Martin Cox and Gemma McDonald were the fastest parkrunners in Ireland this weekend (27 April).

At Omagh parkrun Martin Cox is a regular and this weekend ran 16:17 to top the Irish parkrun rankings, although he didn’t have to go as fast as his 15:48 parkrun best from 2018. The V35 runner was seventh at the Armagh International 3k race bacon February and has posted some quick 5k times already in 2019 with a 15:24 his best so far.

Gemma Mcdonald ran 19:14 to finish first overall at the Ecos parkrun in Ballymena. The Ballycastle Runners AC athlete  has raced a whole host of distances already in 2019 and posted personal bests over 10 miles 963:58) and half marathon (84:43). It looks like its going to be a good year for the V35 runner who also won the 4k Northern Ireland & Ulster Intermediate & Masters’ Cross Country Championships.

Second placed Leann Gibson of Victoria Park and Connswater AC also won her event outright this weekend, showing the men just how to run fast with a 19:36 at Stormont parkrun. After PBs at parkrun, five mile, 10k and half marathon in 2018 Gibson is already hitting quick times in the park this year and could have a bright summer ahead.

Declan Toal of North East Runners ran 16:47 to finish second in our rankings and did so at Dundalk parkrun. It was a new parkrun best for the V45 runner on his 16th visit to the Dundalk event and scored an impressive 85.80% age grading.

The last man under 17 minutes was Mark Cornett at Citypark in Craigavon and only three other women broke 20 minutes. They were Rachel Smith (19:42), Eimear Griffin (19:49) and Lisa Clerkin (19:52) who ran at Ballingcollig, Malahide and Cootehill parkruns respectively.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Omagh
Martin Cox, 16:17
2) parkrun: Dundalk
Declan Toal, 16:47, North East Runners
3) parkrun: Citypark, Craigavon
Mark Cornett, 16:55
4) parkrun: Ballincollig
Conor Dolan, 17:04
5) parkrun: Ballincollig
Finbarr Odwyer, 17:09, Leevale AC
6) parkrun: Bushy Park, Dublin
Valter Valente, 17:17
7) parkrun: MUSA Cookstown
Aidan O’Hagan, 17:31, Acorns AC
8) parkrun: St. Anne’s
Martin McKenna, 17:33, Raheny Shamrock AC
9) parkrun: Listowel
Donal Leahy, 17:34
10) parkrun: Castlewellan
Owen Carleton, 17:36, Annadale Striders

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Ecos, Ballymena
Gemma McDonald, 19:14, Ballycastle Runners AC
2) parkrun: Stormont
Leann Gibson, 19:36, Victoria Park and Connswater AC
3) parkrun: Ballincollig
Rachel Smith, 19:42
4) parkrun: Malahide
Eimear Griffin, 19;49, Clonliffe Harriers AC
5) parkrun: Cootehill
Lisa Clerkin, 19:52
6) parkrun: Castleblayney
Danielle Fegan, 20;14, Sale Harriers Manchester
7) parkrun: Mungret
Shona Ní Fhloinn, 20:18, Dooneen AC
8) parkrun: Oldbridge
Meabh Eakin, 20;24, Dunker AC
9) parkrun: Longford
Emma Boland, 20:30, Newbridge AC
10) parkrun: Castlebar
Colette Tuohy, 20:42, Mayo AC

If you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

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