Veterans at the Heart of parkrun: Connection, Service and Community

parkrun continues to be a place where many in the defence community feel welcome, supported and connected. Every weekend, current and former serving veterans and their families join their local parkrun communities for the 5k events across the country. They contribute as timekeepers, scanners, photographers, run directors and as marshals who encourage others on the course, among many other volunteer roles. Others choose to walk, run or roll at their own pace, enjoying the routine, connection and friendly atmosphere that parkrun is known for.

Invictus Australia’s Community Partnership with parkrun Australia began in 2019 to introduce the defence community to an inclusive space they could show up to regularly, offering routine, connection and a sense of accountability, through sport. 

Through this partnership, Team Veteran was established as a parkrun group for all current and former serving veterans and their families. It has since grown into the second largest parkrun group in Australia, bringing together people who value connection, purpose and showing up for one another. Team Veteran represents what many veterans seek after service, and that is community, consistency and a place where they belong.

Invictus Australia celebrates the unique value that veterans and their families contribute to parkrun communities across the country. Their leadership and generosity help create events that feel welcoming for everyone, whether they are attending for the first time or have been part of parkrun for years. 

Anzac Day, parkrun and respecting how people choose to commemorate

Anzac Day carries profound significance for members of the Australian and New Zealand defence community. There is a shared understanding that people observe this day in their own unique ways, reflecting personal connections and preferences. Commemoration may take the form of attending services, participating in marches, spending time with family, engaging in quiet reflection, or connecting with others through activities such as parkrun.

For some, joining a parkrun offers a sense of community and connection, while others may choose more traditional avenues such as formal services or private remembrance. All approaches are equally valued and meaningful, ensuring the spirit of Anzac is honoured in ways that resonate with each individual.

The Invictus Australia Veteran Engagement Team, who run sport connection opportunities across the country throughout the year, are members of the defence community and we encourage them to spend time commemorating in a way that works for them.

Invictus Australia will not have an official presence at parkrun events on Anzac Day, we encourage individuals to choose what feels right for them, whether that is a service, time with family, quiet reflection or joining their local parkrun for connection. 

Josh McDade, a former Warrant Officer Class One, who served 30 years as an Army Medic, said “I was deployed multiple times overseas, including to PNG, Bougainville, East Timor, Malaysia and South Korea. Since leaving the Army due to medical reasons I have emotionally struggled with attending military memorial and anniversary activities such as Anzac Day.

I’ve been participating in parkrun for about five years, which provides not only continued fitness but a new team that I can be amongst to have a purpose within a positive community.
This year Anzac Day falls on a Saturday, so even though I will have many sad thoughts and memories I know that I will have a happy and healthy time at parkrun amongst my friendly parkrun family.”

Another veteran said “I’m not picking parkrun over Anzac Day, I’m including it. parkrun is my Saturday routine and it fits around my other commemoration events and I like to see my mates on special days.”

Please note that each parkrun location decides independently whether it will operate on Anzac Day, which includes ensuring that timing does not clash with dawn services or other commemorative events. If you would like to participate, for the most accurate information on whether that event will be taking place we encourage everyone to check their local parkrun Facebook page or their local parkrun’s website. If visiting the parkrun website, information about upcoming cancellations can be found under Volunteer – Future Roster. All planned parkrun cancellations will also be available on this page in the weeks leading up to Anzac Day.

Click here to find out more about Invictus Australia’s partnership with parkrun Australia. You can join Team Veteran in your parkrun profile here.

veterans share their own reasons for choosing to participate in parkrun on Anzac Day

Bek Milne:
Routine and community is important to my wellness journey and parkrun lights up my weekend, connects me to my local area and people I care about. I will be volunteering as a Run Director at parkrun on Anzac Day.
Not all veterans are comfortable at a formal service for a range of reasons, but at parkrun on Anzac Day you can still honour the spirit of our Anzacs with runners on your feet and reflection in your heart. What if one parkrun saves one life?

Tony Smith:
My partner (a serving police officer) and I have recently relocated to Melbourne from Perth, and parkrun has played a huge role in helping us build a new network of friends. We’re fortunate to have three parkruns all within a 5km radius. Our Anzac Day routine will include attending a dawn service, followed by parkrun, and then a visit to our local RSL.

Alby Smith:
I am 90 years old and I run every week and sometimes volunteer at parkrun on the Gold Coast. On Anzac Day this year at parkrun I will be wearing my Team Veteran shirt and my “I love parkrun” cap and thinking of the good work Invictus does with veterans.

Steven Sims:
I will be parkrunning on Anzac Day for my family. My seven-year-old daughter is approaching 100 parkruns and my younger daughter turned four this week and can’t wait to get started. We attend and love all parkruns and it’s even part of our Christmas and New Year. parkrun is a community where people support you, and I would much rather be around my running friends, family and community on a difficult day than anywhere else.

John Day

I’m 95 and a Korean War veteran. I’ve completed almost 600 parkruns in Cleveland, south of Brisbane, as a member of Team Veteran. I welcome parkrun taking place on Anzac Day when it falls on a Saturday, and I appreciate the significance. Anzac Day means a great deal to me because it is a tribute to all those men and women who served their country in past conflicts. In particular it is a vivid reminder to me of the young men I did aircrew training with in the RAAF and came to know so well. Later on, many of us served in the Malayan emergency and in Korea. I was a navigator but several, who were fighter pilots, were killed in action. I remember them! These days parkrun means so much to me because it is about exercise and friendships.

Bomber Hutchinson:
Commemorating Anzac Day has been a lifestyle event for me for more than 50 years. The last time Anzac Day fell on a Saturday was during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020, which meant I missed out on both my normal Anzac Day activities and parkrun, which was really difficult. parkrun helps me to manage my PTS and I am so thankful that this year I will have the opportunity to commemorate Anzac Day with my friends and family in the usual way, and participate in parkrun as a proud member of Team Veteran too.

Kate Corner:
I am a veteran who will be participating in parkrun on Anzac Day. Anzac Day for me is about acknowledging not just the sacrifices made by Australia’s service men and women but also about recognising what we can do to assist those vets, and their family members, that are suffering as a result of their service. My parkrun experience has always been more about the social engagement than the physical benefits and I know first-hand how beneficial having safe and welcoming spaces, like parkrun, can be for veterans suffering from a range of mental health challenges. This is no more relevant than on Anzac Day, which can be very confronting for many veterans.

Craig Rachow:
I am an Army Reserve in the Northern Territory. parkrun starts here at 7am, so I will be waking up before dawn to go to Nightcliff parkrun. Nightcliff’s event gathers on the shore of a sandy beach and the event welcome will occur as the sun rises. I am certain there will be sombre but proud emotions running through many of us.
Miriam Stickland

I am from a military family going back to World War II, and most recently my nephew was with the Royal Australian Air Force before being retired due to Post Traumatic Stress. I will be attending a parkrun on Anzac Day, most likely as a volunteer, because parkrun for me is an asset that’s delivered for the community by the community. parkrun provides a support network that gives everyone the opportunity to have regular human connection, and there’s no more important a day for this than Anzac Day. Many of the veterans that we honour on Anzac Day benefit enormously from the mental health benefits of speaking with other people at parkrun, and if one veteran benefits from a parkrun conversation on the day then it will all be worthwhile. 

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