A year ago, thirty two participants crossed the Third Creek Greenway (TCG) parkrun finishing line for its inaugural event. A lot has happened since then. While 19 rather than 52 events have occurred in the past twelve months due to COVID-19 and a flood cancellation in February, the events we did have were full of the true parkrun spirit - friendly competition, dedication to physical activity, service to the community, and cowbell encouragement!

The start of the first TCG parkrun!

This year there were many impressive frontrunners at TCG parkrun events. The men’s course record of 17:09 is jointly held by Jasper Wilson and Conal McCambridge. These two Carson Newman students posted this fast time during very rainy conditions, but were unphased. Seeing them push each other to the record was a joy. The women’s course record of 23:21 is held by Dana Rohloff. She achieved this time on TCG’s 10th parkrun event, right after Christmas. Congrats to these standout runners for blazing the trail. We look forward to seeing others chase these times in our future events and strive for their own personal best times.

Jasper Wilson and Conal McCambridge toe the line during their record setting parkrun (17:09)

Dana Rohloff sets the women's course record (23:21)

parkrun is also all about dedication and continuing to show up week after week. A few participants stood out due to their commitment. The parkrunner who finished the course more than anyone else was Nancy Henry. In total, she completed the 5k eleven times (and also volunteered twice!). She was the female first finisher 7 times! Marcus Steward was the male parkrunner with the most finishes - 8 in total! In the junior competition, TCG’s most consistent parkrunner was Alex Steward, with 7 finishes. In TCG’s first year, 118 unique individuals have finished the course. It has been wonderful getting to know each of these parkrunners.

Nancy Henry finished 11 TCG parkruns this past year

Father-son team Marcus and Alex Steward were both consistent parkrun finishers

TCG parkrun is especially grateful for all of its dedicated volunteers during its first year. These events would not be possible without those who came out to help time, tailwalk, and set up the course. Thanks are due to the core volunteer team, but every contribution was essential. In total, 27 individuals have given their time to support free weekly timed 5ks. Here’s a list of every person who volunteered during our first year:

1. Alex Higginbotham
2. Alex Snyder
3. Andrea Zukowski
4. Christopher Snyder
5. David Talmy
6. Diane Taylor
7. Heather England
8. Hunter Miller
9. Jeanne Hale
10. Jillian Sparks
11. Joe Sparks
12. Jono Pace
13. Katie Chadwick
14. Kirk Anderson
15. Max Lemons
16. Meredith Hale
17. Nancy Henry
18. P. Mark Taylor
19. Rebecca McConnell
20. Rebecca Rogers
21. Roger Hale
22. Sam Steward
23. Steven McConnell
24. Timothy Sparks
25. Trinity Douglass
26. William Steward
27. Xavier Juan

Diane finds us the perfect sign carrying case

Joe cheering on finishers

While parkrun remains cancelled until we can safely meet in groups again, there are still ways to be involved. Each week parkrunners can log any 5k walk, jog or run they complete as a (not)parkrun. Simply login to your parkrun profile at https://www.parkrun.com/signin/ and click on “(not)parkrun.” This allows you to continue to track your progress and be involved with the virtual parkrun community. The good news? - you can't forget your barcode! If you’ve never completed a parkun, you are also welcome to join and participate in (not)parkrun during these unusual times. You can register here - https://www.parkrun.us/register/?section=form In addition, you can always get out and enjoy the Third Creek Greenway course on your own. 

Login to your parkrun account to record (not)parkrun efforts

Thanks to everyone who has been involved in any way with the Third Creek Greenway parkrun. Support from the Knoxville Track Club early on meant a lot as does the participation and promotion of the event by all our volunteers and parkrunners. Thank you for being part of our first year. Here’s to many more!

Thumbs up from junior parkrunner Thomas McConnell

Facebook: facebook.com/ThirdCreekGreenwayparkrun

Instagram: instagram.com/tcgparkrun/

After weeks of puddle jumping and slick bridges, participants in the nineteenth edition of Third Creek Greenway parkrun had the pleasure of enjoying sunny skies and almost warm temperatures.

In total, 19 runners officially completed our nineteenth event. A few additional participants came out for their first parkrun on International Women’s Day just to see what parkrun is all about. They enjoyed the majority of the course and we hope to see them back in the future. Thanks to all of our regulars who spread the word about parkrun and introduced someone new to Knoxville’s parkrun. Five first timers joined us this weekend. If you’re new to parkrun or you want to bring a friend, family member or colleague encourage them register for a personalized barcode.

With the pleasant weather came great times! Jay Johns ran his first official parkrun with us and crossed the line as first finisher in 21:08. Shane Frank joined us for his second parkrun and bettered his personal best from last week by over a minute. In total, six individuals earned PBs this weekend. Congratulations to Sarah Hamilton, Karter Johns, Laura Johns, Zoey Johns, and Amelia Childers. It’s great to see so much improvement from all of our runners!

In honor of International Women’s Day, we had some special chalking on the course and a number of new women take part with friends. Thanks to Kassandra Galvin, Stefanie Garvin, and Lisa Campbell for joining us as newcomers on this special day. While we always celebrate all of our runners, it was nice to take time today to recognize our women parkrunners and the importance of sport in their lives.

