Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (2025)

Posted on July 14, 2024 by araharakeke

Last week I managed to hit two major parkrun milestones on one day: 250 runs and 100 volunteer credits. The funny thing is, there was no grand plan to achieve that until relatively recently!

As parkrunners, we are always turning the maths over in our heads, whether it's calculating the percentage of the course run or your projected finish time when your pace is 3 seconds faster per 500m than last week. Late last year when I worked out how many runs were needed before hitting 250, I accidentally realised that the number needed to hit 100 volunteer credits was almost the same. Well... I suppose that could work if I did this many runs and that many volunteers and ideally do both on one day... hmm yep seems possible and would be kinda cool.

Six months is a long time when you do something once a week and you can't account for weather, travel, injury, covid or other commitments. But once you have that idea, you can't shake it and it shapeshifts from a nice idea to a goal you must complete. It goes from What If to Why Not to Almost There.

Round about April I started scribbling on calendars what a possible milestone day could be. If everything went to plan, that day could be early July. Once I picked out an actually achievable deadline, it became pretty real and I started reworking things around that goal (and not gonna lie, made myself a bit of a nuisance on the volunteer roster).

June was the real crunch where there were dates and totals and roles and checkmarks on the wall until there was just one final week.

But after all this, the key to success wasn't the maths or the calendar or even the prospect of two new shirts - it was sharing the plan with people around me. Every week people would ask if I was still on track, what the date was, how close I was and how I was feeling.

So here’s what I learned about goal setting:

- Just pick a goal even if it seems a bit vague and aspirational

- Revisit the goal periodically, refining and focusing

- Bring people along on the journey; almost nothing in life is done by just one person

- When you get close, get laser-focused on that goal and remove or dodge obstacles

- Celebrate the achievement

The support and encouragement from everyone was simply amazing, and thanks for cleaning up all of that chocolate brownie so I didn’t have to 😉

Enjoy your week
Randall Pavellch

Posted on July 1, 2024 by araharakeke

29 June 2024 at Ara Harakeke parkrun is a no ordinary parkrunday. We have just exited from the shortest day of the year and I was expecting a much brighter morning. In fact, a huge thick clump of dark clouds was hanging above the Ara Harakeke track and it was about to release its load and drench everything underneath.

Despite the morning darkness, our volunteers were already there and getting the course set up. The northerly winds were freezing cold and soon, more and more runners turned up. I often wondered why runners and walkers turned up in such atrocious weather and an answer could be as simple as "See who else turns up!"

A few of our insomniac parkrunners led by Andrew Gray and Peter McFarlane soldiered up the Colonial Knob and searched and found the stars that marked the Matariki. 90 runners and walkers complemented by 16 high vis volunteers turned up. A big and warm welcome to five first timers at parkrun, viz. Blair Spalding, Amie Lightborne, Carla Spalding, Lucy Wray and Katrina Megget. Parkrun milestones went to Jethro Stephenson (JM10), Larissa Grace Treanor (25th parkrun), Sarah Bone (50th parkrun) and Stu Petersen (100th parkrun). 11 notched up their new PBs, viz. Reinier Weirs, David Tuara, Campbell Black, Grant Taylor, Kirsty Peterson, Briar Glassey, Rowan O'Brien, Maureen O'Neill, Janet Webster, Erin Hill and Flynn Hodgson. Congratulations to all.
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We had some milestones like no other! Roger Vincent wouldn't miss his parkrun and raced off in the afternoon to the altar to tie the knot with his sweetheart, Rosalynn Salazar, a parkrunner. Our Ara Harakeke (Porirua) parkrun community was well represented.
Also, our snoopy reported that Mark Evans and Katrina Megget, a parkrunner, were recently married. Warmest congratulations to our newest parkrun couples amongst us.

Andrew Gray blew the whistle and the crowd surged forward. We were off for our 84th edition of the Ara Harakeke parkrun.

