Speedster Kieran Clements showed up at Kesgrave parkrun this morning to run just three seconds off his own course record. The 13:53 5k runner nipped around in a quick 14:35 to be quickest this weekend by over 30 seconds. After running 14:31.33 for ninth at the British Championships earlier in August, Clements was in winning form at the Tonbridge Twilight Invitational when he ran 8:07.59 for a win in the 3000m.

Kirsty Longley ran a big new parkrun best of 16:46 at Croxteth Park this fine Saturday. The Merseyside V40 pushed the pace and was 30 seconds faster than the course record for the Merseyside event. It is only a few weeks after Longley ran 16:37 at the Ellesmere Port RC 5k for a new personal best. It goes alongside the 10k (34:29) and half marathon (78:07) Pbs from 2019 already.

Dani Nimmock of City of Norwich AC has only just recently been part of the British team that took gold at the World  50km Championships with a 3:30:22 and two weeks later the marathoner is already back in action at parkrun. We hope she’s had a couple easy weeks in between to let those hard working legs recover!

Nicholas Torry of Serpentine may have run his marathon best of 2:15:04 back in 2013, but the V40 athlete is showing no signs of slowing down yet. To add to his fantastic 14:34 5k PB ran in Battersea Park in July, the marathoner now has the honour of being second in our weekly parkrun rankings wth a 15:07 at Dulwich parkrun.

We wonder if it was a family feud at Wolverhampton parkrun with Ian and Martin Williams, both of Tipton Harriers, just two seconds apart at the finish for sixth and seventh place. There was even Peter Harry Brookes three seconds further back in 15:35 and 10th place in our rankings.

Ian ran 15:30 and Martin 15:32, as both Williams, who may not be related, made a good race of the non-race. Bragging rights might still lie with Martin as he has a 2:17:36 marathon best from 2010, whilst Ian is no slouch with his 2:24:49 from the 2015 London Marathon.

The two fastest parkruns this week were both in the Midlands, with three runners at Cannon Hill, Birmingham and three runners at Wolverhampton parkrun all making the weekly rankings.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Kesgrave
Kieran Clements, 14:35, Shaftesbury Barnet
2) parkrun: Dulwich
Nicolas Torry, 15:07, Serpentine RC
3) parkrun: Clapham Common
Seyfu Jamaal, 15:15, London Heathside
4) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
William Richardson, 15:19, Birchfield Harriers
5) parkrun: Bushy Park
Ellis Cross, 15:19, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
6) parkrun: Wolverhampton
Ian Williams, 15:30, Tipton Harriers
7) parkrun: Wolverhampton 
Martin Williams, 15:32, Tipton Harriers
8=) parkrun: Highbury Fields
Tom Aldred, 15:33, London Heathside
8=) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Andrew Peat, 15:33, Birchfield Harriers
10) parkrun: Wolverhampton 
Peter Harry Brookes, 15:35, Tipton Harriers

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Croxteth Hall
Kirsty Longley, 16:46, Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers & AC
2) parkrun: Roding Valley
Dani Nimmock, 17:17, City of Norwich AC
3) parkrun: Tooting Common
Lucie Custance, 17:21, Clapham Chasers RC
4=) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham 
Bryony Haines, 17:29, Birchfield Harriers
4=) parkrun: Hove Promenade 
Almi Nerurkar, 17:29, Brighton Phoenix
6=) parkrun: Doncaster
Philippa Williams, 17:30, Elswick Harriers
6=) parkrun: Burnley
Laura Hesketh, 17:30, Clayton-le-Moors Harriers
8) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Jessica Anne Craig, 17:41, North Down AC
9) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham 
Chloe Richardson, 17:45, Birchfield Harriers
10) parkrun: Cheltenham
Beth Hawling, 17:47, Cheltenham & County 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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The post 10 fastest UK parkrun times on Saturday 14th September (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.

Dani Nimmock, who was named in the England team this week for the Commonwealth Games Half Marathon, was on form on the streets of Norwich along with Nick Earl, as both athletes set course records to win the Run Norwich 10k on Sunday (Aug 6).

City of Norwich’s Nimmock was a class apart in the women’s race, taking the win in 35:03 to prove she has short speed as well as impressive endurance following her Manchester marathon victory earlier in the year.

She beat second placed Leanne Finch by three minutes, although Finch still enjoyed a decent time of 38:02 in very hot conditions. Bungay Black Dog’s Joanna Andrews took the final top prize when she ran 38:18 for third place.

Earl was untroubled in victory when he broke the tape in 30:49, well ahead of club mate Ash Harrell’s 31:34, while James Senior made it a podium whitewash for the City of Norwich when he claimed third place in 32:51.

