The Northparkes Oval parkrun has been a raging success since launching on February 6 this year, and the Parkes community has really gotten behind the international phenomenon that sees participants walk or run a timed five kilometre course.
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Parkrun is a free weekly activity that begins at 8am every Saturday, and despite great numbers already showing up at the Northparkes track each week, volunteer Daniel Greef says it has been a long journey to get it off the ground.
"We started talking about getting a parkrun in 2018, and were finally ready to go with a original launch in March 2020 but COVID-19 pushed that back," said Greef.
"There are a lot of rules and instructions from the parkrun organisation to comlpy with, like course design, safety and the one-off purchase of a $5000 parkrun kit (that includes insurance and first aid equipment amongst other things)...so it took over two years of work from dedicated locals to get this launched.
Since launching, a total of 191 people have finished 420 runs, with an average of around 60 finishers per Saturday - much more than the 30 Greef and his fellow volunteers were initially expecting for the opening few months.
Greef said the whole culture of parkrun, and the sense of community it fosters, is the driving force behind the strong numbers and camaraderie at the event.
"The parkrun culture is very inclusive; it's for everyone and certainly not a race - the timing is for the individuals benefit and it's a very positive and supportive environment.
"Parkrun tourism is a very real thing...so far we have had visitors come to Parkes, and stay, with the primary reason of doing the parkrun from Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Bathurst and all around the Central West - it's insane!
"We've even had people travelling through my Melbourne stay in Parkes so they can take part, so it's obviously bringing thousands of dollars to local businesses already," said Greef.
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The volunteers who make each Saturday possible are a crucial cog in the parkrun machine, with kids and adults of all ages keen to help out despite the recent inclement weather and Greef said the volunteers and Council workers have been a huge help.
"The general support of the community has been what has made it so instantly successful, people are just so supportive of it whether it be running the course or volunteering to help out.
"The Parks and Gardens team at the Parkes Shire Council have also been doing a great job preparing and maintaining the course; and making sure it is safe for all the runners."
Greef says they are eventually aiming for a turnout of 100 - which would be a huge effort - and you'd be a brave person to bet they wouldn't get there.
Parkrun is run completely by volunteers, and there are a number of simple roles each week - so interested people can email northparkesoval@parkrun.com or head to the club's Facebook page for more information and results: https://www.facebook.com/northparkesovalparkrun.
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