It was freezing cold and as I ambled forward, I started to warm up. Soon, I was back in the tropical heat in Sibu, Sarawak - Land of Hornbills and mystics. Lying 2degrees north of the equator, Sibu is a city with about 220,000 people. As you have guessed it, it has hot, humid or soaking wet weather. Sibu is located at the confluence of the mighty Rajang River (565km long) and Igan river and both empty into the South China Sea. Because of the near zero elevation of 1m, any torrential downpours or release of water from the huge dams upstream would mean flooding around Sibu. Marathons and half marathons in Sibu would be held near midnight and under street lights to avoid high humidities and stinging high temperatures. Citizens in Sibu are resourceful and resolute, they managed to build a bustling city from the swamp. Because of the decades of rampant logging in the 1970s, Rajang River had turned into a silt-laden yellow river instead of a pristine and clear nature's wonder.
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Did I venture out for few runs, you might ask. Firstly, there is no parkrun in Sibu or in Sarawak. For such a lush tropical paradise, one would have expected there would be many wonderful parkruns. Instead, I walked around and experienced what modernity had brought. Being a multi-racial society, Sibu offers a foodie's paradise equal to any, eg. Kampua Mee (kolo-mee), Nasi Lemak, Sibu Laksa, Sibu Curry, chicken rice, Mee Sua, Kompia, rendang curry and many others. Then, I walked along the Rajang River and in the 1960s, Sibu sported the busiest inland port in South Esat Asia with boats of all shapes and sizes plying up and down the river. It is all quiet now. All those boats have disappeared. Even many of the pontoon wharfs have sunk into the river! Nevertheless, the Rajang River still flows and rolls past as if she is weeping silently and reminiscing her former majestic grandeur. Yes, the crocodiles have started to reclaim the river and one has to be careful not to end up as a takeaway. However, there is a 15m wide and raised concrete plateform next to the Rajang River which can easily double up as a perfect venue for a parkrun. This concrete plateform is 500m long overlooking the Rajang River and you just have to do 10 laps to cure your parkrun urge. If you run fast enough, you can shake off all those mossies, crocodiles, monkeys, snakes and all!!

I also ventured into the Sibu Central Market sporting 1500 stalls. You can find all sorts of curios, food, handicraft, fish, produce on offer... even takeaway chooks! Now beat that. Stallholders when not opening for business, they just covered up their merchandise with tarpaulin and I just wondered how such of the merchandise and goods be left if it is in NZ?
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EVs are rare commodities in Sibu. When unleaded-95 is selling for 73cents NZD, you wouldn't bother with the expensive EVs. Also, I observed that supermarkets there were packed to the rafters and merchandises are generally much cheaper inNZD terms. For example, staple drink like coca cola is selling at 40% of that in local Pak n Save. Eating out in Sibu is certainly very affordable and because of this, I dare not jump onto a scale. Perhaps and most probably, that accounted for my huge increase in my parkrun time.

I had been away with fairies so far but soon, Jocelyn Syme is closing in on me. Alas, I couldn't shake her off and more people had glided past me. Suddenly, Benjamin Powley was in my sight and after several attempts, I snuck past him. Stuart Daniel was at the 400m checkpoint, he exhorted me to push towards the finish line. Here I was thinking, while away and not doing any runs for nearly 10 weeks, my 5km time went up by 5 minutes. And Benjamin Powley put his foot down in the final straight and left me in the dust. As I wondered and looked skywards, when could I recover those 5 long minutes, the answer was blowing in the wind! Just before I crossed the finish line, I reminded myself that "I have work to do"!!
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N Tang

The event was made possible by 16 volunteers:

Andrew GRAY • Brenda GRAY • Stuart DANIEL • Suzanne HALPIN • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Gareth MCCASH • N U TANG • David SINKINS • Murray PENNO • Randall PAVELICH • Shane DEVITT • Annalisa DEVITT • Dennis BLOOMFIELD • Justin GOODING • Robert BRYSON • Adrian MILLER

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,650 participants have completed 9,648 parkruns covering a total distance of 48,240 km, including 1,551 new Personal Bests. A total of 262 individuals have volunteered 1,428 times.

Posted on June 24, 2024 by araharakeke

This morning brought a very, very cold nippy morning for the Ara Harakeke parkrun event. 123 brave souls left their warm beds and made it to the event. This included 3 first timers - Yvonne Ward, Kris Gouch and Phoebe Stephenson. Fabulous work getting out into the chill.. did I mention it was a bit cold?

Visitors:

Visitors also came along from Taupo, Wanganui, Cambridge, Anderson and Tauranga. I am a visitor from (now) Taupo although have done this event once previously.

For other potential future visitors reading this report, I got a train in from the city and it was fairly easy to navigate. Getting off at Plimmerton and walking the short distance to the start line. It’s definitely worth the slightly earlier start to get the transport, to tick off this neat event.

Three superstars achieved milestones this morning:

Karl Kalders ran his 100th parkrun this morning AND volunteered as the barcode scanner. No stress through, Karl finished a whopping 1 minute before the next runner meaning he even had a little time to rest and reset before whipping out the phone and starting the scanning. Karl has done 52 of his runs at Ara Harakeke and the other 48 made up from various events around NZ. He has also volunteered on 16 separate occasions.

