By Dongyun Kwon
Maroondah Dam Parkrun (MDP) is going to celebrate its first birthday on Saturday 25 May.
The parkrun first commenced on 27 May 2023 and has progressed dramatically with a record of 2740 finishes over the last 50 runs, which is about 55 people turn up every week on average.
Event organiser Stuart Rainbow said the only parkrun in the Yarra Valley has been really well received.
“We did expect the parkrun was gonna be popular but we didn’t expect it to be as popular as what it has been,” he said.
“We had 112 volunteers stick their hands up to help out, which is fantastic.”
The birthday party will celebrate the success of MDP over the first year with sausage sizzles and musical performances to add a party vibe.
Mr Rainbow said the parkrun participants are blown away by the beautiful landscape while running.
“People turn up and are just blown away by the views, looking at the mountains, the trees and wildlife,” he said.
“The little speed hump makes the course more challenging.
“When I asked people how they found the hump, some people said they loved it but a lot of people said they hated it.”
After the MDP every week, the participants go to the local cafes and have some social time.
“It’s been wonderful for people to come along and build their fitness, make new friends and have a healthier lifestyle,” the event organiser said.
Eastern Health financially supported to get MDP off the ground.
“We saw an opportunity in the Valley to host a parkrun,” Mr Rainbow said.
“The course in Maroondah Dam needed some fine-tuning and adjusting.”
The 5km parkrun starts at 8am every Saturday at the Maroondah Dam Wall.
Anyone wishing to join the parkrun is encouraged to register at the following website, parkrun.com.au/maroondahdam
