Katie Snowden and Jacob Allen ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (12th March).
Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Order your copy today.
It’s worth pointing out that this is the biggest top 10 we’ve ever had, with 24 runners making the cut this week. That’s down to four runners all crossing the line in 15:48 this week at different parkruns for 10th spot. If one of them had been a second quicker there could have been an easier job this afternoon, but always good to see plenty of runners faring well.
Well that was true, until we got an additional upload from the super quick Belfast Victoria parkrun in Northern Ireland and now we have [counts on fingers and toes] 25 runners in two top 10 rankings, so 10+10 doesn’t always equal 20…
It wasn’t far from the four lads in 15:48 to first female runner in 16:05 this week. Katie Snowden, a real life Olympian, specialises in the shorter distances on track, but had time for a parkrun PB today. With a 4:02.77 best for 1500m from her heat in Tokyo last summer, Snowden opens her 2022 account with a show of her aerobic form from the Winter.
Ben Branagh of St. Malachy’s was actually the fastest park runner this weekend with a 14:38 at Belfast Victoria. Were this still 2021 it would be a parkrun PB, but Branagh started 2022 with a 14:17 parkrun on 8th Jan and then ran 13:58 at Friday Night Under Lights Meets Podium 5K in Feb. So he’s flying.
Jacob Allen, who still needs to update his club on the parkrun website, was top of these rankings at the end of Feb and was second this weekend with a 14:56 at Finsbury parkrun. The 13:43.75 5000m runner changed venues, but kept the form strong and is the other runner under 15 minutes this week.
Two more under 17
The women’s podium this Saturday needed under 17 minutes and when a GB runner of Gemma Steel’s standard is in the fourth spot you can see why.
Basildon’s Gemma Kersey, who was a strong seventh at the UK Indoor Championships over 3000m, clocked 16:55 at Barking parkrun today. It’s the second 16:55 of the year for Kersey, who ran the same time at Raphael parkrun in January and is three seconds off her parkrun best from 2014.
Sophie Wood of Sale Harriers, Manchester is no stranger here either and ran 16:59 at Stretford parkrun. The Greater Manchester athlete has been busy in 2022 already, with strong runnings at the Northern Counties XC Champs, in an England vest at the Mitja Marató Granollers in Spain and a win at the Hit the Trail 5 in Stockport.
Rudman and Richardson on the next steps
George Rudman was first finisher at Town Moor parkrun with 15:17 and it’s nearly a minuet quicker than his previous parkrun best. That said the Morpeth Harrier did run 14:49 at Mid-Cheshire 5K last August and impressed with a 10:45 2.2 mile leg at the North East Road Relay Championships in February.
William Richardson is a Canon Hill regular in Birmingham and the Birchfield Harrier posted his quickest parkrun of the year by some 20 seconds, possibly due to the swap from Wyre Forest to the fastest event. Having seen a racing season in 2021 close with a 10k PB of 29:56 at the Leed’s Abbey Dash in October, Richardson clearly has some strong form and may well be targeting some of his excellent road PBs of 14:50 for 5k and 66:38 for half marathon in 2022.
Fastest course?
Dulwich parkrun in south-east London was the quickest this week, with the 9th and 10th male runners battling it out to the line and only having two seconds between them and Katie Snowden less than 20 seconds behind as well.
Men’s top 10
1) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Ben Branagh, 14:38, St. Malachy’s
2) parkrun: Finsbury
Jacob Allen, 14:56, Highgate
3) parkrun: Town Moor
George Rudman, 15:17, Morpeth Harriers & AC
4) parkrun: Canon Hill, Birmingham
William Richardson, 15:19, Birchfield Harriers
5) parkrun: Felixstowe
Dean Williamson, 15:24, Army AA
6) parkrun: Telford
Daniel Galloway, 15:25, Telford AC
7) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Fionntan Campbell, 15:33, St. Malachy’s
8) parkrun: University Parks
Miles Weatherseed, 15:36, Tonbridge AC
9=) parkrun: Morecambe Prom
Stephen Connolly, 15:42, Annadale Striders
9=) parkrun: Alexandra, Moss Side
Simon Crawford, 15:42, Long Eaton RC
11) parkrun: Dulwich
Daniel Gaffney, 15:46
12=) parkrun: Dulwich
Ben Howe, 15:48, London City Athletics Club
12=) parkrun: Burgess
Isaac Maxwell, 15:48, Kent AC
12=) parkrun: Ruchill
Scott Stirling, 15:48, Falkirk Victoria Harriers
12=) parkrun: Poole
David Lewis, 15:48, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC
Women’s top 10
1) parkrun: Dulwich
Katie Snowden, 16:05, Herne Hill Harriers
2) parkrun: Barking
Gemma Kersey, 16:55
3) parkrun: Stretford
Sophie Wood, 16:59, Sale Harriers Manchester
4) parkrun: Watermead Country Park
Gemma Steel, 17:07
5) parkrun: Cardiff
Millie Gold, 17:20, Cardiff AC
6) parkrun: Luton Wardown
Holly Lathwell, 17:22, Luton AC
7) parkrun: Seaton
Innes Fitzgerald, 17:25
8) parkrun: Hull
Della Hatfield, 17:28, City of Hull AC
9) parkrun: Pomphrey Hill
Hannah Alderson, 17:30, Bristol & West AC
10) parkrun: Brockenhurst
Ellie Marie Monks, 17:42, Southampton AC
If you would like to run faster at parkrun we highly recommend 1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton, found here.