Adam Clarke smashes it out of the park, Dulwich Park to be exact, with a 14:00 parkrun this Saturday morning. Not far from Andy Baddely’s all time parkrun best of 13:48 and third fastest UK run all time. Funnily enough though it isn’t a course record for the super quick Dulwich course as Alex Yee ran 13:57 there last year.

Worth noting that the Aldershot, Farnham & District’s athlete is a 13:39 5000m runner and ran a fine PB of 3:38.07 for 1500m this August in Switzerland. Just a few weeks ago Clarke was fifth at Leeds Abbey Dash 10k in 28:51. He ran a course record 14:31 at Richmond parkrun earlier this year, but all for a good cause.

The women’s winner is no stranger to fast times either, with parkrun regular Hayley Carruthers returning to some Saturday morning action with a new course record at the gravel pathed Pont y Bala parkrun in Wales. Birchfield Harrier Carruthers ran 17:25 to finish quickest this week by only one second from Emily Thompson.

Thompson was running at one of Carruthers usual haunts of Cannon Hill, Birmingham and clocked a rather large parkrun PB of 17:26 as the U20 hasn’t been at the free Saturday morning event for a while. It brings her parkrun best in line with some of her other strong marks like her 4:24.66 1500m. The middle distance athlete had great success indoors at the start of 2019 and won the BUCS 1500m indoor title.

Supporting the cross country

We are wondering if Daniel Jarvis (14:52 for second) and Josh Lunn (15:27 for ninth) travelled up from Bedford to the wrong park in Liverpool this weekend. Not far from Sefton Park where an almighty cross country battle for European XC places unfolded, both Jarvis and Lunn had strong runs at the Princes Park event, with Jarvis taking a Jonny Mellor course record by a big margin.

It may well have just been a good morning workout for those supporting at Sefton park as a quick glimpse sees names like James Thie and Callum Gillett running the speedy Merseyside event as well.

There were only four women under 18 minutes this week with Charlotte Penfold (17:57) and Hannah Taunton (17:58) the only others. As we normally see with a weekend with big club or cross country races there is a drop in parkrun top ten times for the female athletes, but not so much in the men’s times.

Three men ran under 15 minutes with Ben Branagh posting 14:54 at Waterworks parkrun in Belfast as well.

Courtesy of three runs in the top ten, Walsall Arboretum is the quickest event this weekend but several events feature twice, probably a nod to the benefit of a bit of healthy competition on your Saturday morning shakeout at parkrun.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Dulwich
Adam Clarke, 14:00, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
2) parkrun: Princes Park, Liverpool
Daniel Jarvis, 14:52, Bedford & County AC
3) parkrun: Waterworks, Belfast
Ben Branagh, 14:54
4) parkrun: Alexandra Park, Moss Side
Thomas Beasley, 15:07, Birchfield Harriers
5) parkrun: South Manchester
Tom Lancashire, 15:18, Bolton United Harriers & AC
6) parkrun: Albert Park, Middlesbrough
Dominic Shaw, 15:20, New Marske Harriers AC
7) parkrun: South Manchester
Karl Darcy, 15:23, Salford Harriers & AC
8) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum
Karl Welborn, 15:24, B.R.A.T. Club
9) parkrun: Princes Park, Liverpool
Josh Lunn, 15:27, Bedford & County AC
10) parkrun: Maesteg
Tom Marshall, 15:29, Brecon AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Pont y Bala
Hayley Carruthers, 17:25, Birchfield Harriers
2) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Emily Thompson, 17:26, Banbury Harriers AC
3) parkrun: Newcastle
Charlotte Penfold, 17:57, North Shields Polytechnic AC
4) parkrun: Burnham and Highbridge
Hannah Taunton, 17:58, Taunton AC
5) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum
Becks Timmings, 18:02, Bromsgrove & Redditch AC
6) parkrun: Eastbourne
Harriet Bloor, 18:02, Hailsham Harriers
7) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum
Lucie Tait-Harris, 18:02
8) parkrun: Woodley
Sophie Crumly, 18:05, Reading AC
9) parkrun: Cassiobury
Jo Hickman Dunne, 18:07, Loughborough
10) parkrun: Edinburgh 
Kara Tait, 18:11, Kilmarnock Harriers and AC

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

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The post 10 fastest UK parkrun times on Saturday 23rd November (2019) appeared first on Fast Running.

Usually we see slower times on weekends like the National 12 stage road relays, but no one told runners like Naomi Taschimowitz and Andrew Heyes. There was actually three runners under 15 minutes for the men and two under 17 minutes for the women.

Hallamshire Harrier Heyes ran 14:18 at Bakewell parkrun, not too far ahead of third placed runner Jonas Raess who finished in 14:32. Raes ran a time usually quick enough to grab the top spot but had to settle for third this week.

Naomi Taschimowitz of Shaftesbury Barnet and UCL (but needing to update her parkrun profile from Taunton AC) posted a speedy 16:44 at Hackney Marshes parkrun. Already this year has seen a seventh at the National XC and third at Southerns.

My Life Films

Adam Clarke broke the course record with 14:31 at Richmond parkrun this morning and all for a good cause. Clarke was part of a large group of runners celebrating the firth anniversary of the charity My Life Films.

In their own words My Life Films  “create FREE biographical films for people living with dementia by capturing their unique story in a film to help celebrate and remember their lives. The films help to improve the quality of life of the person with dementia and act as an innovative care tool during all stages of the disease.” You can donate to this fantastic cause here.

Danielle Nimmick from City of Norwich AC featured for the second week running, going from second to third fastest with a 16:59 at the Gunpowder event. Given that Nimmock plays a key role in preparing the London Marathon Expo and it might be a little busy right now, it is good to see the marathoner finding time to get to parkrun and run so well.

