5km

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Lower Hutt parkrun

Date: 23 December 2017
Distance: 5km
Time: 29.14
Previous: Hamilton #1, Palmy #1, #2, #3, Kapiti Coast #1, Porirua #1

Another beautiful morning for a run.
The bride and best men, posing for a pic.
The merger.
Lots of participants for this event.
Running along the Hutt River walkway.
Some of the best men already on their way back.
High-fiving the groom.
The turn-around point.
The bride not dilly-dallying either!
A nice spot for a parkrun.
Heading back towards the end of what felt like a very long 5kms.
The line at the finish for the bar codes to be scanned.

Meeting up with friends who were visiting New Zealand for a few weeks, we happened to be in the Hutt Valley during the weekend and decided to fit in a quick run.

Too much eating out, way too much wine (and beer, and whiskey) and not a whole lot of running since the Twelve days of Christmas challenge, is a bad combination for attempting a “comeback”, so to speak. Full of pickled confidence she said, “let’s run to the event and back”. Including the parkrun, that would give us a solid 27km long-run. Great idea. Perfect idea! But… Continue reading →

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Palmy Christmas parkrun

Date: 16 December 2017
Distance: 5km
Time: 38.08
Previous: Hamilton #1, Palmy #1, Kapiti Coast #1, Palmy #2, Porirua #1

Another change in our work schedule meant we could fit in another backyard parkrun. The organisers decided to make it a Christmas themed event, so we all (okay, some of us) dressed up for the occasion. Continue reading →

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Kapiti Coast parkrun

Date: 11 November 2017
Distance: 5km
Time: 28.36
Previous: Hamilton #1, Palmy #1

At the start, having a quick chat with Gary (who also offered to take our pic – thanks Gary!).
73 runners and walkers gathered for this weeks parkrun.
Race briefing.
Shortly after the start and we were right at the back with one or two others.
A sheltered path.
Off-road all the way.
The speedsters are already on their way back.
A beautiful morning for it.
The Tararuas in the distance.
Finally at the turn-around point.
Despite a faster split on the way back, we were still quite “alone”.
Passing under the new SH1.
Without volunteers, parkrun cannot happen.

For more than six years, we’ve been driving down to Wellington on Saturday mornings for work. Not every Saturday, but on average about ten to twenty times per year. And for the past many years, we spoke about how we should leave earlier and do a parkrun on the way down. Having to work on a Saturday, is bad enough, let alone having to get up very early to drive down and still be in time. To fit in a parkrun would mean getting up even earlier, which sounded like pure torture. And with Fridays being, well, Fridays – the end of the week, time for a glass or two, movie, late night, contemplating the week and philosophising about life into the wee hours of the morning – getting up early on a Saturday is the last thing you want to do. And getting up really, really early is the very last thing you want to do. Continue reading →

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Parkrun – Hamilton, New Zealand

Date: 22 August 2015

Distance: 5km

Time: 31.44

Why not dress up to make your mark at Parkrun?
Although quite chilly, it was a lovely morning for a run.
From the Hamilton Yacht Club, just follow the path around the lake.
Scenic and well kept park.
Circumnavigating the beautiful little Lake Rotoroa.
Pathway cutting across and through boggy areas.
No wind or rain – yay!
Gerry on an leisurely morning trot.

Parkrun has taken the world by storm! And there’s no signs of slowing down – all over the world new Parkruns pop up and more people join every day.

This all started in 2004 in the UK with the Bushy Parkrun (formerly known as Bushy Park Time Trial) when it was founded by Paul Sinton-Hewitt. The organisers figured it would be a good idea to spread the Parkrun event to other locations and in 2007 new events started popping up across London and the UK. It has subsequently also spread to other parts of the world and roughly 13 countries currently participate in what is now a worldwide event run entirely by volunteers. The Bushy Parkrun is the oldest parkrun in the world. Continue reading →

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Bush Harriers Hansells 5k run/walk series – Pahiatua

Date: 11 March 2015
Distance: 5km
Time: 29.51

Stadium Pahiatua is the headquarters for the Bush Harriers’s events.
The handful of runners at the start of the 5km fun run.
I thought it might rain, but the weather turned out perfect.
Some artwork en route.
A scenic rural small-town course.
Impressive clouds added to the scenery.
We’re starting to catch some of the walkers who started 10 minutes earlier.
Course map.

At our previous running of this event (2014), I couldn’t believe the average running speed. Where are all the slow runners? Well no surprises therefore to be just about last again. I find it very amusing that running is taken so seriously (even at a fun run). It is seemingly not something you do for fun, at an easy pace, just enjoying the fact that you’re out there being active.

We were prepared this time. In fact, I’ve made peace with being last at every event I enter into. So incase anybody worries about being last – don’t. I’ll always be the tail-end-Charles. 🙂

It is probably not worth the 28km drive across the hill to Pahiatua for this, but still nice to run in a different environment. As was the case last time, I again walked away with a spot prize! Bananas. Very practical and always useful.