Ally O'Rourke is the founder of 10 Boomerangs, a project which has created community and brought enjoyment at parkrun events across the world.

It was back in June 2024, when South Beach Recreation Reserve Run Director Ally decided to send those ten boomerangs out into the world.

Starting at her Fremantle home in Australia, they have travelled the globe, meeting new temporary owners and taking in the sights and sounds of some of the world's largest cities and smallest towns.

As each boomerang heads around the world their stories are shared on social media, building a new community while bolstering the already established one possessed by parkrun.

Those stories are tracked on a Facebook page, ‘10 Boomerangs ParkFunning, A worldwide ParkFun adventure’.

So far, the boomerangs have visited a host of countries including America, Austria, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Japan, Lithuania, Malaysia, Namibia, South Africa, and - of course - the UK.

In this episode of Running Tales, we spoke to Ally about why she started the project, whether she has been surprised by its success, and the moving story of Boomerang DellB6...

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Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 30% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link⁠

Khandie Rees needs some persuading when people tell her she's a runner.

With a dodgy hip and suffering from serious pulmonary problems that mean she probably shouldn't be running at all, Khandie is often found towards the back of the pack at any race she takes part in.

But at Running Tales, we know that your VO2 Max and split times mean nothing compared to the effort it takes to simply get to the start line and what you do with the privilege of running when you get there.

Northampton resident Khandie has completed the town's half-marathon seven times, finishing the latest edition yesterday. But more than that, she has done so despite her doctors telling her she shouldn't even be racing.

Why? Well, Khandie is, by her own admission, simply too stubborn to stop - although she says each year that that race will be her last. But more tellingly, she has raised thousands of pounds for a variety of charities.

Yesterday's run has already seen her raise £1,615 and counting for cancer charity The Lewis Foundation, an organisation which provides gift packs to cancer patients who are in hospital and which has helped a close friend of Khandie's who sadly has terminal cancer.

In this episode of Running Tales, we spoke to Khandie about the challenges she faces to run, her charity endeavours, and why she has developed a strangely dependent relationship with the poo bin at mile nine of The Amazing Northampton Run...

Khandie has raised more than £1,600 for The Lewis Foundation - you can sponsor her here.

Visit Running Tales on:

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Please Like and Subscribe wherever you listen, watch or read Running Tales.

Buy Me A Coffee:

Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 30% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link⁠

Chris Luna has been running for about four years, using the sport to achieve physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional balance.

Running has also seen him embrace ultra distances, including competing at the Saddles 100 in Prescott, Arizona - described as an act of endurance that passes through dust, pine, and shifting stone.

Despite not reaching his 100 mile goal, he still managed to rack up 100km at the challenging event.

But for Native American Chris, who has Coahuilteco and Lakota heritage, running is about far more than his own health.

As the founder of Native Men Run, he is aiming to encourage other native men to stay active and live healthy lives.

The ongoing impact of colonialism means many members of the indigenous population in America suffer from health problems and socio-economic challenges.

Chris' aim is that Native Men Run can attract donations in the form of gear, race entries, and coaching scholarships, thus helping more people to enjoy running and find fitness.

In this episode of Running Tales, we spoke to Chris about the benefits running brings for the Native American population, how the birth of his son inspired him to start moving more, and why colonial challenges aren't confined to the past.

Follow Native Men Run on Instagram.

Visit Running Tales on:

Substack: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://runningtales.substack.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

YouTube: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/runningtalespod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Please Like and Subscribe wherever you listen, watch or read Running Tales.

Buy Me A Coffee:

Back Running Tales and help us continue to tell the extraordinary stories of everyday runners: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://buymeacoffee.com/runningtales⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Our affiliates:

◾TAKE THE BEST PATH: Path Projects offer some of the best running gear in the business.

I love this kit and it looks really cool even on a 48-year-old, decidedly average runner like me!

If you buy anything from Path Projects, Running Tales will get 10% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Path Projects Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾SLOTH & DUCK: More than a shop, Sloth & Duck is a movement celebrating the outdoors, purposeful living, and adventure at every pace.

Designed for trail runners and ultramarathoners, their kit is crafted to connect you to nature with comfort, intention, and a splash of whimsy.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sloth & Duck Affiliate Link⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

◾DIFFERENT AND UNIQUE: Kibra empowers women to embrace their unique beauty through high-quality activewear designed to cultivate confidence and a resilient mindset.

Their distinctive performance wear supports every journey, while they also partner with global NGOs to bring about meaningful change.

If you buy anything from Kibra, Running Tales will get 30% of whatever you pay to help us continue to produce this Substack and the podcast.

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kibra Affiliate Link