Sale Sizzler 5k, Manchester

Earlier in the week, Fast Running’s class of 2018 stalwart Dave Norman made his return to racing at the Sale Sizzler 5k in Manchester following a calf injury and posted a very strong 15:36 to finish fifth overall.

Great to be back racing last night at the Sale Sizzler 5k, following my second calf tear in eight months back in May. After recording 16:08, 16:04 and 16:01 in this series last year, was pleasantly surprised with 15:36 for my first race back from the tear. Ive now got three months before I move into the V40 age group and I hope I can build on last nights race and keep moving forwards. Pete Brown Photography

A post shared by Dave Norman (@davenorman78) on Aug 3, 2018 at 3:30pm PDT

He was understandably delighted with his result, adding: “(It was) great to be back racing last night (Aug 2) at the Sale Sizzler 5k, following my second calf tear in eight months back in May. 

“After recording 16:08, 16:04 and 16:01 in this series last year, was pleasantly surprised with 15:36 for my first race back from the tear. I’ve now got three months before I move into the V40 age group and I hope I can build on last night’s race and keep moving forward.”

The race was won by his Altrincham & District club mate Mohammad Aburezeq in 14:30, well ahead of Sale Harriers’ Matt Barnes in second, who recorded a time of 15:22. Hallamshire Harriers’ Andrew Challenger was third in 15:26, with Harvey Maguire the only other athlete ahead of Norman in 15:31.

Leigh Harriers’ Lauren Howarth was completely dominant in her victory when she ran 16:21 to take the women’s race, with Sale’s Hannah Brown and Katherine Wood fighting it out for the minor podium spots, finishing in 17:25 and 17:41 respectively.

Ipswich Twilight 10k, Ipswich, Friday 

Friday night saw some equally hot performances at the Ipswich Twilight 10k, where the top three men – two of them U20 – all scored PBs, as did the winning lady.

Well done to First Lady @helenrunsdavies yesterday in our 10K race Finished in a cracking time of 34:15 #twilightraces #ipswich #runipswich

A post shared by Twilight Races (@officialtwilightraces) on Aug 4, 2018 at 5:27am PDT

Taking the overall top prize was Ipswich’s John Millar in 30:40, the U20 Bath University student thrashing his club mate Alex Lawrence by nearly three minutes in the process. Lawrence had a tighter fight for his position with Felixstowe’s Ben Carpendale crossing the line in 33:21 and 33:46 a piece.

The home club saw another victory for their athletes in the women’s race when V35 Helen Davies showed her class in taking the win in an all time PB of 34:15. Davies races sparingly but makes it count whenever she turns out, most notably when she represented Great Britain twice in 2010 over the marathon distance, at the Commonwealth Games and the European Championships.

Davies saw off competition from her much younger rival, West Suffolk’s U20 Emily Moyes, who ran 35:58 for second, while Ipswich’s Sara Bird took third in a season’s best 37:54.

York 10k, York, Sunday

The vets showed the seniors how it’s done at the Asda Foundation York 10k, with the top three women all V35 or above at this hilly city centre event.

Photo: York 10k, winning women

Victory went to Wakefield’s ever green Julie Briscoe in 35:54, with Peterborough AC’s fast improving Maggie Skinner scoring a big PB when she crossed the line in 37:35. St Edmunds’ Pacers athlete and now a V45, Angela Joiner-Handy, was third lady in 39:55, but that time tells us little about this former international star. Joiner-Handy has PBs of 16:23.87 and 33:30.27 for 5000m and 10,000m from the late 1990s, and represented England at the Kuala Lumpur Commonwealth Games in 1998.

The first man across the line was Liverpool’s Jamie Rutherford in 32:49, with Leeds City’s U20 Jake Callis putting up a good fight for both victory and eventually second place with a 33:00 result, just two seconds ahead of Exeter’s Callum Crawford’s 33:02.

Barry Island 10k, Sunday

Welsh international and 2:09:49 marathoner Dewi Griffiths blew the competition away at the Barry Island 10k when the Swansea ace took the win in 29:48, while the consistently excellent Elsey Davis from Bristol & West was a convincing victor of the women’s race in 34:37. The full report can be found here.

Elsewhere

More GB internationals were in action across the pond in the States, with Callum Hawkins and Ross Millington fighting hard for top ten spots in the notoriously competitive Beach to Beacon 10k. Find out exactly where they finished in the full report here.

Young stars and potential future champions impressed this weekend at parkrun – the top 10 times can be found here.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patreon. 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 Dani Nimmock among this weekend’s winners on the roads appeared first on Fast Running.

