The Wauchope parkrun celebrated its second birthday last Saturday.
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The event was launched on July 9 2016 and it has grown from strength to strength.
It starts at 7am every Saturday at the Rocks Ferry reserve, and there is a great community atmosphere.
Ross and Laura Walker come to walk or run the 5 km course with their young sons, Harvey and Noah, every Saturday. Laura has done her 50th parkrun.
“I love running, and Ross likes volunteering,” she smiled.
“We started coming when we moved here from the Central Coast. It has been a good way to meet people. It’s become our little parkrun family.”
The couple bring blankets for the children, who love it when they get to have breakfast outdoors.
Wauchope parkrun is part of a worldwide movement of free, weekly, 5km timed runs, which are open to everyone, and are safe and easy to take part in.
Organisers encourage people of every ability to take part, from walkers or those taking their first steps in running, to champions.
Running in a kilt and the full tartan dress was Keith Robinson, who even played his bagpipes afterwards, which was very impressive.
Margie Lewis from Wingham, who is event ambassador for the Mid North Coast, usually runs at Taree, and enjoyed her time at Wauchope.
Karen Howell, who wore a Thor costume, comes to the Wauchope parkrun every week for friendship, run and fitness.
“I love it,” said Karen, who regularly runs in other events, including half-marathons.
Running alongside her 11-year-old daughter, Matilda, was Amanda Acreman.
“I do it every week and I get her out when I can,” smiled Amanda.
Volunteers Bryce Philpott and Mahni Lewis live in Port Macquarie and have done the parkrun there, but they prefer Wauchope.
“It has a good vibe,” said Mahni.
“It’s a great community and a lovely bunch of people. They’re very friendly. And it gets us up early on a Saturday,” she added.
Some people do the ‘alphabet parkrun’ where they run in 26 different towns, from A to Z, and so Wauchope gets a lot of visitors as a result.
As Wauchope parkrun gets bigger and better, we wish them many happy returns.