Pre race energies 

Everyone likes to get obsessive about the weather and what they eat the night before their race, and with high stakes like the trials, of course this was no different. 

Clara Edwards, laughs ‘us runners really are a funny bunch’, ‘ it was so funny seeing all the athletes arrive with their cooking paraphernalia in the lobby. I saw microwaves, I took a toaster for my breakfast, the only thing that didn’t get bought was a kitchen sink!’ .

Reading AC’s Naomi Mitchell recalls that “everyone was in really good spirits and excited to race. We were all trying to gauge the weather on our warm up loop to see how windy it was going to be” and Rosie Edwards found “the energy around the race was so positive and I think every athlete was grateful to be there. It felt different to all other marathons. There was a positive atmosphere and gratitude.”

The level of attrition from this lead pack was possibly higher than usual on the slightly lonely looped route in Kew. Credit: Nigel Bramley

Going in confident

The only one already with a qualifying time, Steph Davis had been waiting a long time to run this race and had plenty of time to think about what might happen.

But rather than focussing on the magnitude of the task the Clapham Chaser made sure she just had a “pre-race chat with my coach and played through different scenarios in my mind so that in the moments before the start I was only focussing on the warmup and the final bits of preparation”.

That said, she did “change outfit about three times” thanks to the very mixed forecast.

Of course this was no normal race situation and for marathon debutante Becky Briggs there was not only the first time nerves but also the fact that “the concept of a start line felt so unfamiliar” and they had to do “our warmup strides with a mask on”.

Imagine racing the trials in the middle of a pandemic as your first marathon – and as the youngest competitor!

Running into the wind

What might not have been completely clear from the online coverage was that while the course was indeed a fast one, and the potentially sharp corners had been carefully smoothed out, there was quite a headwind on the longest straight section of the route. 

As we now know, the race ranged from textbook, to tantalising, to unexpectedly wonderful, to frustratingly awful for the women taking part. Understandably some didn’t want to think about it again because it was all a bit too raw, but others were able to share some of the positives and negatives of the day.

Elite marathoners are not immune to stomach and nutrition issues and that does seem to have been a common theme of this race.

Some just had to battle with the trials of being female – Charlotte Taylor-Green had bad stomach issues due to being on her period but refuses to be upset by it “you can’t control everything – my body and health is priority and I did what I had to for me… I want to continue running for a long time, there’s no rush”. 

Clara Evans, Naomi Mitchell and Becs Gentry working together with their pace group. Credit: Nigel Bramley

Not every plan works out as you want

For Naomi Mitchell the day didn’t pan out as she hoped either, “early on I had some frustrating stomach cramps but was finding the pace easy. I decided to drop back and let my stomach settle but…the wind meant I couldn’t get back into a rhythm and ended up slowing”. 

Youngster Becky Briggs had an impressive start and kept going with the pacers for as long as possible. Many commented at the time on her gutsy attitude and it was only at half way that she took the decision to drop back a bit after realising that the pace was too intense.

Unfortunately it was too late and the damage was done “it was like I hit a wall, I didn’t take nearly enough fuel in the first half and really paid the price for that”.

Becky Briggs tackling hard solo miles in the second half. Photo: Nigel Bramley

It’s an easy mistake to make when everything is feeling good and Becky told us that she nearly gave in at 21 miles (which she’d completed at 2:32 pace). “My mind and body were really fighting each other but I was determined to get to the end“.

One wonders whether a bit more of an atmosphere might have helped her out at this point and Bekcy agrees “it would have made a huge difference. All the marshalls there did a great job, but nothing beats a roaring crowd all the way round. There were some really lonely parts of Kew”.

Instead she battled on with just the covid-safe crew doing their best to help out, “around 10k to go was really bad, my vision had blurred and I was stumbling around but I kept telling myself ‘Becky you do not give up, that is not who you are’ “. And she did, completing the race in 2:38:58 after walk-running the last 5 miles.

Training the gut for race day too

Sarah Inglis, one of the pre-race favourites had a similarly gruelling trudge to the end, but she doesn’t think even a crowded mass-marathon would have helped her ““I had a similar experience in Arizona (her debut of 2:29:41) with no crowds. I don’t think it made much of a difference.. If it had been my first race I’d have said never again”.

She puts her experience down to not training enough with the gels she planned to use “the first bit felt easy and within myself but I felt sick from miles 16-18 and I couldn’t take any bottles or fuel and my pace just dropped off…I tried self talk, mantras, everything but the negative talk became overwhelming and I was so glad to see the finish line.

