Sophie Wallis and Matthew Bowser ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (4th May).
Our weekly parkrun top ten is now sponsored by Vertebrate Publishing (my publisher) and here’s a link to buy my book on their website. They actually have a bunch of great books to choose from, especially the mountaineering ones, so don’t feel like you have to buy 1001 Running Tips.
It was Doddington Double for Sophie Wallis and Matthew Bowser this weekend with both top times coming from the same event. Wallis’ time was a spectacular 15:35, which is a six second parkrun PB and quicker than her 5000m and 5k times. More PBs incoming maybe? In March it was a 15:46 5k best and also a 32:02 at Trafford 10k.
Bowser, also a Lincoln Wellington athlete, isn’t quite in PB shape like Wallis, but 14:55 was the only time under 15 minutes this week and not a million miles from his 14:40 parkrun best from 2021. The 14:08 5k man has raced three times over 10k this year and the quickest was a 30:56 at Lincoln 10k in April.
The best of the rest?
Louise Small stopped it being a Doddington Hall/Lincoln Wellington double at the top of the women’s rankings with a 16:45 at Southsea parkrun. The HOKA athlete ran a 16:03 5k best at the Guernsey Easter 5K at the end of March so is clearly running well.
Ellarose Whitworth was the third woman under 17 minutes with 16:59 at Doddington Hall as well, a time usually good enough for first in our rankings, but today not first finisher at the event. It is a big parkrun PB for the U17 and comes off a very strong cross country season and a 1500m PB of 4:37.03 in 2024 already.
At Bromley parkrun, in Norman Park where I once finished 13th in the county tennis ball throwing championships, it was Joe Scanes who was second fastest chap in 15:00 flat. Like Whitworth Scanes is an U17 who had a stellar XC season and has already banked a 800 and 1500m PB this year as well. I bet he can throw a tennis ball further than I did as well, but I was only 10.
Ben Cole completes the men’s podium with 15:07 at Marine Parade parkrun. The 14:06 runner has clocked 14:10 already this year at Friday Night 5K Under the Lights in February, a 29:18 10k PB in Valencia and a half marathon best of 65:38 at Reading Half a few weeks back. Ben is pretty fast.
The fastest course?
I typed “the best course” at first, but everyone knows that’s Sheringham parkrun in North Norfolk, so this is the fastest course.
The decision for fastest course normally goes for the event that features most, but this weekend we saw two wins and a third place at Doddington Hall, but four features for Seaford Beach, with the highest being 4th, through to 8th.
It might be controversial but the decision this week is Doddington Hall, as Wallis’ time was second fastest parkrun by a Brit.
Women’s Rankings
Men’s Rankings
