Lilly Hawkins and Max Wharton ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (9th April).
Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Order your copy today.
As ever we love to see the fastest times a little slower on big club running days like the road relay nationals, so first off well done to every turning out for your club. Events like the relays keep the club running community in the UK going strong. Well done to Salford Harriers and Tonbridge AC for wins today in England.
Now onto the main event here, the parkrun top 10! Fastest female this week, leading two ladies under 17 minutes, was Lilly Hawkins. At Southampton parkrun on the south coast Hawkins ran a new parkrun PB by over 10 seconds, with 16:56. The Wells City Harrier ran a PB over 16:36 at the Friday Night 5K Under the Lights last year and clocked a PB over 400, 800, 1500 and 3000m on the track.
Max Wharton, of Halifax Harriers & AC, was quickest chap with 15:03. Running at the birthplace of parkrun, Bushy Park in southwest London, Wharton stopped the clock over ten seconds quicker than anyone else this weekend. A parkrun PB for the man with some serious leg speed at middle distance with 2021 PBs of 1:47.24 for 800m and 3:39.68 for 1500m, you wouldn’t want to be caught in a parkrun finish sprint with him.
The virtual podium
The other woman under 17 minutes was Jessica Gibbon of Reading AC. No stranger to these rankings, Gibbon has started 2022 in the finest of form with wins at the Southerns and the National over the country, plus a 2nd at Inter-counties in March. I’d take that for a whole career of results, let alone the start to a season.
Lloyd Sheppard of Cardiff AAC was second fastest male in 15:14. The U20 from South Wales broke 15 minutes for both 5000m on the track and 5k on the road in 2021, so it’s no surprise to see his parkrun best drop to 15:14. Maybe a run out at the famously fast Cardiff parkrun will see that dip under the 15 mark too?
Stephen Connolly of Annadale Striders and Caroline Ford of Cambridge Harrier were third fastest in 15:20 and 17:04 respectively. Whilst it was a parkrun best for Ford, it’s not even the fastest of 2022 for Connolly, who has been racing prolifically already this year.
Fastest parkrun
Way down on the south coast it was Southampton parkrun that featured twice this week and took the fastest parkrun crown. With Hawkins fastest female and Sam Griffin joint 5th male in 15:28, it might have the record for biggest distance between parkrun and club for these rankings, with the Aberdeen athlete a long way from home.
Men’s top 10
1) parkrun: Bushy
Max Wharton, 15:03, Halifax Harriers & AC
2) parkrun: Penallta
Lloyd Sheppard, 15:14, Cardiff AAC
3) parkrun: Ormeau
Stephen Connolly, 15:20, Annadale Striders
4) parkrun: Ashford
Marshall Smith, 15:21, Ashford AC
5=) parkrun: Exmouth
Ollie Thorogood, 15:28, South West Road Runners
5=) parkrun: Southampton
Sam Griffin, 15:28, Aberdeen AAC
7) parkrun: Aviemore
Ben Sandilands, 15:31, Fife AC
8) parkrun: East Park
Matt Costello, 15:32, Shrewsbury AC
9) parkrun: Tilgate
James Westlake, 15:35, Crawley AC
10) parkrun: Aberdeen
Peter Avent, 15:36, Shettleston Harriers
Women’s top 10
1) parkrun: Southampton
Lilly Hawkins, 16:56, Wells City Harriers
2) parkrun: Higginson, Marlow
Jessica Gibbon, 16:59, Reading AC
3) parkrun: Sutcliffe
Caroline Ford, 17:04, Cambridge Harriers
4) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Kelly Neely, 17:23, City of Lisburn AC
5) parkrun: Grangemoor
Millie Gold, 17:26, Cardiff AAC
6) parkrun: Stretford
Jessica Spilsbury, 17:27
7) parkrun: Normanby Hall
Lindsay Skinner, 17:32
8) parkrun: Exmouth
Anna Hughes Davies, 17:45, Arena 80 AC
9=) parkrun: Sandringham
Kate Drew, 17:47, Taunton AC
9=) parkrun: St Albans
Garce Milnes, 17:47
If you would like to run faster at parkrun we highly recommend 1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton, found here.