“My grandmother said she felt so sad for me when she saw me sat on the curb at the end.”

Becky Briggs leading the pace early on in her marathon debut with Sarah Inglis also at the front of the lead group with Steph Davis. Photo: Nigel Bramley

The race begins at 20 miles…

Wales’s Clara Evans had a much less dramatic experience but still had her own issues with nutrition, she felt “incredible to 30k (her 25-30k split was only beaten by Steph) but my fuelling strategy just wasn’t right. I’d never raced with what I used on the day and I think I’ve learned the lesson that it doesn’t work for me. Perhaps in normal times I‘d have had a chance to trial them in a half marathon but it wasn’t to be. I was being sick a lot from 20 miles and I just couldn’t take on anything which was a massive shame as my legs had more to give.”

Evans had moved up into third place with 5k to go but lost about a minute on the last lap and when it was finished I was just happy it was over”. Despite that, she ran a storming time and qualified for the Commonwealth Games.

Not everyone had a tough day at the office

Rosie Edwards shows that flexible fuelling can pay off. She “was surprised when the whole field seemed to go out with the 2:28/29 pacers but held back and stuck to the plan”.

By mile nine other women were coming back to her and she passed through halfway in 1:15:48. But it wasn’t all plain sailing. By mile 15 she did “feel pretty rough, really rough like my legs were going, but I had an extra gel on me in case I missed a bottle (which I hadn’t) so I took it as a boost and it worked like a miracle”.

When the pacer stopped at 33k she knew it was time to concentrate “I was waiting for the wall and it never came…I was trying to do the maths” to see if she could get the Commonwealth Games time (spoiler, she did). “The last lap was so fun and I was still feeling good until the last 800m. I thought I was about 10th, just scraping the CWG standard but I was so excited to finish third in 2:31. Crazy”. 

The star of the show

Finally of course there’s Steph Davis for whom the planning and training all came together in what looked like an effortless display of race execution. But even she wasn’t immune to gut issues –  “I felt controlled throughout the race – apart from when I got stitch around 4k in! I usually have a pretty tough stomach and rarely get stitches, so this threw me a little, I was shouting to my coach to switch my energy drinks to water so that was a last-minute scramble!”

After that though things settled in. “The first half felt quiet so I had no idea how everyone was feeling behind me…we went through half bang on pace. Although I felt relaxed I didn’t want to do anything too early as the second half of a marathon can feel very long if you make mistakes early on!”.

As we watched the coverage, it looked like Steph made a conscious decision to break away just after 13 miles but she says “I don’t remember actively making a decision…I think it happened when we moved into single file to let the men’s race past.”

“I wasn’t aware of how big my lead was and I couldn’t take anything for granted until I’d crossed that finish line! Of course this race wasn’t about time but rather getting that top-two placing and it was only “at around 500m to go I passed a big clock and knew I was close to my PB. I was delighted to bag a small one!”.

Post race feelings 

Celebrating success and learning from less-than perfect performance are an important part of the racing cycle.

For Naomi Mitchell, the initial blow of seeing a race which didn’t reflect her training has led her to reflect that “I have now experienced what is needed to gut out a tough race and I’m sure this will be of benefit to me in the future”, though she also says she learned that “racing in the wind is much harder than I thought!”. 

Steph Davis celebrates winning the women’s marathon and securing her place to run the marathon at the Tokyo Olympics. Credit: Nigel Bramley

For Becky, her big takeaway has been that fuelling a half marathon is very different to a full marathon and needs some practice in training. That said, “giving up on my dreams is simply not a choice. I’m even more determined to get the marathon right one day and show what I’m capable of”.

Lockdown difficulties my have played an impact

A long chat with Sarah Inglis as she endured her hotel-lockdown upon re-entry to Canada found her frustrated but upbeat. All things considered, a late flight to the UK (she arrived only a few days before due to teaching duties and suffered bad jet lag) and “getting complacent” about her fuelling are the two things she thinks made the difference.

For now, she’s going to turn her thought to the track and will try to qualify for the 10,000m. “I’m excited” she says, “I did a 10k PB in a time trial in the build up to this and I’ve got nothing to lose”.

Clara Evans (who ran the biggest PB of the day) clearly has more to offer in future races, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt so fresh as I did the day after this race” but was delighted to see three Welsh PBs in the top 5 of the race.

