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• 1641 Vol. 38 No. 30 SINGLE COPY — $3.00 (includes GST) SUBSCRIPTIONS — $300 pa (print) $150 pa (digital)
THURSDAY, 6TH MARCH 2025
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parkrun: off and racing It was a highly successful start to Coonabarabran’s first parkrun event on Saturday, 1 March, with people of all fitness abilities converging on Neilson Park to enjoy the great weather, company and exercise. by CLAUDIA HEANEY The inaugu ral Sk y Ruver parkrun attracted participants from Victoria, S y d n e y, S i n g l e t o n , Coonamble, O range, Wellington, Tamworth, Gi lgand ra, Na r rab r i and Dubbo, along with local attendees from Binnaway, Baradine and Coonabarabran. Event organiser, Marty Rehwinkel, commented on the over whelming success of the launch. “ It wa s j us t a n i ce atmosphere. The numbers we re fa r bet te r than expected,” Marty said. To ensure volunteers w e r e n ot i n u n d a te d with par ticipants, the committee chose to ‘soft launch’ the event. Marty originally predicted this would result in minimal numbers for the first parkrun. “I thought we would have been lucky to have 20 participants. “However, we had 85 participants who finished the five-kilometre course and 50 who either didn’t scan in at the end or may not have finished the entire course.” Parkrun is a free weekly community event where participants can walk, jog, run, volunteer, or spectate.
The event invites all commun it y membe r s a n d t h o s e t ra ve l l i n g through to get involved – from fitness fanatics to walkers and beginners. Ma r t y commenced the parkrun application process 20 months ago when he relocated to Coonabarabran for work. Under his leadership, a dedicated group of locals has been working tirelessly to bring this event to life. “I became involved with parkrun when I lived away – you could say I got addicted to it. So I set myself on a mission to get it going here,” he said. But organising the event has had its own challenges. The course had to fit parkrun specifications, g a i n a p p r o va l f r o m Wa r r u m b u n g l e S h i re Council and secure sponsorships and donations in order to get the initiatve off the ground. O rg a n i s a t i o n s a n d l oca l cl ubs w h o l ent financial support include 2357 Development Group I n c, Co o n a b a ra b ra n Cycle Club, Castlereagh Funerals, NSW Office of Sport and the UNE meatta s t i n g. Add it i o na l l y, Marty said the Coonabarabran Rotary
Club had been a great pillar of support for the event. As of February 2025, parkrun has expanded to over 2,300 events in more than 20 countries, boasting a global com mun it y of ove r nine-million registered participants. “Once you reg ister for free online, you can participate or volunteer anywhere in the world.”
Not only does parkrun provide a free fitness event for the community, it creates new opportunities for residents to form new connections. “Parkrun brings different groups of people together. Inclusivity is parkrun’s main goal,” Marty shared. “It is not a race. Some people are competitive, but people who have never walked f ive
kilometres before are just as happy.” W h i l e p a r t i c i p a nt s must complete the full f ive - k i lometre cou r se to r e ce i ve a c r e d i t, Marty emphasised that participation is the main goal of the event. T hose i nte res ted i n joining as a participant or volunteer can register online at: www.parkrun. com.au. T he of f icia l l a unch
Last Saturday’s soft launch of the Sky River parkrun in Coonabarabran’s Neilson Park was a huge success.
Celebrating International Women’s Day
1 - Coonabarabran Times, Thursday, 6 March 2025
B eyo n d p ro m ot i n g f i t n e s s , t h e eve n t i s expected to attract tourists to Coonaba rab ran, providing a social and economic benefit to the town. “ To u r i s t s i nvo l ve d i n pa r k r un plan thei r holidays around events,” Marty said. “It could be the d i f f e r e n c e b et w e e n someone s tay i ng i n Coona or not.”
of Co o n a b a ra b ra n’s parkrun is scheduled for Saturday, 15 March. The day will kick off with the event itself, followed by a community celebration featuring market stalls, food, d r ink s and a workshop, cooinciding with the long-awaited official opening of the Sky River Path – “Warrambul Warruwi”.
Photo: Blake Estes
WOMEN IN BUSINESS: PAGES 5-7