The quick race between Andrew Heyes and Jonas Raess means that Bakewell parkrun was the quickest of the bunch this week. Given that the picturesque event is run entirely on the Mensal Trail the chaps must have been flying.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Bakewell
Andrew Heyes, 14:18, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC
2) parkrun: Richmond
Adam Clarke, 14:31, My Life Films
3) parkrun: Bakewell
Jonas Raess, 14:32
4) parkrun: Clapham Common
Andrew Penney, 15:10, Hercules Wimbledon
5) parkrun: Yeovil Montacute
Ian Leith, 15:13, Brighton Phoenix
6) parkrun: Peterborough
Edgars Sumskis, 15:14, Newham & Essex Beagles AC
7) parkrun: Woodley
Robert Corney, 15:17
8) parkrun: Edinburgh
Andrew Douglas, 15:21, Inverclyde AC
9) parkrun: Daventry
Joshua Schofield, 15:26, Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC
10) parkrun: Long Eaton
Tom Mahon, 15:28, Wreake and Soar Valley AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun:Hackney Marshes
Naomi Taschimowitz, 16:44, Taunton AC
2) parkrun: Gunpowder
Danielle Nimmock, 16:59, City of Norwich AC
3) parkrun: Greenock
Gema Rankin, 17:17, Kilbarchan AAC
4) parkrun: Perth
Sarah Coutts, 17:57, Pitreavie AAC
5) parkrun: Brueton
Jane Evans, 18:09, Knowle and Dorridge Running Club
6) parkrun: Lee-on-the-Solent
Rebecca Margaret Lord, 18:11, Stubbington Green Runners
7) parkrun: Bedford
Tia Wilson, 18:11, Bedford & County AC
8) parkrun: Bushy
Mara Yamauchi, 18:12, Thames Hare & Hounds
9) parkrun: Druridge Bay
Charlotte Dannatt, 18:13, Camberley & District AC
10=) parkrun: Albert, Middlesborough
Sharon Bulman, 18:15, New Marske Harriers AC
10=) parkrun: Brockwell, Herne Hill
Philippa Williams, 18:15, Elswick Harriers

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post 10 fastest UK parkrun times on Saturday 6th April (2019) appeared first on Fast Running.

Max Burgin set a world age-15 record and UK under-17 best for 800m, clocking 1:47.50 at the first British Milers Club Grand Prix of the season at Manchester’s Sportcity on Saturday (May 12). More about Burgin’s stunning run can be found here.

In second was under-23 Spencer Thomas in a PB of 1:47.76. Finishing in fourth place was Joseph Reid who improved his Isle of Man record to 1:48.32.

Former European indoor 400m representative took more than three seconds from her best to win the women’s 800m A race in 2:03.86. Runner-up Jemma Reekie’s 2:03.91 was also a new best. Keely Hodgkinson, in fifth, topped the UK under-17 rankings for this year so far with a PB 2:05.27.

Ireland’s Sarah Healy won the women’s 1500m A race in a PB of 4:15.53. Top Brit in the men’s races was Andrew Smith, who set a best of 3:43.75 in placing second behind Italy’s Ossama Meslek. Former European junior 5000m bronze medallist was third in 3:44.00.

Philip Sesemann took the men’s 5000m A race, setting a PB of 13:59.27.

The women’s equivalent saw a pair of PBs at the front for Claire Duck (15:39.68) and Stevie Stockton (15:41.11) as Jess Judd was third in 15:49.54.

Elise Thorner set a European Youth Championships qualifier to win the women’s 2000m steeplechase in 6:52.68. Ben Thomas did likewise in the men’s as his 5:57.89 was good enough for third behind junior Alfred Yabsley (5:50.04).

Shanghai Diamond League (China), May 11

Andrew Osagie was the sole British middle-distance runner in action, clocking 1:46.36 for seventh in the high-calibre race. The 2012 Olympic finalist was racing for the first time since the Commonwealth Games.

Britain’s Reece Prescod was the surprise winner in a top men’s 100m field as he claimed victory by 0.01s pipping China’s Bingtian Su to victory in 10.04. CJ Ujah finished fourth in 10.18.

BMC Gold Standard Races, Lee Valley, May 9

Adam Clarke set a lifetime best to win the mile in 4:02.79. Behind 5000m winner John Sanderson (14:20.14), M40 Kojo Kyereme clocked 14:46.18 for seventh.

Portland Twilight Meeting, Adrian (USA), May 12

Britain’s Charlotte Taylor, who finished sixth at the European Cross Country Championships in December, won the 5000m in 15:52.84. Jack Rowe was second in the men’s 5000m in 14:03.79.

Cambridgeshire County Champs, Peterborough, May 12

Thomas Keen achieved a European Youth Championships qualifying standard of 3:51.02 with a solo effort.

Mountain West Outdoor Track & Field Championships, California, May 13

Scottish athlete Josh Kerr, who broke the NCAA 1500m record earlier this year, won his third-straight Mountain West 1500m title clocking 3:44.69. Kerr is the first athlete in league history to win the metric mile race for three consecutive years.

Atlanta Track Club All-Comers Meet (USA), May 8

Middlesbrough-Mandele’s Hannah Segrave was second in the 800m in 2:03.10.

On the roads this weekend, there were super quick times in Ipswich on Saturday night, and a report can be found here. On Sunday runners battled high temperatures in Bristol, while 10ks and half marathons in Leeds Sunderland, Oxford and Colchester also produced some fine performances. A full road running round-up can be found here.

The post BMC Grand Prix opener and this week’s track round-up appeared first on Fast Running.