Harriet Bloor and Christopher Perkins ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (1st January).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Order your copy today.

It’s a New Year and that mean’s new parkrun PBs for some. The convinience of the both Christmas Day and New Year’s Day falling on a Saturday this time has been noted, for ease of rankings and organising we bet. So if this can be organised in future too that would be grand.

A quick note that one British athlete did run 16:05 for parkrun this weekend, but Charlotte Purdue was unfortunately on the wrong side of the globe for her run to count in our rankings. Great to see the British international marathoner enjoying Albert parkrun, Melbourne. Not to be confused with Albert parkrun, Middlesbrough, which is also lovely and fast.

It’s a UK based rankings after all

Right, back to those running in the locations we actually include. Fastest lady this week was Harriet Bloor, of Hailsham Harriers. The U20 middle distance runner had a cracking 2021 with PBs at 800, 1500, 3000m and 5k, with the latter being an excellent 16:38 at the Mallory Park 5k. Bringing her parkrun best under 17 minutes was only a matter of time, so 16:51 at Eastbourne parkrun on the south coast is great running.

Fastest male runner was, we believe, young Christopher Perkins of Birtley AC. Of the Christopher Perkins on Power of 10 this young chap looks most likely, normally focusing on 400/800/1500m on the track with 2021 PBs of 50.9/1:53.65/3:54.59 for those distances.

More recently Perkins has been running really well on the cross country in the Start Fitness North Eastern Harrier League, so 14:46 at Riverside parkrun is a brilliant leap forward over longer distances. We’d also like to doff a cap in the U17s direction for his high jump, javelin and shot put PBs last year. Always great to see someone representing at different disciplines at a young age.

Ribble Valley always good prep for parkrun

Samuel Dickinson and Lauren McNeil were next up, running at York and Monsal Trail parkruns respectively.

McNeil’s 16:54 actually took the course record for the trail event from the GB international Lauren Heyes, set back in 2019. The Hallamshire Harrier is also representing the British Columbia Canada Uni and was second in the Canada West Championships at the end of October last year. Just last week, in the highly competitive Ribble Valley 10k, McNeil ran a PB of 33:43 for 10k for fifth.

Dickinson is another who seems to have made a breakthrough last year. Coached by Liam O’Niell, the City of York athlete was also racing at Ribble Valley last week. Clocking 30:02, a massive PB of 3:36 from 2018, Dickinson would have crossed the finish line lats year just before his former self was getting to 9k in 2018 we reckon.

Third fastest female was Rhianne Hughes at York parkrun with 17:06, who also ran at Ribble Valley on the 27th December. Hughes puts Dickinson’s 3.5 minute PB to shame though, with an 11:05 improvement from a 46:09 back in 2018 on the Isle of Man. Wowzers. Great improvement from the young Leeds Uni athlete.

James Heneghan, third fastest male, ALSO ran at Ribble Valley 10k…. just kidding. Imagine? The Cardiff AAC star was actually tearing up the boards indoors with a new 3000m PB of 8:04.34i at Cardiff Met GP 1 ‘Christmas Classic’ in December. We guess after getting a 10k PB of 29:54 at ABP Newport Wales 10K in late October he could afford to skip Ribble Valley.

Fast course of the week?

It seems not many fast people were travelling in pairs this weekend, maybe we’re just seeing the designated driver of each group of speedsters after New Year’s Eve celebrations? Both Elgin and Birkenhead parkrun saw two runners in the top 10, with Elgin taking the marbles this week with Cameron Main in 7th with 15:08 and Sophie Green in 4th with 17:07, both running for Moray Road Runners.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Riverside
Christopher Perkins, 14:46, Birtley
2) parkrun: York
Samuel Dickinson, 14:49, City of York
3) parkrun: Southampton 
James Heneghan, 14:50, Cardiff AAC
4) parkrun: Worthing
Jacob Cann, 14:57, Horsham Blue Star Harriers
5) parkrun: Northampton 
Joshua Lay, 15:02
6) parkrun: Long Eaton
Alex Hampson, 15:07, Peterborough & Nene Valley AC
7) parkrun: Elgin
Cameron Main, 15:08, Moray Road Runners
8) parkrun: Startford-upon-Avon
Adam Fogg, 15:15, BERT Squad
9) parkrun: Chalkwell Beach
Scott Cousins, 15:16, Springfield Striders RC
10) parkrun: Birkenhead
Joseph Boden, 15:20, Wallasey AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Eastbourne
Harriet Bloor, 16:51, Hailsham Harriers
2) parkrun: Monsal Trail
Lauren McNeil, 16:54, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC
3) parkrun: York
Rhianne Hughes, 17:06
4) parkrun: Elgin
Sophia Green, 17:07, Moray Road Runners
5) parkrun: Wilmslow
Sophie Wood, 17:16, Sale Harriers Manchester
6) parkrun: Birkenhead
Juliet Hodder, 17:22, Wirral AC
7) parkrun: Long Eaton
Ellie Stephens, 17:26, Birchfield Harriers
8) parkrun: Belfast Victoria 
Robyn McKee, 17:27
9) parkrun: Dunfermline
Morag Millar, 17:33, Central AC
10) parkrun: Widnes
Elizabeth Renondeau, 17:36, Cheshire Dragons

If you would like to run faster at parkrun we highly recommend 1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton, found here.