COOMERA PARKRUN REVIEW

GETTING THERE

Coomera Parkrun lies halfway between Brisbane and the Gold Coast. You take the Oxenford turnoff and it's a further 5-7 minutes to the start on the northern side of the lake. My friend Jody drove us there and he is a stickler for punctuality so we were there about 20 minutes before the start. I am seldom late but this was pushing the limits of being on time. (Haha) There is a whole lot of road construction going on at the moment at the Oxenford turnoff so that made GPS navigation a bit tricky but as soon as our maps are updated, it will be fine. 

PARKING

As I said, we arrived way before the start so parking was not a problem. There is ample street parking and there is a small shopping centre nearby. I did notice that latecomers did have to park some distance away but if you snooze, you lose. 

TOILETS

There is a toilet facility right near the start and because the area is relatively new, the park facilities are modern and clean. After a 45 minute drive, it was a welcome relief to use the clean unisex loo's.  

THE COURSE

Coomera lake is perhaps a very generous description. I would have probably called it Coomera Pond but I'm not an expert town planner. They were reconstructing a stone wall in the shelter so there was a whole heap of temporary fencing surrounding some areas which detracted from the beautiful views but this is only temporary. 

Warmups before the run were really good. This Run Director is organized. The course starts at the BBQ shelter and runs clockwise around the lake and passes the shelter before heading up a long gradual pedestrian pathway to a turnaround point. On the return run, you pass the BBQ area for a third time (if you count the start) before heading back to the BBQ area. You then turn around and do it all again. All in all, I think we passed the BBQ area a total of 7 times if you include the start and finish. 

The path is a combination of concrete paving and a wooden broadwalk which runs below the shopping centre. At times the path is a bit narrow and with the repetitive back and forth, there is a lot of opportunity to bump into oncoming runners as well as when passing slower participants. 

This is a very public area and there were other members of the public on the course which added to the potential for bumping. 

The course itself is fairly picturesque when you consider the 'lake' views but the repetitive nature of the route is tedious and boring to say the least. There is an uphill stretch that heads up to the first turnaround point which makes for slower times so I can't imagine that any top runners would aim for a Parkrun PB at this venue. There were some excellent runners running on the day I ran. There were some impressive times posted and I noticed some really fast young runners which is fantastic to see. 

VOLUNTEERS

What impressed me the most was the dynamic personality of the Run Director. He knew many people by first name and presented two milestone runners with a book prize which was aptly titled 'You can Run'. There was a real sense of community here. If you look on their facebok page there are quite a few encouraging posts and friendly reminders about the upcoming weekend run. The volunteers were warm and welcoming. On the day I ran, there were over a hundred participants and all volunteer positions were filled. They also took a group photograph of all the regular volunteers which was really nice. 

My theory is that in newer developments, there are lots of young families and this can result in faster athletes and dynamic involvement.

PHOTOS

The Facebook page is dynamic and well supported by community members. It was easy to find pictures from each event and I am sure it is not difficult for the photographer to capture candid shots seeing we run past one central point multiple times. 

Click here for the Facebook page

THE ALL IMPORTANT COFFEE AFTERWARDS

After the run, we all went for coffee at Cafe Two which is very close to the Parkrun start/finish. The cafe is very popular so by the time we arrived, the only table was in the shade which wouldn't have been bad in summer, but the winter chills made it a bit nippy. We got chatting to a few locals which was really cool. There was a friendly vibe and the view out to the lake was very peaceful. 

OVERALL 

It is difficult to rate this event. If it was based solely on the venue, I would have no hesitation in giving it a meagre 4.5/10 but the Run Director and community spirit were some of the best I have seen so I have to give this event a Gary rating of 6.5/10. 

AUGUSTINE HEIGHTS PARKRUN REVIEW

GETTING THERE

So Augustine Heights is part of a newish residential development slightly north of Springfield lakes. Brookwater, which is the neighboring suburb gets a lot of advertising on TV. There are still vacant lots in the area and developers still have their offices on site. Springfield Lakes is quite a way from my home and you have to travel quite a way along the Centenary Highway but for locals, this is a perfect position.   

PARKING

I was a bit late for the start of this run and managed to park on the corner of Christopher Street and Santa Monica Drive right near the roundabout. I dashed across the grassed and slightly boggy park to the start and as a result, I started in last place. There is ample street parking all along the perimeter of the park which extends along Santa Monica Drive and Renehan Place. 

TOILETS

There are unfortunately no public toilets nearby so after a 45 minute drive, I had to run with a full bladder. No big deal though. 

THE COURSE

This course starts near the main BBQ shelter off Renehan Place and I unfortunately missed the announcements, recognition of volunteers, 10, 50 and 100 milestones as well as the normal briefing so I followed the directions of the marshals and the rest of the field. 