“I may need some time to improve to get to the games, but the success of others is what has made this happen as we all push each other to improve. My coach Chris Jones has been instrumental in the progress for the Welsh standards in distance running”.

Like many she feels that the trials offered a new and more prominent way to showcase British talent,  “I hope they keep these events standalone.. I feel like everyone can relate toThommo and Steph’s journey’s… this would have been lost amongst a bigger race”. 

Always chasing better performances

Rosie Edwards may have smashed her PB and got third place but she’s not immune to a bit of “what if”, “I do feel like I played it safe for too long. Perhaps I could have gone a few miles earlier, but then I may not have finished as I did. I am excited to be braver in my next one”.

The final word has to go to Marathon Trial champion and the only auto-qualifier for team GB, Steph Davis.  “I always take two weeks off to fully recover and mentally reset. My focus now is to have a healthy build to the Olympics and stay injury free – that’s a pretty good motivator to take your recovery seriously!

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The re-arranged event takes place in Gdynia, Northern Poland. The race originally set to host mass races will now take place exclusively for the International fields of just under 300 athletes. The course will use four laps of 5.5km, finishing on a purpose built surface on the City’s Beach in Gdansk Bay on the Southern Coast of the Baltic Sea.

This will be the first World Athletics Series Event to take place since the Covid-19 lockdowns. ‘’It is clear that the entire community – athletes, national federations, coaches, athlete representatives – have risen to the challenge,” said Jacob Larsen, World Athletics director of Competition and Events (via World Athletics). “It is evident that this is something everybody wants to happen – and indeed are making it happen’’.

Cheptegei coming in with decent form

Joshua Cheptegei will be the resounding favourite for the men’s race. The Ugandan Athlete has set World records for 5,000m (12:35.36) and 10,000m (26:11.00) in recent months and a 5km World Record (12:51) falling to him in Monaco back in February. In fact the 24 year old has lowered world records at every one of his races this year making a new world record on Saturday a definite possibility.

A battle with World Half Marathon Champion Geoffrey Kamworor was originally expected in March but never happened with the event being postponed due to the Covid-19 Pandemic.

World Record holder Kamworor (WR: 58:00) is not named in the Kenyan Team so the greatest opposition will likely come from Compatriot Jacob Kiplimo who will also make his Half Marathon debut in Gdynia.

19 year old Kiplimo finished second to Cheptegei at the World Athletics Cross Country Championships in Aarhus on the day that Kamworor was de-throned as World Champion. Two years earlier he had claimed the global crown in the Junior Men’s race.

Instead the Kenyan Challenge will be led by Kibiwott Kandie who has a 58:38 best making him the fastest in the field and as the fifth fastest of all-time, should not be counted out. Abraham Cheroben of Bahrain is the second fastest with a best of 58:40.

Guye Idemo Adola will head the Ethiopian Team with a P.B. of 59:06 and a Bronze medal at the Championships in Copenhagen from 2014 to his name.

Kaan Kigen Ozbilen (P.B: 59:48) of Turkey is the fastest European entrant with his P.B. recorded at Ras Al Khaimah in 2019.

Jake Smith racing in Paris.

British team reduced by injuries

British hopes have been affected by a series of withdrawals, reducing the men’s team to five athletes.

Jake Smith will be the fastest Briton on Paper with a time of 62:00 recorded when finishing third at the Vitality Big Half in March behind Kenenisa Bekele and Chris Thompson. This was a third outing over the distance for the 22 year old who debuted with 64:03 in 2018, going on to run 62:03 at the Boulogne Billancourt Half marathon last November.

The Cardiff based athlete born in Bermuda then recorded a 28:00 time trial for 10,000m in July to test fitness coming out of the Covid-19 lockdown and followed up with a fourth place at the Muller British Championships over 5,000m in September.

Mohamud Aadan set his lifetime best of 62:30 on his way to seventh at the Commonwealth Half Marathon championships in Cardiff back in 2018.

Orienteers and ultra runners with some leg speed

Scottish based Welshman Kristian Jones has become a regular in British Teams of recent years and takes a 63:09 best in to the Championships, recorded at the Barcelona Half Marathon early in 2020. His most notable win to date was a victory at the British Athletics Stirling Cross Challenge in February.

