MINNIPPI PARKRUN REVIEW

GETTING THERE

Minnippi Parkrun starts at the public park on Meadowlands Road, not far from the Carindale shopping centre and the Gateway motorway.  The traffic can be quite busy but at 7:00am on a Saturday morning, that is not really a problem. There are a number of facilities at the start including a childrens’ playground, skate bowl and picnic tables; making this a great family-orientated venue.

PARKING

Parking is a bit of a problem. The car park closest to the start is quite small but there is an overflow car park on the other side of Bulimba creek which is not that far away. Quite a few cars parked in the embankment just off the main road which is great for four-wheel drives vehicles, but for the sedan, it can be a bit scary.

TOILETS

There is a municipal toilet a short distance from the start which is functional and not particularly flash. It is sufficient for the facility.

THE COURSE

This course runs north along the bike track in the direction of Minnippi wetlands. Bulimba Creek is on your right and a baseball park on the left. Just before the one kilometer mark, you cross a small bridge and enter the Minnippi circuit. This is a lovely peaceful park and running around the wetland lake, it is hard to think that we are so close to the highway and the city.

The concrete path is well maintained although there are a few cracks emerging but the council is really good at fixing these cracks on a regular basis. I am well acquainted with this course; I used to live not far from the start and this has been a regular training route of mine for many years so it is possible that my opinion of the course is a bit jaded.

Like most Parkrun events, the course runs along public pathways and the run director for the day took great pains to encourage safety along the course. She told us that someone had broken their wrist the previous week and made it clear that everyone was responsible for their own safety as well as encouraging us to look out for the safety of others. Fortunately, there were very few members of the public on the course that day. This is a popular route for cyclists and we were told about calling out ‘bike up’ and ‘bike back’ as a cautionary measure. Of course, there were quite a few runners running with earphones in which can be a bit of a hazard. On the positive side, there were quite a few people running with strollers and dogs and an encouraging number of young runners. This is a family friendly community, which is reflected in the demographics represented in results.

The course itself is quite pretty. I think that because I am very familiar with the area, I have taken this for granted. It is certainly a flat course with only one slight incline which is great for PB’s but doing a double loop is just boring. You run under electricity pylons for almost the entire course, which is not exactly beautiful but again, you don’t even give them a second glance if you are focused on the job at hand.

VOLUNTEERS

The community spirit at the event was amazing. A lady runner was running her 100^th that day and there were a whole group of supporters wearing pink to encourage her. Another lady was celebrating her birthday and the run director made her feel special, much to her embarrassment.

Because of the simplicity of the course, they only needed three people out on the course so in comparison to other events, Minnippi doesn’t really need as many helpers. After the race, the run director was going around getting names for the roster and it was pleasing to see that the following week was already booked out. There were over 200 runners that day and the queue to scan barcodes went really quickly. There was a cheery atmosphere at the tent, which was lovely, and the marshals along the course were really encouraging.

PHOTOS

The Facebook page again reflects the delightful community spirit of Minnippi. The events are well documented with many photo’s each week and they are easy to find.

Click here for the Facebook page

THE ALL IMPORTANT COFFEE AFTERWARDS

Oh my goodness, where was the coffee van? It must have been too cold for the operators. Because the event is a little out of the way, it is a bit of a drive to find a local coffee shop. The closest venues are along Wynnum Road at the Coffee Club or one has to drive to Carindale shops. Either way, there isn’t anything really close which is a bit unfortunate.

OVERALL 

I have to be careful not to let my over familiarity get in the way of fairness here. I find the course boring and I don’t like the double loop as well as the power lines but the community spirit is really nice. The Gary rating for this event is a generous 8/10.