Linklater Reserve 5k Run

18/09/2026

More Than Just a Path: A True Nature Immersion

When we look at the plans for Linklater Reserve parkrun, it’s clear this isn't your standard "out-and-back" city parkrun. This is Palmy’s "country parkrun," offering a scenic rural-edge setting that feels worlds away from the urban grind. The course is designed to give us panoramic views of the Tararua Range and a backdrop of the skyline that changes with the morning light.

Instead of staring at your shoes on the pavement, you’ll find "genuine variety underfoot. The path weaves across open grasslands, alongside ponds, a swing bridge and boardwalks. There’s even a creek and wetlands with native birdlife to keep you company. This project isn't just about infrastructure; it’s about honouring the Rangitane heritage and the Linklater family legacy that gave this land its soul. We even have Ross Linklater starting the event on the 24th October.

The Vision: "A true nature reserve feel on every lap, featuring native vegetation and abundant views that provides a complete immersion in the environment."

16/09/2026

Below is the roster I've put together for our trial events and the inaugural. Let me know if you are now not available on these dates, or available and not yet on the roster. Thanks 😊

14/09/2026

We also need more volunteers for the trial events. Let us know if you're keen to join us and learn how it all works

11/09/2026

One Month until trial day

The Linklater Reserve parkrun organising team is buzzing. Barcode scanners are charged. The apps are loaded. Somewhere in a garage, a box of tokens is being counted for the third time by someone who definitely doesn't need to count them a third time.

We're counting down to trial day, the dress rehearsal where we find out what we forgot, so the 24th of October goes off without a hitch. Or at least without a hitch anyone notices.

We've deliberately picked a Sunday for this so it doesn't clash with your usual Saturday parkrun, do your own parkrun on the Saturday as normal, then come help us practise the next morning.

Right now we're short a few key people:

- 5 marshals (mostly standing around looking marvellous in hi-vis and pointing)

- 1 scanner (beeping barcodes, occasional beeping at your own barcode by mistake)

- 1 timekeeper (the person everyone blames if their time looks off)

- 1 token perdon (guardian of the tokens, keeper of the count)

**Sunday 11 October, 8:30am** is our trial run.
**Sunday 18 October** is the backup, in case we need a second crack at it.

Full training given by Run Directors who have made every mistake so you don't have to. And yes -- you get to wear one of our extremely sought-after hi-vis vests. People will ask where you got it. Tell them you earned it.

If you can make the 11th, your parkrun needs you. Let us know in the comments or message us.

28/08/2026

The "Full Saturday Morning" Family Destination

The real genius of this parkrun’s design is the "why" behind it. We’ve all seen parents trying to squeeze in a run while the kids look on bored. At Linklater Reserve parkrun, the run/walk is just the beginning. The event turns the park into a community hub where the kids actually want to be. With a flying fox, a BMX pump track, and even frisbee golf on-site, there’s a tangible reward waiting for the little ones at the finish line.

One of my favourite unique details is the "planes overhead" factor; being in the flight path provides a cool sensory experience for the kids while you’re out on the loop. There is even a Cessna where our future pilots can let their imagination fly.

It’s an environment that encourages you to stay, play, and connect with your parkrun friends for the chat at the finish line that runs longer than the run did long after the timers have stopped.

The Vision: "The family day-out parkrun: Playground, BBQ, flying fox, and dogs A full Saturday morning for the whole family."

Start date: 8am 24th October. Labour Weekend

13/08/2026

Beyond the Pavement: Why Linklater Reserve parkrun is the Country-Edge Adventure Palmy Families Have Been Waiting For..

For many of us in Palmy, the weekend run has started to feel a bit like a repetitive chore. We’ve all spent plenty of time pounding the same flat, sealed asphalt paths along the river and the palmy streets. While they serve a purpose, they sometimes lack that spark of adventure that makes a Saturday morning feel like a true escape. If you’re looking for a way to break the monotony and turn your exercise into a genuine community experience, the Linklater Reserve parkrun is the answer. It’s a vision that transforms a simple 5km run into a destination for the whole family.

- The longest dual flying fox in New Zealand
- A picnic area under cover with an electric BBQ
- Dog agility area
- Childrens play ground
- A Cessna aircraft for our future pilots
- A frisbee golf course
- A bike pump track with jumps.

Start date: 24th October - Labour Weekend

**mark your calendar**

31/07/2026

Start date 24th October 2026
Join us at the starting gate

31/07/2026

We are locked in. Parkrun HQ have confirmed our start date. Our equipment is being dispatched. Our trial dates have been confirmed.

So who’s actually running the show at Linklater Reserve parkrun?

Our Event Directors are Wendy and Karen – and between them they’ve clocked up some serious parkrun mileage.

Wendy is a parkrun ambassador (but not for us – she’s spreading the word elsewhere). She’s a Run Director at Palmerston North parkrun, has racked up over 300 volunteer credits, and has run over 165 parkruns across 26 different locations in NZ and Australia. If you’ve got a parkrun tourism question, she’s your first port of call.

Karen is also a Run Director at Palmerston North parkrun, with more than 150 volunteer credits and 86 plus parkruns across 10 locations under her belt in NZ and Europe.

They will be supported by an experienced team of Run Directors and volunteers.

The course map is in our story 👍

Mark your calendars 24th October - Labour Weekend.

30/06/2026

What started as an office wellness challenge for Lalieu soon became a family tradition.

Through parkrun, the Marais family discovered new places, shared new goals, and uncovered a passion for running in their son Migael, who has cerebral palsy 👉 parkrun.me/mrw9i

🌳

25/06/2026

Do parkrun
“Impact sports such as running often get a bit of a bad name, with the assumption that they are damaging,” says Hart. “In fact, your skeletal muscles and tendons need impact to keep them healthy. If you go into space as an astronaut, you come back wobbling all over the place, because muscles can’t work: you’ve got osteoporosis just from being in space for a month.”

Hart describes running 5k as a “Goldilocks dose”, meaning not too much or too little. You can even take part by walking, says McNally. A healthy living regime, she says, “has to be a habit; it has to be something people just do, otherwise people don’t do it.

That’s why parkrun works.”

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