Kawana parkrun! Queensland, Australia!

Not a walk in the park but a run along a beach! What better way to start a fresh, blustery summer’s Saturday morning in 2024!

Rendezvous Point was Kawana Surf Club for the customary parkrun pre-run briefing, recognition of milestones and welcome of visitors. A friendly, enthusiastic crowd of 200 participants plus trusty volunteers gathered on the foreshore of Kawana Beach (Sunshine Coast, Qld, Australia) … yes, you might say… obvious! Not so! Kawana Beach soon melds into Buddina Surf beach, leading up to Point Cartwright lighthouse and a large reservoir. For variety, Course B is used during the first and last months of each year.

This run commenced 500m up the beach with the first kilometre on mostly soft sand with an incoming tide offering some interesting moments. I greatly prize my precious running shoes and avoid getting them dirty or wet at almost any cost! I also endeavour to minimise strain on my muscles (for obvious reasons, I believe).

Soon after a crowded start, most of us were vying for the half metre of slightly firmer sand, shallow waves flowing in and out erratically. Oh no! That sneaky wave was set to soak my shoes if I didn’t rapidly take drastic evasive action! It was just a jump to the left and all would be well… but no… when did that hip-high sandbank appear?? Launching myself sideways and attempting to reenact my hurdling skills from my ‘glory days’, things did not pan out as I hoped. I flopped onto my side like a beached whale… thankfully, onto satin soft, golden sand!

What a wonderful opportunity to make some new friends, where I previously knew no one! Just as well parkrunners are a typically friendly, accommodating bunch! As we puffed along, apology and acceptances were exchanged. My new friends advised that Mooloolabah Beach, a mere skip across the other side of Point Cartwright, was a far calmer beach for a post run cool off, rather than Buddina Surf Beach (makes sense right? Surfers need decent waves, right? Of course... I knew that)!

Well, surely the rest of the run would be uneventful once we exited the beach & stuck to foot paths along the foreshore and up around Point Cartwright’s lighthouse and reservoir! Oh no… my phone which I rely on to pump rev up music through my ear pods, misbehaved yet again and made a face time call to an almost random phone contact! Frantically, the call was disconnected… all was well… until the 'dratted thing' pocket called my sister-in-law! Precious seconds were again squandered… next, quickly snapped photos of the lighthouse and gorgeous panoramic views were well worth additional time sacrificed. Sadly, my pathetic photography skills deprived you of a worthy memento of the event.

Homeward bound… brush turkeys strutted alongside, with shiny black plumage, nodding their bald red heads and shaking their yellow wattles. The finish line was a welcome sight… coffee van and water bubblers beckoned! Other finishers and volunteers headed off to local coffee shops together. Though tempted, my longsuffering daughter awaited me, as did that brief cool off dip at golden Mooloolaba beach… we made haste as nearby renowned Eumundi Markets called to us and they did not disappoint!

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A benefit gained from first time participation at any parkrun is a guaranteed PB (personal best)! That day, only one runner went under twenty minutes, which may indicate challenging conditions. I consoled myself that 37:46 minutes wasn’t too shabby an effort on my part, all things considered...

After all... I do run ‘for fun’!

For those who are wondering what parkrun is… it’s a worldwide, free, fun, and friendly weekly 5k community event… Walk, jog, run, volunteer or spectate! See you there?!