Medibank has proudly supported parkrun in Australia since 2016 and has been parkrun's presenting partner since 2022.
The Rouse Hill parkrun course is “not for the fainthearted”, warns Andy Sutton.
“That’s partly my fault,” he says. “I was part of the team that designed it.”
The track – “a little sister” to the larger The Ponds parkrun course nearby – features varied, undulating terrain.
“It’s a cross-country course,” says Andy. “It's got bits of mud path; it's got bits of running through a field; it's got up hills, it's got downhills.”
A familiar fixture at Rouse Hill parkrun on Saturday mornings is Andy’s daughter, Megan, who has racked up more than 150 volunteer occasions.
The 18-year-old can often be found scanning barcodes or sorting tokens, both crucial parkrun volunteering roles.
parkrun has been a big part of family life for the Suttons for more than a decade. They first got involved in Wales back in 2011.
While Andy is a dedicated runner, Megan sticks to the volunteer roles. She has a condition called Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder that causes pain in her joints, making running difficult.
“In a way, it was actually because of parkrun that we found out [about the condition],” says Andy.
“When Megan got to about eight or nine, she started experiencing the symptoms of Ehlers-Danlos … it was starting to hit her hip, and that's when we identified there was an issue.”
Megan says she switched to volunteering roles as a result but continued to enjoy taking part in junior parkrun, particularly for the social aspect.
“I moved on to the volunteering side of it instead,” she says. "I was still going with my family, and it allowed me to make a whole lot of different connections with people.”
A fond parkrun memory for her is a day when the kids took charge of coordinating the event.
“One day there was a young person’s volunteer event at junior parkrun, where we all did the volunteering instead of completing the 2k,” she says.
“I think that was part of my turning point towards volunteering. I was the Run Director, so I was in charge of everyone.”
Run Director is an important parkrun role, as Megan explains.
“You oversee everything that's happening; making sure the marshals are in the right places, that there's enough volunteers for the week; just make sure everything runs smoothly.”
“I was eight, so I had my dad helping me – but it was about the principle of giving the young people the vests, to make them feel like they had the role.”
After the family relocated to Australia, parkrun was a consistent presence.
“When everything else was chaos, I knew what I was getting into on a Saturday,” says Andy.
He was able to build a vast social network, in a diverse community.
“One thing about parkrun that I really like is that it brings everyone together,” he says.
“The community we've got at Rouse Hill and The Ponds is very multicultural; there's a big Indian community, there's a Malaysian community, South African; we're from the UK – and there's even some Australians.”
While parkrun started off as a whole family affair – including Andy’s wife Sarah and other daughter Beth – these days, it’s just the two of them.
Andy says having dedicated time each week helps them stay connected.
“I've got a busy job; Megan's got busyness with school and, when you've got a pretty serious condition, you spend lots of time with doctors and physios and whatever else, so in the week, we’re kind of ships passing in the night – but on a Saturday morning, that's our time.”
“It became just us two,” adds Megan. “And I think it's definitely helped … because we're doing the same thing every week.”
The parkrun appreciation spans another generation in the family. Megan’s Grandpa took it up last year, at the age of 78.
When he was visiting Australia recently, he asked Megan to join him on the course for the first time.
“[My Grandpa] had been asking me for quite a few weeks if I would walk around with him. And I said, I don't think I'll manage it; it might make something hurt – because that's how it used to be,” says Megan.
“On his last week before he went back to the UK, I walked it with him – I didn't end up doing the whole course – but it was very fun.”
Another fond memory for both Andy and Megan was the day they both hit their 100 volunteer milestones.
“We got a parkrun t-shirt-shaped cake – completely black with a big 100 on it,” says Andy.
“Not many people at age 18 get to the 100 volunteer milestone at parkrun, so we made a big fuss about Megan.”
For her consistent volunteering efforts, Megan was awarded a Youth Community Service Award by the Order of Australia Committee of NSW in 2024.
How does parkrun help their wellbeing?
“It wouldn’t be too much to say parkrun keeps me sane,” says Andy.
“Running has probably been the thing that's kept me most grounded … it’s the time when I get head space.”
Megan says volunteering at parkrun has boosted her confidence by taking her out of her comfort zone.
“I'm not a very outgoing person, but when I'm put in the more demanding roles, I often do take initiative.”
Andy and Megan’s parkrun tips
If you’re thinking of giving parkrun a try, what should you expect?
“It's always going to be a friendly environment,” says Andy.
“There's always going to be somebody there who will help you. There's always a first timers welcome. So even if you don't know what you're doing, somebody will show you.”
Megan suggests taking a buddy with you.
“Bringing a friend or a family member is probably the easiest way to build that confidence to go for the first time,” she says.
“But I think [it helps] just knowing that everyone is there for the same reason, whether you want to volunteer, walk or run – everyone's pretty well connected.”
READ MORE: Everything you need to know about parkrun
