Porirua Parkrun

Race Route.

Race: Porirua Parkrun
Distance: 5 km
Race Results here


It seemed strange that my first foray into the park run scene should be at the other side of the world. We had travelled south through New Zealand's North island and we had a couple of days to wait before the crossing from Wellington to Picton on the south island. 

Always on the lookout for an international race experience,  I found a parkrun and a nearby spot to park the camper van for a few days. I caught the train to race start and arrived before anyone else, a little perplexed as to whether I had found the right place. This was a well oiled race, the organisers arrived about 40 minutes before race start and I met a host of friendly regular faces that seemed genuinely interested that I had chosen Porirua as my first park run. It made me feel further welcome when at the gathering before race start the organiser introduced me as a foreign visitor from the UK and I received a round of applause! 

Almost home in 2nd place. 

The race was out and back up a gradual incline to half way. I think I led the race for a while before a local overtook me and extended his lead. I was surprised to return down the incline in second position  in a time of 19 minutes 31 seconds, a time that I haven't managed to better at UK park runs since I've returned home. In hindsight I must have been fairly fit at this stage of my travel expedition. My first park run was a very enjoyable experience.    

The Rat Race, Milford, Auckland.

Race: Rate race Milford Haven, Auckland, New Zealand.

Distance: 5km

Race Results: here

A very odd thing happened at this race...

Gathering at the start.

As usual the organisers of this weekly Wednesday night 5k seemed interested that they had an international entrant. Before the race, as we stood on the start line, the organiser announced my presence and I received a round of applause. There was a shout from the crowd, another UK runner was present and he rightfully didn't want to be missed -  two English entrants to this very local of Auckland races an unusual occurrence indeed. 

I didn't know where I was going on this race, it was so local that all the other participants had run it many times. I tried to keep up with the leader but he was too fast and when he stole away through the streets of suburban Auckland I was had to follow my nose to find the way. I was aware that the other UK entrant wasn't far behind and it wasn't long before he overtook me. This was an out and back course and soon the race leader and eventual winner came back past us, reaching half way about 60 seconds before me and my English compatriot who by now was just ahead. 

Adam Swallow 3rd (Bourne UK) Marcus Robertson 1st (NZ) and Paul Rushworth 2nd (Grantham UK)

I carried at a good pace in third place but on entering the housing estate on the way back to the start finish line I noticed that my English compatriot had started to tire. Time to strike for home. I mustered a good pace through the narrow streets trying to remember my path and I was able to overtake for second place in a time of 19 minutes 33 seconds. After the race I found out the other English guy was Adam Swallow from Bourne, Lincolnshire, about 20 miles from Grantham where I was based in the UK. There we were at the other side of the world, he from Bourne Town Harriers and me from Grantham Running Club. It really is a small world. 

San Andres University 8K, Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Race: San Andres University 8km, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Distance: 8km
Results Not available

There was a distinctly Scottish feel to this race.

Argentinian Bag pipers with Runner Rushworth. 

I was surprised to see a troop of bag pipe players march out before race start to entertain the crowd. I assumed the pipers were international students but when I went to meet them, they were as Argentinian as Maradona. It seems from this wikipedia post that I'm not the first person to find Scottish Argentines an unusual concept but as i found out, there are plenty of them about.    

The race was an 8km, a distance as unusual as the Argentinian pipers. I've run plenty of 5k's and 10k's but the Argentines like a distance in between. I was super excited to run in Argentina, this was my first race abroad. It was a herculean effort to battle the online language barrier in an effort to gain an entry into the event and a further effort to find the race registration a couple of days earlier, somewhere in the sprawling mass of urbania that they call Buenos Aires. 

Glad to Finish Clutching my Race Loot. 

I was relived to make the start line and started to relax and take it all in. The race began and I felt rough from the beginning. We had traveled some hard paths through Peru and Bolivia and I think we were both a bit travel worn. I hadn't trained at all. It wasn't easy to walk round cities like La Paz in Bolivia because of the altitude, never mind consider training runs. I'd had almost two months off running. 

The lack of training paid its price. By 2k I was labouring, by 5k I was in the WC of a petrol station which I had found on the highway, and by 8k I staggered across the finish line vowing never to race under such circumstances again. I finished in a woeful time of 35 minutes. The pain was offset to some extent by the euphoria of completing my first event on the travel trail. It's an amazing experience whenever you race overseas and to race in South America was a personal achievement despite the slow time. 

Admiring the finish line. 

After the event I took in more of the Scottish/Argentine atmosphere. I got a photo with the race winner Marino Flor. Marino had helped me to find my way to the start line earlier that day. It had taken us ages to find the right train out Buenos Aries. We had travelled some distance into the suburbs and when we alighted at the other end we were very lost. Marino looked like a runner so I asked him for help. I didn't know at that point he was an elite athlete that would go on to win the race but I was grateful for him taking us through the streets to the start at san Andres university. Thanks Marino!