Junior runner William Whitehead also complete his 100th parkrun today. Such an achievement for a participant in the age category of 11-14 years. I wish I did Parkrun when I was that age! William is also a local with 68 events being at the old Porirua course, and 22 at Ara Harakeke.

Cameron Fraser ran his 25th parkrun this morning in 27:33 mins. 7 of these events have been at Ara Harakeke, 7 at Porirua and the other 11 made up from 4 other events. Great achievement, and soon the purple milestone t shirt will be being rocked!

Other random things:

Did you know that the male who has done the most parkruns, who attended this morning was Terry Hope. Terry has done an incredible 473 parkruns, and has also volunteered over 50 times.

The female who attended today and has done the most was Brenda Gray. Brenda has done 411 and has also volunteered over 100 times.

In fact, the 3 people who have done the most parkruns (the 2 above plus Andrew Gray) all belong to the club ‘Run Grumpy Finish Happy!’.

13 people achieved personal best timers today (including me!!). Congrats to Jethro Stephenson, TobyBlack, Julie Hutchinson, Nicola Starr, Adrian Miller, Carolyn Draper, Melissa Davies, Ibrahim Saqib, Martin Butter, Rowan Obrien, Maureen Oneill and Siobhan Wort. Great work getting new PBs. Maybe you had the same idea as me, run faster = get warmer quicker 🙂

60/123 of attendees today were females! Yeah the girrrrls. 58/123 were males, and 5/123 were unknown finishers as they didn’t provide barcodes. DFYB DYFB DFYB. (Lingo meaning don’t forget your barcode).

Best of luck to anyone taking part in any of the Wellington Marathon events tomorrow.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on the 10th of December 2022. Since then 1639 participants have completed 9558 parkruns, covering a total of 47790 kilometres! 1540 new personal beats have been achieved and a total of 262 individuals have volunteered 1412 times.

Enjoy ya week!

Samantha Hall
Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (7)

This week 123 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 13 were first timers and 13 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 12 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 18 volunteers:

Alison HAWKES • Annie VAN HERCK • Jean SKILTON • Barbara JENNINGS • Andrew GRAY • Brenda GRAY • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Brian BERRYMAN • Murray PENNO • Samantha HALL • Randall PAVELICH • Helen SHANLEY • Rose OHLSSON • Dennis BLOOMFIELD • Kath O'CONNOR • Hilton HICKMAN • Matt MURRAY • Karl KALDERS

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Posted on June 3, 2024 by araharakeke

1st of June marks the start of winter and the end of autumn.

Not my favourite season, but today I am committed to this run as it also marks the day I join the 100 club, and a lot to be thankful for.

As I crawl out of bed this morning and feel the cool air and I am reminding myself I can do this. I get changed, ready up and turn the car on to warm it up before leaving. Opening the gate to my property I tell myself this isn’t so bad, earlier in the week was worse. I drive to my sister in-laws to pick her up and she is rearing to go. We chat in the car ride about how we went last week and how we expect to go today – I unfortunately didn’t make time for myself midweek for a run and know that makes a difference. We arrive at Ara Harakeke and are greeted by that crisp cool air, as we walk towards the start line.

I’m always so impressed and surprised with the quantity of people who make it out on a cold morning. And even more so with the volunteers as they arrive early and stand around in the cold air for long periods – unlike the park runners, joggers and walkers who soon get moving and warm up.

The parkrun debrief completes and soon the run is on 3…2…1...Go!

My first kilometre is always the fastest as I am caught in the moment and also trying to get ahead of the walkers. I pass the 1km marker and my app advises me my time – ek Nicole that’s a bit fast, give yourself a break you still have 4km to go.

Roughly 1.5km in and the first runner passes me – Man he is fast! Must be those pink shoes!

I pass the 2km marker and my app advises me my time – far out what happened that km… I’m blaming the head wind (Wellington’s Finest). “Hello and thank you for volunteering” to the volunteer at the 2.1km marker as I swing around the cone and head back to the start, hopefully the wind will help me on the way back I think to myself.

“Half away point, average pace… distance travelled” my app says. Great, I picked up the pace a fraction but let’s push a bit more.

I pass the 3km marker and my app advises me my time – that’s ok, I knew I was going a bit too slow from the half way point notification but I have managed to pick up the pace fractionally. “Great work, keep going” I tell myself.

I pass the 400m volunteer and cone, as some runners are swinging around on their last 400m I find a runner to attempt to keep up with… laughing to myself I say “Who are you kidding… this guy is like 7mins faster than you, no chance can you keep up… but lets keep up with them until the 4km marker.”

