Sophie Wallis and Ben Jones ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (7th October).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by the British 50k, who are crowdfunding for the World 50k Running Championships in India, this November. The team features parkrun regulars such as Andrew Heyes, Ollie Garrod and British 100k record holder Sarah Webster. If you can support, or the share the link here, it would be greatly appreciated. 

Three women broke 17 minutes this week with Sophie Wallis the fastest of the bunch with a 16:23 at Doddington Hall parkrun. The Lincoln Wellington athlete has a parkrun PB of 15:51 and a 5000m PB of 15:54.88 at the BMC Grand Prix – World Athletics Challenge this August.

Ben Jones took the men’s top spot with 15:17, but it was another virtual sprint finish with all ten of the top 10 only 10 seconds apart. It feels like a sprint finish at the Tour de France and maybe everyone would have been given the same time. Jones, of Cambridge and Coleridge, ran a parkrun PB of 15:11 a month ago and the good form keeps rolling with a win at Abington 10k last weekend in 32:22.

The rest of the podium

It was also at the same event as Jones that Holly Rees ran the second fastest female time with 16:38. This year has already been excellent for another Cambridge and Coleridge athlete with a 15:52.27 5000m PB at the Battle Road Twilight Meet 3 in Waltham, MA in the USA.

At Richmond Park it was Georgia Bell who was the third athlete under 17 minutes with 16:58 in a time that often takes the top spot. We are guessing it’s the Georgia Bell who runs for Shaftesbury Barnet and has a 15:39.26 5000m best from this year at a BMC regional meet in July. There’s also been a 4:06.20 1500m PB as well in 2023. Rapid.

Both finishing in 15:18 it was Michael Ward and Jack Steenson who tied for second place in the mens. It looks like Ward had a clean run whilst Steenson was running hard from Dale Seddon, who was just a second behind (and I have witnessed a sprint finish from Seddon, albeit at the end of 100k of racing, and he’s no slouch).

Seddon’s team mate from the England 100k team, Sarah Webster, is actually in the GB&NI 50k that needs support mentioned at the top of this article. Please do help if you can. 

The fastest course?

It looks like the four man burn-up at Dulwich parkrun was enough to take the win this week. Four chaps all within five seconds. Sounds like a good workout for all involved.

Women’s Rankings

Men’s Rankings