Latest / The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero / Parkrun Australia | Tim Oberg | Founder

Transcript

Parkrun Australia | Tim Oberg | Founder · The R4R Podcast: Road to Zero

0:00
All right, good, everyone. Welcome to another edition of
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the Running Brazil. It's podcast.
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Benny here. Ably assisted.
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Not assisted, but we've got Lily.
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Kudos, Mooney back. Welcome back.
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Kudos. Thank you.
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Thanks for having. Me and today mana needs now
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introduction Tim Oberg. Thanks for joining us mate.
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I can't say how excited I am to be here, although I'm a bit
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nervous that I'm double teamed. So don't worry, we'll go easy.
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We'll go easy on you mate. Before we sort of everyone sort
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of knows who you are and before we get into all the park run
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stuff, want to know a bit about your background?
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Like your and you and I have spoken about, you know, your
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story, where you're in the UK and how Parkland started.
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But can you, well, for me and and for Lily, tell us who is Tim
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from start pretty early. Yep.
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And then hopefully, yeah, paint us a bit of a picture about what
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it was like being a young Tim Oberg.
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Yeah, right. Wow.
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OK. Well, so I'm from Brisbane
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originally and I spent the first sort of 2223 years of my life in
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Brisbane, Mum and dad, both teachers.
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So I ended up going down that path.
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I went to Najee College in Brisbane that you're probably
1:04
familiar with Benny through rugby circles.
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And then I always had this vision that I was going to work
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in sports. So right from probably the age
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of probably 14 or 15, I was already thinking right, am I, am
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I studying the right subjects in high school that's going to take
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me on that sporting pathway. And so that's what I went into
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university in, in, in Brisbane at the University of Queensland
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and did a human movement degree. But just to hedge my bets, I
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also did an education degree. You know, family of teachers and
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all. Siblings.
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How many? One.
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Brother 1 Brother, yeah, one older, one older brother, 2
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years older than me. And so I was always thinking I
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was going to work in sport. But then in my last year of
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university, we had these agencies come and talk to us at
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university saying come and teach in London and they're like,
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you'll earn. I think it was £100 a day.
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And so me and all my friends are there with the calculator going,
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oh, hang on, that's that's $300. Not now.
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What's that's? Great.
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Yeah. Well, back, Yeah.
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Well, maybe it is. It was about 300 bucks back
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then. And we were thinking that's
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that's awesome, let's go to London.
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So, so I, I ended up over in London thinking, thinking that I
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was going over there to teach for two years.
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And I ended up staying for 10 because I ended up starting a
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travel and events business called Tim the Tour Man.
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And you know, The funny thing is that so many of the, if you
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think about it from a demographic point of view that
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the people who over that next 8 years I took on, you know, I'm
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not going to lie, they're pretty boozy trips around Europe.
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Then came back to Australia and probably were the people that
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did park run as well in the, you know, when they were in their
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30s and 40s and having kids and so on.
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And every now and then I still get someone reaching out to me
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on LinkedIn and going, are you the guy that used to run pub
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crawls in London back in the early 2000s?
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And I'm. Like Shepherd's Bush Walkabout?
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Yeah. All that stuff.
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Yeah, they absolutely. So, you know, that was, I think
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that was the glory days of being an Australian expat in, in
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London because a lot of those pubs are, they're all gone now.
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So, but yeah, so I was, I was over there, I was travelling, I
3:05
met my now wife and I guess we, you know, if we sort of Fast
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forward a little bit, we got engaged and my wife's from South
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Africa and we decided we would get married in South Africa and
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we would return and leave in Australia.
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So in that sort of last 18 months that I was living in the
3:25
UK and running my business, I thought, right, well when I go
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back to Australia, I don't want to work in the travel industry.
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Like I was sort of over it in, in the sense that it was one of
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those kind of, well, industries you're just away from home all
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the time because we're travelling a lot, a lot of lot
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of drinking and so on. And I was just so I felt like
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I'm done with that. So I was like, OK, now is the
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time that I want to work in sport.
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And I didn't know what that was going to look like.
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So I started looking around at ideas and looking at different,
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you know, gym franchises and different, you know, what could
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I study certain things that would qualify me to, you know,
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maybe go and do physio or whatever it would be.
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And in that time I found Park Run and that's where Park Run
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came from. So I, I had, and if we go right
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into the detail, I had a little dog that my wife and I found on
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the street and his name is Clarence.
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And Clarence and I would always go running together.
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I had my little running buddy. And so whether it was, you know,
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summer in London, which isn't admittedly that hot, or in the
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winter, I dress him up in his little jacket and.
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What type of dog was he? Well, a bit, but you would say
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he looked like a, a sort of a chunky Jack Russell.
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That's probably the, the best way to describe him.
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And so I, you know, even in the middle of winter, I put his
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little coat on him and we'd go, we'd go running around the
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Thames and and so on. And so I was always out running
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with a dog and I was in a, a triathlon club in Wimbledon
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called the Wimbledon Windmillers because there's a windmill in
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the middle of Wimbledon Common in, in London.
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And someone just said to me, they said, oh, do you know that
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there's somewhere you can go on a Saturday and you can take your
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dog for a 5K run and. What is this?
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This is 2010. Ten.
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Yeah, 2010. So.
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So Park Run at this point was I'm gonna say 7/7.
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Years old 04. Didn't start 04.
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Geez, I should know that anyway. Yeah, something like that.
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Testing you mate. Testing out for a while, but
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yeah, there was about 60 events at the time.
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And I think my, my barcode number for all those Parkland
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enthusiasts is about 84,000 or something like that.
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So, you know, it's in the, it's in the millions now, but that's.
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A low number. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
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Well, I it's, it's funny when you say 84,000 is a low number,
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but yeah, yeah, there was about. Just in it was all just in the
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UK. How many?
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Detectives there was, there was about 60 events in the UK and
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there was also a couple in Denmark, but they were managed
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from the UK, so Denmark wasn't set up as a country, so to
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speak. And so they're being managed
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remotely from the. UK, yeah, essentially, yeah,
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essentially I think it was two or three events or something
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like that. So anyway, so I went Clarence
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and I went a long term park run in, in, in Wimbledon.
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And I, I, I went specifically with the aim of seeing what my
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dog's PB was, I thought because I had my own, you know, PB.
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And I was like, I wonder. What?
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My dog's? What is it Lily and I were
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asking. We're going to ask him about
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that. What my old time?
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Park run PB Sorry to cut the story.
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OK, my all time PB is 1825. Oh, you've got me by 4 seconds.
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The funny thing is the founder of Park Run, Paul Sinton Hewitt,
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his all time Park Run PP is one second faster than mine.
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So he's got me by one second and I've got you by 5 or whatever.
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That was a while ago though, I will say.
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Well, mine too, so. Yeah, pre pre pre kids.
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My body hasn't been the same since.
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But anyway, so I went there with the purpose of.
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Seeing how fast your dog was. Seeing how fast the dog was and
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we went around in 20 minutes, 20 with the dog and I was like, oh,
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he's, he's pretty quick. But then hung around, didn't go
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for coffee, but I did hang around and I was like, this is
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cool, like what's going on here? And I went back again another
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time and but it's not actually shown in my park run history
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because I forgot my barcode. We've all been there.
