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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