Two weeks ago, 281 runners, walkers, some on wheels, in pushchairs and with four-legged friends in tow, took on the 5km course around Queens Park in the "wairua of family friendliness", achieving a milestone in the run’s seven-year history.
"Our wairua (spirit) is for community," Invercargill parkrun run director Kim Hartley said. "It’s whanaungatanga in practice.
"It’s like your coming to your aunty’s house — just come [and] have fun.
"It is an accessible marae, and it’s [about] building those strong foundations."
Invercargill parkrun’s 319th race set a new attendance record and contributed to a record-breaking day for parkrun New Zealand.
Participants included 45 first timers and 34 recorded new personal bests.
Invercargill parkrun prided itself on being "the friendliest parkrun" because of how it embraced all abilities, was a free event and the only race that permitted dogs on the course.
"There’s not many events where you can actually bring your dog.
"That’s the nice thing about parkrun; we’ve got people of different abilities, we’ve got people in wheelchairs that complete it, and we’ve got world-class athletes, but the basis of us, is people helping people," Hartley said.
Volunteers are a huge part of the parkrun’s success and the Invercargill parkrun cohort is credited for maintaining the community’s engagement in the race.
"We like to think of ourselves as one of the friendliest parkruns in New Zealand, and we have a crew of people that regularly volunteer."
One volunteer came early and set up beforehand and then did the parkrun, she said.
"We’ve got one of our ladies whose job is basically just to cheer everybody in, so we’ve got a position for everybody.
"We probably have more volunteers than most parkruns, but our volunteers have got the cheer element."
Volunteers were what made parkrun so special in the city, she said.
Invercargill parkrun will celebrate its seventh birthday in style on Saturday, February 8, with a fun-filled Hawaiian-themed event.
Participants are encouraged to wear Hawaiian shirts as they embrace the philosophy of aloha in the heart of Waihōpai.
