Louise Small and Ethan Primett ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (13th April).
Our weekly parkrun top ten is now sponsored by Vertebrate Publishing (my publisher) and here’s a link to buy my book on their website. They actually have a bunch of great books to choose from, especially the mountaineering ones, so don’t feel like you have to buy 1001 Running Tips.
AFD’s Louise Small was the fastest female athlete week with another strong parkrun of 16:35 at Torbay Velopark. It’s a fastest parkrun for 2024, but still a wee way back from her 16:17 at Exmouth parkrun last year, but that might change as there was a 5k road PB of 16:03 at the Guernsey Easter 5K last weekend.
It was a close call for the chaps with Ethan Primett taking it by a hair in 15:11 at Gunpowder parkrun. It is a parkrun PB, by four seconds, but given 2023 saw PBs over 1500, 3000 and 5000m on the track of 3:55.48, 8:27.76 and 14:26.05 respectively it might not be the only PB coming for the Herts Phoenix U20 this year.
The best of the rest
Last week’s first place finisher Emily Kearney was flying again this weekend at Birkenhead parkrun with a 16:47 for the Warrior Pentathlon & Athletic Club up in the north-west. It’s a good chunk under last week’s 17:03 at the same event so the 2:34 marathon is clearly in good form.
At the fast Dulwich parkrun in south-east London it was Andrea Clement who was first female home in 16:56 and completes our podium today with another sub 17 minute outing. The Blackheath and Bromley runner, who has a 16:36 5k PB from 2008, was under 17 minutes at Friday Night 5K Under the Lights earlier this year as well and had an excellent run at the South of England XC Championships in second!
Harry Lawson and Jonathan Escalante-Philipps both ran 15:12 to share second step on the podium today. It’s a parkrun PB for Lawson, who ran 14:48 at Friday Night 5K Under the Lights in February. Escalante-Phillips, who has impressive PBs of 13:56 for 5000m and 14:03 for a road 5k, ran 66:04 for 4th at Bath Half a few weeks back and looks like he is just warming up for 2024.
The fastest course?
A few courses featured more than once but Dulwich does it again with four runners, with fourth in the women’s and fourth in the mens. If you want a parkrun PB it’s a good place to go.
Women’s Rankings
Men’s Rankings