4km marker hits and I see my sister in-law heading back out to the 400m marker on the opposite side I say “I have nothing left to give… I’m bug%*red and there is still 1km to complete” she smiles, and I continue on.

Last km… I run to the end, circle around the cone and head back out to the 400m marker.

400m marker, “Hello and thank you for volunteering” to the volunteer at the 400m marker. Now the home stretch! And it is a stretch, I’ve wasted a bit too much energy in the first km followed by trying to keep up with the runner between the 400m and 4km markers… but I’m so close and I can see the end.

Done! I’ve made it, and it’s 100 baby!!!! Seven years in the making, it took me six years to hit the first 50 and I have managed to achieve the second 50 in just one year! I am so pleased with myself and my personal milestone. I did it, no short cuts, and it may not be my fastest but it’s mine!

YES!!

So, what’s next, where do I go from here? The answer is simple.

More parkrun!

See you next week, freezing my butt off as we head deeper into winter. And hopefully a better time.

Nicole HODGSON

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (8)

This week 111 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 11 were first timers and 8 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 9 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 18 volunteers:

Tineke HOOFT • Stuart DANIEL • Linda RAWLINS • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Maria WHITEHEAD • Randall PAVELICH • Nicole HODGSON • Elizabeth DAINTY • Kirsty HOSIE • Supieb JAKRAM • Harry SHARMA • Bharath NARAYANAN • Rosy V • Justin GOODING • Rob HEATH • Bevan KELLY • Jannien KAMPHUIS • Sarah BONE

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,599 participants have completed 9,224 parkruns covering a total distance of 46,120 km, including 1,493 new Personal Bests. A total of 260 individuals have volunteered 1,360 times.

Posted on May 27, 2024 by araharakeke

Today I ran at Ara Harakeke to join my parents and sister who all ran/walked milestones. My mum, Jocelyn FOUNTAIN, walked her 300th (apparently a ‘stepping stone’ towards the next official milestone of 500) parkrun, my dad, Graeme FOUNTAIN, and sister, Olivia FOUNTAIN, both completed their 250th parkrun. They wanted to celebrate these milestones together. Parkrun is increasingly becoming a ‘family thing’ for us. I wanted to be there to celebrate the dedication and enthusiasm it takes to reach such milestones.

My dad and my sister are both numbers people. They love the stats of parkrun. So to run these milestones together, the planning was done months ago. They worked out when the numbers and dates would align, and so there we were this morning.

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Today I ran my 27th parkrun…a wee way off their impressive milestones. For many years, I was a one hit wonder - pretty much just running one parkrun a year on Christmas Day. I think I agreed to go along because I didn’t want to miss out on any family fun on Christmas and I also wanted to partake in the bacon, eggs and all the trimmings afterwards! Now, six Christmas Day parkruns later, it seems to be a Fountain Family tradition - it’s that ‘family thing.’

This family parkrun thing has become somewhat addictive - I have now run 14 parkruns just this year. My one hit wonder status is becoming more of a just about every week hit. It’s not just the event itself that has become addictive, tradition and important for my family, it’s the sense of achievement and connection with the parkrun community. After each parkrun, my family love to analyse their times, to see their new achievements in the 5k app, to discuss how their walk/run went. They also love catching up each week with the friends they have met and made through parkrun, for this I am grateful to parkrun. It brings them so much joy each week. Just like the joy that comes when you spend time together as a family - it’s that ‘family thing.’

One particularly important connection my Dad has made through parkrun, is that he has found a distant family member he never knew he had. By completing his weekly analysis of results one Saturday, he found the name Dennis FOUNTAIN. Dad thought, surely there’s got to be a family connection. Dad and Dennis met and got chatting at Ara Harakeke parkrun and discovered their great grandfathers were brothers, making them third cousins. That’s definitely a ‘family thing.’

Parkrun has also provided many opportunities for travel to places my family wouldn’t usually go, as they make their way around New Zealand in their pursuit of completing all New Zealand parkruns. Traveling to another part of New Zealand to complete another parkrun and to celebrate ‘zero’ and special birthdays also seems to have become a ‘family thing’ as we plan for another of those later this year. There may even be talk of my parents planning an overseas trip and incorporating a visit to Ripon in the UK so they can complete Fountains Abbey Parkrun - now that’s gotta be a ‘family thing.’ The question is, will they be able to convince our brother who lives in the UK to make his parkrun debut? And make it a ‘full family thing’. We’ll see.

So what does your family do on a Saturday morning? In the words of my Dad, ‘just keep turning up.’ It might just become your ‘family thing’ too.

