Ocean View is a small parkrun but it’s said that the best things come in small packages.
This Sunshine Coast parkrun averages around 32 finishers a week and event director Kelly Gurski describes the event as “boutique”.
It’s one of a handful of parkruns globally that runs through a winery.
“Tourists come from far and wide to test their fitness and fortitude on our beautiful yet brutal course,” she says.
Getting started
“I have lived in the next suburb of Dayboro for 16 years. I founded Petrie parkrun but wanted something in my local community.
“I literally nagged our local councillor at every opportunity for a parcel of land suitable for a parkrun.
“Eventually he suggested I meet Kate and Thomas from the Ocean View Estates winery.
“I regaled Thomas and Kate with parkrun facts and figures and was met with nice smiles but no real recognition and questions of ‘so which date are you looking at to run this’.
“Trying to explain a weekly running event was hard. Eventually the engine ticked over and we held our first parkrun in April 2018.
“There was much too-ing and fro-ing with parkrun over the name and the course.”
The experience
“Because Ocean View Estates has disease-resistant vines it means you can get a real winery experience, winding in and out of the vines. You can even bring your pooch.
“Three years on Kate and Thomas still mow our course regularly and make sure their cafe is open for coffee and brekkie at 8am.
“They know and love parkrun and still think people are crazy for wanting to run up ‘The Hill of Despair’.”
Dressing-up
Turn up on tutu day (any Saturday that falls on the 22nd) and Kelly will have her tutu box ready for parkrunners to dress up.
“I have always loved a good dress up, so I parkrun touristed to other parkrun launches and birthdays to celebrate and dress up.
“Probably my favourite was an 80’s dress up run at Logan River parkrun. A whole gang of Brisbane parkrunners descended on this parkrun in our best Olivia Newton John aerobics gear! What a sight!
“I feel like running in a tutu or dress up frees you and I love seeing others embrace that too.”
Kelly started her parkrunning at Sandgate parkrun where she didn’t know a soul.
“I’d heard some positive things about it. My first run I wore my fashion sunnies and analogue watch.”
Petrie
She stayed with Sandgate for a while and then gave North Lakes a go. She said she didn’t volunteer often owing to ‘zero confidence’.
“I used to work at Petrie police station and would often run along the now Petrie parkrun course.
“I would often chat with another North Lakes parkrunner about starting a parkrun and she was an experienced run director so we joined up.
“In those days you had to raise the $5000 start-up fee yourself so I knocked on every door in Petrie until I secured the funding.
“I also had the blessing of the local councillor who was a bit sporty himself.
“In the early days I rarely got to run, but as our vollie reserves increased, so did my runs.”
Eventually Kelly decided to start an event closer to home, and the rest is history.
“After they’ve run our event parkrunners say it’s a beautiful yet brutal course but they come back. We offer country hospitality with great coffee and magnificent gardens.”
Voluntourists are very welcome at this event.
While at Ocean View parkrun
Ocean View is the gateway to the mountain range of Mount Mee.
This overlooks the Glasshouse Mountains and is part of the D’Aguilar Range.
The Mount Mee Forest Reserve contains huge expanses of rainforest and eucalypt forest and includes many picturesque bushwalks and four-wheel drive tracks.
The Dayboro Rodeo and Dayboro Show usually occur between May and July, as well as Dayboro Day, which celebrates the town’s unique rural heritage.
The Dayboro Bakery is known for its pineapple pies.
What’s in a Name…
Ocean View parkrun is named for the Queensland suburb it is in, Ocean View.
No details can be found of its naming but presumably it was named for the view of the ocean.