STEPHEN Jackson recently brought up his 100th run at Bathurst parkrun and you can be sure there’s plenty more still to come.
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What keeps him coming back on Saturday mornings is the wonderful community atmosphere.
“It’s about the community and the fact that no-one is in it for a buck. They’re there for each other and everyone’s supportive.
“No-one is judgemental and you can take as long as you’d like. Whether you’re fast up the front or walking at the back we’re all on the same page – out there doing something together.
“We’re averaging nearly 200 people every week now, even through winter.”
Jackson boasts an impressive list of locations across his century, taking in every Australian state and even France and England.
Jackson said running at Bushy Park, the birthplace of parkrun back in 2004, was a great experience.
“That was real pilgrimage. I think the objective of every runner should be to get to Bushy Park,” he said.
“There was 1200 finishers. It was huge, but uses all the same systems we have over here. It was just like being at home.”
Volunteering has been a big part of Jackson’s parkrun routine, putting his hand up 83 times to help out.
Jackson had been narrowly pipped to the 100 mark by fellow Bathurst competitor Tim Dowler, who completed his 102nd run last Saturday.
Both Dowler and Jackson were part of Bathurst’s first parkrun on the 30th of July, 2016.
Bathurst parkrun is a free event held 8am every Saturday at Peace Park.