Paul Pollock and Emma Styles ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (12th February).
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It was another week of Belfast Victoria showing off just how quick a course they have, or how many quick runners they entice down to each Saturday morning, but likely just a bit of both. Maybe it’s good cake on offer afterwards too?
Irish Olympic marathoner Paul Pollock was the fastest of the bunch this weekend with 14:24 at the Northern Irish event. The 2:10:25 athlete was running in Tokyo (well, Sapporo) last summer and he even used parkrun in his build-up for the big day with a 14:17 last July at the same event.
The fastest female this week was Emma Styles at another quick event, Poole parkrun on the south coast of England. Another quick marathoner, who PB’d at London marathon last October with an excellent 2:42:35, was the speediest with a 16:58 this morning. It’s not a parkrun PB as Styles ran 16:46 last November, but both that run and this one are faster than her 5k road PB so that could get a healthy update in 2022.
Next on the podium
A regular in the parkrun rankings up next, with Beth Hawling of London Heathside running 17:18 at Hackney Marshes in east London. Hawling, who was third at the Southern XC Champs just recently, was only one second off of her parkrun best of 17:17, set in 2019, and it was a event best for Hackney Marshes for her.
Second quickest male runner was putting on a show, with Adam Peacock first across the line at Arrow Valley parkrun in 15:01. That was enough to take 15 seconds off of 2:15 marathoner Matt Bond’s 2013 course record for the Worcestershire event.
Third place was shared in the men’s rankings with Joe Moores and Jed Noblett both running 15:08 at Stretford and Great Denham respectively.
At Dulwich parkrun, which, with Poole and Belfast Victoria, ranks as one of the quicker events in the UK, Kent AC’s Katie Rowland ran 17:27. A 12 second parkrun PB comes off really strong performances of third in the Kenty County XC Champs and 32nd at the Southerns. It looks like a really strong start to the year for Rowland.
Fastest event?
There were actually two events that featured twice this week, Strathclyde and Belfast Victoria. The Scottish event had a 5th, 9th and 10th position in the men’s rankings, whereas Belfast Victoria had 1st, 5th and 6th across both lists, so takes the crown once again.
Men’s top 10
1) parkrun:Belfast Victoria
Paul Pollock, 14:24, Abbey AC
2) parkrun: Arrow Valley
Adam Peacock, 15:01, Birmingham Running Athletics and Triathlon Club
3=) parkrun: Stretford
Joe Moores, 15:08, Rossendale Harriers & AC
3=) parkrun: Great Denham
Jed Noblett, 15:08, Luton AC
5) parkrun: Strathclyde
Cameron Harris, 15:10, Central AC
6) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Adam Kirk-Smith, 15:12, Woodfood Green AC with Essex Ladies
7) parkrun: Burgess
Euan Gilchrist, 15:12, Sale Harriers Manchester
8) parkrun: Burgess
James Fox, 15:14, Belgrave Harriers
9) parkrun: Strathclyde
Thomas Dalgarno, 15:22
10) parkrun: Strathclyde
Benjamin van Dijk, 15:24
Women’s top 10
1) parkrun: Poole
Emma Styles, 16:58, Hinckley RC
2) parkrun: Hackney Marshes
Beth Hawling, 17:18, London Heathside
3) parkrun: Dulwich
Katie Rowland, 17:27, Kent AC
4) parkrun: Clapham Common
Olivia Tsim, 17:29, Cardiff AAC
5) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Rebecca Rossiter, 17:19
6) parkrun: Marshall Estate
Lyla Belshaw, 17:34, Colchester Harriers AC
7) parkrun: Brockenhurst
Ellie Marie Monks, 17:37, Southampton AC
8) parkrun: Wickford Memorial
Gemma Kersey, 17:41
9) parkrun: Bromley
Hannah Roberts, 17:47, Petts Wood Runners
10) parkrun: Bedford
Milly Dunger, 17:51, Bedford & County AC
If you would like to run faster at parkrun we highly recommend 1001 Running Tips by Robbie Britton, found here.