Tutus and Birthdays

Tutus! It's not uncommon to see colourful tutus prancing, leaping and trotting around parkrun courses. Typically, they celebrate milestones for participants... volunteering at or completing 25, 50, 100, 200 or 400 events. Not so yesterday at Highfields, Qld (Australian) parkrun. Tutus were celebrating parkrun's 22nd Birthday. Why tutus? Two-two; 22; tutu for those of us who had trouble keeping up... even before running the 5km event!

It was twenty-two years since the birth of parkrun's free, 5km runs held the world over on Saturday mornings! From its birthplace in Bushy Park in Teddington, London, twenty-two years down the track, parkrun's offspring (events) are now scattered around the world. I feel honoured to count myself amongst the 450,000 people across the globe who regularly start their weekends participating in parkrun.

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On Saturday's tutu starring event, perfect Spring weather graced the run leaving us no excuses for recording poor times. I was pleased to run a PB (personal best) for the three-lap course. Despite typically preferring two lap courses, the variety of running surfaces (paths; grass and hiking trails), terrain and scenery made it bearable. My favourite part of the run still remains the euphoric feeling as I cross the finish line. Well that, patting puppies and chatting afterwards!

Highfields parkrun has excellent facilities on hand (set amidst picnic areas; playgrounds, sporting fields and tennis courts) with the 108 parkrunners welcome to convene afterwards at Danish Flower Art Cafe a full hour before opening time! Socialising is an integral part of parkrun.

My efforts were sweetened by the discovery (and purchase) of a lone white, Toblerone perched, waiting on a nearby supermarket shelf. I only recently discovered white chocolate Toblerone on my return from Switzerland. These delectable delights are almost as rare as hens' teeth! What a reward for my exertion!

Meanwhile, last week, Toowoomba parkrun became a teenager. Happy 13th birthday! Another glorious Spring day saw 535 of us floating through the Botanical Gardens' resplendent display during our annual Carnival of Flowers. An altered course due to the festivities had us running an extra circuit around spectacular flower beds... no hardship by any stretch of imagination. Unsurprisingly, the 5km flew by with so many vibrant distractions both floral and furry, vying for my butterfly attention span.

However, I suspect I need to acquire a parkrun shirt like my speedy buddy wears. It cheerfully declares parkrun "... is a walk in the park." I'm yet to learn how her 'walk' is faster than my run!

Following the event, I was unable to resist yet another stroll through the gardens, along with scores of other happy visitors. A Ferris Wheel patiently awaited excited children keen to enjoy a birds' eye view of the park.

I wonder where parkrun will find me next Saturday?

Possibly along a bush track on the edge of the Picnic Point escarpment...

This course is along a variety of surfaces: paved footpaths; mowed grass and bushland trails. The main challenge is descending and ascending the escarpment 2.5 times. Encounters with native fauna such as wallabies; bush turkeys and goannas are likely. Effort is rewarded with impressive valley views and receiving a small number as finishing place... even if you come last! (Typically only 40 to 60 people are foolish enough to participate.)

Who could resist it? See you there?

Another parkrun adventure.