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Hashtag. Yeah, exactly so.
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But after that second time is when I sent an email to Park Run
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HQ, which at the time was really just Paul and probably maybe one
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other person. And I, and I just said,
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introduced myself and I said look, I'm, I'm going back to
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Australia in three or four months.
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Is there any interest in expanding Park Run So.
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You just done one park. Run.
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I've done two. Yeah, yeah.
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What did? Yeah.
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So you've only done 2. So you what made you think that
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it would be so good to bring over to Australia?
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Well, I, I was actively looking for ideas and things to do and
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things that could work. And my, my motivation at the
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time was it was never, this could be a job that was never,
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it was never about that. I thought, this is a good thing.
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And if I bring this to Australia and set up some Park run events,
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I will network and I will meet people and I'll, it'll be fun.
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It was never, I never thought that it would become a big
8:04
organisation with staff and, or anything like that.
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Because, you know, at the time, even in the UK it wasn't, you
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know, I'd, I imagined then I don't think, you know, Paul, for
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example, I don't think he was taking a salary from, from park
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run at. The time he's just managing he.
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Was just the founder, you know, he started it because he wanted
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to run with his mates, you know he never.
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He got injured, didn't he? And that's why he he was he.
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Yeah, yeah, Well, he wanted. To tell that, sorry, the very
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first. Park Well, yeah, So Paul.
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So Paul was a very competitive runner and he got injured trip
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tripped over his dogs actually running.
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I'm not sure if that's in the official version of events or
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not, but yeah, Paul, Paul basically fell over his dogs
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running one day and was injured and didn't want to lose that
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social connection with his running friends.
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So he said, right, I'm going to start an event and you're going
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to come to me. And he'll, I'm man and he'll,
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yeah, you come to me on a Saturday.
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Because when Paul was growing up in Johannesburg, he's running
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club in Johannesburg did a weekly 5K time trial, or I think
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it was three mile time trial. And so he was essentially just
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replicating this thing that worked when he was a young fella
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in South Africa. And he said, I'm just going to
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bring that and I'm going to stick it in Bushy Park.
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And it's just, it just means my my mates are going to come and
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have a coffee with me on a Saturday morning.
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So that was the sole motivation was I'm injured, but I still
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want to hang around my running friends.
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And I think even now if you look at how big park runs become and
9:28
obviously running for resilience, we take it all back
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to the Y. We just want to be with our
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mates. That's what I was thinking
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about, yeah, 'cause I, I mean, I, when I started Park Run, I
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guess I like the structure and the routine of going it like
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Saturday 8:00 and pushing myself.
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But that was eight years ago now.
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And I can, I probably don't need that motivation of running with
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other people to get me actually to go for a run.
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Sure. But what keeps me going back is
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the people. And it's the same with running
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for resilience. It's it's all about those
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connections and the relationships that you form.
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Yeah. And, and, you know, there's so
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many little slogans you can say about Park Run and about R for
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R, you know, it's not about the run, it's about the coffee, you
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know, all that kind of stuff. But it is ultimately the core of
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everything is we just want to have connection, you know, with,
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with community, with friends and so on.
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So, but yeah, skipping back anyway to, to the story, you
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know, that's how, how Park Run started.
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And yeah, so my motivation was to, to bring it here, set it up
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or set up an event and I guess just see what would happen.
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Now, a few things were very fortuitous about that time.
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My, my wife and I decided we were going to move to the Gold
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Coast. At the time, the mayor of the
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Gold Coast was the late great Ron Clark.
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So one of Australia's greatest ever runners.
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So of course, as soon as I rang City of Gold Coast, they were on
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board. You know, the mayor advocated
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for it. And a lady called Samantha
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Hughes, who is still the, the head of the active and healthy
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programme on the Gold Coast, she was, and she's a former Gold
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Coast Marathon winner. So she was a runner, Ron was a
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runner. So it was a pretty easy sell.
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Like I'm like, I've got this running thing and they're like,
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bring it on. Where do we sign?
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Yeah, exactly. And, and, and the other thing
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that was again, just lucky was when I was in South Africa for
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my wedding, which we did on the way home, the my, my brother in
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law said, oh, my best friend is the head of marketing for Adidas
11:24
in Melbourne. He guys, here's his details.
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So before I'd even returned to Australia, I'd lined up a
11:29
meeting with, with Adidas, which became and they became our first
11:33
sponsor. So I think we had one event and
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you know, it's funny because you guys would appreciate this.
11:39
You know, it's, it's very hard to get sponsorship in, in, in
11:42
sort of, you know, any, any sphere, let alone, you know,
11:45
sporting events. And I went down, I had one
11:48
meeting and signed a three year deal with that.
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It has something in our sponsor. It's so easy, so easy to get a
11:52
sponsor. Little did I know.
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But yeah, so I had these two things that really sort of just
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happened in terms of luck, which was very receptive council and
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and I would find later that not all councils would be receptive.
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And then just just lucky introduction to Adidas who
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became a fantastic partner for the first three years of Park
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Run. And and that was ultimately was
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that funding through that sponsorship that after about the
12:16
first probably year and a half meant that I was able to stop
12:19
doing any other work and just focus on on Park Run.
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So, so yeah. So set up the first event, do
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you? Remember the first event?
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Oh yeah, very clearly. Did many people come?
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Yeah, it was amazing. So the first event, well the the
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home of Park Run in Australia is Main Beach.
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Yeah. Have we been there?
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Yes, sorry. I.
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Just checked the mother. 'S I'm doing surfers this
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weekend. Oh, are you?
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Yeah, Jet set up? Have you had a photo with the
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sign? There's a there's a sign there
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now. Maybe.
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Depends when you went there, but there's a sign that says this is
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the home of the first park run in.
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Australia. I don't.
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Yeah. I didn't get a photo, but I'll
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have to go back. Yeah, Well, you.
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Yeah. So, so, yeah, so Main Beach Park
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Run, we had about, I should know these numbers, I'm going to say
13:00
112 at the first event, but something like that.
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And you know, none of us knew what we were doing.
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Like we had the technology, but it was the first time we'd used
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it. We hadn't even run a practise
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event. What do you mean technology like
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that so. OK, so you know, obviously now
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you've got the app and all that kind of stuff.
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So back then you had a handheld barcode scanner.
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Do you guys remember them? Were you?
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Yeah. So there were these little black
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devices, the little handheld barcode scanners.
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You had a stopwatch for a timer and then the back end sort of
13:29
software I guess that ran. It was very clunky.
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It worked, but it was very clunky.
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And yeah, so we were there and we're like, oh, I hope it works.
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You know, we had the obviously the barcodes, which just still
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have to die and and whatnot. But yeah, we got through that
13:42
first event very successfully. There were no, there were no
13:44
issues. And it just, it just grew
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steadily from there on the Gold Coast.
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So that was April 2011. And then what I did to I guess
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try and grow was I created all these Facebook pages and you
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know, Facebook then versus Facebook now is much more
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primitive. You know, you don't didn't have
14:05
any near anywhere the amount of sort of targeting that you can
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do now that that was available then.
