There are more than 500 parkrun courses in Australia but a scenic and hilly route on the Sunshine Coast could be the hardest of them all.
Local runners, joggers and walkers at the Nambour parkrun know just how testing it can be when they tackle it every Saturday.
Visiting participants are taken aback by the 5km circuit at Parklands Conservation Park.
Western Sydney’s Madeline Mercieca, who has completed 185 parkruns at 52 locations, said the course was a beast.
“Nambour is definitely the hardest,” she said.
“There are sharp inclines and there is uneven terrain.
“You can’t make up speed on the downhills because if you lose your footing, you are in trouble.”
Ms Mercieca, 35, tackled the course with about 70 others after reading about its difficulty.
“When you Google the hardest parkrun in Australia, it tells you Nambour takes the prize,” she said via social media.
“I’ve always thought Lawson (NSW) was tricky and Zeehan (Tasmania) wasn’t easy either.
“Well, Google was right.
“I did Course B at Nambour parkrun and loved/hated every minute of it.
“All the slippery downs, all the sharp inclines, the slimy wet leaves and loose trail: what an adventure.
“The locals were super-friendly. Course B is an out-and-back and everyone you pass smiles and tells you that you’re doing great.”
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Her comments sparked plenty of support and debate.
“Nambour is up there as the toughest I’ve ever done. I near sat down on the side of one of the hills and threw a proper tantrum of ‘I don’t want to do it anymore’,” Jaci Brand-King said.
“I agree: the toughest parkrun I’ve done by a country mile,” Brett Matherson said.
Some people suggested other courses including Mundy Regional (WA), Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan (NSW), Australian Standing Stones (NSW), Picnic Point (Toowoomba) and more as potential rivals as the toughest parkrun.
The Nambour course is essentially on a mountain bike trail. The area is expected to host events at the 2032 Olympic Games.
“It’s very scenic and similar to the Blue Mountains,” Ms Mercieca said.
She completed the course in 34 minutes, which is about eight minutes slower than her average time.
“I have heard others say Nambour adds 12 minutes to their usual time,” she said.
The conservation park is home to a renowned emu that has attracted criticism and support.
It wasn’t present when Ms Mercieca was there.
Nambour parkrun volunteer and co-race director Sonya Perdikis said the local course could be the hardest in the country.
“Whether or not it is one of the toughest in Australia is often quite a hotly debated topic,” she said.
“Nambour is definitely one of the more challenging parkruns. There is one in WA (Mundy Regional) that gives us a run for our money.
“It has never officially been decided or acknowledged one way or the other and it’s unlikely to be.”
She said Nambour’s terrain and elevation made it particularly tough.
“You are either going up or going down: there isn’t much flat ground,” she said.
There are two courses.
“Course A is our regular course that is a loop that crosses Rocky Creek but when it is unsafe to cross the creek, we implement Course B,” she said.
“While both courses are challenging, B delivers more elevation gain than A.
“What makes a parkrun difficult is different for every person and that is why it will always be up for debate.
“If you use the elevation gain alone to determine if it’s the toughest then Course B just beats our next closest rival in WA and Course A comes in just behind them.
“Some people will love the challenge of the hills and the terrain.
“Some won’t and that’s okay. There are parkruns all over Australia and the world so if the hills and trails are not your thing you can find another event that may suit you better
“I myself have a love hate relationship with the Nambour hills.
“I do enjoy the challenge and love the community.
“What makes it special is the people.
“We have an amazing group of all ages and abilities that come along every week and enjoy being active in our beautiful bush setting while catching up with likeminded people.
“They are a friendly bunch and love just getting out there whether it be running walking or volunteering.
“There is a sense of achievement once you have finished and it’s a great way to start the weekend.”
There have been more than 450 editions of the Nambour parkrun since it was established in late 2015 by Melissa Taylor.
The average finish time at Nambour is 38min 56sec.
Nambour Chamber of Commerce president Mark Bray said the region may be able to capitalise on the course’s growing reputation.
The event could attract more people to the area, where they could spend time and money.
“We’re always looking for things to get people to come to Nambour and the areas around Nambour,” he said.
“If we can have a hook like ‘we have a tough parkrun, come and try it out and test yourself’ that would be good.”
Ms Mercieca encouraged others to tackle the course at Nambour.
“I highly recommend a trip to Nambour parkrun if you’re up for a challenge,” she said.
She started taking part in parkrun events in 2016 and regularly runs with her three children in a pram, achieving the feat in less than 30 minutes.
“This year, I have travelled all around Australia in pursuit of becoming an ‘alphabeteer’,” she said.
“I’ve completed a parkrun beginning with every letter of the alphabet except X, because no such parkrun exists.”
