Úna O’Brien and Rory O’Connor ran the fastest parkrun times in the Ireland this weekend (9th November).

With some key cross country fixtures taking place this weekend including the Bobby Rea International some of the more familiar names from the Irish parkrun top ten lists were in spikes but this gave the opportunity to others to fill their spots.

Under 17 Úna O’Brien of Waterford AC broke the course record at Waterford Nature parkrun with 18:26 to top this week’s fastest female parkrun times. O’Brien was a winner of last month’s Waterford County Junior Cross Country Championships and finished 2nd in the James Hughes Perpetual Cup in the seniors race in September.

Rory O’Connor ran a new parkrun PB to top this week’s fastest male parkrun times clocking 15:46 at St Anne’s. The North Cork AC man was a winner of the 2019 Adare 10km and finished 2nd at the Mallow 10 mile race in March.

Ruth Naylor of Horsforth Harriers ran 18:43 to finish as this week’s second fastest female runner in a big parkrun PB. Naylor was 4th at the Meanwood Valley 7 race near Leeds in September. Triathlete Tom McEnery was the second fastest male runner with his 16:12 at St Anne’s. McEnery was 7th in the 2017 Irish National Triathlon Championships and this run saw the Piranaha Tri Club man beat his previous parkrun best set back in 2017 by one second.

With 19:24 Clodagh Kelly ran the 2nd fastest time on the Gorey course and set herself a new parkrun PB to finish 3rd on this week’s list. The 2019 Wexford Novice Road Race Champion was 3rd in last month’s Mr Oil Wexford County Cross Country Championships.

After an 18th place finish at the McConnell Shield Open XC last week and a 75:09 clocking at Belfast City Half Marathon in Septemner Kent Swann is this week’s third fastest male runner with his 16:31 at Belfast Victoria. Just behind Swann was evergreen Tommy Hughes returning to action after his incredible 2:27 marathon in Frankfurt last month.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: St Anne’s
Rory O’Connor, 15:46, North Cork AC
2) parkrun: St Anne’s
Tom McEnery, 16:12, Piranha TC
3) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Kent Swann, 16:31, North Belfast Harriers
4) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Tommy Hughes, 16:34, Termoneeny Running Club
5) parkrun: MUSA St Anne’s
Robert Frewen, 16:40, Raheny Shamrock AC
6) parkrun: Waterford Nature
Brian Murphy, 16:42, Carrick-on-Suir AC
7) parkrun: St. Anne’s
Darren McQuade, 16:45, Bellahouston Harriers
8) parkrun: St Anne’s
Barry Hurley, 16:46
9) parkrun: Malahide
James Gillanders, 17:02, Serpentine RC
10) parkrun: Royal Canal
Eoin Durkan, 17:07, Aberdeen AAC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Waterford Nature
Úna O’Brien, 18:26, Waterford AC
2) parkrun: Naas
Ruth Naylor, 18:43, Horsforth Harriers
3) parkrun: Gorey
Clodagh Kelly, 19:24, Croghan AC
4) parkrun: Mountlucas
Aisling O’Connor, 19:28, Edenderry AC seniors
5) parkrun: Malahide
Ciara Peelo, 19:32
6) parkrun: Ballingcollig
Jennifer Goggin Walsh, 19:38, Carraig na bhFear AC
7) parkrun: Clarisford
Ann MacPhail, 19:48
8) parkrun: Castletown
Ilona McElroy, 19:52, Crusaders Athletic Club
9) parkrun: Citypark
Gillian McCrory, 19:57, St Peters AC
10=) parkrun: Claremorris
Ann Lennon, 20:05
10=) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Natasha Hewitt, 20:05

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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