Virginie Barrand and Matthew Nelson ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (13th August).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Want to run faster at parkrun or your next marathon then order your copy today.

Apologies for a late parkrun top 10 this week. Both of our editors were at the Gloucester 24hr Track race, one racing, the other supporting. Sometimes the sport has to come first, but we always catch-up.

Unsurprisingly, given the heat, the times are a little slower than last week but still impressive none the less. Matthew Nelson was the only runner under 15 minutes this week with a cracking run at Hull parkrun. It looks like a second time under 15 minutes for the distance, with this new parkrun PB being a few seconds quicker than the City of Hull AC runner’s 5k road PB from 2020 at the Even Splits Hull 5K.

Virginie Barrand was thx quickest female athlete with 17:06 at Aberdeen parkrun. Maybe it was a little cooler the further north you were this weekend? The Metro Aberdeen athlete is flying this year after a 2:45:01 PB at Edinburgh marathon and a new parkrun PB might be on it’s way on a better day weather-wise!

The podium

The next two quickest chaps ran 15:00 flat and 15:08 with Edward Bird and Kian Wiles running well at Poole and Hull parkrun respectively. Wiles must have been chasing Nelson, whilst Bird had Ryan Symington chasing hard, who finished in 15:17. A good bit of competition, even if it’s not a race, is always healthy for fast times.

At South Manchester parkrun it was Sally Ratcliffe that crossed the line first in 17:21. The AFD runner is on Power of 10 as Sally O’Gorman ran 2:39:06 at Seville Marathon earlier this year and is training for the European 50k Championships back in Spain in October.

Third fastest was Mia Atkinson, who ran 17:26 at Dishley parkrun in Loughborough. It’s not every day you nip third place ahead of an Olympian like Jo Pavey, who ran 17:37 at Exmouth parkrun. Atkinson has run one other parkrun this year, back in May, which was exactly the same time as this one. How’s that for pacing?

Fastest course

It looks like the chaps in 1st and 2nd, with their respective racing partners, at Hull and Poole, were the fastest course so it’s another win for Hull parkrun. Not sure which run was warmer though, but it’s the scores on the doors that matter.

Mens top 10

Women’s top 10

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