Gemma Steel and Ben Brown ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (2nd July).

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.

It’s getting to the point now where we’re wondering if Gemma Steel needs a parkrun intervention. Another week at the top of the charts for the British international and, we can’t repeat this enough, it is great to see her running so well. It’s just we’re running out of things to say in this article about Steel now. 16:21 at Long Eaton is a cracking run, although Jess Piasecki has a really strong course record of 15:51 from 2019 that is a little bit quicker.

Ben Brown of Southampton AC was the quickest chap this weekend, running 14:52 at his home town event. The U20 has been flying again this year with PBs over 800, 1500 and 3000m on the track with 1:57, 3:56 and 8:20 (indoors). The 14:25 5k runner is no stranger to parkrun and actually has a parkrun best of 14:32 at Poole parkrun last September that will take some beating!

Another under 17 minutes

Stephanie Morwood was another runner under 17 minutes, in a time sometimes good enough for the top spot. Clocking 16:58 at Rushmoor parkrun takes Louise Small’s course record by over 20 seconds and we start to wonder why this athlete doesn’t have a profile on Power of 10. Do we know any quick Stephanie’s over 5k…. Maybe Steph Twell perhaps? Ah, yes! The GB international marathoner, married to Joe Morwood, was almost incognito on the parkrun website but makes it’s a his and hers course record for the Rushmoor event.

Now it’s got us thinking who could clock the quickest parkrun couples course records award. Could Andrew and Lauren Heyes give them a run for their money?

A parkrun regular in Seyfu Jamaal jumped up the rankings this week and ran the second quickest male time of 15:03 at his favourite Highbury Fields event. We’re wondering if Seyfu has the most features our parkrun top 10s since we’ve been doing them? Or that could even be someone like Sophie Wood, who ran 17:08 at Worsley Woods parkrun this weekend to grab the final podium spot in the women’s rankings.

A 15:09 dead heat for third fastest males between Andrew Mulligan and Harry Smith at Belfast Victoria and the Eden Project respectively was a photo finish. From what we have heard about the Eden Project that might have been the tougher day out, but we just go on the times here and no one is clocked down to the millisecond.

Fastest course?

Ellie Marie Monks charged home in 17:52 to grab the 10th spot in the female rankings and, in doing so, brings the imaginary fastest course trophy home to the Southampton event this week, with Ben Brown the other running on the south coast. Please send back the imaginary trophy in good time so it can be awarded next week.

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Long Eaton
Gemma Steel, 16:21, Charnwood AC
2) parkrun: Rushmoor 
Stephanie Morwood, 16:58
2) parkrun: Worsley Woods
Sophie Wood, 17:08, Sale Harriers
4) parkrun: Shrewsbury
Sara Willhoit, 17:19, Shrewsbury AC
5) parkrun: Bushy
Georgia Peel, 17:34
6) parkrun: Poole 
Poppaea Bramwell-Reeks, 17:37
7) parkrun: Sutcliffe
Elle Baker, 17:41, Tonbridge AC
8) parkrun: Aberdeen
Joanna Robertson, 17:49
9) parkrun: Exmouth
Rebekah Nixon, 17:50, Dromore AC
10) parkrun: Southampton
Ellie Marie Monks, 17:52, Southampton AC

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Southampton
Ben Brown, 14:52, Southampton AC
2) parkrun: Highbury Fields
Seyfu Jamaal, 15:03, Heathside
3=) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Andrew Mulligan, 15:09, North Belfast Harriers
3=) parkrun: Eden Project
Harry Smith, 15:09, Bournemouth AC
5) parkrun: Wakefield Thornes
Mark Bostock, 15:14, Wakefield District Harriers & AC
6) parkrun: Leicester Victoria
Mohammed Hussein, 15:16, Roadhoggs Leicester AC
7) parkrun: Albert, Middlesborough
Gregory Jayasuriya, 15:22, Middlesbrough & Cleveland Harriers
8) parkrun: Stonehouse
Alex Milne, 15:23, Hercules Wimbledon AC
9=) parkrun: Redcar
Lewis Gamble-Thompson, 15:25, New Marske Harriers AC
9=) parkrun: Bromley
Sean Fitzpatrick, 15:25 Kent AC

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