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But I just created these Facebook pages, Brisbane Park
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run, Sydney Park run, Melbourne Park run, Perth Park Run,
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etcetera. I just created them.
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I just sort of get interests. Yeah, yeah.
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They were prospecting pages. Essentially.
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It was like, do you want to bring Park Run to Sydney?
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Yeah, etcetera. And and it but it worked.
14:28
So we had the Brisbane Park Run was the next one, which was New
14:32
Farm Park Run in. So the Brisbane Park Run page
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became New Farm Park Run. So that was event #2 You done
14:39
that one? No, OK, well to get there, get
14:42
up there and then event #3 I gotta get this right, don't I?
14:46
Event #3 was Albert in Melbourne?
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Oh, in Melbourne, yeah, I reckon.
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You've probably done that one. Yeah, at. 1100 people.
14:53
The one when I did it, it was just before the 2nd Lions test
14:56
that all the British fans and their Lions gear was huge.
14:59
Yeah. When asked was is this the
15:00
biggest one ever and they said no the biggest 1 was this
15:03
January gone the Australian Open they had 1400.
15:06
Yeah, and that's the biggest one in Australia, Yeah.
15:09
Yeah, No, they get, they get big crowds.
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It's a perfect course for it. You know, it's just around the
15:13
lake. Yeah.
15:13
So easy so that. Was #3.
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That was #3 And then number 4 was Saint Peters in Sydney.
15:20
Oh, yeah. And so, so that was the sort of
15:23
the start of it and then and then it just sort of it went
15:26
crazy. So because I think, I think, I
15:29
mean, it didn't go crazy for about another six months.
15:31
It was when I gave up work and just focused on partner full
15:35
time where if you look at the sort of the growth chart, it
15:37
goes there and then I give up work and it goes whoosh, like
15:39
like that. So what's like a whoosh?
15:42
It's like, so first six months you got 4.
15:45
What was 12 months? Two years.
15:47
Yes. So I mean, look, these are these
15:49
are just rough numbers, but yeah, so first 12 months you're
15:52
looking at, you know, maybe 8 events, but then in the next 12
15:56
months we would have launched probably 15 events and then the
16:00
next 12 months it was probably 30 events.
16:02
That's not doubling. It was doubling year on year.
16:04
I mean, we always used to refer it as exponential growth.
16:06
I don't know if that's the correct term, but yeah, it just
16:09
the curve was just going up and up and up.
16:11
And did you say that, well, you might not know, but in other
16:13
countries, because I feel, I don't know this, but I just feel
16:16
like it's really popular in Australia and maybe not so much
16:20
other countries. Do you think that's like why?
16:23
Yeah. Well, I think, I mean, look at
16:26
first of all, it is popular in other countries.
16:28
Oh yeah, yeah. But but Australia is unique in
16:32
that it's really the only country outside of the UK where
16:37
not only has there been event growth, but also commercial
16:41
sustainability in terms of government funding, sponsorship,
16:47
etcetera. And I think, and this isn't,
16:50
this isn't saying, hey, look at me, but you know, it was because
16:53
I was working on it full time. You know, the, whereas the other
16:55
countries who were run by volunteers and you know, the
16:59
level of commitment that you could get from a volunteer
17:02
country manager versus someone who was working on it as a as a,
17:06
as a business is quite different.
17:08
Because ultimately, as much as at the at the front end, Park
17:13
Run is this community and everything, but behind the
17:15
scenes it is a business. You have to run it like a
17:17
business. You have to have a commercial
17:19
mindset, you have to be able to pay the bills and there are, you
17:23
know, a lot of costs that go on to running what is now a big
17:27
organisation like Park Run. So.
17:29
How did you manage that with obviously the mission of Park
17:32
Run, which is a happy healthy planet, something I've I've
17:35
bought into that I, I believe in, I believe it's possible, but
17:38
how did you balance that the mission with the commercial side
17:41
of things? So my view with that was always
17:44
that in terms of any partnership or collaboration that it was
17:47
always about values. And so any brand or company that
17:53
would want to partner with us, if I felt that there was an
17:57
alignment of value, their values, rather then I knew that
18:01
we can make it work. Because ultimately the, you
18:03
know, those that sort of core beliefs were going to be the
18:06
same, even if the maybe the front end product might have not
18:09
might not have looked obvious. So for example, you know, let's
18:14
say Stockland, which is a property developer.
18:16
OK, so you go, well, how how does that make a healthier and
18:19
happier planet? But actually, when you saw what
18:21
their values were about, which was about trying to create
18:23
communities, you know, build communities where people were
18:26
going to be happier and healthier and connected, then it
18:29
was a no brainer because you put park runs inside those built
18:31
communities and you bring the bricks and mortar to life.
18:35
So that's what we always talked about.
18:36
You, you build the bricks and mortar, we'll bring it to life
18:38
with, with park run. So I just think it was about
18:42
having pretty clear, I guess a pretty clear compass about what
18:49
was an appropriate partnership and and what wasn't.
18:51
And you know, we, we had approaches from lots of brands,
18:54
as you can imagine that just were not appropriate fast food,
18:58
soft drinks, et cetera, that we would have just never, never
19:02
aligned with even. And I understand why other
19:05
sports do, you know, there's a commercial imperative, but you
19:08
know, we, we just didn't need, didn't need it or want it enough
19:12
to lower our standard, I guess of who we would partner with.
19:16
So because you're right, it was about healthier and happier
19:18
planet. Is this partnership going to
19:21
contribute to healthier and happier planet?
19:23
And if the answer was no, then the answer was no.
19:28
Kudos. Oh no, I'm just thinking.
19:31
Probably on the spot. I've got a tonne of questions.
19:32
Yeah, yeah. Have you then was that hard to
19:36
sort of say no because I imagine you would have got a lot of big
19:39
brands or organisations wanting to get involved?
19:42
Is that hard as like a early days when you're smaller to say
19:46
no to, you know, the big guys? I think we were lucky in that at
19:50
no point were we desperate to for funding.
19:54
You know, there was, you know, as the Adidas came on really
19:57
early and then we had Suncorp Bank, which is probably not that
20:00
well known down here, but it's well known in Queensland.
20:02
So Suncorp Bank probably on a Suncorp Stadium where the, you
20:05
know, where the the footy is. But, and then yeah, we had a few
20:09
other brands come on Stockland like I mentioned.
20:11
And then Medibank came on and Medibank's obviously still a
20:13
partner today. So, you know, there was always a
20:17
sort of either enough. Partnerships or government
20:20
funding there that we didn't ever really have to think about
20:23
aligning with something that we didn't believe in.
20:25
So, yeah, to answer your question, it wasn't hard.
20:27
And we, we just knew that ultimately we, we had to have
20:32
the trust of the community and that if we broke that trust by
20:36
aligning with a brand that wasn't appropriate, then it's
20:39
really hard to get that back. And it was.
20:41
So it was just, you know, that was the ultimate thing, the
20:43
trust and staying true to our values.
20:45
And aside from that, like not obviously not conflicting your
20:48
values for commercial success or whatever the word, is there any
20:53
other growing pains that you experience as alpha really sort
20:56
of took off in those first couple of years, maybe that
20:58
first 5-6 years like? Pardon, you said Alpha.
