Lake Pegasus, Pegasus Town, North Canterbury, 7612
Type of Course – Two laps in summer, out and back in winter.
Shoes Required – Road
Things to know
Toilets are located on the grass area near the corner of Pegasus Main St and Lakeside Dr. Car parking can be found along Pegasus Main St, Lakeside Dr and on the road approaching the suspension bridge.
Parking is suitable for motorhomes.
Permanently marked.
Forgot your barcode? Print at Warehouse Stationery in Rangiora.
There are no showers nearby.
Cafe: The Flat White, on the corner of Pegasus Main St and Pegasus Blvd.
Location of start:
The start is on the grass area near the stairs leading to the lake.
Getting there by public transport
The 95 leaves Christchurch for Pegasus Town. Click here for the timetable.
Getting there on foot
Pegasus parkrun is easily accessed from the town centre by heading towards the lake.
Getting there by road
From State Highway 1 take the Pegasus Town exit onto Pegasus Blvd. Follow the road, continuing through the roundabouts, until you reach Pegasus Main St. Turn left onto Pegasus Main St and follow the road to Lakeside Rd. Car parking is on either of these streets.
Stats
First run: June 18, 2016
Inaugural attendance: 61
Record attendance: 247 (21/04/2018)
Course records
Women: Hannah Oldroyd 16:53 (09/06/2018)
Men: Matthew Dryden and Nick Burrow 15:49 (23/09/2017 and 22/12/2018)
The Story Behind Pegasus parkrun…
Geoff McMillan, original event director
I discovered parkrun, after I had a life-altering event. I had a sudden cardiac arrest on June 26, 2011.
After going through the recommended therapy clinics I began to get involved in duathlon events, however my run sections were dismal to say the least.
I struggled along for a couple of years and one day toward the end of 2014 decided that if I could find some 5km events (a fairly common distance in duathlon) that would help.
Google’s first response was to bring up Hagley parkrun – a weekly 5km run in Christchurch and best of all, it was FREE!
I followed the prompts, registered and my first ever parkrun (which was only the 10th for Hagley) was underway.
I was hooked. I work from Christchurch five days a week and after a number of Hagley parkrun events I began to think along the lines of where in North Canterbury could this concept take shape?
I talked with some people in the running community about possible sites and the potential for the idea.
In the end I had three sites to decide between and just the one authority to gain agreement from. The course around Lake Pegasus fitted the bill perfectly.
It had hosted both triathlon and duathlon events in the past, there was a “natural” 2.5km circuit, so two laps meant spectators and volunteers could see and encourage people midway and at the finish.
It was all looking pretty good, but then my Mum’s health began to fail and I shelved the idea in order to better help her.
After her passing I needed to refocus and one of the first things I needed to do was get this new parkrun event up and running, so I got in touch with Lian and Noel de Charmoy.
We met, went over the course and within a couple of weeks Pegasus parkrun was underway. It was a great feeling to see 62 parkrunners at our inaugural (it was very close to a 50/50 split in regard to locals and tourists).
Late 2019 I surrendered my role as event director at Pegasus to become the first South Island event ambassador, so while Pegasus remains my home parkrun, I now consider myself to be of a wider group of parkruns.
While in Pegasus…
Visit the Te Kōhanga Wetlands
Visit Woodend Beach & Tuhaitara Coast Park
Play a round of golf at the acclaimed Pegasus Golf Club
Go winetasting in the Waipara Valley
Wander around the heritage buildings of Rangiora