Tom Evans P.B. of 63:15 came at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September. This was just the latest eye-catching performance for the Ultra distance Specialist. Evans has medalled at the IAU World Trail running Championships and the infamous Marathon Des Sables. Evans proved that he was an athlete comfortable over any distance with a 13:41 clocking at the Podium 5k and a Bronze medal at the CAU Inter-Counties Cross Country Championships back in February.

Adam Craig (63:24) has come in to the team as a replacement for fellow Scotsman Callum Hawkins. This will mean a debut for Great Britain & Northern Ireland on the roads for the Inverclyde AC Athlete in just his second outing over the distance.

26.03.16 – IAAF/Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships 2016 – Elite womens runners on Roald Dahl Plas.

The women’s race is exciting

The women’s race will be more likely to see a competitive battle between former champions and some of the fastest athletes in history.

The Kenyan team will boast 2016 Champion Peres Jepchirchir (65:06) and former World record Holder Joyceline Jepkosgei (64.51). Rosemary Wanjiru (65.34) is the next fastest on an extremely strong Kenyan team with a 10km best of 29:50 set in Valencia.

Netsanet Gudetta (65:45) of Ethiopia is the defending Champion setting a women’s only world record of 66:11 in Valencia. That record fell to Jepchirchir with 65:34 in an elite only event in Prague last month.

Her compatriot Ababel Yeshaneh is faster yet with a 64:31 clocking to smash the world record held by Jepkosgei in a race where second placed Brigid Kosgei also dipped under the previous best mark.

Debuts for British women

Samantha Harrison is the fastest British challenger having clocked an impressive 71:01 to finish second at the Vitality Big Half in March after leading the race for some time.

Harrison, who describes running as ‘’her happy place’’ only began racing seriously in September 2018 and in late 2019 described a main goal for 2020 to be gaining selection for the World Athletics Half Marathon Championships.

Clara Evans is set to make her debut for the Great Britain and Northern Ireland Team, selected off the strength of a 72:21 lifetime best set at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon in September.

Becky Briggs will make her senior debut for Great Britain and Northern Ireland in Poland. The 20 year old set her best of 72:54 in Northern Ireland last month, taking her to seventh in the British U23 all-time lists and becoming the third fastest U23 in Europe this year.

Want to run faster? For just £30 per month athletes are provided with a Final Surge plan for each day of the week, coaching advice from Robbie Britton and Tom Craggs, as well as access to the unique Fast Running Performance community.

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The flat and fast race in the Welsh capital will re-start competitive road racing in Wales. The evening event will provide a first local racing opportunity for some of the top Welsh athletes.

Arter is the fastest in the field with a previous best of 15:39 set in 2018 at the Cardiff 5k – Race for Victory, just a second off Stevie Stockton’s Welsh record. The 2018 British 10,000m Champion will use the race to gauge fitness in a first competitive outing since a victory at the Podium 5k in 15:53.

Evans on the other hand will be looking to see how her pace is following a P.B on Sunday at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon with a 72:21 clocking.

Rotherham AC’s Sophie Cowper is next fastest with a best of 16:20 set back in 2016.

Deep quality in the men’s & women’s field

Steeplechaser Lauren Cooper of Parc Bryn Bach Runners, Alaw Beynon-Thomas and Kate Roberts of Swansea Harriers and Ffion Price of Cardiff AC add further quality. All four runners have also run under 17 minutes in the past.

Price will line up on Welsh soil for the first time since a Welsh title over 1500m in 2018. This is following a return from an Athletics scholarship at Missisipi State University.

Swansea Harrier Guy Smith is the fastest on paper in the men’s race with a best of 14:26 to his name.

Tom Marshall of Cardiff AC was due to compete but is now in an area of Wales on local lockdown so misses the race.

Osian Perrin of Menai Track & Field is a talented youngster set to make the trip from Anglesey who has a recent P.B. of 14:30 for the distance set at the Podium 5k in August.

There are a further nine athletes who have run under 15 minutes in the field led by Belmont University alumni, Matthew Edwards.

All in all an exciting racing prospect at the Cardiff Sunset 5k and a chance for some of the athletes to covert some virtual form into reality.

RELATED: Don’t get carried away with your virtual PBs in the first 500m. 

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Dulwich parkrun: We’ve been dominating the parkrun rankings recently.

Cardiff parkrun: Hold my beer…

Charlotte Arter showed her international class with a new fastest parkrun in the world this weekend. The Cardiff AC and GB star ran 15:49 at the fast south Wales event, with training partner Clara Evans only 15 seconds behind in 16:04.