Matt Clowes and Tracy Barlow both clocked course record times to win the titles at the Swansea Half Marathon. A report from the Welsh city can be found here.

Meanwhile, Jo Williams and Paul Martelletti kicked off the weekend with the fastest times at parkruns across the UK. You can read about the fastest times on Saturday morning here.

Torbay half marathon

Exmouth Harriers and Shaftesbury Barnet provided the winners of this year’s Torbay half marathon, which sees runners enjoying fantastic sea views on the out and back coastal course.

Tom Merson added yet another victory to his already stacked race win compilation when he held off fellow Devon athlete Shaun Antell from Bideford by just under a minute, Merson taking the win in 69:03 to Antell’s 69:54. Tom Higgs took the final podium place with a 70:28 result on his debut over the distance.

Shaftesbury’s Rachel Felton is also a near ever-present at race prize presentations every time she competes, and a 13th place overall and a 77:05 clocking proved enough for first place on a very hot day on the Devon coast. Torbay AC’s Charlie Arnell knocked more than four minutes off her PB when she came in second in 78:44, while Lindsay Carrick’s 79:57 completed a very competitive top three.

North Devon Hospice half and marathon

While the full results were still being compiled, the winners of both the half and the marathon were confirmed soon after on one of the hottest days of the year on the North Devon coast.

Cheltenham Harriers’ John Parker beat last year’s winning time by two minutes when he ran 87:15 on this hugely challenging fell course, which saw competitors climbing up the cliff paths, descending down at a near vertical angle and traversing long sandy beaches in the picturesque bays of Woolacombe and Croyde.

First person home, and winner of the men’s half marathon, is John Parker. He’s all the way from Cheltenham Harriers Running Club, in a time of 1:27:15. Congratulations! pic.twitter.com/jTMFNk7TPj

— North Devon Hospice (@NDevonHospice) June 24, 2018

Bristol Southville’s Jane Farrow held onto her title from last year’s event when she finished first lady in 98:47, just two minutes shy of the course record.

Wimbledon Windmillers’ Keith Macintosh was a cool and collected winner of the marathon when he crossed the line after 3:23:58 of running, barely breaking a sweat!

The incredible Mary Menon from nearby Ilfracombe RC was the stand out winner of the day, though, finishing third overall in 3:46:22, which represented the prolific marathon winner’s fifth victory here in a row.

Wilmslow half marathon

Altrincham District AC’s Mo Abu-Rezeq recorded a super fast half marathon and a dominant performance when he won Wilmslow in 66:44.

The Jordanian athlete beating his nearest rival, Border Harriers’ James Douglas by nearly two and a half minutes.

However, Douglas’s 69:04 was no reflection of his clear ability, as the Cumbrian athlete holds a 66:48 PB to his name. Wreake & Soar Valley’s Danny Hallam completed the top three when he crossed the line 70:02.

Rotherham Harriers’ female athletes are an increasing presence on the podiums of road races nationwide, and this time it was the club’s Sarah Lowery claiming victory in 80:12.

Fellow V35, St Helens Sutton AC’s Gemma Connolly ran 82:09 for second, while Katherine Wood from Sale Harriers finished just 8 seconds behind in third with an 82:17 result.

Humpty Dumpty 10k, Norwich

The Norfolk city streets were packed when close to 700 runners wound through the cobbled streets in searing heat for the latest edition of the Humpty Dumpty 10k.

Home talent and increasingly competitive City of Norwich AC (CONAC) athlete Dani Nimmock took the women’s race in 35:14 when she finished eighth overall, following up on her Manchester marathon win and her victory in the Westminster Mile ‘holding hands’ world record attempt.

Her teammate Ellie Grubb (35:59 PB) shows signs of returning to form after finishing runner-up here in 38:11, while Emma Risbey made it a CONAC 1 2 3 when she clocked third place in 38:45.

CONAC’s Ash Harrell took the overall win in 31:50, well ahead of second-placed Kevin Holland (33:11), while Ryston’s James O’Neill was also running solo in third when he crossed the line in 33:52.

Humber Bridge half marathon

The hills and the heat made it tough going for the hordes of athletes taking on the Humber Bridge half, with U20 Callum Elon from Roundhay Runners taking the win from V35 Robert Weekes from East Hull.

Their times of 74:22 and 75:04 were strong in the conditions, while Caistor’s Rob Payne also impressed in third with a 75:49 result.

University of Sheffield’s Becky Rigby followed up her recent win and second place at the last two editions of the popular Podium 5k with victory here in 80:16, finishing 10th overall.