21:02
R as Parker, sorry. I'm at Parker, sorry.
21:05
I know we're just translating this all into how is going to
21:07
grow. Yeah, exactly.
21:09
But it what? What are some other?
21:10
So many, so, so many growing pains.
21:14
And you know, you and I have spoken a lot about these things,
21:16
but even just things like and this, I think this is really
21:19
relevant for Afar, which is like volunteer structure.
21:21
OK, so how do you grow and and cookie cut the product, ensuring
21:29
that the quality is going to be what you need it to be, that
21:32
people are going to have that Parker and experience, whether
21:34
they're here, here or here, which is obviously no doubt the
21:36
same with Afar. You want people to have, doesn't
21:38
have to be exactly the same because you want each thing to
21:40
have its own flavour, but it still has to have the right
21:44
look, feeling and values as as we said.
21:47
So, you know, creating a volunteer structure that at the
21:51
time we didn't have a global template.
21:55
So I remember quite, I just probably, we were probably on
21:59
about, I'm going to say about 30 events at the time.
22:03
And within that 30 events, there was probably about a dozen event
22:09
directors who were sort of like in a, in a sanctum kind of
22:13
people who I was really leaning on for support and help and so
22:17
on. And, and we, we had a call and,
22:19
and basically we created a structure that I actually
22:22
modelled on Flight Centre. I'd read, I'd read a book about
22:25
flight Centre called Family Village Tribe with the family
22:29
being well in, in flight centre terms, the family being the
22:32
store, the village being a group of stores and the tribe being
22:36
like the region. And so within, within Park Run,
22:40
you know, the family became the event, the village became the
22:44
other events in the local area and the tribe was, you know, the
22:47
wider kind of Park Run region. And so we create a, created a
22:51
volunteer model where you then had ambassadors or we, we
22:55
actually called them territory directors.
22:58
So you had a territory directors who oversaw, you know, the
23:01
village and the and the family and provided that level of
23:05
support. So yeah, we had to sort of think
23:07
on the fly about how we could create that.
23:09
Because otherwise, if I hadn't done that, then I would have had
23:13
100 events and I was their single point of contact.
23:16
So I would have had 100 event directors on a Saturday morning
23:18
saying the scanner's not working.
23:21
I. Don't want to, you know, at
23:22
8:20. Yeah, I wouldn't wouldn't have
23:24
been able to help anyone so. How does that fit in though,
23:27
like park run in the UK, is it park run Australia and park run
23:32
whatever other country like quite individual like or do you
23:35
all have to sort of follow? The same then.
23:37
OK, so so when I started Park Run it was on a licence
23:40
agreement and what that meant was that so long as I abided by
23:45
the terms of the licence, we could kind of do what we.
23:47
Wanted within reason, Yeah, of course.
23:49
So, so, so long as we delivered Park Run in the way that they
23:52
wanted, we had a fair bit of autonomy.
23:55
And it was in probably about year 7:00 or 8:00 that that
23:59
changed. And Park Run moved into a
24:01
subsidiary model where it was basically controlled from the
24:05
UK. Yeah.
24:06
So it's changed dramatically in, in, in that time.
24:10
So, so yes, in those in that first period where we were on
24:13
licence and also the UK was still relatively immature
24:18
compared to now. So they had their own version, I
24:21
guess of what I've just talked about with the family village
24:23
tribe, but it wasn't a global template or structure.
24:26
So we just came up with our own thing that was that was fit for
24:28
purpose and it worked incredibly well.
24:31
So, so rather than having 100 events coming into me, it was
24:36
every sort of six or seven events had a territory director.
24:40
And though those bunch of territory directors then
24:44
reported into me. But yeah, they took 95% of the
24:49
support, I guess you would say was dealt with at that other
24:52
level, that lower level. And then it was only things that
24:55
were kind of out of the box that needed to come to me so I could
24:58
focus on the actual strategy and the growth and so on and so
25:01
forth. And so there's the volunteer
25:04
structure. Was there anything else in our
25:06
ground pains? Like one we've been getting is
25:08
like, especially with the Wednesday nights, some people
25:09
don't like the big crowds. How have you guys managed that?
25:13
And like, have you ever had fever that, you know, park
25:15
runners? It got bigger than it lost what
25:17
it 100% was in the early day. You have and I would.
25:19
Agree with that too. So.
25:20
So it's. Lost its way.
25:21
Not lost its way, but no, no, sorry.
25:23
Lost what? Well, the reason what it
25:25
originally was. Yeah, I mean, I can even use my
25:28
local park run in Airlie Beach where I live.
25:30
So for the first, I don't know, I don't know, three or four
25:33
years. So that event's about to turn 10
25:34
years old. And so I'd say probably for the
25:36
first five years, it was like 60 people a week.
25:39
Yeah. You knew everybody.
25:40
Like, you'd rock up and like, I know all of you sort of thing.
25:44
But like all things, it's, it's grown.
25:47
And so now you rock up and I'll know 20 people, and then
25:52
there'll be another 50 locals who I don't know.
25:55
And then there'll be 100 tourists.
25:57
Yeah, and that's not a bad thing.
25:59
It's just different. And so depending on your
26:02
personality type and whatever, some people are going to much
26:04
prefer smaller intimate where you know, everyone and others
26:08
are going to want to go to the biggest events that they can
26:10
find because of the bars and the atmosphere and all of that.
26:13
So I wouldn't say 1 is better than the other.
26:16
I think it's it totally comes down to personal preference.
26:20
However, the growth does present growing pains, which would, you
26:25
know, you would be experiencing that at the dock, which is when
26:28
you had 50 people there, no one would have blinked when you guys
26:30
all went running past, because on any given afternoon, there's
26:33
50 people out running, running at the dock.
26:35
But as soon as you put 450 people on that same path as
26:39
logistical challenges, prams and dogs and people and, and all
26:42
that kind of stuff. And, and so managing that growth
26:45
is tricky and we would be quite targeted with that.
26:48
So if there was an event that did grow and that the specific
26:53
course of that event was on was just not managing it, then we
26:56
would actively look to find another park around location
26:59
nearby. To try and take some of the.
27:01
Take the load. Yeah, yeah.
27:03
And we would find that, you know, if it was.
27:06
If the course couldn't have the, the course that they chose just
27:08
wasn't working. Yeah.
27:10
So I mean, you can change the course, that would be an option,
27:12
or change parts of the course. And then, you know, there are
27:14
plenty of events that have had to modify their courses, you
27:16
know, change the start line or the finish line because of the
27:19
congestion and particularly after COVID when there was a lot
27:22
more rules around social distancing and so on.
27:26
But yeah, it was just course A is getting too many people
27:30
That's let's find a course B. And it would always have to be
27:34
within sort of 10 minutes because if you're telling people
27:37
that they can go to another event, but it's 15 minutes away
27:40
that that that won't work. So it would have to be nearby.
27:43
And did that work? For the most part, yes.
27:46
Yeah. I do remember though, that
27:49
Cleveland Park run, which is in just outside of Brisbane in
27:53
Redland Bay, that that was getting too big.
27:57
And I think, yeah, let's say they were getting 400 or
27:59
something, or 300. And it was for whatever reason,
28:01
it was just getting too big at that course.