SarahFOUNTAIN
A5223017

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (10)

This week 118 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 12 were first timers and 16 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 9 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 17 volunteers:

Jess HUGHES • Jean SKILTON • Karen PORTER • Rob JENKINS • Brenda GRAY • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Maria WHITEHEAD • Randall PAVELICH • Elizabeth DAINTY • Denis SPURDLE • Kirsty HOSIE • Sarah FOUNTAIN • Harry SHARMA • Karl KALDERS • Sarah BONE • Chris KIRK-BURNNAND • Amy M DEAN

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,588 participants have completed 9,113 parkruns covering a total distance of 45,565 km, including 1,485 new Personal Bests. A total of 260 individuals have volunteered 1,342 times.

Posted on May 20, 2024 by araharakeke

It’s 6.30 am and I’m walking along Ocean Parade in Napier to the isite where the buses are leaving from. The sky is clear, there’s no wind, the sun is about to rise and it’s freezing cold! The view over the ocean is stunning!

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What was the weather like a year ago when I was supposed to do this marathon? No idea, but I’m pretty glad I’m doing it today. Last year got postponed to August due to the floodings in Hawke’s Bay and I couldn’t do it that day, so opted for a one-year delay instead.

Some of you will know that while I was training for this marathon, I had an accident that resulted in three stitches on my knee. I didn’t do any running at all for 5 weeks and by then I only had just over 7 weeks until the marathon. Many people asked if I was going to change distance and do the half-marathon instead. I thought about it, but when I read on the website that they have walkers and we have 8 hours to complete it I decided to stick with it. I had only done one marathon before this one and it has never really been about the finish time for me. It’s been about having a good time, enjoying the event, taking lots of photos, being able to say thank you to all the volunteers; and most importantly, crossing the finish line with a smile on my face, injury free and able to walk the next day. I’ve always done the run/walk/run method when it comes to long distance. For me, it’s either that or not doing it at all. Easy choice I think 🙂

The marathon buses take us to Anderson Park where we have the start line. I assumed parkrun was going to be cancelled because of it, but no, they could still go ahead which was great. I did have a quick thought that maybe I’ll just skip this looooong run and do parkrun instead 😉

Anderson Park was stunning with the mist in the sunrise. I think everyone had frozen fingers and toes before we got going.

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We were 800 people in total crossing the start line. I was in the last wave, just before the walkers. I remember, pretty much right after I crossed the start line, a walker who came speeding past me. My gosh, he was so fast! Looking at the results now I can see that the fastest walker did it in 03:46:16. I assume this was the guy at the start. What an achievement!

Along the course you get a sign every kilometre saying how much you have left. I think it was when I took the photo at the one saying “39 km to go” that I could feel my fingers and toes properly again.

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What I love about running events is that they often take you on trails you normally wouldn’t go. I got to see parts of Hawke’s Bay I’ve never seen before. It’s made me want to go back in summer, rent some bikes and explore more.

Another thing I love about events is the volunteers. They made my day! Some were dressed up, some kids were almost fighting about being the first to give you a drink, one guy played live music, they were all cheering us on telling us how awesome we were for doing this. But the funniest ones for sure were the three dressed up as sharks at the halfway point! I needed that laugh then 😀

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Getting to Ocean Parade on a stunning day is such a great feeling. The views out at sea to Cape Kidnappers is amazing! After 9 km of it though, along with an interesting smell from the industrial area in Awatoto, I was very pleased to head onto the trail along Clive River. It was here that Tim WHITEHEAD and Will WHITEHEAD started their 10 km journey of the event. They started at the same time as me, so were back in Napier browsing the shops by the time I got there 😉

Getting to the “9 km to go” sign is an amazing feeling. Single digits! Not to mention the 5 km, only a parkrun to go!! Amazing feeling! But by then I was very tired and quite sore. Funnily enough, by the time I got to the 4 km mark it was actually more comfortable to jog than to walk.

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Once I approached the finish line heaps of people congratulated me for making it there. Once I saw the finish I did manage one last; well actually, it was my first; sprint to get there. It is such a great feeling to do that last push to finish.

The finish was at Elephant Hill Winery. After receiving my medal, I got a small glass of rose to enjoy in the sun. Delicious and well deserved! There was live music and lots of food trucks, although by the time I got there they had sold out of most of the food.

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Now…a warning to those who haven’t done this event before and are thinking about doing it… The walk to get to the buses to get back to Napier… 1 km through the vineyard, and let me tell you it felt a lot further!!

I would like to thank Eve at Life in Motion Run Club for the amazing exercises provided for us runners. If it wasn’t for that I wouldn’t have recovered from my injury as quickly as I did. All but one of the exercises the physio gave me to get back on track the LIMRC workouts already covered. And thanks to all my parkrun friends for telling me that I could do this.