Barton & District’s promising athlete Keri Pearson was second in 87:21, while Natalie Bell’s 89:14 was good enough for third, and was also more than five minutes ahead of the next female finisher.

Lordshill 10k, Southampton

The home talent’s Jen Elkins was an impressive winner of the women’s race on the south coast when she took the title in 35:52, while Fleet & Crookham’s Helen Cozens also ran well for second in 37:14.

City of Portsmouth’s Emma Jolley was never far behind when she finished in 37:29, making it one of the fastest 10ks for women’s results in the country this weekend.

Elkins’ teammate Matthew Bennett took the men’s victory in 33:05, with second and third also breaking 34 minutes.

Southampton provided the second men’s prize winner when Richard Waldron recorded a 33:25 result, and the City of Salisbury’s Stuart Holloway ran 33:42 for third.

The post Runners perform in heat from Torbay to Wilmslow appeared first on Fast Running.

Pre-race favourite Tanui lived up to expectations winning the men’s race in a time of 2:21:17 and finishing almost four minutes ahead of his nearest challenger.

Before the marathon, the 31-year-old, who is a brother of 2011 London Marathon winner Emmanuel Mutai, had set the goal of running closer to his PB of 2:10:39, however, it wasn’t to be in his first outing on UK soil.

At the halfway point in the race, which starts and finishes in Trafford, Liverpool Harriers’ Dejene Gezimu was right on the heels of Tanui, before the Kenyan pulled away in the second half to build up a four-minute lead by 20-miles.

Gezimu was a casualty in the last six miles, and at the time of writing, what happened is unknown.

With a quarter of the race to go, the chasing trio of Andreas McConville, Irish runner Mark Ryan, and Ben Johnson were inseparable, however in the closing stages, it was Southport Waterloo’s Johnson who had that bit more to give and pulled away to take second in 2:25:03.

Rathfarnham WSAF’s Ryan, who was making his marathon debut completed the men’s podium, crossing the line in 2:25:39, finishing over a minute ahead of East Hull Harrier Steve Bateson.

Garscube Harriers’ Katie White made a fast start in the women’s race and had an 11 second lead at the 10km mark, however, City of Norwich’s Dani Nimmock impressively made up the ground by the halfway point.

Nimmock, who ran 74:13 at The Big Half in London last month, took control in the second half and crossed the line in 2:38:24 to win by almost three minutes.

It was a big personal best for the Norwich runner slicing nearly ten minutes from her time at the Frankfurt marathon in 2016.

Finishing second was White in a personal best of 2:41:15, with Wakefield Harriers Julie Briscoe third, running a time of 2:41:35.

Laura Riches, who has been sharing her running journey this year on Fast Running as part of the ‘class of 2018‘, was making her marathon debut and had ambitions to dip under the three-hour mark.

After a first half split of 1:27:35, and still on target at 20 miles, the Leigh Harrier ran into trouble in the daunting final marathon miles but battled through the experience, endured by many first timers, to finish in 3:08:48.

Hopefully, Riches will not be put off from having another crack at the sub 3-hour marathon in the future.

A special mention should also go to 2006 Commonwealth Games marathoner and winner of the London Marathon 1000-mile Challenge, Shona Crombie-Hicks, who crossed the line in 2:57:49 as a V45 runner.

Men’s top 10 results

1) Shadrack Tanui, 2:21:17
2) Ben Johnson, 2:25:03, Southport Waterloo
3, Mark Ryan, 2:25:39, Rathfarnham WSAF, Ireland
4, Steve Bateson, 2:26:44 (V40), East Hull Harriers
5) Andreas Mcconville, 2:28:04, Fk Studenterna
6) John Newsom, 2:28:54, Inverness Harriers
7) Scott Harrington, 2:29:26, Otley AC
8) Ben Sadowyj, 2:30:02, Barton & District
9) Joel Jameson, 2:31:08
10) John Hobbs, 2:31:34 (V40), Valley Striders

Women’s top 10 results

1) Dani Nimmock, 2:38:24, City of Norwich
2) Katie White, 2:41:15 (V35), Garscube Harriers
3) Julie Briscoe 2:41:35 (V40), Wakefield Harriers
4) Gemma Connolly, 2:44:05 (V35), St Helens Sutton
5) Shona McIntosh, 2:45:08 (V35), Hunters Bog Trotters
6) Holly Rush, 2:47:32 (V40), Asics Frontrunner Team
7) Anne Holyland, 2:49:55 (V35), Charnwood AC
8) Eilidh Bell, 2:50:12, Team Bath
9) Emma Ballantyne, 2:51:38, City of York AC
10) Megan Crawford, 2:55:40, Fife AC

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