Echuca-Moama parkrun salutes its five-year anniversary and 200th parkrun this Saturday, April 30, and all are welcome to celebrate one of the region’s fitness institutions.
This weekend’s event starts where it often does, from the Lions Park on Campaspe Esplanade from 7.45am for an 8am start.
Celebrations will be marked with a cake and a 7 Beans Coffee van on hand to fend off the early-season chill.
Since its inception in 2017 — when 231 runners packed into the Lions Park to mark the inaugural event — the organisation has come up in leaps and bounds.
Nowadays, event organiser Rod Cairns and his group of loyal volunteers oversee 80 to 100 runners each Saturday.
“We’ve got lots of people who have been there all the way through,” Cairns said.
“We’ve got people who would never have contemplated walking or running 5km who are now doing it regularly.
“It’s not competitive at all, it’s a timed event. You get a time every week and you’re really just competing against yourself.
“We don’t talk about winners, everyone’s a finisher. It’s sub-15 minutes for some, an hour for others.
“It’s very much just about supporting people.”
Event ambassador Lou Bray, organisers Brett Sands and Cinda Herrett and core team members Anthony Farrant, Brady Threlfall and Emily Flanigan were instrumental in getting the event off the ground five years ago.
Parkrun also acknowledged founding sponsors Campaspe Shire, the VAHS healthy lifestyle team and the Njernda Aboriginal Corporation.
Saturday parkruns have become a staple of Echuca-Moama’s fitness offerings, and the premise of the event is simple — walk or run 5km at your own pace along the length of the course.
Several runners have managed to crack some prestigious milestones along the way among a swathe of highlights.
“One of our favourites, Barry, he’s in his 70s,” Cairns said.
“He’s been a regular parkrunner. He would probably describe himself as a park shuffler these days.
“He’s been there all the way through, and he’s the first of our locals to celebrate 100 parkruns.
“He did it in two years. That’s basically a parkrun every weekend for two years.”
At the higher end of the spectrum, course records belong to joint men’s record holders Brady Threlfall and Pat Stow (14.52 minutes), while Teleah Hayes holds the record in the female category in 17.05 minutes.
The parkrun hasn’t been without its challenges, foremost among them the COVID-19 pandemic, but the run made its triumphant full-time return last November.
After recently welcoming 180 runners for the Easter parkrun, energy is high and Cairns encourages parkrunners past and present to come and celebrate — and don’t forgot to don the fluro.
Fifth anniversary parkrun
Where: Lions Park, corner of Ogilvie Ave and Campaspe Esplanade, Echuca.
When: Saturday, April 30. Assemble at 7.45am for an 8am start.
21°C