And for those of you who are thinking about the possibility of doing a marathon but don’t think you can run that far. Do the run/walk/run method. It was a friend of mine in England who told me about it and said to read Jeff Galloway’s books and website about the concept. I’m so glad I did!

So yes, I’ll probably to a marathon again. But nothing further than that!

Maria WHITEHEAD

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This week 102 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 7 were first timers and 8 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 9 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 16 volunteers:

Rob JENKINS • Andrew GRAY • Brenda GRAY • Warwick SMITH • Steve MACDONALD • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Sharon CARLE • Maria WHITEHEAD • Randall PAVELICH • Julie SWINDEN • Saul BUTLER • Hilton HICKMAN • Christian MUIRHEAD • Eirik OIJORDSBAKKEN • Helen KIRK-BURNNAND • Richard DRAPER

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,576 participants have completed 8,995 parkruns covering a total distance of 44,975 km, including 1,469 new Personal Bests. A total of 258 individuals have volunteered 1,325 times.

Posted on May 11, 2024 by araharakeke

People often ask what I get up to in the weekend. I usually tell them a story of my
recent running venture. This prompts the person to exclaim that I must love running,
which I really don’t.
So, what drives me to get up at the crack of dawn from my lovely warm bed to get to
parkrun (or other events) every week? My mum.
My mother, Denise was only 39 years old when she got the news that she had breast
cancer. She was in her early 40s when the doctors told her they couldn’t keep the
tumor at bay. They predicted she was only going to be with us for only a few short
months.
What did Denise say to the face of death? Not today!
My mum compiled a list of things she wanted to achieve. She was inspired by my
Aunt and Uncle who annually participated in the Buller half marathon. Without ever
completing an official run before, mum signed up to the Buller and got training!
My dad recalls the event and tells us the story that despite all the pain and sickness
she was experiencing from chemotherapy, Mum fought her body's limitations and
crossed that finish line.
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Mum at Aotea Park

When my mum did pass away, I shared her amazing running story with a colleague.
She said, “Let’s do the Wellington half marathon next year”, I agreed. The time rolled
around quickly, without training, we retreated to do the 10km race. Since then, I’ve
been running a few events each year.
Since having my son, I have been telling myself my goal for the year was to do a half
marathon. Finally, after 5 years of procrastination, the Hawkes Bay half marathon
was re-scheduled to the 26th August, that day was the 15th anniversary of my mums
passing – it was a sign!
My family got behind me and we travelled up to Hawkes Bay. It was perfect running
conditions, and off I ran. In that time, I reminisced about all fantastic times I had with
my mum. There were so many sideline supporters commented on my big smile, I
don’t think I stopped smiling ear to ear. I got to the finish line with my little guy and
partner cheering loudly, it was emotional. I did it.
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Smiling at HB finish

My mum taught me that you can do anything with determination. She demonstrated
immense bravery, courage, and strength.
This weekend we celebrate our mums in our lives, whether they are with us or not.
They often motivate and support us to be our best version of ourselves and in my
case, motivate me to get out of bed on a cold, wet Saturday to test what my body
can achieve at Parkrun.
Even though she’s not physically here to be my running buddy, I know that every
step I do, I do for my mum and I know she’s with me every step of the way.

A shout out to all the beautiful mums that participate in Parkrun. You are an
inspiration.

Leonie Henderson

This week 81 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 11 were first timers and 7 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 7 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 15 volunteers:

Karen PORTER • Andrew GRAY • Brenda GRAY • Stuart DANIEL • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Eleanore BROWN • Jocelyn FOUNTAIN • Randall PAVELICH • Andrea FLYNN • Nicole HODGSON • Leonie HENDERSON • Karl KALDERS • Chris KIRK-BURNNAND • Amy M DEAN • Rob PENHEY

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on the Ara Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,569 participants have completed 8,893 parkruns covering a total distance of 44,465 km, including 1,461 new Personal Bests. A total of 257 individuals have volunteered 1,309 times.

Posted on April 8, 2024 by araharakeke

Music. It’s everywhere – in shops, on the airwaves, in nature, in your head. It can be communal or individual; it can mean different things to different people, or different things to the same person – upbeat, downbeat, ecstatic, melancholy, energizing or calming.

Every week I see fellow parkrunners with headphones in and I wonder what they are listening to, but in the moment, interrupting someone to ask what’s playing can be an unwelcome intrusion. So, stepping back from the course, I thought it would be neat to generate an Araharakeke playlist which would be a reflection of our community; a “personality” of our event.