After ending 2019 with a seventh place finish in the SPAR European XC Championships in Lisbon, Portugal, Arter opens 2020 with a blistering performance at parkrun. It’s not far off the Saucony athlete’s 15:39 5k best on the road or her 15:40.15 on the track for 5000m.

Clara Evans’ 16:04 actually brings her sixth on the UK all time parkrun rankings too and it’s only a matter of seconds away form her own 5k road best. What a way to start the year for the Welsh international. As we’ve said a lot recently British distance runner is in an exciting place with so much talent around.

There were some speedy chaps too

The men’s quickest performance of the week was also at Cardiff, with Paul Graham, a Pontypridd Roadents like Evans, running 14:50 and being one of three meant to break 15 minutes this week, the others being ever-present Seyfu Jamaal of London Heathside (14:55) and James McCrae of Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC (14:57), who was also at Cardiff.

It was a Welsh 1-2-3 for the ladies, with Alaw Beynon-Thomas running 17:07 at Llanelli Coast, which is a parkrun PB and comes off a strong 36:05 at Speedway 10k for fourth spot.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Cardiff
Paul Graham, 14:50, Pontypridd Roadents AC
2) parkrun: Dulwich
Seyfu Jamaal, 14:55, London Heathside
3) parkrun: Cardiff
James McCrae, 14:57, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC
4) parkrun: Exmouth
Phil Wylie, 15:09, Cheltenham & County Harriers
5) parkrun: Blyth Links
Daniel Dixon, 15:12, Morpeth Harriers & AC
6) parkrun: Pegwell Bay
Christopher Thomas, 15:15, Thames Valley Harriers
7) parkrun: Cardiff
Jack Bancroft, 15:23, Wells City Harriers
8) parkrun: Bushy
Andrew Douglas, 15:25, Inverclyde AC
9=) parkrun: Dulwich
Matt Dickinson, 15:28, Clapham Chasers RC
9=) parkrun: Blyth Links
George Lowry, 15:28, Jarrow and Hebburn AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Cardiff
Charlotte Arter, 15:49, University of Wales Institute Cardiff AC
2) parkrun: Cardiff 
Clara Evans, 16:04, Pontypridd Roadents AC
3) parkrun: Llanelli Coast 
Alaw Beynon-Thomas, 17:07, Swansea Harriers AC
4) parkrun: Aberdeen
Jenny Bannerman, 17:12, Inverness Harriers AAC
5) parkrun: Alexandra, Moss Side
Harriet Knowles-Jones, 17:22, Warrington AC
6) parkrun: Heaton 
Sinead Bent, 17:31, Salford Harriers & AC
7) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum 
Kelly Butler, 17:33, Birchfield Harriers
8) parkrun: Burnham and Highbridge 
Hannah Taunton, 17:40, Taunton AC
9=) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Bryony Haines, 17:41, Birchfield Harriers
9=) parkrun: Burgess
Charlene Jacobs-Conradie, 17:41, Luton 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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Swansea Harrier Griffiths is in pole position for the Healthspan Wales 10K title after racing to victory at the inaugural Healthspan Porthcawl 10K last month. Griffiths kicked on in the last kilometre to triumph in 29 minutes 54 seconds, and will be out to clock another sub-30 performance at another of South Wales’ iconic seaside locations.

The man he beat to take the Porthcawl title, James Hunt, will be out to get revenge on the Island. The 2018 Welsh Cross Country champion will be hoping to use his experience on the undulating course to make up the four second gap that separated the two that day.

Cheltenham’s Phil Wylie and Exmouth Harrier Tom Merson are the two other members of the field to have dipped under the 30 minute mark, and both will be battling to claim a podium place on Sunday morning.

Evans and Cockram go head to head

In the women’s race, Cardiff AC star Clara Evans will be out to make a breakthrough performance over 10K in Wales after racing to a third placed finish at the London 10K earlier this year. But she will face stuff competition from another Healthspan Porthcawl 10K champion in Natasha Cockram, who made a smooth transition from the marathon to the shorter distance to claim her first 10K triumph of the year in 34:51.

Returning champion Rachel Felton will not give her crown up without a fight and will be looking to go one better than her previous Healthspan Wales 10K Series race at the ABP Newport Wales 10K, where she finished second.

