Mount Ainslie parkrun

19/09/2026

Lost property: If you found a black running belt today, between our finish and the carpark at the back of AWM, please let us know.

19/09/2026

19/09/2026

19/09/2026

parkrun runs on love. Affection, devotion, thoughtfulness, caring: call it what you will but there’s something higher going on than a bunch of people turning up on a Saturday working their way toward the next vanity T-shirt.

Today marked Alasdair’s 46th and final stint as Run Director. He’s hanging up his white vest after years of service, dedication, and love.

Alasdair’s First-Timers’ Welcomes and Run Briefings are legendary in giving every person listening the complete information that they need to find their way around the course without getting lost, falling over, or embarrassing themselves in some way.

He wants everyone to finish the run in one piece, with a smile on their face, and a firm resolve to come back next week and do it again, better than before.

Alasdair has been running with us for exactly eight years, since his first ever parkrun here on these dusty red gravel hills.

And volunteering almost as long. His vollie badges have stars on them.

Thank you, Alasdair, for your many years of volunteering, of dedication, of caring. You are very much appreciated by everyone at Mount Ainslie parkrun.

Another sparkling spring day today. More knees emerged from hibernation and even the volunteer crew at the start and finish had generous pools of sunlight to bask in. When they weren’t busy with tokens from the flying hands of the 247 finishers who galloped or strolled along our lovely bush course.

We welcomed 46 first-time visitors, including nine taking their first parkrun steps today.

Personal bests were distributed, 37 improving on their best time here.

Alasdair led a team of 16: Kate, Wayne, Arthur, Iona, Jo, Nishan, Angela, Samantha, Wendell, Natasia, Sandeep, Liam, Peter, George, and Jen. A rousing round of applause for our vollies today!

In a day of history, the first of the official new milestones were recognised. Nadia with 200 runs runs into our record books, and possibly into the online clothing store. She is joined by Clarence completing 25 parkruns, David and Camila on 50 apiece, and Elise scored a century. Well done!

Tourists shouted out their homes from all over the globe: Moruya, Ballarat, Brisbane, Sydney, Tasmania, South Australia, Melbourne, and Woy Woy.

First home today was Andrew on 18:20 and 87.45% age group percentage, with Emily leading the female side of the finishers on 20:33. Bronwyn had the highest female age group percentage on 73.79%

Michael had 641 parkruns to his credit, and Ada made her 407th.

One of the Run Director’s responsibilities is safety, and on that note, parkrunners are reminded that while dogs are very welcome here, they must be on a short non-extensible hand-held leash. Body straps and long leashes don’t give the owner enough control over their dog. Your dog may be the sweetest hound in the world, but some aren’t and the same rules must apply to all.

Likewise, children under 11 must be within grabbing distance of their responsible adult. We don’t usually get children eaten by kangaroos or swooped by magpies (or noisy miners), but these sad events could happen. Magpies, it must be mentioned, can inflict serious damage, even blindness, so keep your eyes open.

Watch out on Saturday 17 October. Mount Ainslie parkrun will be taken over by a volunteer team of juniors. Still a few slots open in the crew. We've done this before and ANYTHING could happen on these days. But fun is guaranteed.

Keep left for other users of our public path, park legally in one of the many nearby carparks, make good use of the toilet and coffee facilities at Poppys Cafe at the War Memorial, and we’ll see you next weekend. If not at Mount Ainslie, somewhere else in the world of parkrun.

Thanks to all – parkrunners, barkrunners, volunteers and our retiring Run Director – and remember that parkrun works on love and car and happiness. Keep smiling, keep having fun!

Photos from Wendell Fox should be up soon. Wendell has been our vollie photog here several times previously and his artistry with camera and charm is well worth scrolling through.

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Handy links
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https://www.parkrun.com.au/mountainslie/results/392
https://www.parkrun.com.au/mountainslie/futureroster

18/09/2026

It’s a little chilly on course, but the sun is out and it’s sure to be another great parkrun morning at Mount Ainslie.

We’ll kick off the briefing at 7.53am. Allow a little extra time for parking, and please follow all ACT government directions.

Let’s get ready to parkrun!

18/09/2026

🧡 Seven tips for attending parkrun 🧡

1. Pay close attention to the pre-event brief
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Remain quiet so parkrunners can hear if there's any specific instructions relating to the conditions of our trail course.

2. Listen to instructions from volunteers
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Be ready to follow any instructions or advice our vollies may have for you.

3. Keep your dog under control at all times
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One dog per person, on a short hand-held and non-extendable lead. Waist harness of any kind are not permitted, as per parkrun Global policy.

