Well, well, well! We kicked off the
first race of the current 3 AD season (that’s After Daryl for those not keeping
track) with a whopping 61 finishers! That’s a major upgrade from last year's
modest 29. I guess perfect running conditions by the waterfront are like catnip
for runners—hard to resist!
But hold your horses; we’ll dive
deeper into those attendance numbers later!
Now, let’s talk speed demons! Our
top three men zoomed in under 16 minutes: Tom Strawbridge clocked in at 15:45
(1st), Ryan Woolley zipped by at 15:49 (2nd), and the legendary Greytown
Parkrun GOAT, Ben Twyman, snagged 3rd with a stellar 15:59. Last year’s fastest
was Max Taylor, who set the bar at 15:40. The competition is heating up!
For the ladies, while no one dipped
below the 19-minute mark just yet, don’t count them out! Floor Kaars sprinted
to victory in 19:31, followed by Jwon Chun at 22:10 (which I’m pretty sure was
a leisurely stroll for her), and Torea Scott-Fife at 22:20. Last year’s fastest
lady, Maia Flint, had a blazing 18:07, so that’s the golden target!
Now, onto the slightly concerning
bits. As I mentioned, Tuesday’s race was the season opener, and while info has
been as elusive as a cat in a bath, it seems the race is switching to a monthly
gig instead of every two weeks. After decades of thrilling competition, it
feels like we might be in the “end of an era” zone. In Year 2 AD, the event averaged
46 finishers, which is a tad shy compared to the glorious 196 we saw during the
Daryl Maximus reign of the last decade or so.
So, what gives? The drop in numbers
might just be because there’s no Daryl and team to rally the troops, and let’s
face it, the promotion has been a bit like a ninja—hard to see! And the 2021/22 season's shift to private
sector management IMHO wasn't exactly an outstanding success.
So is there an opportunity to bring back
the glory days and get back to some friendly competition and a dash of fun?
Photos (Not exactly Ansel Adams quality)