The path runs along the sidewalk and concrete park pathways but it is quite narrow. You first run out to a turnaround point in Ambrose Drive. The oncoming runners along this narrow pathway were a bit hard to navigate, and because I started at the back of the pack, I was trying to overtake as many people as possible which was probably not ideal. There were only 120 participants on the day so it wasn't that bad.

I didn't see any other members of the public along the route which was fortunate for the Parkrun fraternity because the path is so narrow. On the return leg you take a right turn and run along another path towards McAuley Crescent and do a loop back to the start. This is then repeated. I personally don't like running laps and having to run past the start/finish, but this only happened once. 

The course itself is quite pretty. The suburb is fairly new and the park is well maintained which is cool. It is fairly undulating, but not enough to really slow you down. 

What I did notice was that there were lots of really good runners which is probably indicative of new property developments which attract young families and as a result, young fit runners. 

VOLUNTEERS

As I said previously, I missed the briefing at the start, but I noticed on the Facebook page that their volunteer rosters are healthy and there is a lot of encouragement on the site. 

PHOTOS

I went to the Facebook page to download the picture of me running on that particular day and sadly no one took any pictures. It is also possible that the pictures weren't uploaded for that day because I seem to remember someone with a camera along the course. Either way, its not a problem at all. I just wanted photographic evidence to prove that I was actually there that day. 

Clickhere for the Facebook page

THE ALL IMPORTANT COFFEE AFTERWARDS

Springfield Lakes shopping Centre is fairly close but the big bonus about this event was that they had a coffee barista van onsite which was well supported. People hung around for quite a while after the run and I sensed a really nice community spirit. 

OVERALL 

I am not a great fan of the double loop and the turnaround point and the path was a tad narrow, but I liked the vibrancy of this community and the large gathering of really good runners was a surprise. The Gary rating for this event is 7.5/10.

WISHART PARKRUN REVIEW

GETTING THERE

Wishart Parkrun is probably the closest event to where I live so I was surprised to see that I have only run this twice. It is really not that difficult to find. If you take Greenwood Street off Mount Gravatt Capalaba Road, you are there in minutes. It is also just a few kilometers from the Gateway motorway.  

PARKING

Parking is a bit tight close to the start. There is street parking in the suburb and if you don't mind a bit of a walk before the run, it is fine. On both occasions that I have run this event, I have parked at the end of Boyanda Street where you can find a couple of public parking bays which are usually empty. 

TOILETS

The nearest toilet block is 500m from the northern turnaround point and if you go by car, you have to drive all the way up to the main arteriole and enter Boyanda Street to access this facility. So if you have young children, make sure they go to the loo prior to arriving at the run. The toilet block is also very old and not that clean. (Think 1970's breeze block walls, government green paint and eucalyptus leaves) There is also a good chance you might encounter some of Australia's wildlife in a close and personal way. Haha. 

THE COURSE

This course starts at the playground off Maibry Street and it is a bit squished in the beginning. We run north along the Bulimia Creek bicycle path which is nice and wide to a turnaround point which is about 800m away. You then return past the start and run south along the creek. At one point you cross a bridge and there is a bit of a tight turn but it is nothing to really worry about. The path is paved all the way and is wide enough to handle oncoming runners which is a result of the two turnaround points. 

The bikeway is a popular stretch for cyclists and local walkers but on both occasions that I have run this event, I didn't notice anyone else along the course. There is a playground at the start as well as a drinking fountain and a couple of park benches but it is a bit rustic. 

The course itself is fairly flat with a couple of slight inclines and gradual turns. It runs along the creek so it is well treed and fairly cool as a result. There are water bubblers along the route if needed. 

VOLUNTEERS

On both occasions that I have run this event, I have seen lovely community spirit. The Run Directors make a special deal about the volunteers and there are a number of businesses that advertise on the Facebook page. It ran like clockwork. I have a friend from work who is a regular at this event and he and his wife volunteer often and they both speak very highly of their Wishart community Parkrun. 

PHOTOS

If you go onto the Facebook page for Wishart Parkrun, there is a photographic record of every run which is sequentially posted and well organized. It is a pleasure going onto the page. The page also has regular updates and encouragements. 

Click here for the Facebook page

THE ALL IMPORTANT COFFEE AFTERWARDS

Okay so this is where I think Wishart Parkrun falls down. There aren't really any coffee shops close by and on both occasions that I went to this event, there was no coffee van. It attracts quite a small turnout which is surprising considering that it is in a nice suburb along a fairly scenic route. I know of a few coffee shops on the corner of Newnham and Wishart Roads as well as Garden City Shopping Centre but they are too far away and not that aesthetically appealing. 

OVERALL 

Maybe I am a little over running in my own backyard or the toilet facility is a bit off-putting. Maybe it is the lack of coffee shops close by. Whatever it is, I am so sorry but the Gary rating for this event is a mere 7/10. (Even though I am the poster boy for the Wishart Parkrun on the official Parkrun site. lol)