Parkrun tourism draws crowds to regional Australia, brings money to country towns
FriFriday 22
Neil Barnett crosses the finish line in Longreach his 292nd unique Parkrun location.
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Neil Barnett lives with multiple sclerosis and hemochromatosis and last month he had a mild heart attack, but when he puts his running shoes on, there s no stopping him.
Key points:
Accommodation and post-Parkrun meeting places like cafes and restaurants all benefit from Parkrun tourists
The Parkrun influencer effect is being credited for helping to promote regional towns
The 57-year-old Brisbanite has run in more unique Parkrun locations than anyone else in Australia since he first took part in 2012.
Pete s part of parkrun, but he found out this community isn t just about running
By Johanna McDiarmid
FriFriday 18
updated
FriFriday 18
DecDecember 2020 at 11:24pm
Pete Johns (centre) had a cardiac arrest earlier this year but is already back running with the help of his parkrun friends.
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When he got home, he collapsed.
Four days later, he woke up in intensive care after suffering a cardiac arrest.
Pete s now fine and he s back running again thanks a lot to his local parkrun community.
Parkrun is a free, weekly, 5-kilometre run that happens in parks and open spaces across the world.