29/08/2026
Ever wondered how parkrun actually got started in Australia? 🇦🇺
This week on the Parkrunners Podcast, we sat down with Tim Oberg, the founder of parkrun Australia for one of the most honest and entertaining founder stories we've shared yet.
Tim wasn't a runner. He was a national junior weightlifting champion who used to actively avoid endurance running. It was only after moving to London in his twenties that running became his thing - and even then, it took his rescued dog Clarence to lead him to his very first parkrun at Wimbledon Common (dogs used to have their own barcodes back then!).
A few months later, Tim brought the idea home. In April 2011, with the support of the legendary middle & long distance runner - the late, great Ron Clarke - he launched the very first Australian parkrun at Main Beach on the Gold Coast with 110 finishers. Fifteen years on, that single event has grown into a nationwide community with hundreds of parkruns across the country — from Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays to regional towns to, remarkably, two Australian prisons.
In this conversation, Tim opens up about:
✅ The real reason he thinks parkrun has struck such a chord in the modern world
✅ What it was really like working with parkrun's founder, Paul Sinton-Hewitt
✅ A heartfelt tribute to the late Professor Richard Scolyer, one of parkrun's most inspiring advocates
✅ Why he stepped away from parkrun in 2022 - and the new mission now driving him: helping a million Australian kids get moving before Brisbane hosts the 2032 Olympics
Whether you're a weekly parkrunner, a volunteer, or just someone who loves a good origin story - this one's worth tuning into. 🎧
👉 Listen to the full episode now (link in comments below)