7 minute read
PĀKAOMA AOTEAROA PARKRUN NZ
We meet some of the regulars who are getting up and out for pākaoma Aotearoa/parkrun NZ.
Every Saturday morning in 52 locations around Aotearoa New Zealand, people come together for parkrun. An international organisation, parkrun is a community event where you can participate by walking, jogging, running, volunteering, or just plain spectating. Stretched over five kilometres, it takes place in local parklands, waterfronts, botanical gardens, or domains. parkrun is based on four simple principles: weekly, free, for everyone, forever. parkrun started in London in 2004 and was exported here by Lower Hutt man Richard McChesney, who was keen to bring the concept back with him when he returned in 2012. The simplicity
of meeting up with a group of people to go for a short run is probably the success of parkrun. Step one is to register online, which is when you’re sent a barcode. Then all you need to do is find your local parkrun and turn up at 8am on any Saturday. Everyone starts at the same time and follows a set course, getting from one end to another by walking, running, walking the dog, or running with a stroller. That barcode you were sent when you registered is then scanned at the end of the run/ walk. From there, you can choose to take note of your finishing time and better it next time or completely ignore it and just enjoy the experience.
The average time for a runner is about half an hour. (Ed: Writers who interview while walking can take just over an hour!)
Starting at the gentle end, Ellie Johnson has been regularly coming for a couple of years. parkrun is completely volunteer-led, and Ellie enjoys giving her time to the Wellington event at Waitangi Park. One of her roles has been as the ‘tail walker’. ‘You win by losing,’ she explains. ‘Your job is to come last.’ For this job, Ellie makes sure no one is lost, left behind, or injured.
Currently doing her PhD on healthy homes, Ellie is loyal to the weekly outing. ‘It has all the things that work as a programme,’ she says. ‘It has such a strong sense of community. And from my public health perspective, I see how cool it is. I’ve never been a super-fit person, but this has got me into running and being a bit more active. As a personal intervention, I think it’s great.’
THE LITTLE ‘P’ MENTALITY
The culture and ethos of parkrun is reserved and humble, reflecting the nature of its founder. parkrun is written as one word with a lowercase ‘p’, representing the simplicity and inclusivity of the organisation and the events.
ROYCE PRISK – KIRIKIRIROA HAMILTON
A few years ago, Hamilton local Royce Prisk wasn’t a runner, but, after his type 1 diagnosis, he decided to improve his base fitness level and began walking, slowly at first. Two kilometres was a struggle, but before long he built up to five kilometres a day. That’s when Royce turned to parkrun, as he thought that would be a good way to vary his walks. Then the 52-year-old changed things up.
‘Whilst walking, I was thinking “Can I actually run?” I’d give it a go every now and then, and found it difficult. But one day I saw a chap who was even older than me, and he was just shuffling along. And I thought to myself, if he can do it, so can I. And from there I just started running for longer and longer amounts of time in parkrun and also during the week, until I could run the full 5k.’
Royce says he enjoys many things with parkrun: ‘It’s a social event for me. Although I’m not a particularly social person, I’m still running with a group of people and might have a quick chitchat with someone. And that’s enough for me. Also, it helps maintain my mental health.
‘And not only has it improved my physical health in terms of my baseline physical fitness but it’s also increased my insulin sensitivity and makes managing my diabetes easier.’
‘parkrun gives me three benefits in one go: the social element, the physical element, and the mental element’ – Royce Prisk
By the time this issue of Diabetes Wellness arrives in letterboxes, Royce Prisk would have earned the infamous parkrun ‘100’ t-shirt, meaning he’s made it through one hundred parkruns. That’s a couple of year’s work. Alongside the branded 25, 50, 250, and 500 shirts, these tops are milestones – badges of honour revered among the international parkrun community. The attendees gradually work towards attaining, and then proudly sporting, their shirts to celebrate their persistence and consistency in knocking off runs.
Ellie Johnson says: ‘Having a milestone shirt makes it about celebrating participating, rather than have it be like “I came first” or “I came second.” It’s more about “I came and I showed up, and that’s cool, and I’ve got the t-shirt that I’m really proud of, and it’s really early on a Saturday.”’
JAMES O'SULLIVAN – ŌTAUTAHI CHRISTCHURCH
Twenty-one-year-old art student James O’Sullivan has been doing parkrun since he was 10, which is around the same time that he was diagnosed with type 1. His dad, Martin, was already a runner, so it was inevitable that James and his older brother Trent would join in. James earned his 250 t-shirt last year and has since hit the 300 mark, as well as setting the current record as the only Kiwi to complete every course in the country. The O’Sullivan whānau has steadily worked their way around the country, seeking out parkruns most weekends. To date, James has been to 49 different courses around the country and another two in Australia.
James’ dad, Martin, is his biggest fan, and he is quick to rave about what his son has achieved. ‘James is an example of what parkrun is all about. A young person who struggled at school as he has autism as well as type 1 diabetes and epilepsy.’ James enjoys travelling and trying each area’s courses. ‘Some are easy, some are hard. My favourite one is Scarborough Park (Christchurch), and Waitangi Park (Wellington).’ Asked if he’s ever found any not fun, he describes the course he did for his 250th: ‘One I didn’t enjoy was Queenstown. It looks really great, but it was more challenging. It was the hardest one I’ve faced.’
YULIYA BOZHKO – TE WHANGANUI-A-TARA WELLINGTON
Yuliya Bozhko is Event Director for Wellington –a course that starts at Waitangi Park and winds around the waterfront. She is also mum to fouryear-old Sam, who has type 1 diabetes. Her son's diagnosis at 18 months made her family pause getting parkrun up and moving in the capital.
‘His type 1 diagnosis came as a shock, and we put the idea of parkrun on hold for nearly a year trying to adjust to our new reality. I quit my job as a software developer to look after Sam full-time.’
It wasn’t until a year later that Yuliya felt she finally had more mental space than just being a ‘full-time pancreas for a toddler’. She explains, ‘I started getting back into my old projects, and Wellington parkrun was one of those projects. Although Sam was too young to participate, I believe that early exposure to exercise and healthy activities is very important to someone with his condition. Plus, the parkrun community is so welcoming and inclusive, I wanted him to grow up as a part of it.’