28:03
So we said, all right, let's put another one nearby.
28:05
And one of the regular Cleveland runners lived in the next
28:08
suburb, which is Wynnum, which is on the water in Brisbane.
28:10
And he said, I'll start one in Wynnum and I'd like to
28:13
brilliant. This, this is great because you
28:15
know, half of those Cleveland runners or a third of those
28:17
Cleveland runners will go to win them.
28:19
And then the day win them launched, they had huge numbers.
28:22
And then I ring up Cleveland and they're like, no, we had record
28:24
numbers. I was like, Oh my God.
28:25
So so you know what we found? And again, you'll find this with
28:29
our Ferraris. Build it and they will come,
28:33
which is you, you're not when you start a new location, you're
28:36
not just bringing existing people across.
28:40
You're going to get a whole new bunch of people as well, who for
28:43
whatever reason hadn't previously engaged, you know,
28:45
might have been too far or they may have just not even heard of
28:47
it. So, but once it starts locally,
28:49
they they hear about it. So, so managing growth
28:52
definitely a big challenge. The other one is working with
28:55
councils, which was was pretty tricky.
28:57
And you know, I mentioned earlier that not all councils
29:00
were as welcoming as the Gold Coast were without with the
29:03
first event. And I can understand that when
29:07
you know, when in the early days when Parkland was an unknown
29:09
thing and you're ringing a council saying, oh, we've got
29:11
this free running event. It's going to happen every week.
29:14
First of all, they're not used to things happening every week,
29:16
like events happen one off or, or quarterly or whatever it
29:20
might be. So when you say we're going to
29:22
run this thing every week, they're like, oh, hang on, we
29:24
haven't, we haven't got a, we haven't got a policy for that.
29:28
So quite a lot of times, you know, we were almost working
29:32
with council to create the policy that would enable
29:36
something like Park Run to happen week on week.
29:38
And, you know, I know Benny, when we've spoken and we've
29:41
talked about growth, you just got to whoever you're talking to
29:43
say it's kind of like park run but on a Wednesday.
29:46
And then they go, oh, OK, park run.
29:47
It's a running thing. It's every week.
29:49
So people kind of get it now that there's this concept of
29:52
meeting every week and doing this thing.
29:54
But you know, 15 years ago, they're like, what?
29:56
You're going to run every week. And so, yeah, we had a lot of
30:00
councils that were pretty hard work in the early days.
30:03
I mean, some councils said no. Just risk aversion.
30:07
Risk aversion definitely being the main thing They're thinking,
30:09
oh, we don't want lots of people running all together every week
30:13
at that time on that path. It's already heavily used.
30:16
And that's because they just didn't understand the benefits
30:19
of it and. I think, yeah, I just think
30:21
Parkland was an unknown and like we could have said to them, like
30:25
we, you know, I'm sure we did say to them this is great for
30:28
the community and connection. It brings people together.
30:30
And they would have just gone insurance risk, you know, we're
30:32
not, we're not going to do it. So we could have tried to sell
30:34
them on the benefits, but ultimately, you know, their,
30:39
their thing was we're we're risk averse.
30:40
So we don't want to do this. And however, as Park Run grew
30:45
and more people became familiar with it, then it became an, an,
30:48
an easier sell. Councils understood it.
30:50
You didn't have to spend a long time explaining what Park Run
30:53
actually was to them because they'd they'd heard of it or, or
30:57
they'd been or whatever. So, so I think those things, I
31:01
mean funding, you know, getting sponsors, as I said, the added
31:04
as one was just lucky and, and at the time, but then from there
31:08
getting sponsors was very difficult.
31:10
And you know, not just getting them, but then being able to
31:15
service them because, you know, sponsors, it's not a donation.
31:18
Yeah, they're not just giving you money.
31:20
You know, there's, there's sponsorship rights that they
31:22
then you need to be able to fulfil as an organisation.
31:26
So and yeah, for the first, I don't know, probably five years
31:31
I was the only employee, maybe 5-4 or five, I was the only
31:33
employee. Everyone else was some layer of
31:36
volunteer. So, yeah, so challenges around
31:39
that. But yeah, I think look,
31:43
ultimately, you know, I'm a big believer and I'm sure you guys
31:47
are the same. When you when you're doing
31:48
something good and you're putting it out there into the
31:51
universe, the universe is going to come back.
31:53
And you know, park run was that good thing?
31:56
It still is that good thing for our is that good thing.
32:00
And you know, the amount of goodwill that you guys have
32:03
built and are building around, around the brand and around
32:06
everything you do means that all these challenges that are going
32:09
to come up, you've got such a good team of people that we're
32:11
we're going to get through. Well, and thank you on behalf of
32:14
you've already solved two of our headaches, growing pains 1 Tim
32:19
is an advisor to US. One, you paved the part of the
32:22
way with the council. So thank you for that.
32:24
But secondly, also when we became a formal charity fest and
32:27
we should we better, we better get insurance about time to
32:30
ensure this thing because the first four years probably the
32:33
doc was on the hook if something happened.
32:34
But thank you for helping sort that out.
32:36
After the introduction of the camber for Capital Athletics.
32:39
Yeah, that's enough about Park Run.
32:42
What are you doing now? You've obviously finished that
32:43
up. I did, yeah.
32:44
In the pen pandemic. You finished up 20.
32:46
No 2020. 2 just after yeah. Do you still go to your park run
32:50
or a park run? I I actually, the last time I
32:52
went was New Year's Day. And the reason there's two
32:55
reasons why I haven't gone regularly. 1 is my kids play
32:58
sport every Saturday. Oh, OK, yeah, pretty much.
33:00
And the other is. You have 4/4, just had your 4.
33:03
Kids and we just had a we just had a baby for five months ago
33:05
so I've got a 13119 and and a baby so 8 and a baby so yeah, we
33:10
had a bit of a break and went again but so yeah, so life is
33:14
busy. But the other thing is I've got
33:16
this calf injury. I've actually got a blown calf.
33:18
I think I told you already, I've got a blew my calf out playing
33:21
touch football 2 nights ago. So I can't run tonight at after
33:24
hour, but I just keep hurting it.
33:25
And anytime I get back into running, I'll I'll run for a
33:28
couple of weeks and blow my calf.
33:29
And I'm like. So if there's any physios
33:31
listening to this podcast who want to give me some advice on
33:35
recurring calf injuries, please reach out because it's extremely
33:38
frustrating. But you know, everyone tells me
33:40
the calf injury is an old man injury and I'm 47 now, so you
33:44
know. We know a good sports Kyra we've
33:46
had on Mark Trevovic. Gonna be there tonight.
33:49
No, but we we can put in an emergency call.
33:51
For it, yeah. So I'm sure you've had a few
33:53
injuries over the years mate. So, so look, I look to, so to
33:57
answer your question, look, I haven't been for a while, but I,
33:59
you know, I absolutely am still passionate about everything that
34:02
Park Run stands for. And I'm incredibly proud of, you
34:06
know, where it is and, and all the impacts that Park Run's had
34:10
over so many years and so many people.
34:11
It's, it's an incredible thing. It's been incredible in my own
34:13
life personally, let alone what it's done for the world
34:18
essentially. So, so yeah, I still still love
34:21
it, still recommend people to go and, and everything like that.
