05/05/2022
Goodbye from me
After over two years of our event being closed, I am stepping down as Event Director for Callaghan parkrun.
COVID closures were long for all of us, and the return from COVID closures has been a long, drawn-out affair.
In a rough timeline: we had COVID closures from March 2020, and then our 2021 land use agreement was delayed until the university had resources available. The 2021 negotiations with parkrun HQ took until August 2021 to be finalised from the proposed unchanged agreement. But, in that time we had 2nd COVID closures upon us, followed by the campus Christmas closure, and then it was time to renew for 2022.
It is now May 2022, and we are in the final steps to get the land use agreement finalised โ nearly six months since I requested the year updated on the 2021 agreement. Both parties added and removed clauses, plus another permanent course change (and global HQ risk assessment review).
During all of this, the core team has reduced to a single person โ our event needs 4-6 run directors to operate sustainably โ and I have nothing left to give, now the 2022 documentation in concluding.
I would like to thank the Pambalong Clan of the Awabakal peoples for sharing their Country with me at Callaghan parkrun each week, and the University of Newcastle for their on-going patience with our event. I would also like to sincerely thank The Forum for hosting the storage of our equipment for these years gone.
I pay tribute to our previous Event Directors โ Majid, Andrew, Colin, Sonja & Owen โ thank you for keeping Callaghan parkrun going over the years. I also pay tribute to our strong community and our university supporters who have helped over the years. Our event had great volunteers โ especially our (too-many to name) Run Directors โ and friendly parkrunners โ thank you.
I will still be involved with the event team, and will be around to support any new Event Director :)
Goodbye,
Peter Pohlman
Past Event Director
Callaghan parkrun