Abbie Donnelly and Jonathan Glen ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (19th March).
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This week’s parkrun top 10 is a little late as I’ve been busy with the Hour 7 team weekend in Ambleside, in the Lake District. It did actually involve a parkrun today too, at the wonderful Rothay Park. A course record for Ollie Garrod and first female finisher for Jo Murphy was a good haul for the new ultra-running team.
Someone else who was flying today was Lincoln Wellington’s Abbie Donnelly. Clocking one of the fastest female parkruns of all time at Doddington Hall with 15:52, it really did take some special to top the women’s rankings this week. Last year Donnelly broke 16 minutes for the first time on the track over 5000m with a 15:42.65 at SOAR MK 5000 PB Special and the preceded to do so twice more that year.
All of the men’s podium were based up in Scotland this week with another run that features highly on the all-time lists. Jonathan Glen, of Inverclyde AC, ran 14:18 at Greenock parkrun near Glasgow. The 14:01 5k runner has blasted into marathon running this year already with a 2:20:54 PB in Seville in February and a 64:23 PB at Farnborough Winter Half Marathon just before that.
At Bushy park in London it was Georgia Bell who was first past the post, if there is a post, with 16:14. The beautiful green space in London often sees quick times and this weekend was no different.
A burn-up in Edinburgh
We’re not sure if it was strong friendly training together, or an almighty battle to the line, but Alastair Hay and Peter Avent were only a second apart at the finish today at Edinburgh parkrun (and only a second from Lewis Gamble Proctor in fourth). Central AC’s Hay and Shettleston Harrier Avent have both featured in our rankings before but such a healthy rivalry at the same event is always good to see.
Georgia Schwiening, of Cambridge Harriers, was the third fastest lady (and also another of five under 17 minutes) at Storey’s Field. 16:36 is a time that would top the women’s rankings most weeks and shows the high standard of distance running in the UK right now, but also that the 2:35 marathoner is having a cracking March with a 72:18 half marathon PB already in the books.
Fastest Course
Holly Page of Dartford Harriers ran 16:43, another fine performance, but also at Edinburgh to give the event three runners in the rankings this week. Cardiff did feature twice, but not quite enough to be the fastest event this weekend.
Men’s top 10
1) parkrun: Greenock
Jonathan Glen, 14:18, Inverclyde AC
2) parkrun: Edinburgh
Alastair Hay, 14:47, Central AC
3) parkrun: Edinburgh
Peter Avent, 14:48, Shettleston Harrier
4) parkrun: Redcar
Lewis Gamble-Thompson, 14:49, New Marske Harriers AC
5) parkrun: Southampton
James Pettersson, 15:00, Ipswich Harriers
6) parkrun: Cardiff
Felix McGrath, 15:11, Newcastle (Staff) AC
7) parkrun: Isabel Trail
Philip Nicholls, 15:15, Birchfield Harriers
8) parkrun: Poolsbrook
Paul Wright, 15:28, Mansfield Harriers & AC
9) parkrun: Worcester Pitchcroft
Ben Jones, 15:28, Cambridge & Coleridge AC
10=) parkrun: Alvaston
Alex Pilcher, 15:29, Derby AC
10=) parkrun: Ashford
Wegahta Zerom, 15:29
Women’s top 10
1) parkrun: Doddington Hall
Abbie Donnelly, 15:52, Lincoln Wellington AC
2) parkrun: Bushy
Georgia Bell, 16:14
3) parkrun: Storey’s Field
Georgia Schwiening, 16:36, Cambridge Runners
4) parkrun: Edinburgh
Holly Page, 16:43, Dartford Harriers AC
5) parkrun: Sutcliffe
Holly Dixon, 16:44, Cambridge Harriers
6) parkrun: Cardiff
Alaw Beynon-Thomas, 17:12, Swansea Harriers AC
7) parkrun: Sutcliffe
Megan Marchant, 17:18, Cambridge Harriers
8) parkrun: University Parks
Chloe Richardson, 17:22, Birchfield Harriers
9) parkrun: York
Becky Rigby, 17:23, Preston Harriers
10) parkrun: Brockenhurst
Sophie Wood, 17:35, Sale Harriers Manchester
If you would like to run faster at parkrun we highly recommend 1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton, found here.