile. If someone was going to ring and need me at home there wasnt anything I would be able to do when I was an hour away.When I crossed the line someone said 62 I thought that I had ran really badly on an unfamiliar course, I was pleased to see the results online when I arrived home with a time closer to 45minutes. A relief 62 was my place not my time.I will do it again without the watch, it is an added challenge and I was pleasantly surprised by the result.

I have sore legs today which doesnt usually happen, maybe it was the hill or my unexpected sprint to the finish.

I enjoyed the day and I will try to attend in the next month but realistically know that I cant make an ongoing committment due to the distance and time and imminent start of childrens winter sport,but I will enjoy it while I am able to.

[Gadfly]

Yay KatieR - well done (on the run and the travel to get there!)  

That hill is a killer........no matter which way you look at it!    I may have to try and get to some of these myself, so hoping I might bump into you at some time!

[KatieR]

Thank You Gadfly.
I was disappointed to have travelled so far and not seen one familiar face.Maybe as has been suggested and then responded to by Paul moving the thread to the NSW races would get a greater Coolrunner attendance.

 TheLogicDump, on 05 November 2011 - 06:17 PM, said:

Is this thread worth moving into the NSW races sub-forum. I know it is a free race but I suspect it will get more traction over there as fat-ass is often associated with free long run. Good luck with getting this all up and running.

It would be great to see you at one of these runs, if not I will see you sometime soon at a Twilight run.

[paulwilcock]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. So far everyone seems pretty happy with how the day went and how the event was run. I want it running as smoothly as possible so I'm happy to answer any questions.

KatieR - fantastic dedication to drive all that way, thanks so much!

- There are a few bubblers around the park, two on the cricket oval and one near the kiosk. I'll update the map to indicate their exact location.
- The toilets near the kiosk are unisex.
- There are a lot of dogs in Sydney Park, the area near the kiosk is a dedicated "dog park" and it's pretty popular with the locals.

EclecticSquirrel - sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the hill/cricket oval section of the course. Believe me though, I've gone through about 10 variations on the course in the lead up to the launch and this one seemed to be the most well received. Personally, I love the section with the cricket oval as it gives me the chance to see all the awesome runners at the front of the pack

I actually ran a slight variation on the course on Sunday afternoon which eliminates the very first hill and takes you on a scenic route through the forest/grove area before heading out to the footpath around the park. This should make is slightly easier for people as that first hill is deceptively high!

Current course.
New course.

Thoughts?

[EclecticSquirrel]

 paulwilcock, on 23 January 2012 - 12:37 PM, said:

EclecticSquirrel - sorry to hear you didn't enjoy the hill/cricket oval section of the course. Believe me though, I've gone through about 10 variations on the course in the lead up to the launch and this one seemed to be the most well received. Personally, I love the section with the cricket oval as it gives me the chance to see all the awesome runners at the front of the pack

I actually ran a slight variation on the course on Sunday afternoon which eliminates the very first hill and takes you on a scenic route through the forest/grove area before heading out to the footpath around the park. This should make is slightly easier for people as that first hill is deceptively high!

Current course.
New course.

Thoughts?

I liked the entire time at the run, I am not a regular runner yet and am not accustomed to hills.From Saturday's starting point I can improve.I dont expect that you should be making any changes,others also commented about the hill but that doesnt mean it shouldnt be part of the run,it is something to work towards conquering.

Edited by EclecticSquirrel, 23 January 2012 - 03:26 PM.

[paulwilcock]

Oh no no - the big hill at the half way point is definitely staying! I've been running for a year in that park and I've progressed from struggling to walk up there to being able to run up it a decent pace. It's a great goal for everyone to conquer

I was talking about the very first hill which is about 300m into the course.

[MsMook]

Hi Paul,

I like the course as it is.

Regards
MsMook