Distance running fans will remember the name Carl Thackery from his heyday in the 1980s and 1990s. The former long distance specialist won team silver at the 1992 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 1992 before claiming individual and team bronze a year later in 1993. But on Sunday, his daughter Calls gets her chance to shine on the roads of Barry Island.

And the Hallamshire and former University of New Mexico runner will be hoping spring a surprise on the rest of the field after winning the 2019 Great Grimsby 10K earlier this year.

International masters competition

The second edition of the race will also incorporate a Masters International clash between England and Wales.

Race Director Steve Brace said: “The challenging course at Barry Island makes for a pair of fascinating races. Josh Griffiths will know all about the nature of the route after coming home in third last year and he will be hoping it takes some of the other runners by surprise.

“There will be plenty of fierce competition at the front end of the race before more than 3,000 runners aim to overcome their own personal challenges and set new personal bests. It’s shaping up to be another fantastic festival of running, so I would encourage the local community to come out and roar the participants along the course.”

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In possibly one of the highest quality parkrun weekends we’ve seen for fast times, three men were under 15 minutes and five women under 17 minutes. It’s always great to see.

It was a Birchfield Harriers double for Ahmed and Carruthers, as well as fifth placed Bryony Haines (16:54), and they are one of the clubs that we see repeatedly feature in our rankings.

At Brueton parkrun, Omer Ahmed ran 14:26, just two seconds off his 5k best of 14:24 which was at Mid Cheshire 5k this year. The U23 has PB’d over 10k too with his 29:17 win at Speedway 10k back in January.

Teammate Hayley Carruthers is no stranger to these rankings and it was an easy job of a copy and paste, just changing a couple of numbers, with her 16:05 at Walsall Arboretum this weekend being a few seconds quicker than her run at the same event last week.

Stephanie Davis ran an excellent parkrun PB of 16:08, which is also a chunk quicker than her 5k PB of 16:50. It brings that mark closer in line with her fantastic 2:32:38 London Marathon performance earlier this year.

Nicolas Torry has been in fine forming 2019, getting an England selection for the Autumn marathons and featuring twice in June in our rankings with a 14:48 at Dulwich parkrun.

Not much slower than Torry was young George King. The Winchester and District AC athlete nipped under 15 minutes with a 14:57 at Hackney Marshes parkrun to continue the excellent 2019 the Tom Craggs coached speedster is having.

It seems there was a Welsh international party at Cardiff parkrun with parkrun record holder Charlotte Arter leading home international teammates Jenny Nesbitt and Clara Evans.

Arter ran a strong 16:14, with Nesbitt not far back in 16:30 and Evans just over the 17 minute mark in 17:02. A great sign that not only is Welsh distance running in good form, but they’re working together to get better too.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Brueton
Omer Ahmed, 14:26, Birchfield Harriers
2) parkrun: Dulwich
Nicholas Torry, 14:48, Serpentine RC
3) parkrun: Hackney Marshes
George King, 14:57, Winchester and District AC
4) parkrun: Edinburgh
Peter Avent, 15:18, Shettleston Harriers
5) parkrun: Bushy
Paul Pollock, 15:20, Abbey AC
6) parkrun: Dulwich
Dominic Nolan, 15:23, Oxted School
7) parkrun: Worthing
Simon Heath, 15:26, Brighton Phoenix
8) parkrun: Panshanger
John Eves, 15:27, Bedford & County AC
9) parkrun: Norwich
Logan Smith, 15:28, Dereham Runners AC
10) parkrun: St Albans
Thomas Crouch, 15:32, Melbourne Midday Milers

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum 
Hayley Carruthers, 16:05, Birchfield Harriers
2) parkrun: Dulwich
Stephanie Davis, 16:08, Clapham Chasers RC
3) parkrun: Cardiff
Charlotte Arter, 16:14, University of Wales Institute Cardiff AC
4) parkrun: Cardiff 
Jenny Nesbitt, 16:30, Worcester
5) parkrun: Greenock
Bryony Haines, 16:54, Birchfield Harriers
6) parkrun: Cardiff 
Clara Evans, 17:02, Pontypridd Rodents
6) parkrun: Sheffield Hallam
Rebecca Robinson, 17:11, Kendal AAC
8) parkrun: Bushy
Lauren Hall, 17:17, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
9) parkrun: Morecambe Prom
Carla Davies, 17:24, Salford Harriers and AC
10) parkrun: Sheffield Hallam
Philippa Williams, 17:35, 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

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