Most days this winter you can probably find David Brockway on the skifields of Queenstown’s Coronet Peak.
But this British lift operator is aiming to spend his Saturday mornings getting his barcode scanned rather than being on the snow.
David has been in New Zealand since September 2019. It was having a couple of uncles living here that enticed him to the other side of the world.
“My parents would always tell me if you go you’ll have a great time, so when I finally did arrive I realised it’s an awesome place to be with lots to do!”
Of course, David brought his barcode and has been slowly getting around the different New Zealand parkrun events.
“Most of my friends have been pretty jealous that I’ve been able to parkrun”
At the time of publication David is on 29 different New Zealand parkrun events out of 115 in all. He’s run 199 times since his first parkrun in 2014.
He says that first run, on March 1, likely came about through his parents, who are orienteers.
“They would regularly attend events in Delamere Forest. In January 2014 they went to their first parkrun in Delamere and two months later I joined them for my first event.
“I was already a keen runner. My first tourism experience was the next weekend when I travelled up to Leeds to see my brother and ran in his local Woodhouse Moor parkrun.
“ That’s a great event, being in the heart of the city, and so has big numbers turning out each Saturday morning.
The start of tourism
“I didn’t really consider myself as a tourist until I was doing Ormskirk parkrun [his seventh event] and in the run report I was labelled the North West Serial Tourist.
“A majority of my runs up till that point had been in the North West of England.
“Since then I went on to complete the Cowell Club [his 100th was at Balclutha on March 14 2020, the last parkrun before the pause] plus many more challenges. I would have done them much sooner had it not been for shift work.
“Every time I was off on a Saturday I would be somewhere for parkrun.”
David’s earliest start was around 6am, with his parents they travelled from the Wirral to Fountains Abbey parkrun in North Yorkshire.
“I think it was my Dad’s idea and mum went along with it as it meant visiting a National Trust site.”
Adventures
The furthest travelled, not counting his trip from the UK to New Zealand, was for a New Year’s Day double.
“We travelled from home for roughly two hours to Kingsbury Water parkrun, followed by a short drive to Sutton parkrun. This trip meant we could incorporate two first time runs at these new locations, which we might not have done otherwise.
“Before arriving in New Zealand I was over in the United States for summer camp. Afterwards I travelled city to city to end up in Las Vegas where I met my Dad and from there we went on a road trip through five of the US’s National Parks.
“At the end of our trip we headed to San Francisco with enough time to fit in Crissy Field parkrun. There you would never guess, but we met people over from UK road tripping and completing parkruns as they go.”
Top 3
With a high proportion of touring in his parkrun history David has a number of parkruns he could pick to recommend to others. But he’s chosen two close to home and one in New Zealand.
“Delamere parkrun, it’s where my parkrun journey started.
“It’s a great course run in the forest on a well formed path that takes you out to the lake then around and back to the finish.
“For the most part of the run you are able to see out on the lake so if you aren’t pushing yourself hard at the front and you’re able to take in your surroundings, you will really appreciate the beauty to which this location provides.
“Wepre parkrun is one of the toughest parkrun courses I’ve run in the UK.
“It provides a sharp climb from the off, which is repeated on the small loop. Then it’s onto the more steady longer climbs on the two larger loops.
“In all it’s a pretty brutal run on the legs if you haven’t put that hill training in but you do have that feeling of accomplishment when you cross that finish line in a new personal best time.
“Dunedin parkrun, I can guarantee no new parkrun here will beat the difficulty to which this location has.
“Starting on the flat two laps you’re put into a false sense of security as to what follows is far from easy as you head up the hill not only once but twice.
“So no matter your time just be positive that you completed the course.”
Tourism tip
Like many parkrunners, top of his bucket list of events is the home of parkrun, Bushy.
“It would be great to tick that one off, I hope I get to attend sometime in the future.”
David’s top tip for tourism is to arrive with plenty of time.
“I’d highly recommend getting to the parkrun the day/night before. Mainly for a hopeful good night’s sleep, and if able to check out the course do so.
“I usually cycle the route as it’s quick to do. Then for sure after the run/walk/volunteer go to the cafe to meet the locals and find out their stories.”
This story featured in Issue 5 of the Runs With A Barcode magazine. Available now from here. Use discount code LGJUM4NGND to get 25% off all purchases.
David’s parkrun adventures:
Hagley parkrun
Birkenhead parkrun
Ellesmere Port parkrun
Delamere parkrun
Queenstown parkrun
Wanaka parkrun
Hobsonville Point parkrun
Western Springs parkrun
Princes parkrun, Liverpool
Cornwall parkrun
Chester parkrun
Wepre parkrun
Barry Curtis parkrun
Warrington parkrun
Woodhouse Moor parkrun
Invercargill parkrun
Millwater parkrun
Whangarei parkrun
Widnes parkrun
St Helens parkrun
Haigh Woodland parkrun
Burnage parkrun
Pennington Flash parkrun
Ormskirk parkrun
Erddig parkrun
Crosby parkrun
Croxteth Hall parkrun
Hanley parkrun
Kapiti Coast parkrun
Northwich parkrun
Bolton parkrun
Walsall Arboretum parkrun
Pendle parkrun
Congleton parkrun
Fountains Abbey parkrun
Sale Water parkrun
Markeaton parkrun
Puarenga parkrun
Owairaka parkrun
Brighouse parkrun
Skipton parkrun 1
Chadderton Hall parkrun
Newtown parkrun
Porirua parkrun 1
Hyde parkrun
Hillsborough parkrun
Stretford parkrun
Isabel Trail parkrun
Telford parkrun 1
Witton parkrun 1
Henley Wood parkrun, Oswestry
Hyndburn parkrun
Stamford Park parkrun
Foster parkrun
South Manchester parkrun
Worsley Woods parkrun
Balclutha parkrun
Bedfont Lakes parkrun
Wythenshawe parkrun
Conwy parkrun
The Wammy parkrun
Gisborne parkrun
Lyme Park parkrun
Palmerston North parkrun
Southport parkrun
Tauranga parkrun
Blenheim parkrun
Arrow Valley parkrun
Dunedin parkrun
Anderson parkrun
University of Waikato parkrun
Sheffield Castle parkrun
Centre Vale parkrun
Knowsley parkrun
Rother Valley parkrun
Fletcher Moss parkrun
Oldham parkrun
Bodelwyddan Castle parkrun
Endcliffe parkrun
Wilmslow parkrun
Fleetwood Promenade parkrun
Woodbank parkrun
Lower Hutt parkrun
Crissy Field parkrun
Fort William parkrun
Bramhall parkrun
Conkers parkrun
Penrhyn parkrun
Crewe parkrun
Cheadle Hulme parkrun
Barnsley parkrun
Cambridge NZ parkrun
Longrun Meadow parkrun
Pegasus parkrun
Trentham Memorial parkrun
Rosliston parkrun
Shrewsbury parkrun
Whanganui Riverbank parkrun
Halifax parkrun
Cuerden Valley parkrun
Dolgellau parkrun
Kew Woods parkrun
Phoenix parkrun
Kingsbury Water parkrun
Southwark parkrun
Glossop parkrun
Myrtle parkrun
York parkrun
Wotton parkrun
Gedling parkrun
Sutton Park parkrun
Preston parkrun
Marple parkrun
East End parkrun, New Plymouth
Heaton parkrun