A call for volunteers

We are always looking for volunteers and encourage you to try it out whether you are a parkrun veteran or newbie. All the volunteer roles at Third Creek Greenway parkrun are easy, fun, and don’t require a lengthy commitment. You’ll get a briefing about roles at 8:45am and be on site until the tail walker has crossed the line.

Parkrun also rewards those who volunteer 25 times with a unique purple running t-shirt. Excitingly this weekend our own Meredith Hale marked her 25th volunteering occasion with parkrun - a worthy recognition of her commitment to bringing parkrun to Knoxville and supporting participants each week! We can’t wait to see your new purple t-shirt on the greenway soon.

If you’re interested in volunteering at a future event, please email thirdcreekgreenway@parkrun.com.

Next week’s parkrun

We are back next week! Don’t forget to register and don’t forget your barcode...

Since launching on October 26 2019, Third Creek Greenway parkrun has had 118 individual finishers and 27 individuals volunteering.

Facebook: facebook.com/ThirdCreekGreenwayparkrun

Instagram: instagram.com/tcgparkrun/

Twitter: twitter.com/tcgparkrun

With temperatures hovering below freezing, a total of 12 participants came out to enjoy a run or walk on the Third Creek Greenway. Two participants experienced the course for the first time, though with a bit more ice than is typical.

Despite the conditions, we witnessed several speedy performances! David Talmy racked up his fourth first place finish along with barkrunner Scout. On the women’s side, all three of the first women across the line posted personal bests. Carlene Steenekamp finished as the first female for her first time and both Rebecca Rogers and Tingting Xu ran their fastest times on the course.

Mary Phelan, a tourist from Ireland visiting family in Johnson City, fit in parkrun right before a flight out of McGhee Tyson directly after. We admire her commitment and hope she’ll join us again in the future. Mary kindly reported, “It was my slowest parkrun ever, but it was also my favorite ever.” She said she took some time to take photos of the sights on the course. For those of us who have direct access to the greenways, it’s easy to take for granted the sounds and scenery we encounter along Third Creek. Mary’s words are a thoughtful reminder of how lucky we are here in Knoxville. Ashley Bell also ran the Third Creek Greenway course for her first time as her introduction to parkrun. If you’re new to parkrun or you want to bring a friend, family member or colleague encourage them register for a personalized barcode. 

A call for volunteers

Thanks to everyone who volunteered this week, especially Katie Chadwick who was visiting from England. No trip to Knoxville is complete without experiencing Third Creek Greenway parkrun, right? We are always looking for volunteers and encourage you to try it out whether you are a parkrun veteran or newbie. All the volunteer roles at Third Creek Greenway parkrun are easy, fun, and don’t require a lengthy commitment. You’ll get a briefing about roles at 8:45am and be on site until the tail walker has crossed the line.

If you’re interested in volunteering at a future event, please email thirdcreekgreenway@parkrun.com.

Next week’s parkrun

We are back next week! Don’t forget to register and don’t forget your barcode...

Since launching on October 26 2019, Third Creek Greenway parkrun has had 110 individual finishers and 27 individuals volunteering.

Facebook: facebook.com/ThirdCreekGreenwayparkrun

Instagram: instagram.com/tcgparkrun/

Twitter: twitter.com/tcgparkrun

This week half of our finishers were newcomers to parkrun! Welcome to Katrina Brisbane, Karter Johns, Laura Johns, and Zoey Johns! We also had four junior athletes eagerly take off at the start and successfully complete the 5k.

Max Lemons was our first finisher for the second time this week. He added on the 5k to his long run as part of his training for a marathon in March and a slew of sprint triathlons as well as an Iron Man in the year ahead. All parkrunners should feel free to work parkrun into any running plans you already have. For those looking for distance, it’s easy to tack on miles before or after parkrun.

In terms of personal bests, this week the McConnell family dominated! Grace, Thomas, and Rebecca McConnell worked together to get everyone across the line in under 43 minutes. We love having families and junior athletes out.

Thomas McConnell races to the finish!

Thanks to everyone who volunteered this week! All the volunteer roles at Third Creek Greenway parkrun are easy, fun, and don’t require a lengthy commitment. You’ll get a briefing about roles at 8:45am and be on site until the tail walker has crossed the line.  If you’re interested in volunteering at a future event, please email thirdcreekgreenway@parkrun.com.

Finally, each week we do our best to include motivational messages or fun images in chalk on the course. We want to hear from our parkrunners if there are quotes or messages that are particularly special or motivating for you that you’d like to see in future weeks. Don’t hesitate to share!

Next week’s parkrun

We are back next week! Don’t forget to register and don’t forget your barcode...

Since launching on October 26 2019, Third Creek Greenway parkrun has had 105 individual finishers and 25 individuals volunteering.

Facebook: facebook.com/ThirdCreekGreenwayparkrun

Instagram: instagram.com/tcgparkrun/

Twitter: twitter.com/tcgparkrun