Della Hatfield, Harry Smith and Sam Gilson ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this week (30th April).

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

Given the quality of 5k racing in the UK last night, with Friday Night Under the Lights 5k and the Mid-Cheshire 5k, and the fact there are some speedy 10ks this weekend too, it’s no surprise the average times are a bit slower this week. As we’ve said before, this makes us happy, as we love to see fast runners at parkrun, but we also love to see them at races.

For second week in a row it was a Sam at Long Eaton parkrun with the fastest men’s time. Hopefully this didn’t leave any volunteer or park goers wondering if they had slipped into some kind of parkrun-induced Groundhog Day. The chap in question this week was Sam Gilson.

Shifting along in 2022, Gilson is under 16 minutes for the first time, by a bloody long way, and he’s also been busy in cross country and road relay running too. The Rotherham Harrier ran a strong 15:18, but he wasn’t the only one, with Harry Smith of Bournemouth AC also clocking the same time at Bushy Park. We’re checking the photo finish on the Fast Running satellites, but it still looks like a dead heat to us.

Smith has been flying this year, with a 14:48 parkrun best in January, a win at the Salisbury 10 in 53:14 and excellent work on the cross country and road relays too.

It wasn’t as close in the women’s rankings, with Della Hatfield 25 seconds quicker than anyone else. At Hull parkrun, running for City of Hull AC, Hatfield made her second huge leap of the year in terms of performance. In March the 3:01 marathoner ran 17:28 to take 30 seconds off her parkrun PB and then today pushed that under 17 minutes with 16:56. A remarkable improvement for the V35 athlete.

Everyone sharing positions this week

It wasn’t just the top spot of the men’s podium that was shared this week. Running 7 seconds faster than last week and up to third for James Westlake, but not without the company of David Smale, with both crossing the line at 15:19, only one second behind the top two.

The top six men this week were only separated by three seconds!

The women’s second fastest time was Annabel Gummow of Winchester and District AC. At Panshanger parkrun the former GB international ran 17:21 in her first outing of the year.

In South-East London at Bromley parkrun it was Elle Baker of Tonbridge AC first across the line in 17:24. After an excellent second at the British Masters XC in March, Baker is moving in the right direction of her parkrun best of 17:07, set back in 2012. Having represented Great Britain and Northern Ireland on multiple occasions, specialising on the cross country, it is great to see the now coached by Mark Hookway athlete in such fine form.

The fastest event this week?

With four runners making the rankings this week the virtual trophy heads to the north-east of England to Hull. Special mention goes to Natalie Curgenven, who’s 18:02 was joint 10th in the ladies and was the fourth counter for the event.

Men’s top 10

1=) parkrun: Long Eaton
Sam Gilson, 15:18, Rotherham Harriers & AC
1=) parkrun: Bushy
Harry Smith, 15:18, Bournemouth AC
3=) parkrun: Chalkwell Beach
David Smale, 15:19, Southend-on-Sea AC
3=) parkrun: Warrington
James Westlake, 15:19, Crawley AC
5) parkrun: Mole Valley
Thomas Firth, 15:20, Southend-on-Sea AC
6) parkrun: Elgin
Adam Baker, 15:21, RAF Triathlon
7) parkrun: Alexandra, Moss Side
Simon Crawford, 15:24, Long Eaton RC
8) parkrun: Hull
Oliver Newton, 15:25, Thames Valley Harriers
9) parkrun: Dulwich
Nicholas Torry, 15:30, Serpentine RC
10=) parkrun: Southend
Crispian Bloomfield, 15:31, Billericay Striders
10=) parkrun: Sittingbourne
Ethan Gear, 15:31

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Hull
Della Hatfield, 16:56, City of Hull AC
2) parkrun: Panshanger
Annabel Gummow, 17:21, Winchester and District AC
3) parkrun: Bromley
Elle Baker, 17:24, Tonbridge AC
4) parkrun: Scunthorpe
Lindsay Skinner, 17:25
5) parkrun: Cannon Hill
Anne Kenchington, 17:26, Birmingham Running, Athletics, and Triathlon Club
6) parkrun: Hull
Georgina Weston, 17:27, Notts AC
7) parkrun: Bushy
Eliza Hawthorn, 17:50, Stragglers
8) parkrun: Chelmsford Central
Rosa Prideaux, 17:51, Chelmsford AC
9) parkrun: Forfar Loch
Natasha Phillips, 18:00, Dundee Hawkhill Harriers
10=) parkrun: Storey’s Field
Helene Greenewood, 18:02, Cambridge University Hare and Hounds
10=) parkrun: Hull
Natalie Curgenven, 18:02, City of Hull AC

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