THE parkrun course which locals finally secured after a decade of advocacy is closed until further notice due to relentlessly boggy conditions and flood damage.
Beaudesert’s Jeune Park parkrun, the free weekly 5km paddock run behind Spring Creek Estate, was meant to mark its first birthday in late April but celebrations are on hold for now.
At time of print, since launching more than 12 months ago, organisers had only been able to hold the event 26 times.
It is a disappointing reality for organisers and long-time advocates Melissa Frazer and Shelly Currie, the team of volunteers they have rallied around them and avid parkrun participants from near and far.
Spirits were high when parkrun made its local comeback on February 8 after a three-month hiatus, but since then they have only been able to use Jeune Park once – on March 1.
Amid the major disruptions, organisers have still been fielding keen enquiries from people wanting to be involved.
Ms Frazer said it was fantastic to still have such strong local support and they were eager to get the course reopened.
“What’s disappointing is we get momentum happening and we get our locals coming and then it gets called off, so people find other things to do and other places to go,” she said.
“People form little communities at those things, and it becomes their home. To try and get them back is tough.”
She said they were hanging out for consistently drier conditions.
“It is purely that we’ve just been hammered by rain – every time we get close it rains again. At least we know our winter course is always cold, but good,” she said.
“I really do want to do something for our birthday even though we’ve only really been operating for half of it, it’s still a big deal so I think we’ll need a belated celebration when the time comes.”
When parkrun returns, organisers will be eager for people to get involved again by walking, jogging, running, volunteering or spectating at their family, dog and pram friendly event.
Jeune Park parkrun is every Saturday at 7am on Tom Enright Drive.
For more information email jeunepark@parkrun.com or follow Jeune Park parkrun on Facebook.
