Annette Kealy and Ben Branagh are your fastest athletes at parkrun in Ireland this weekend (October 19th).

Annette Kealy continued to show great form this week running 17:54 at Malahide for finish as this week’s fastest female athlete at parkrun. Kealy is one of the leading masters athletes in Europe and ran 17:23 at the Rathfarnham 5km in September.

Ben Branagh was back in parkrun action this week matching his parkrun best from 2017 running 14:58 at Waterworks to break Kevin Seaward’s course record. Branagh was 6th at the Bangor 10km in September running 31:07 and this performance suggests the St. Malachy’s man is getting back to the fitness that saw him set PBs of 14:16.79 for 5000m in 2017 and 30:28 for 10km in 2018.

Paul O’Donnell smashed his previous parkrun best running 15:15 at Marlay parkrun, narrowly missing the course record by two seconds. O’Donnell set a 5000m PB in May clocking 14:31.37. Mary Leech was the second fastest female this week within 19:29 at Oldbridge. Leech claim two silver medals as a v40 at the World Masters Athletics Championships in the spring in the 1500m and 3000m.

Lisa Clerkin was this week’s third fastest female athlete this week with 19:32 at Cootehill. The successful adventure racer was a winner at the recent Quest Lough Derg race a race which involves kayaking, biking and running.

Off the back of a ninth placed finish at the British Cross Challenge last week Adam Ferris clocked a controlled 16:02 at Waterworks to finish as this week’s third fastest male. The winner of the Ulster School’s 5000m championship Ferris was also fourth at the Laganside 10km in early September.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Waterworks
Ben Branagh, 14:58
2) parkrun: Marlay
Paul O’Donnell, 15:15, Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club
3) parkrun: Waterworks
Adam Ferris, 16:02, St Malachys AC
4) parkrun: Citypark
David Hamilton. 16:22, St Peters AC
5) parkrun: Castlewellan
Peter Moffett, 16:38, Falkirk Victoria Harriers
6) parkrun: Tramore
Ciaran Aylward, 16:42, Rathfarnham WSAF
7) parkrun: Tramore
David Power, 16:43, Rathfarnham WSAF
8) parkrun: St Anne’s
Niall Lynch, 16:47, Donore Harriers
9) parkrun: Donabate
Shane Ryan, 16:48
=10) parkrun: Waterworks
Conor Curran, 16:55, North Belfast Harriers
=10) parkrun: Malahide
Wesley Grant, 16:55, Raheny Shamrock AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Malahide
Annette Kealy, 17:54, Raheny Shamrock AC
2) parkrun: Oldbridge
Mary Leech, 19:29
3) parkrun: Cootehill
Lisa Clerkin, 19:32
4) parkrun: Castletown
Anna Simkovics, 19:33
=5) parkrun: Brickfields
Niamh Clifford, 19:47, Star of the Laune AC
=5) parkrun: Omagh
Lauren Molloy, 19:47
7) parkrun: Ormeau
Grainne McGrath 19:49, Glasgow Tri Club
8) parkrun: Limerick
Shona Ni Fhloinn, 19:54, Sanctuary Runners
9) parkrun: Clarisford
Ann MacPhail, 19:57
10) parkrun: Kilkenny
Caoilte Malone, 20:10, Kilkenny City Harriers

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

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