Holly Dixon and Kieran Walker ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (18th December).

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

In what might have been our fastest male top ten of all time, eight runners where either on or under 15 minutes flat. Only 10th place was slower than last week’s fastest time and six times started with a  14:

Leading the way was Kieran Walker of the North East Project. Running an excellent 14:48 at Hartlepool parkrun, it is a massive leap over the five kilometre distance for the athlete coached by Martin Peevor. It isn’t a huge surprise though as Walker has PB’d 10k, 10 mile, half marathon and marathon this year and it’s only a matter of time before a new 5k PB on the road.

Highlights include a 2:25:25 marathon to finish third at Manchester and a 67:16 half to win the Rock ‘n’ Roll Liverpool Half Marathon, which was over six minutes better than his previous best!

The women’s rankings also saw two runners under 17 minutes, and a course record at the fast Belfast Victoria parkrun wasn’t enough to take the top spot.

When a course record isn’t enough

Holly Dixon, of Cambridge Harriers, is no stranger to being first finisher and her 16:28 at Sutcliffe parkrun was good enough for the number one spot today. A great 2021 has seen PBs for Dixon over every single distance she races at, apart from the mile distance (but only because she hasn’t raced one).

This weekend was a new parkrun best by over 30 seconds, but still a decent chunk away from the Cambridge Harrier’s 5k road best of 15:59 from Podium 5k in April.

Over in Northern Ireland the twitter account of the event at Belfast Victoria Park tweeted “Run of the day was from Sarah Jane Cooke who ran the FASTEST EVER time by a female at Vicky Park cheered on by her club mates from Victoria Park and Connswater AC”.

Cooke, a V40 athlete, has also had a year of PBs and this is her first time under 17 minutes for 5k. 16:37 is some way under 17 minutes too, so a cracking run. It might not have been the quickest of the day today, but 9/10 weeks it would have been.

The sub 15 bus

For a minute it felt like writing up the results for Podium 5k or Armagh, as everyone seemed to be under 15 minutes this week. Five more runners broke 15 and two were exactly on 15:00. Second fastest male was Kris Lecher at Hull parkrun with 14:50, quick followed by three runners all in Edinburgh. Alastair Marshall, Peter Avent and Calum Phillip were only separated by four seconds in what must have been an exciting sprint finish.

Charlotte Ward was third fastest female with 17:06 at Alvaston parkrun and was the second City of Hull AC athlete in the mix this weekend too.

Fastest course

Having read that three runners broke 15 minutes at Edinburgh parkrun this weekend there are no prizes for guessing which course was fastest. Honourable mention to Belfast Victoria for two athletes in the top 10 and a course record.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Hartlepool 
Kieran Walker, 14:48, North East Project
2) parkrun: Hull
Kris Lecher, 14:50, City of Hull AC
3) parkrun: Edinburgh
Alastair Marshall, 14:53, Central AC
4) parkrun: Edinburgh
Peter Avent, 14:55, Shettleston Harriers
5) parkrun: Edinburgh
Calum Phillip, 14:57, Central AC
6) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Gavin Corey, 14:49, Sperrin Harriers
7=) parkrun: Wyre Forest
William Richardson, 15:00, Birchfield Harriers
7=) parkrun: Southampton
William Boutwood, Kingsgate AC
9) parkrun: Market Rasen Racecourse
William Strangeway, 15:04, Lincoln Wellington AC
10) parkrun: Poole
Edward Bird, 15:18

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Sutcliffe
Holly Dixon, 16:28, Cambridge Harriers
2) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Sarah Jane Cooke, 16:37, Victoria Park and Connswater AC
3) parkrun: Alvaston
Charlotte Ward, 17:06, City of Hull AC
4=) parkrun: Bushy
Katie Brown, 17:15, Trent Park Running Club
4=) parkrun: Worsley Woods
Sammy Mason, 17:15, Slaford Harriers and AC
6) parkrun: Rother Valley
Issy Waugh, 17:16, Rotherham Harriers & AC
7) parkrun: Whitehaven
Kate Malby, 17:17
8=) parkrun: Long Eaton
Megan Rosier, 17:21, Notts AC
8=) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Bryony Haines, 17:21, Birchfield Harriers
10) parkrun: Mile End
Beth Hawling, 17:22, Cheltenham & County Harriers

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