Numbers aplenty: Shepparton Parkrun often attracts big numbers at Victoria Park Lake.
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The running tracks around Victoria Park Lake were once again beaming with life last Saturday morning, as Shepparton Parkrun returned after a near four-month hiatus.
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It is an event that promotes inclusivity, and people of all ages are welcome to join in the fun with the option of running, jogging, or walking the five-kilometre course.
Solid numbers came out to welcome the beloved event back to town. And organisers hope to see it continue to grow as the summer progresses.
Shepparton Parkrun co-event director Chelsea Nicholson said the committee was thrilled to be able to return after the lengthy lay-off.
Back on track: Shepparton Parkrun made its long-awaited return last weekend.
“We are pretty excited, it had been a long time coming and I think a lot of people had missed it, so it was really great to get back and see the people we haven’t managed to catch up with yet (post-lockdown),” Nicholson said.
“Last time we ran was right before the big lockdown in Shepparton (in August), we were due to run that weekend, and were never told not to, but because the outbreak was local, we decided to cancel that week and since then we just haven’t been able to get back — so the anticipation was certainly high.”
Although community sport has been back up and running for the past month, Nicholson highlighted some of the frustrating barriers that prevented the Parkrun from returning sooner.
“We hadn’t run (since August) because the government regulations didn’t allow it, and then we thought we were going to come back but we couldn’t because they changed the classification for Parkrun as far as the government is concerned, so we couldn’t return,” Nicholson said.
“So we had just been sort of waiting for that moment where we could officially say ‘yes, we are back’.
“Initially with the requirement to check people’s vaccination status they (Parkrun) didn’t want to put their volunteers through that, so we were not going to go ahead while that was still in play, but Parkrun Australia had conversations with the government.
“So, they came to an agreement, and have decided to change it so we can run the event now and that checking the status isn’t necessarily as high a priority as it was before for us because we are in a public space.”
A great morning out: Shepparton Parkrun is a great place to meet new friends and get active.
Now given the all clear to return to the track, Nicholson reflected on the challenges local Parkrun participants faced over the past 18 months.
“I think for some members of our community it is actually quite an important part of their week and their lives,” she said.
“Particularly some of the older members of our population who might not have work to go to or family commitments, so their social outing is Parkrun, with that being interrupted their connectedness with the community tends to disappear, so for them being able to return last weekend was just huge.”
For those thinking about joining in the fun, Nicholson had this message.
“In Shepparton we can get up to 200 people to the event and it is a 5km walk, jog or run; we don’t expect you to run,” she said.
“It is all about including everyone, so all family members are welcome. The idea is we get people from all groups of life participating and enjoying just being outside and being with people.
“When they get down there’s a supportive group of people who are all there to say hello and be part of the community.
“So come on down on a Saturday morning, introduce yourself and just get involved with the fun.”
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