Theresa MCINTYRE kicked things off with a first timers briefing, where, in addition to Aimee and I (making a little foray from Polkemmet Country Park parkrun) and our fellow travelers Ian Fyfe and Malcolm Hughes (representing Auldcathie parkrun), we also welcomed the following tourists: Chezelle Van Niekerk – winning the furthest travelled competition having come all the way from South Africa (Roodepoort parkrun), John R Weir (Drumchapel parkrun), Erica Henderson and Lesley Harrison from St. Andrews parkrun, Matthew Taylor and Carla Mendoza from Stamford parkrun, Kevin McAlpine (University of Stirling parkrun), Gordon and Jody Chree (Tollcross parkrun), Victoria McAlpine (Plean parkrun) and Beth Crossan (Springburn parkrun).

It’s worth pointing out the goal of achieving all 69 of the (current) Scottish parkruns (consecutively!!) is within grasping reach for Gordon and Jody Chree with just six to go – I particularly enjoyed going to all the Scottish parkrun locations and seeing places I wouldn’t normally have gone to – I would recommend it… maybe not consecutively though …. the logistics alone must have been a nightmare….

Good to see the numbers swelled by a tourist group from Victoria parkrun as well with Simon Finnieston, Mark Ashby, Louise Mcquaid, Malcolm Dingwall Smith, Catriona Dunwoodie, Dee Riddick, Lorraine Wilson, Carol Bonatti, Julian Macphail, Chrissie Hamilton, Katie Grant, Yasmin Jane Ashby, Winifred Mcnee and John Carty all visiting.

We then had the pleasure of the run brief delivered by Sharon GOLDIE today’s run director, and of course the event doesn’t take place without the associated merry band of volunteers – thanks again to: Sharon GOLDIE who not only did the RD role, but also the event day course check, James HUNTER, Wilson HAMILTON and David KENNEDY who did the pre-event set-up; our time keepers Lorraine MACLEOD and Gerry MCELROY; today’s marshals Jim BELK, Paul LYDEN, Elaine LYALL, Jennifer MCATEAR and Leanne MURRAY; the finish funnel team of Lawrence MALLEY who was managing the funnel, Joyce MACEWAN who dished out the finish tokens, Ann CRAWFORD who kept an eye that the numbers weren’t out of place and Gordon CHREE & Sophie ATKINSON who were on barcode scanning duty; and last but not least today’s tail walker Elizabeth DIVERS – please consider volunteering on the odd occasion (or more if you feel inclined) – it really helps deliver an event every week.

Onto the runners…We had 152 runners – with 89 women represented compared with 58 males (with five unknowns) – Our first female finisher was Hannah COOPER in a time of 22:12 and our first male finisher was Ryan WALDRON in 18:16 (and a PB) well done both!

Conditions were perfect for a run round the park, and unlike my first attempt I managed to complete the whole course (we arrived late the first time and unlike my fellow tourists that day in the form of Ian and Alison, I decided to wait for the field to catch up with me…apparently starting at the former bandstand isn’t completing the whole course…) which consists of three laps, but it’s not boring as the volunteers are very encouraging and the scenery is great.

We also had some 24 PB’s – 38:22 – Alison Johnston, 27:18 – Andrew Clegg, 30:14 – Charles Takel, 30:34 – Craig Roe, 33:05 – Emily Jane Gardiner, 22:29 – Emma Johnston, 41:05 – Hannah Graham, 27:07 – Holly Parker, 21:48 – Ian Brown, 22:58 – Ian Fyfe, 22:33 – Jack Mooney, 26:02 – James Haycock, 34:06 – Jennifer Atkinson, 30:25 – Kathryn Dalton, 22:36 – Laura Lennon, 31:34 – Layla Goodings, 25:40 – Lucy Warrington, 47:51 – Marie Whalen, 25:04 – Martyn Jones, 18:16 – Ryan Waldron, 39:14 – Tilly Goodhall, 38:53 – Tony Dixon, 47:53 – Valerie Mcalpine and 23:16 – Veronica Bell – great efforts all round!

And I’ve saved the best till last – let us all welcome our new members to the parkrun family Alison Mccrae, Andrew Mckenzie, J Wightwick, Jonathan Coates and Neil Wightwick – hope you enjoyed Levengrove parkrun as much as we did.

Oh, and one last mention – congratulations to our milestone achievements – Hannah Cooper celebrating 150 runs and Kathleen McCurdie & Monica McDonnell celebrating 25 runs.

Hope to see some of you again and enjoy the rest of the weekend!