A search of Spotify shows numerous “parkrun” playlists already exist, but a playlist made up of the songs that motivate or inspire us Araharakeke participants would be a lovely memento to the parkrun experiences we share at this point in time. The people who take part every Saturday are as integral to Araharakeke parkrun as Araharakeke parkrun is to the people who take part.

April 6th marked our 72nd event on the Araharakeke course. Most weekly participants will now be familiar with the course such that we know not only WHERE we are on the course, but also WHEN we are on the course. If this is you, do you have a go-to song that gets you up the hill to the 2Km turnaround? Or through the last 800m? Or a playlist that tracks your progress along the whole course? There are a lot of songs that use running as a metaphor for personal struggles, ambition, heartbreak or pain (let’s be honest, songs that use running to describe life’s struggles are bound to be much more engrossing than any song that actually describes running!). Obviously these songs aren’t literal running stories, but I think the idea of struggle, ambition, heartbreak or pain are things everyone has felt in a running context – and yet we keep coming back! Which songs keep you going?

I have plenty, but here’s a subset that I come back to again and again. Sometimes it’s the words, sometimes the sentiment, sometimes the music, sometimes just the irony of the contrast between how the feeling in the music vs the feeling in me. But in their own way all of these songs make running that much more enjoyable for me!

  • Pure (The Lightning Seeds)
  • Prisoner of Society (The Living End)
  • Against the Wind (Bob Seger)
  • Lean On Me (Bill Withers)
  • Running On Empty (Jackson Browne)
  • Never Going Back Again (Fleetwood Mac)
  • Made You Look (Meaghan Trainor)
  • Blackbird (Martin Bennett)
  • Holiday (Green Day)
  • Soothe Me (Sam and Dave)

It may be a personal request, but if you’d like to contribute, add song suggestions as a comment to this run report (6 April 2024) on the Facebook page, or to a notebook I’ll drop in the gear bin at the start/finish line. I’ll compile any responses in the (anonymised) list and play it in a future on-course appearance as a marshal (and will relish new music tips!). Well done and congratulations to everyone who ran this morning – it is always inspiring to see you on the course.

GlennHODGSON

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (22)

This week 133 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 10 were first timers and 23 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 10 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 18 volunteers:

Barbara JENNINGS • Sue CUTHBERTSON • David SINKINS • Brian BERRYMAN • Maria WHITEHEAD • Robyn SHARMA • Helen SHANLEY • Elizabeth DAINTY • Dennis BLOOMFIELD • Glenn HODGSON • Supieb JAKRAM • Harry SHARMA • Kathryn OIJORDSBAKKEN • Eirik OIJORDSBAKKEN • Sarah BONE • Katharina MÜLLER • Matt ROWAN • Melissa ROWAN

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,495 participants have completed 8,327 parkruns covering a total distance of 41,635 km, including 1,361 new Personal Bests. A total of 253 individuals have volunteered 1,227 times.

Posted on April 1, 2024 by araharakeke

I found myself in the Bay of Plenty with my partner Sickan DERBYSHIREfor the two most recent parkruns. We had a couple of night's Easter holiday booked in Tongariro National Park and then were invited to Tauranga the week before, so like a lot of parkrunners I thought can I fit in a bit of parkrun tourism at the same time. The answer to that question is almost always yes.

I was keen to do Tauranga parkrun so I could catch up with some ex-pat Porirua parkrunners Dave FOOTand Rosemay FOOTwho also ran the first ever Porirua parkrun in July 2013. We headed to Tauranga parkrun on Sat 23 March and it was good to see the familiar faces of Dave and Rosemay and approx 180 other parkrunners. The Tauranga course is a flat out and back course on a boardwalk first and then gravel trail to the turn-around point with native trees and grass on both sides. Cool conditions, a nice bounce off the boardwalk and good post run coffee and chat made for an enjoyable parkrun.

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (23)

We were also lucky enough to stay in Mount Maunganui during the following week and to enjoy the trails around and up to the summit of the Maunga. I would say that the trails are a parkrunner/trailrunners dream. I can definitely recommend a visit to Tauranga parkrun.

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (24)Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (25)

A small side note. There are a few stalwart ex-pat Porirua/Ara Harakeke parkrunners who you may or may not know who have moved away to other locations but still run parkrun. Tauranga parkrun: Dave FOOT410 parkruns, Rosemay FOOT331 parkruns, Greytown Woodside Trail parkrun: Lew CAMPBELL425 parkruns, Ōtaki River parkrun: Joe MUNRO209 parkruns, Tina ANDERSON189 parkruns, Waitangi parkrun: Roland IDACZYK315 parkruns. It's always great to catch up with our ex-pat parkrunners.

