There were other lost weeks in 2021 with the second lockdown. Saturday’s run was the 190th edition of this popular weekly event that has continued to grow.
The Mangawhereo River Walk in Ohakune has just become the 50th in New Zealand with two more in Morrinsville and Hamner Springs due to open in the next few weeks, confirming the popularity of this worldwide free-to-enter event.
Parkrun caters for runners and walkers of all age groups and abilities. The opportunity for such a wide range of participants is a winner for all.
The chance to meet socially afterwards is an added attraction. In Whanganui, participants regularly meet at a Columbus Coffee cafe close to the start and finish opposite 282 Taupo Quay.
There has been considerable growth of Whanganui participants since the humble beginning in 2020.
I was amazed when I went down on my return from Europe at the start of August to find 89 starters prepared for the 5km along the riverbank.
The mercury had not risen above three degrees, and the Olympics were on television. This would have been a record number up to last December and almost four times as many who would have been regularly participating on winter Saturdays.
The event requires a wide range of volunteers essential to the smooth operation of the weekly event. Tasks each week range from handing out tokens, timekeeping, bar code reading, and walking at the tail of the field.
The course marshall who is able to greet all runners at the turn has the bonus of enjoying a coffee from Ngapopro at the Waimarie shed close to that turn.
My personal favourite task is course set up when I can enjoy the quiet of our riverbank prior to the busy side of the day. Michelle Selby has volunteered on 135 occasions.
It is good to welcome new helpers such as Hollie Laird and Adrienne Smith who are about to start and school student Aimee Tetzlaff who helped at the finish as part of her Duke of Edinburgh Award.
Most weeks we celebrate runners and walkers of all abilities achieving their personal 25th, 50th or 100th milestone and who have many different reasons for participating.
These include many outstanding runners who use the weekly run as part of their training. The training goal often differs depending on where they are on their training programme.
Last Saturday the outstanding masters athlete Sally Gibbs was first across the line and has been the first female on 53 occasions. On other outings she has helped others further back in the field.
Daniel Sinclair, now on a United States track scholarship, and Hayden Zervos, who has returned to Christchurch, were on many occasions first across the line but at other stages of their training used the Riverbank Parkrun as an easier training outing.
They and other multiple winners including our current leading under-20 runner Oliver Jones will have benefitted from the weekly Riverbank event as have the thousands of other runners and walkers.
I wrote my first Insight article 23 years ago on returning from Melbourne and the IAAF Grand Prix final in Melbourne, the precursor to the Diamond League.
I will have to watch the final rounds of Wanda League including the penultimate meet from Zurich on Television. The final is in Brussels over the weekend of September 13-14.
I eagerly look forward to these events watching and reporting on our strong para-athletes at the Paralympics commencing on August 28 in Paris.
