Eight weeks in.
An ultra-urban setting in the heart of Canberra, Australia.
And in week 2, a staggering 731 people showed up for Woden Town parkrun!

In this episode of The Parkrunners Podcast, Catherine chats with Andrew Dempster and Lili Mooney, co-founders of Woden Town parkrun – one of Australia’s newest and busiest events. Set against high-rises, roads and shared paths, Woden Town proves you don’t need a picture-perfect park to build a powerful parkrun community.

Andrew shares how a simple idea (“Why doesn’t Woden have a parkrun?”) and how they've attracted crowds often bigger than Brooklyn Bridge parkrun in New York. He also lifts the lid on how they used data and AI to predict attendance and keep 700+ runners, walkers and volunteers moving smoothly through the finish funnel.

Lili opens up about her deeply personal journey from compulsive exercise and anorexia to a genuinely healthy relationship with movement – and how parkrun, and now Woden Town parkrun, have become a joyful, sustainable part of her life.

Together, they talk about:

• What it takes to launch a parkrun in a busy urban centre
• How they created a welcoming culture for every pace and every body
• The community stories that already make Woden Town feel special
• The small details that make a huge difference when c700 people turn up at once

Whether you’re a seasoned parkrun tourist, a volunteer in hi-viz, or someone wondering if your own town could support a new event, this conversation will leave you inspired – and maybe just a little bit tempted to start something where you live.

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Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!

This week, Catherine is joined by storyteller, creative director and much-loved parkrun volunteer Emily Fleuriot — a woman who brings imagination, compassion and community spirit into everything she does.

Emily’s parkrun journey spans run reporting, co-event directing at Figges Marsh junior parkrun, supporting parkrun inside UK prisons, and being an active member of Tooting Run Club. In this beautifully thoughtful episode, Emily reflects on the power of showing up — for ourselves and for each other.

Together we explore:
✨ The joyful chaos and deep meaning behind junior parkrun
🔒 What parkrun looks like inside the prison estate — and why representation matters
📖 How storytelling can build belonging, reshape narratives and change lives
🏃‍♀️ The magic of grassroots running communities
💛 Why volunteering continues to be the heartbeat of parkrun

Emily’s perspective is warm, grounded and deeply human. Whether you’re a seasoned parkrunner, a parkwalker, a volunteer, or someone curious about the power of community, this conversation will leave you inspired to connect more — and perhaps to judge less.

🎧 Tune in and meet Emily — a true champion of people, creativity and the parkrun spirit.

Send us a text

Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!

This week’s episode is a little different – it’s just you and me, your host Catherine Stenson.

When a planned guest recording needed to be rescheduled because of a family emergency, I decided not to skip a week but to celebrate the incredible parkrun stories we’ve shared so far – and give you a sneak peek at who, and what’s, coming next on The Parkrunners Podcast.

In this feel-good solo episode I reflect on:
• The Instagram message that led to a conversation with US ultra runner and politician Greg Nance – mid–Guinness World Record attempt along the Mississippi River
• The hi-viz legends of Bushy parkrun, including a volunteer who turned up on his wedding day and others with hundreds of runs and volunteer stints
• Community-builders like Black Girls Do Run and Asian women’s running groups whose journeys began with parkrun
• The joyful mix of guests so far – from 4-year-old junior parkrunner Isaac to septuagenarian marathoners and former “Nasty Nick” actor John Altman

I also share a teaser of upcoming guests, including double Olympic champion Dame Kelly Holmes, TV doctor and GP Dr Hussain Al-Zubaidi, the founders of Woden Town parkrun in Canberra, and grassroots prison parkrun volunteer Emily Fleuriot.

If you love stories of community, hope and the quiet magic of 5k in a park, this one’s for you. 🎧

💬 Got a parkrun story you’d like to share on a future episode? I’d love to hear from you – get in touch via the Parkrunners Podcast Instagram or connect with me on LinkedIn or email me on parkrunnerspodcast@gmail.com

See you on the start line.

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Thank you for tuning in. It's been great to have you here.. If you've enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and review our podcast. Stay connected with us on social media (Instagram, Facebook & LinkedIn) for updates and more inspiring parkrunners' stories. Until next time, keep running, keep smiling and keep on showing up!