For my second Bay of Plenty parkrun I was excited to try out the unique Puarenga parkrun in Rotorua on Easter Saturday and also excited to catch up with my cousin who lives in Rotorua. A really nice bonus. Easter Saturday was a cool morning in Rotorua with a nice sunrise for me, my cousin Lynda FIRTH, her partner Simon FIRTH, son Tom FIRTHand dog Ricky Baker joined us and did their first parkrun at Puarenga. The Puarenga parkrun course was a little bit different than usual because of some bridges closed because of maintenance but the key ingredients of a Rotorua trail were still there among other things a sulphur flat section dubbed the moon and in the briefings we were warned to keep to the track. My memories of the run are staring running next to the Puarenga creek, across a section where sulphur steam wafted across the track, through manuka bushes, across the moon section, around two out and back dog legs and then the same way home - very memorable. Puarenga parkrun is a special parkrun because of the geothermal location - I can definitely recommend a visit there.

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (26)

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (27)

It was a nice to try out some the new parkruns in the Bay of Plenty and also to return home to Ara Harakeke parkrun now.

Written by SimonDERBYSHIRE

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (28)

This week 116 people ran, jogged and walked the course, of whom 21 were first timers and 19 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 11 different clubs took part.

The event was made possible by 17 volunteers:

Andrew GRAY • Brenda GRAY • Simon DERBYSHIRE • Clint RAMOO • Leilani AH KUOI • Sue CUTHBERTSON • Maria WHITEHEAD • Robyn SHARMA • Elizabeth DAINTY • Supieb JAKRAM • Harry SHARMA • Lisa MCGRATH • Michaela THOMSON • Karl KALDERS • Sarah BONE • Oliver FLINT • Rose TONKIN

Today's full results and a complete event history can be found on theAra Harakeke parkrun Results Page.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,485 participants have completed 8,194 parkruns covering a total distance of 40,970 km, including 1,338 new Personal Bests. A total of 250 individuals have volunteered 1,209 times.

Ara Harakeke parkrun started on 10th December 2022. Since then 1,485 participants have completed 8,194 parkruns covering a total distance of 40,970 km, including 1,338 new Personal Bests. A total of 250 individuals have volunteered 1,209 times.

Posted on March 11, 2024 by araharakeke

Ever since setting myself the challenge of becoming a NZ Countryman (Attend all NZ Parkruns), I have been looking forward to ticking off this parkrun. The idea that there is a finite amount of time to get it done before the original Porirua Parkrun returns after its hiatus, made the challenge all the more interesting!

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (29)

A party of four of us traveled from Auckland to the beautiful mountainous surroundings, to tick off my 30th different NZ Parkrun. As we set off for the weekly, timed 5k, the scene was set perfectly,the sun rising up over the rolling hills, dogs barking with excitement, the morning freight train racing along on the right and the busy State Highway 59 to the right.

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (30)

The out and back course provided a good challenge, climbing the elevation to the first turn around point, to be rewarded with the wind at our backs and a down hill to push us on toward the finish. Notable is the second out and back, which turns you around just before the finish, only to return 400m later for an opportunity for a sprint finish and a warm welcome at the end! (Don’t forget to give the photographer a jump at the perforated line for a fun photo!)

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (31)

It’s clear that there are a lot of devoted parkrunners in attendance at the Ara Harakeke Parkrun, many attendees having hundreds of parkruns under their belt. In addition to the loyal contingent, there were 27 first timers to the event, 3 of whom for the very first time!

Brenda Gray celebrated her 400th Parkrun, Beven Kelly celebrated his 50th Parkrun and Michael McGlynn celebrated his 25th Parkrun! Visitors from Australia, Ireland, USA and various places around Aotearoa rounded out the remainder of the 160 parkrunners.

Ara Harakeke run report 13/07/24 #86 – goal setting | Ara Harakeke parkrun (32)

As always, everyone headed to the Backyard cafe for the well earned coffees, date scones and parkrun debriefs. A huge thanks to all of the volunteers and everyone for making the effort to attend what was a fantastic event!

We are very grateful to the volunteers who made this event happen:Leilani AH KUOI,James BOND,Sue CUTHBERTSON,Elizabeth DAINTY,Stephen GLASSEY,Terry HOPE,Nikola KING,Ben KOLOTO,Lisa MCGRATH,Gerard-Denis O' CONNOR,Matthew PERCIVAL,Tim ROBBINS,Harry SHARMA,David SINKINS,N U TANG,Roger VINCENT

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