Gemma Steel and Jake Smith ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (18th June).

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.

The parkrun rankings this week are a little, okay a lot, late this weekend, but in my defence it’s only 17:00 in the timezone I’m in (and it was race day).

There’s been some rather quick parkrun times this week with the quickest of the bunch being Jake Smith. At Cardiff parkrun the NN Running athlete clocked 14:15 for a new course record and then posted on Facebook about wanting to try for the “parkrun world record”. Best get Jake reading this article on a regular basis to scope the best spots.

After a week off to do a different race, Gemma Steel was back in parkrun action, but with a bit of competition. Watermead County parkrun must have been an exciting place to be at about 9:16 this morning with Steel facing competition from Emma Styles of Hinckley RC. It was a big parkrun PB for Styles who has already run an excellent 2:37:36 at Therme Manchester Marathon in April.

Nonsuch course record too

James Cameron Hancock had a blinder of a run at Nonsuch parkrun to finish second in the rankings this week. 14:53 was good enough to break the record for the event, taking three seconds off of Kojo Kyereme from 2015. It’s the first time under 15 minutes at parkrun for the 14:37 5k runner who runs for Sutton & District AC.

Just over 17 minutes was Charlotte Ward of City of Hull AC with a 17:03 at Alvaston parkrun and that was good enough for third in the women’s rankings this week. It comes off the back of a road 5k PB of 17:09 at Podium 5k earlier this year and a Humberside County Championships XC win too.

parkrun regular Seyfu Jamaal was our third fastest male runner with 15:08 at Highbury Fields, but shares the honours with Matthew Knowles of Lancaster & Morecambe AC who ran the same time at Morecambe Prom this weekend.

Fastest course?

Three events saw two runners feature this week, with Cardiff, Norwich and Watermead County. The “prize” this week goes to Watermead County though, with a 1-2 in the women’s rankings for Gemma Steel and Emma Styles. Good competition can really help with good times.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Cardiff
Jake Smith, 14:15, Axe Valley Runners
2) parkrun: Nonsuch
James Cameron Hancock, 14:53, Sutton & District AC
3=) parkrun: Highbury Fields
Seyfu Jamaal, 15:08, London Heathside
3=) parkrun: Morecambe Prom
Matthew Knowles, 15:08, Lancaster & Morecambe AC
5) parkrun: Cannock Chase
Lee Gratton, 15:11, Run and Ride
6) parkrun: Leicester Victoria
Mohammed Hussein, 15:18, Roadhoggs Leicester AC
7) parkrun: Norwich
Scott Greeves, 15:27, City of Norwich AC
8) parkrun: Norwich 
Danny Adams, 15:29, City of Norwich AC
9) parkrun: Higginson, Marlow
Hugo Donovan, 15:33, Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow AC
10=) parkrun: Cardiff
Phil Robertson, 15:39, Sale Harriers Manchester
10=) parkrun: Ashford
Wegahta Zerom, 15:39.

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Watermead County
Gemma Steel, 16:29, Charnwood AC
2) parkrun: Watermead County 
Emma Styles, 16:35, Hinckley RC
3) parkrun: Alvaston
Charlotte Ward, 17:03, City of Hull AC
4) parkrun: Princes, Liverpool
Anna Bracegirdle, 17:10
5) parkrun: Torbay Velopark 
Bryony Haines, 17:15, Birchfield Harriers
6) parkrun: Southsea
Cassie Thorp, 17:21
7) parkrun: Rothay Park 
Scout Adkin, 17:22, Ambleside AC
8) parkrun: Rother Valley
Lilia Harris, 17:39, Rotherham Harriers,& AC
9) parkrun: Sixfields Upton
Megan Stenhouse, 17:44, Blackheath& Bromley Harriers AC
10) parkrun: Bromley
Katie Murray, 17:47, Blackheath & Bromley Harriers AC

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