34:23
Very proud of it. But yeah, but what I'm doing now
34:26
to answer your question. So when I finished up in 2022, I
34:30
remember city, I sat there with a piece of paper and I said,
34:32
right, I've had, I'm at a point in my life now where I guess I'm
34:36
fortunate that I can now really just focus on what I'm most
34:41
passionate about. And I sat there with a piece of
34:43
paper and I drew all these words and that was a big mess.
34:47
But the, the thing that was in the middle of it all was healthy
34:50
kids. And as, and I guess, you know,
34:52
as a, as a dad, that was something I was living with my
34:56
own kids, but also as a, as a teacher, seeing in schools
35:02
what's going on, which is a lot of unhealthy kids.
35:06
I knew that that is where I wanted to try and have impact
35:09
for the next phase of my professional life.
35:13
So created a charity called the Healthy Kids Project and I've
35:18
been working on a number of programmes over the last three
35:21
years. And there's sort of two main
35:23
ones that are I guess, operating and that I really have a lot of
35:27
passion for and believe in. And one is called Fresh Fruit
35:29
Friday, where I'm working with primary schools and supermarkets
35:33
to see a box of fruit and vegetables provided to schools
35:37
every Friday. As the name would suggest, there
35:40
are a lot of kids who come to school with no food, let alone,
35:44
you know, unhealthy food. So just just to try and I guess
35:48
expose, you know, children in need to fruit and vegetables.
35:52
And a lot of kids will, will pick up, you know, a piece of
35:55
celery and they've never had it before.
35:56
What is this thing? And so just trying to create
35:59
some exposure. I know it's not going to solve
36:00
the world's problems, but it's just, it's a good step.
36:03
It's a step, it's a step. And I'm, I'm a believer that if
36:06
you can influence the kids at school, they can go home and try
36:10
and influence up the chain to mum and dad and, and across the
36:13
siblings and so on. And if, you know, if there's one
36:15
child who discovers a, a piece of fruit or, or a vegetable that
36:18
they lock through the programme, then that's a win.
36:22
So there's about 60 schools around the country that are in
36:25
that programme at the moment. And obviously, you know, there's
36:27
10,000 schools or something in Australia.
36:29
So there's a lot of opportunity for that programme to grow.
36:33
And then the the other programme, which I guess is more
36:35
aligned with what we've been talking about is surprise,
36:37
surprise, a running programme. It's called the RAD Run Club and
36:42
it's basically a digital platform that enables primary
36:45
schools to put on run clubs typically before school, but it
36:48
can be used anytime the school can use it kind of as they see
36:51
fit. So it could be a before school
36:53
run club, lunchtime run club, after school, after school care,
36:57
etcetera. And the hook, the hook for kids
37:00
is that when they get registered though, so their parents
37:02
register them and they put in the school and the, the house
37:05
and within particularly primary, primary schools, earning points
37:09
for your house is quite a big deal.
37:11
So basically the, the hook is come to school, run around the
37:14
Oval and house points. And then, you know, houses,
37:17
whichever house wins the end of year trophy, they all celebrate
37:20
and eat the pizza or whatever it would be.
37:22
So, but, and, and look, you know, it's super simple.
37:25
You know, I'm not, it's not a revolution, but a lot of schools
37:29
already do some sort of run club, but typically it's pen and
37:34
paper and Excel spreadsheets. And if there's one thing I know
37:36
from being a teacher is that teachers are time poor and they
37:40
don't want, if you go to them with a programme that's going to
37:43
require them to do more, they don't have capacity.
37:45
So I'm going to schools with a solution that enables them to do
37:51
less, you know, which is you can do exactly what you're doing.
37:54
But here's the platform that makes it way easier.
37:56
The kids just scan their QR codes every lap.
37:58
They run around the Oval, scan around the Oval, scan.
38:01
So it's not like park run where you just scan at the end.
38:03
This one you scan when you get there and you scan each lap.
38:06
So and again, not like park run, you don't have to be there at
38:08
the start. So let's say the school have it
38:10
running on the Oval for 20 minutes.
38:12
If you get there 10 minutes in, it's great.
38:14
You just scan and away you go and your and your house points.
38:16
So, and then the goal of that one much like for much like park
38:24
run is it's not just about getting fitter and the physical
38:28
benefits, but the rad in the RAD run club actually stands for
38:31
resilience, attitude and determination.
38:33
So we're trying to instil these sort of emotional
38:36
characteristics in primary school children via the, the,
38:41
the platform of a, of a running event or running and walking.
38:44
So and it's really working well. I mean, it's just in pilot phase
38:48
at the moment, got about half a half a dozen schools that are
38:51
are using it. Any in Canberra?
38:53
No all in Queensland at the moment.
38:55
So at Canberra schools, bring it on just.
38:57
Yeah, well, the the. Rad Run dot Club I.
38:59
Don't know if we've told you about recess.
39:00
For sure you have it's amazing we.
39:01
Should be getting that into recess schools.
39:04
And you know, conceptually, if you if you look at end goal,
39:10
it's the same end goal, you know, the same end goal is
39:12
healthier and happier kids. And we're doing it in a school
39:15
environment where there's that captured audience, you know, and
39:18
I just think whether it's your programme or my programme,
39:21
ultimately we're all looking for that same thing.
39:25
And we should therefore all be supporting each other and
39:29
collaborating and sharing best practise.
39:31
And what are you doing that's working and what am I doing
39:34
that's working and so on. So.
39:36
Well, how can we help? Apart from making intros to
39:38
schools, the schools here that we're working with, how else can
39:41
we help? Yeah, well, look, I mean, the
39:42
thing with the Rad Run club, the thing with Fresh Fruit Friday,
39:44
it's just awareness. You know, I, I don't do it.
39:46
I haven't done any marketing on on any of these things.
39:48
It's all word of mouth and you know.
39:51
Collaboration suppliers like that bring the fruit in.
39:53
How does that work? No, just just work with the
39:55
local supermarkets. So it's so basically when a
39:58
school comes in for fresh fruit Friday, we just look at the map
40:00
and say where's your nearest supermarket?
40:01
And we go straight to them and look, not all supermarkets say
40:04
yes, you know, that's the challenge because.
40:06
You haven't partnered with like a Coles or Woollies or.
40:08
Look, that's the plan. I've had some conversations with
40:11
woollies already. So woollies, if you're
40:13
listening, come on, get back to me.
40:15
But you know, that is the way to Scarlet is for it to actually
40:18
actually have a top down partnership.
40:20
But I've also had some chats with the team at Oz Harvest as
40:23
to how they work. And, you know, so of Oz Harvest
40:26
work on, you know, the unwanted fruit and vegetables and, and,
40:30
and you know, other items from supermarkets.
40:32
And so, you know, possibly we'll also look at going down that
40:35
path as well. So, but yeah, so for the Rad Run
40:38
club, it's ready to go. So any, anyone that's listening
40:41
can just go to Rad Run dot club, send, send us a message.
40:44
Takes me about 5 minutes to set a school up in the system and
40:47
you download the app and away you go.
40:50
So it's, yeah, it's, it's ready to go.
40:51
So I would love to promote that here.