4. Keep under 11s with arm's reach
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Maintain a pace your child is comfortable with and listen if they say they need a break or want to stop.

5. Share the course with everyone
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Keep to the left of the trails and ensure there's heaps of room for any oncoming walkers, runners or cyclists.

6. Go through the finish funnel once
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If you have already crossed the finish line you are very welcome to head back on course to join friends and family. Please make sure you don't cross the finish again and let the timekeeper know you have already finished.

7. Support all of your fellow parkrunners
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Feel free to give a welcoming cheer or some encouragement while you're with us. And if you see someone who needs some help please stop to assist and alert the closest volunteer.

We can't wait to see you tomorrow! 🙌🧡🙌

16/09/2026

EDIT: Some speedy responses today, thank you! We are all set for Saturday. 🧡🙌
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G'day parkrun friends.

We need a few people to help us with the following volunteer roles this Saturday:

🎟️ Finish Tokens (position filled) ✅
📲 Barcode Scanning (position filled) ✅
↩️ Marshal (position filled) ✅
📸 Photographer (position filled) ✅

If you can see yourself in one of those roles we would love to hear from you. No experience is necessary.

Please reach out to us via Facebook or email ([email protected]) with any questions or to add your name to our Volunteer Roster.

🧡

https://www.parkrun.com.au/mountainslie/futureroster/

12/09/2026

From the top of Mount Ainslie, the world below was cotton wool. Fog covered the nearby suburbs, including our course along rough fire trails through the dew-covered bushland.

Spider webs were everywhere: little white clouds of clinging wet surprise if you strayed off the trail. A few blossoms the only colour in the drab landscape. At least until the parkrunners arrived, all the colours of the rainbow – and that was just the running shoes – enjoying the sun burning away the mist, the growing warmth of the sun and fellowship.

We’re all here to run, jog, or walk five kilometres. Some of us brought dogs who apparently enjoy the outing more than their owners.

Run director Arthur led a colourful hi-viz crew: Alasdair, Philippa and Holly, Sam, Allison, Natasia, Tamara, Iona, Alexandra, Adrian, Peter, Kate, Sandeep, and Liam. Sandeep has passed 350 volunteer credits, it should be noted.

Holly - in one of the more junior age groups – helped out with the briefing, explaining that on Saturday 17 October the adults would be shunted aside and the event would be run by a volunteer team of parkrunners not yet old enough to vote. Starting with herself, as Run Director.

We’ve had several of these junior takeovers in the past and they are enormous fun. Not least for those running the show. If you want to be part of the team and you are still in school, let us know. There will be experienced vollies on hand to help out with instructions on barcode scanning if needed. All you really need is a spare Saturday morning and a willing heart.

Adam, Peter, and Albert notched up their 25th parkrun today. Andrew and Bill doubled that, joining the League of Redshirted Gentlemen. Trevor had the highest number overall, with 474 parkruns complete, and Rebekah led the Ladies League with 259.

First finishers today were Andrew on 19:38 with Jessica a few racing heartbeats behind on 19:42. Andrew, in the VM60-64 group, had an age percentage of 81.66% and Bronwyn, in the JW10 cohort, shone on 79.46%.

Adrian and Jane began their parkrun careers today, and we had 35 finishers out of the 211 total recording a personal best here.

23 first-timers visited us today – and will doubtless return to Canberra’s most popular trail parkrun – from Tasmania, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Taree, Sydney, the United Kingdom, the Southern Highlands, and Townsville.

A brilliant day once the fog had cleared. No puddles - just a few sticky bits – and the usual rocks, holes, gravel and “undulations” that mark our bushland course. Please listen to the safety briefing. Even if you have heard it all before, there are always a few discovering Mount Ainslie parkrun fresh, and they need to hear the directions. No more than one dog on a short hand-held lead, please, children welcome so long as they are within arm’s reach of their responsible adult.

We have first aid kits with the tailwalker, the turnaround marshal, and at the start/finish area, where there is also a defibrillator.

Please keep an eye out for wildlife. Spiders in the bushes, kangaroos likewise. The magpies are beginning their swooping season, so hats are a good idea.

Park nearby at the Campbell High School carpark on Treloar Crescent, or at the Australian War Memorial, where you will also find coffee and toilet facilities. And Anzac biscuits of generous size.

Thanks to the vollies, thanks to the parkrunners, thank you all for making today a delight to be out and about in our bushland park. Keep smiling, wherever in the world you are running next week, and if when you come back to Mount Ainslie, you are warmly welcome.

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Handy links
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https://www.parkrun.com.au/mountainslie/results/391
https://www.parkrun.com.au/mountainslie/futureroster
Start video: https://youtu.be/V1zu5mGt39E