Kane's Bridge and a p-index of 12
This morning I finished Studley parkrun event #488, my twelfth finish there. That ticks my p-index up to 12, and achieves the goal I set out in April: get Studley into the index by the end of 2026.
It has been a while since the Kirkdale Reserve check-in in August, when I was five Studley finishes short of the mark and hoping the Kane’s Bridge works would be completed to allow for a return. There have been some adventures along the way. Indeed, I returned to Studley parkrun two weeks later and enjoyed their alternative course, which stays on the North side of the Yarra River, avoiding the bridge crossing altogether.
# A well-earned holiday in the west
September took the family to Western Australia: a chance to see old friends, tour some of the delightful West coast, and to catch up with a fellow parkrun Regional Event Ambassador at both parkruns we managed. We ran Garvey Park parkrun beside the Swan River in Ascot, then tackled Mundy Regional parkrun up in the hills at Kalamunda. You may spot him in blue and me in green in this video, where a visiting YouTuber dubs Mundy Regional “Australia’s hardest parkrun”. It’s certainly the most challenging parkrun course I’ve tackled but also absolutely beautiful.
# Rain, a funnel, and an eighth Melbourne Marathon
The first weekend back home, on 3 October, I was a marshal at Mernda parkrun in the pouring rain, and it was a joyous morning. If you’ve never marshalled at a parkrun, I encourage you to give it a go. Cheering on walkers and runners is an uplifting experience, whatever the weather. And most people who pass you express their gratitude in a variety of pleasant ways.
The following Saturday I was funnel manager at Parkville parkrun, on the eve of my eighth Melbourne Marathon. I went into the marathon undertrained and with no expectations, which I met! It was lovely to see K on the course, and it is always a thrill to run through the Melbourne Cricket Ground to the finish line.
# Back to Studley
Then I had a rare opportunity to enjoy Studley parkrun on four consecutive Saturdays, before spectating at the kids’ Little Athletics events (which they’re doing at different centres this year for maximal parental mileage).
Kane’s Bridge is a historic feature of Studley Park: a timber suspension bridge on the Victorian Heritage Register, washed away in the 1934 floods and rebuilt in 1935. The recent engineering works that cancelled a few events earlier in the year have left the deck narrower than before, which you may be able to see in the photograph. Crossing it still feels like the most significant part of this beautiful course.
It was great to be able to complete it for the twelfth time with a friend.
# What is next?
I am on 473 finishes and 363 volunteer credits. The goals ahead of my next p-index increment are to round these up.
I want to reach 500 finishes on Saturday, 15 May 2027, the weekend of Coburg parkrun’s anniversary: twelve years after I helped launch the event, and a year on from timekeeping the eleventh anniversary. That is 27 finishes away and 27 Saturdays to go. I’d better not miss one! Shortly thereafter I want to reach 400 volunteer credits: 37 to go. A p-index bump may well come in 2027, too. We shall see.
See you in a finish funnel, at a marshal point, or trotting along the Maribyrnong River!