40:54
And yeah, why not? And what, what bring?
40:56
I mean, we'll, we'll wrap things up in a few minutes because
40:58
we've got to get down now for our You're in Canberra,
41:01
obviously. I'm in Canberra, believe it or
41:03
not. Yeah.
41:04
What brings you down firstly? Well, first of all, we don't get
41:06
you down here too. Often no.
41:07
First of all, I didn't bring a jumper and it's got November in
41:11
Canberra. Well, you would think you would
41:12
need one I thought. It was going to be fine.
41:14
And I walked out of the hotel this morning and it was 1°.
41:16
Yeah, but but in saying that I love coming here, it's actually
41:20
a, it's a beautiful city. And I'm not just saying that
41:23
because I'm sitting in a studio in Canberra, but I'm part of a,
41:26
I'm going to call it a think tank, very Canberra term
41:30
probably. But at the Australian Sports
41:32
Commission called the Play Well Strategy leadership group.
41:37
So the Play well strategy is obviously a strategy that has
41:40
been developed by the Sports Commission in collaboration with
41:44
the entire sports sector. So it's been Co designed and it
41:48
is all about how do we get more Australians playing more sport
41:52
more often, being more active, et cetera.
41:53
So I'm on that leadership group. We meet up every quarter or so
41:58
face to face. And this time we're in Canberra,
42:01
you know, at the home, the Institute of Sports.
42:03
So there's a lot going on. I feel very humble when I'm in
42:07
that room because I'm in a room full of incredible people that
42:10
have done amazing things throughout their careers in, in
42:12
terms of not just the sporting space, but we've got people in
42:16
there from disability, we've got people in there from migrant
42:19
spaces and so on. And yeah, it's awesome people.
42:22
It's a great network to be part of.
42:23
And you know, I guess if we can do anything to try and help more
42:28
people feel included, safe, welcome and and want to be more
42:33
active with sport, then then it's a good thing.
42:35
So very aligned with obviously what we're talking about today.
42:38
And you're on another board. Last time we caught up when you
42:40
were at the SCG, that wasn't this.
42:42
That was no, that was the MC, which is this, it's a mouthful,
42:45
the Australian Mass Participation Sports Event
42:48
Alliance, which is basically. MC.
42:50
MC is much easier and MC started off the back.
42:54
You're on the board there or? I'm on the board, yeah.
42:56
And that started off the back of COVID when all the mass
42:58
participation events got shut down.
43:00
So a lot of the leaders in that industry came together.
43:04
And I was still at Park Run at the time.
43:06
So I joined that, joined that collective, and that was all
43:09
about how are we going to get mass participation events
43:12
started again. And even though Park Park Run
43:14
isn't mass participation, but when when you look at the scale
43:17
of it, you add it all together, that's definitely mass
43:19
participation. So, yeah, another awesome group
43:22
of people and now that obviously we're we're through COVID, it's
43:26
really about how can we just be, I guess the, the voice for the
43:30
mass participation industry and, and how can we service the
43:33
industry make sure that people who are wanting to start an mass
43:37
participation events or, or, or are ready running mass
43:40
participation events are doing so in the best possible way.
43:43
And they got supported, they got everything they need to do that.
43:45
So yeah, it's another, another great group to be, to be part
43:48
of. And, and I'm on the board of
43:50
Little Athletics now as well up in Queensland.
43:52
So that's my other, my other board hats.
43:54
So yeah, there's a bit of a theme, isn't there, with this
43:56
kind of sport running thing. But, but that really, you know,
44:00
in terms of what I've talked about earlier with my, my values
44:03
and my passions, Little Athletics really aligns with
44:06
that really, really well. Because obviously, again, it's
44:08
about how do we get more kids moving and, and participating in
44:11
sport and, and competing as well.
44:14
So yeah, it's great. And this is, I wanted to ask you
44:17
that at the start, what do you think it is about your childhood
44:20
that got you in it? Like got you so carelessly?
44:22
You said your parents educated, so there's the education hat.
44:26
But what was it that you really sparked your love of sport?
44:30
For me it was moving around heaps and like needing to make
44:34
friends at new schools. And it was.
44:36
Playing sport was my way of making.
44:37
Friends, I think, look, if I, when I reflect on my upbringing,
44:41
one of the, the constants was that my dad back in the in the
44:46
80s was a runner before people were running.
44:50
Like it wasn't he, you know, he tells me stories that he would
44:52
be out running and people would pull over in their car and they
44:54
go, you're right mate. Do you like?
44:55
Do you need a lift? What are you running from?
44:56
Yeah, like what's what's wrong tax man after running.
45:00
And so dad was dad was always running and I think that
45:04
instilled in me. I just I guess an importance of
45:09
looking after yourself. I guess that's probably it.
45:11
And and then I went to a very sporty high school, Naji college
45:16
where, you know, it's like a sports Academy there basically.
45:19
So you couldn't help but get into that.
45:23
But for me, even since then, my, my love of sport and, and
45:28
participating and being active has always had the lens of
45:33
health as in, as in I want to be healthy and I want my children
45:38
and my family to be healthy. So as much as yes, it's great to
45:43
run a PB or, or whatever it might be my, my goal for, you
45:49
know, as long as I, you know, at least the last 20 years as like,
45:52
why, why do I go running or why do I go to the gym?
45:55
It's just I want to be healthy. And so I think when you've got
45:58
that as the motivator, as opposed to I just wanna run a
46:03
PB, Well, that's a, I'm not gonna say that that's a shallow
46:06
goal. But if you don't run that PB,
46:08
what do you do? Quit?
46:09
Like, and whereas if you have a goal of I, I wanna live a
46:11
healthy life and, and, and set an example to my children so
46:15
that they are gonna live healthy lives, It's a pretty strong
46:17
motivator. Well, that's how I got into
46:19
running too 'cause my dad always ran and I just wanted to, I
46:23
guess, hang out with him, so I would go running with him.
46:26
But it's true because now I run for many reasons, but I guess
46:29
the main one is to feel healthy in both my mind and my body.
46:34
I've tried to get my dad running and doesn't work.
46:36
He's a big swimmer that loves his swimming dad so.
46:39
Was your was your dad a rugby player?
46:41
No, Grandma wouldn't let him. He's bigger.
46:43
He's bigger than me. Yeah, he was allowed to play
46:44
soccer, but he was never allowed.
46:46
Grandma wouldn't let Dad or his I'd.
46:47
Be too rough. Yeah, he went to Barker so Rugby
46:50
School, but. Wasn't allowed to play.
46:51
Yeah, right. OK, well, there you go.
46:54
So any final questions kudos with test Tim's park run
46:58
knowledge or we were gonna say, did we record?
47:02
Were we? Were we recording when we asked
47:03
you a park run PB? I think so.
47:05
We were. Comparing PBS before, now I'm
47:07
not. Sure we were 18251825 Lily.
47:10
Well, now I it's either 1829 or 1839.
47:13
I could have, I can't remember. I was 29.
47:15
But now I've got a I've got a question for you.
47:17
Yeah. What is the newest park run in
47:20
Canberra? Oh well.
47:21
I definitely don't, No. Yeah, I can tell you.
47:23
I can tell you organised one who's the event organiser?
