What does it take to turn a Saturday morning idea into a movement that half a million Australians now call part of their weekly routine?

In this episode, Catherine sits down with Tim Oberg, the founder of parkrun Australia, for a warm, candid and often surprising look back at how it all began, including the true story of how a rescued street dog from Montenegro named Clarence was the reason Tim discovered parkrun in the first place (dogs used to get their own barcodes — yes, really).

Tim, a former national junior weightlifting champion who "actively avoided" endurance running for most of his life, talks about the email that started it all, the coffee meeting with parkrun founder Paul Sinton-Hewitt, and arriving in Australia in 2011 with nothing but a licensing agreement, three stopwatches and no idea what he was about to build.

From the first 110 finishers at Main Beach to parkruns now running inside Australian prisons, on Hamilton Island, and in the country's smallest regional towns, Tim shares:

• The real reason parkrun works so well in the modern world - his theory of the lost "third space"
• The candid, funny truth about working with parkrun's famously blunt founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt
• How he borrowed a idea from Flight Centre's "Family Village Tribe" model to scale parkrun across the country
• A moving tribute to the late Professor Richard Scolyer and fellow parkrun advocate Lisa Millar
• Why he walked away from parkrun in 2022 after 11 years — and the new mission driving him now: getting a million Australian kids moving before Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympics, through his Healthy Kids Project and RAD Run Club

This is a founder's story about community, purpose, and knowing when it's time for the next chapter.

Find out more about Tim's current work: radrun.club

🎧 Listen now — and if this episode moves you, share it with someone who needs their own "third space."

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Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!

What happens when an ordinary Saturday morning at parkrun suddenly becomes a matter of life and death?

Dr Wendy White is an NHS GP, passionate Bushy parkrunner and self-confessed former non-runner who once hid in the bushes during school cross-country.

Today, she has more than 300 parkruns behind her, has completed a 54K ultramarathon and describes parkrun as her “church”.

But in 2022, Wendy was waiting among around 1,500 people for Bushy parkrun to start when a man arriving on his bike suddenly collapsed and went into cardiac arrest.

Wendy and a small group of fellow medics stepped in. A defibrillator was rushed through the crowd. He was shocked more than once — and survived.

Wendy was subsequently recognised with the Spirit of parkrun award, although she's characteristically quick to credit the whole team who helped save his life that morning.

In this warm, funny and refreshingly candid conversation, Wendy joins Catherine to talk about:

• Her journey from hiding during school cross-country to 300+ parkruns and an ultramarathon
• The extraordinary morning a fellow parkrunner's life was saved at Bushy
• Why she believes parkrun is an enormously powerful public-health tool
• Why nervous first-timers don't even need to run or walk — they can simply turn up and watch
• Her own experience of movement and weight loss
• Midlife and women's health, and why there's really no such thing as an “average patient”
• Why Saturday morning parkrun has become her “church”
• And why she describes parkrun as “possibly the only useful addiction I can think of.”

From medicine and midlife to movement, community and the extraordinary things that can happen in a park on a Saturday morning, this is an uplifting conversation about just how far the impact of parkrun can reach.

🎧 The Parkrunners Podcast —> stories from the people who make parkrun much more than a 5K.

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!

What happens when parkrun becomes more than a Saturday morning habit and grows into a family legacy spanning three generations?

In this warm and uplifting episode, Catherine is joined by Sonya Byers OBE, a parkrun trustee, dedicated volunteer and CEO of Women in Transport.

Sonya’s own parkrun journey began through volunteering at junior parkrun before she finally took on her first 5K in Kraków, Poland, in temperatures of minus eight degrees — where her 70-year-old father beat her in a sprint finish.

She shares how her involvement at Barking junior parkrun led to community outreach work, an ambassador role and eventually a seat on parkrun’s global board of trustees.

Sonya also introduces us to her extraordinary parkrun family. Her father, now 80, has completed more than 550 parkruns and over 500 volunteer occasions. Her mother is fast approaching her 500th volunteer credit, her brother is a junior parkrun Run Director, her husband is also a Run Director, and her young daughter already has an incredible record across both adult and junior parkrun.

Together, they offer a remarkable picture of parkrun as a truly multigenerational community built on participation, generosity and belonging.

Catherine and Sonya also discuss:

• Why volunteering builds confidence, skills and friendships
• The growth and impact of junior parkrun
• parkrun’s role in public health and community wellbeing
• Creating welcoming and inclusive events
• Safeguarding and trust within local communities
• Sonya’s work supporting women across the transport sector
• Why keeping parkrun simple is central to its global success

This is a joyful conversation about family, service, inclusion and the lasting impact of showing up for others.

Listen now to The Parkrunners Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.

Send us Fan Mail

Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!