If you’re thinking of coming along, do it. Walk, run, jog—parkrun is for everyone. And volunteering? Totally worth it, super easy and no long-term commitment. You never know what you might get out of it.

I’ve even managed to rally some non-runner mates to give it a go—and made a bunch of new friends myself over laps of the lake and post-run brekkies.

Last Saturday, a couple from the UK came up to chat and say congrats. They shared stories about their home parkrun and said how much they loved our course—just one of those lovely little moments that parkrun creates.

Life’s been a bit of a rollercoaster lately, but Albert Melbourne parkrun has been a steady, positive constant.

Becoming an RD felt like a natural step thanks to the endless support and wisdom of our regular volunteers. Big shout out to Joanne and Scott Watkins—the heart of Albert Melbourne parkrun—who work behind the scenes every week to make it all happen. Legends.

Last week, I hit my 25th volunteer credit and stepped up as Run Director for the first time. Volunteering more over the past year has brought so many great moments—new friends, top-tier breakfast spots in South Melbourne, and a front-row seat to the uplifting community that is parkrun.

I recently became an Event Ambassador (volunteer, of course!) and now support three more events. Visiting others during our break was a highlight!

Albert Melbourne regularly sees 900+ people—"the big one", they say—and I love being part of it in my red vest. ❤️🏃‍♀️

parkrun brings people together. Whether you’re new in town, living alone, or just keen to get moving—it’s community-powered and all volunteer-run.

The best bit? The friendships. I might not have many running mates outside parkrun, but now I’ve got people to chat to at races and over breakfast after the event.

In 2024, I joined the leadership team as a Run Director. I was nervous for my first briefing, but once the mic was in my hand, I was in my element. Huge thanks to Joanne and the team for the support—we laugh a lot and back each other every Saturday.

I first joined in 2016 but only ran occasionally. Things changed in 2023 when I started volunteering and loved it. Chatting with walkers and runners, seeing the community grow—it’s been the best part of my week.

If you plan on visiting another #parkrun during our pause, or are visiting #Melbourne for the F1 GP, please consider that there are over 50 parkruns across Melbourne and over 100 in Victoria. Many of the smaller events would welcome visitors so please don't everyone flood our close neighbours!

Our event will be CLOSED for the next 2 weeks due to the F1 Grand Prix. We will recommence on March 29 and we will need a lot more volunteers for then, so please let us know if you can help ([email protected]).

The top 10 cities in the world for #running:

Full Rankings:
www.comparethemarket.com.au/health-insur...

“Opposing” Joanne in the interview was David Crook, Sydney-based author of the definitive book about #parkrun in Australia, “On Every Saturday”.

Do you agree with Joanne or David? Let us know in the comments.

As a special treat, later this afternoon, we’ll also be sharing a link to an interview Joanne gave after parkrun this morning, on ABC Radio Melbourne, highlighting how great Melbourne is for running. Keep an eye out for that post!

It was a stunning morning—everything ran smoothly, people enjoyed themselves and it was #parkrun at its best. So, thank you to everyone for responding so positively to this important conversation.

We truly believe that volunteering at #parkrun is fun and a great way to meet people, so we’re thrilled to offer this opportunity to so many.

We never say no to volunteers, so there’s always room for more! But we were overjoyed by the incredible response, especially because more than half of those who signed up to volunteer are doing so for the first time.