47:26
Yeah. OK.
47:27
So you said it. So how many are here now?
47:29
How many in? Canberra 10 OK, but then there's
47:31
also Queanbeyan and Jerry Bump, but they're NSW.
47:34
So, so I mean, I know you were interviewing me, but I'm asking
47:38
you guys questions. So what?
47:39
What is the longest distance you can go in Canberra without
47:42
finding a park run? Because you see, there's ten.
47:44
Well, not must be pretty. Yeah, together they're all
47:47
pretty. Because you've got the, I think
47:49
the. 2IN Gungahlin. 2IN Belconnen, Ainsley. 2IN
47:52
Tuggeranong. Gara Lumla 2IN Tuggeranong
47:54
Combs. And now Woden.
47:56
Yeah. Gerah and Quimbian, and then
47:59
you've got the surrounding regions.
48:01
Yes, Bungandor, Braidwood, Coombe is missing 1.
48:05
Coombe is probably but then Bateman's base got 1 so mate
48:09
they're everywhere. Yeah.
48:10
So I think, I think then. And they just said ACT record
48:13
the launch was 700 and something.
48:15
Yeah, so it. Was that happened because I
48:16
thought they didn't promote? Launches.
48:18
Oh well, yeah, it was Week 2 was.
48:21
It like an underground. She didn't tell me I.
48:22
Didn't I? Didn't tell.
48:23
Me. For the week 1.
48:24
Sworn to secrecy Week 1 was about 100 and in Week 2 was.
48:28
So how did those 100 people know about it?
48:30
Well, you had, we like we had to get some people.
48:33
So we had like our volunteer team and I think we just told a
48:36
couple, yeah, like family and, and then some people actually
48:40
just look at the website on the Friday.
48:42
So it goes live on the website. So we had a couple of people,
48:44
actually quite a few that just saw it on the website and
48:47
thought, oh, and. There's so many little Parker
48:48
and chat groups so you get one person.
48:50
Yeah. Well, there's tourism ones too,
48:51
that sort of, yeah. But yes, Week 2 was the big one.
48:55
It was great. Yeah.
48:56
Yeah, well, good on you. And what I will say is I know
48:59
that setting up in a park run event and keeping it going, it's
49:02
hard work. So good on you for what you're
49:04
doing for the community and it'll pay you back in spades
49:07
though, so. Yeah, well, I'm lucky it's a Co
49:09
event director, so there's two of us and we've got a good team.
49:11
Andrew Andrew Dempster and I'll he.
49:14
Works for the PM, Does he's he's a yeah, he's an advisor to the
49:17
PM. So he got like, didn't he get
49:18
all the road? All the parts will be relayed.
49:21
Everything's been mowed. Has the PM done a park run?
49:24
I don't think. You know, I think so.
49:25
There's a few pollies there, yeah. 2 MPs there for the world.
49:28
Yeah. Yeah.
49:29
And actually then you want to tell the free coffees.
49:31
That's pretty awesome. Yeah, from one of our I've got
49:34
to get the right terminology Foundation supporters, because
49:38
they're not sponsors, are they? Foundation supporters, is that a
49:40
thing? Well, it's where they, the
49:42
people that you get the funding from the organisation.
49:45
Yeah, yeah, yeah. I could have got the wrong word
49:47
for that and. It's like stockland Geocon.
49:50
So the Canberra version, yeah. And then are there there, Yeah.
49:54
Free coffee. Every week.
49:55
No, no, just until Christmas. Yeah.
49:57
Until Christmas. Yeah, that's.
49:58
Pretty. Good.
49:59
Yeah, come back. Yeah, Yeah.
50:01
Come back and do Worden Coffee, Worden Town Park run.
50:04
That's amazing. Now we're good on you for for
50:06
doing it so. Yeah, no, it's great.
50:07
It's so good for the community and the feedback that you get
50:09
from people. I'm sure you would be well aware
50:11
of it. It's it just makes it.
50:13
It's so worth it. When I like I I clearly remember
50:17
that when I started Parker and I know we're probably going over
50:19
no, no go. Hey Google Freestyle.
50:20
Chloe hasn't come kicked to say. But but I just remember thinking
50:23
like that I was starting like a fitness event, you know, like
50:27
that's what I, I thought it was just really people who were
50:29
going to like get fit and lose weight.
50:31
That was, and then a few months in, I'm getting these emails
50:34
from people going, you've changed my life.
50:36
And I'm like, I'm thinking, I didn't realise that was going to
50:40
happen. And then that just kept coming.
50:41
And I was like, wow, this is about so much more than people
50:45
going for a run. You know, this is, and it's
50:47
about the things we've spoken about all through this podcast,
50:49
which is the community connection and the being with
50:52
your friends and, you know, avoiding social isolation and
50:55
all that sort of stuff. But I, but I didn't see that
50:57
coming. But it's the most rewarding
50:59
thing. And that's, you know, that's the
51:01
journey you're about to. Embark on which is.
51:03
You know, impacting all these people's lives in this amazing
51:06
way. And I'm sure Benny, no doubt
51:07
with our for our on a probably daily basis receives feedback
51:11
from people along those lines. So it's amazing the way that
51:14
these, you know, what would have once been conceived a fitness
51:18
event is, is bringing people together in such a a meaningful
51:22
way. So.
51:23
Why do you think that is? What do you think is about
51:25
fitness that brings people together?
51:27
Well, I think it's a, it's a shared.
51:29
It's a shared thing, isn't it? So you're all out there doing
51:31
this shared activity and, and, but I don't think it's just
51:34
fitness though. And you know, I certainly, I, I,
51:36
I will often say I had a conversation just today at the
51:39
sports Commission and saying there is this need in society
51:43
for connection, but that, but that can, that can be through
51:46
sport or a run or whatever, but that can also be through a
51:50
mother's group or a book club or, you know, going for a walk
51:54
or whatever. There's lots and lots of
51:56
different ways people can get that connection piece.
51:58
And you know you've already seen that with a for a with all your
52:01
different types of. Pickleball for events, Yoga.
52:05
And yoga and pram walking and all that.
52:08
So, so I think what's undeniable is that there is a need for
52:13
connection in the modern world. And I think that's, I would put
52:16
that down to technology with the amount of technology that people
52:21
are on all day, which even though you feel like you might
52:23
be connected to someone digitally, but it's that's.
52:25
Not the connection. No, it's not the same.
52:27
So I think, you know, because we're so consumed by technology
52:33
that we are longing for that human touch.
52:37
And that's what things like park, run and Offer give so
52:42
long. May they continue.
52:43
Long may they continue mate, I just thank you for everything
52:47
you're doing for Park Run. I'm not sure I'd be here without
52:50
Park Run. I don't.
52:51
Maybe I would be. But I wrote that that 50th,
52:56
that's how we got to know each other after I wrote that blog
52:58
thanking Park Run because fifty weeks after I retired did my
53:01
50th. Yeah.
53:03
So thank you, mate. Yeah, it's a.
53:05
Pleasure and it's been a wonderful and and an honour for
53:10
me to have played a small part in the after our journey and I
53:13
look forward to continuing to contribute because this journey
53:17
is just getting started. That's right, Long may continue.