However, despite the drizzle, 162 troopers still made the trek to the Dunedin Botanic Garden to take part in the city’s 12th anniversary of parkrun.
Dunedin parkrun event director Tania Hollis said it had been a fun-filled 12 years of the weekly runs.
"For a lot of people, it’s just part of their Saturday mornings — it’s a great chance to catch up with some friends, do some exercise early on in the morning and set themselves up for the weekend."
Usually, the Saturday parkrun would attract around 300 people, but this past weekend just over half that number showed up.
There were still 18 first-timers, and another 15 people managed to record personal bests.
Considering the conditions, she was very impressed, she said.
"It was wet, with slippery puddles and low-hanging branches, so we had all the obstacles out there for everybody to enjoy.
"And people enjoyed it, although it was rainy."
The theme for the week was toga, but not many took part in the costume aspect, she said.
"I think the idea of running around the garden in a wet sheet for 5km put a lot of people off ... we might have to try that again on another sunnier day."
She and many others were looking forward to another 12 years of the event, she said.
