Olivia Tsim and Adam Bowden ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (16th April).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Order your copy today.

Olivia Tsim jumps from mid-table a couple of weeks ago to top of the league this week, with a 16:44 at Cardiff parkrun this morning. It was a new parkrun best for the Pontypridd Roadent, and just one second off the new 5k PB she ran at Friday Night Under Lights Meets Podium 5K in February.

Adam Bowden was the quickest chap, just one second above the magic 15 minutes. At Pontypridd parkrun, it seems Wales was popular for fast running today, where the Bridgend athlete ran 15:01. After coming up a little short of the 2:10 we received press releases about before Manchester marathon, triathlete Bowden still ran an excellent PB of 2:17:18 and seems to have recovered nicely.

Welsh wonders

Both second places were also at Welsh parkruns this weekend with Alex Jackson at Cardiff parkrun and Sinead O’Connor at Swansea Bay.

O’Connor is an Irish athlete who has a 5000m PB of 16:47.40, ran at the Morton Stadium, Dublin in the summer of 2020. The 36 year old is still running PBs and the 16:54 at Swansea Bay today is a sign that there is more to come we believe.

Alex Jackson was only three seconds slower than Bowden, with a 15:04 at Cardiff parkrun. There’s a lot of Alex Jacksons out there, but we reckon it’s the U23 who was 7th at the Welsh National Championships earlier this year. It’s a new parkrun best by over 45 seconds, but also a lot quicker than his 5k best on the roads too.

Vicki Ingham of Poole Runners was third fastest lady with 17:06 on the south coast. Poole parkrun is a fast one, but also a lovely place to be on a holiday weekend in the sun. Ingham took nearly 30 seconds off of her parkrun best, not long after a new 10 mile PB at Lytchett 10 in Feb and a 35:11 10k PB at Eastleigh 10K in March.

Robbie Ferguson (solid first name) was the third fastest male with 15:14 at Strathclyde parkrun in Scotland. The Kilbarchan AAC athlete started this year with a 3000m PB indoors at the 4J Studios scottishathletics National Senior Championships with a time of 8:32.08i. Now a 7 second parkrun PB too, must be a bright year ahead.

The fastest course

Both Dulwich and Cardiff parkrun featured twice this week, but as Cardiff had a 1st and a 2nd we think that takes it. Another crown in the cupboard for the often featured super quick event.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Pontypridd
Adam Bowden, 15:01, Bridgend
2) parkrun: Cardiff
Alex Jackson, 15:04, Cardiff AAC
3) parkrun: Strathclyde 
Robbie Ferguson, 15:14, Kilbarchan AAC
4) parkrun: Poole
Rob McTaggart, 15:14, Twemlow Track Club
5) parkrun: Dulwich
Adam Milberry, 15:17, Victoria Park Harriers & Tower Hamlets AC
6) parkrun: Victoria Park, Glasgow
Jack Heathwood, 15:22, Bellahouston Harriers
7) parkrun: Dulwich
Russell Bentley, 15:24, Kent AC
8) parkrun: Waterworks, Belfast
Conor Gallagher, 15:29, St. Malachy’s
9) parkrun: Strathclyde
Mark McKelvie, 15:33, Shettleston Harriers
10) parkrun: Aberdare
Adam Bull, 15:37, Pontypridd Roadents AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Cardiff
Olivia Tsim, 16:44, Pontypridd Roadents AC
2) parkrun: Swansea Bay
Sinead O’Connor, 16:54, Leevale AC
3) parkrun: Poole
Vicki Ingham, 17:06, Poole Runners
4) parkrun: Bushy
Nancy Scott, 17:07, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
5) parkrun: Isabel Trail 
Sophie Wood, 17:09, Sale Harriers Manchester
6) parkrun: Seaton
Innes Fitzgerald, 17:17
7) parkrun: Bexley
Holly Dixon, 17:26, Cambridge Harriers
8) parkrun: Fleetwood Promenade 
Carla Davies, 17:29, Preston Harriers
9) parkrun: Hastings
Rachel Mulvey, 17:38, HY Runners
10) parkrun: Bryn Bach
Sophie Nicholls, 17:39, City of Salisbury AC

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