Kieran Clements takes the men’s honours as Hayley Carruthers tops the women’s parkrun rankings.

Hayley Carruthers ran 15:59 at the Walsall Arboretum parkrun to record the fastest women’s time across the UK on Saturday (December 22).

It was the first time under 16 minutes for the ever improving Birchfield Harrier, who was just four seconds away from the women’s parkrun best. It was also nearly two minutes quicker than the time Carruthers ran on the same weekend last year.

On the men’s side, there were five runners under 15 minutes as people are coming home for Christmas and invariably hitting their local parkruns.

Christmas Day could be a super fast one as people escape the family mayhem in the morning to get a good run in. Who will be the Christmas number ones on Tuesday?

Kieran Clements was the fastest of the bunch with a 14:32 at Kesgrave parkrun in Suffolk. Taking two seconds from the speedster’s own course record on the Ipswich course.

The 13:53 5000m man posted the run on Strava and described the course as a little “muddy, windy and rough underfoot”. Considering there is a 180 degree turn on the course as well that’s a cracking time.

The other four men under 15 minutes included an Olympian, a Gibraltarian middle distance runner and a British/New Zealand ultra runner on a long run.

Paul Martelletti actually ran faster than his top ranking time from last week, but was knocked down to fourth place by the competitive turn out on Saturday. The marathon and ultra runner was in the middle of a 16 mile training run so hopefully won’t be too dismayed.

Second placed lady was Zoe Wassell, the youngster who ran so well over cross country in Spain earlier this winter. The GB youth international ran 17:01 for the second fastest ladies time of the week, but was over a minute behind Carruthers.

Second placed male was middle distance specialist Jake Wightman, who was training fast around the track at Loughborough earlier this week, but was down at Dulwich parkrun in London by the weekend to fly around the flat and fast course in South East London.

Chloe Richardson was the third place female and thus has family bragging rights on Christmas Day as her brother William was only fifth in the male rankings. Both made the news in 2017 as dual winners of the Birmingham half marathon.

The AB Training group in Sussex made an en mass outing to Worthing parkrun but only times of 15:09 and 15:11 made the top 10, although 10 runners broke 16 minutes at the one event. The power of the group there again.

Both Dulwich and Cannon Hill Birmingham parkruns featured three times this week so they can share the fastest parkrun for the week. It seems the Midlands featured heavier than usual at the weekend, maybe everyone is returning home for Christmas to the middle of England.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Dulwich
Kieran Clements, 14:32, Shaftesbury Barnet Harriers
2) parkrun: Dulwich
Jake Wightman, 14:48, Edinburgh AC
3) parkrun: Mile End
Paul Martelletti, 14:49, Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets
4) parkrun: Dulwich
Harvey Dixon, 14:55, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
5) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
William Richardson, 14:58, Birchfield Harriers
6) parkrun: Kingsbury Water
Ellis Cross, 15:01, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
7) parkrun: Dulwich
Joe Morwood, 15:02, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
8) parkrun: Coventry
Mohamed Daud Mohamed, 15:05, Coventry Godiva
9) parkrun: Worthing
Maxwell Dumbbell, 15:09, Brighton Phoenix
10) parkrun: Worthing
Howard Bristow, 15:11, Brighton & Hove City AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum 
Hayley Carruthers, 15:59, Birchfield Harriers
2) parkrun: Chipping Sodbury
Nicola Sykes, 17:29, Bournville Harriers
3) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Chloe Richardson, 17:05, Birchfield Harriers
4) parkrun: Leicester Victoria
Hannah Doran, 17:09, Charnwood AC
5) parkrun: Sherwood Pines
Emily Collinge 17:13, Vegetarian Cycling and AC
6) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Nicola Sykes, 17:29, Bournville Harriers
7) parkrun: Higginson, Birmingham
Jessica Gibbon, 17:27, Reading AC
8) parkrun: Delamere
Holly Weedall, 17:29, Vale Royal AC
9) parkrun: MUSA Cookstowns
Grace Carson, 17:29
10) parkrun: Lincoln 
Abbie Donnelly, 17:30, Lincoln-Wellington AC

If you enjoy running at parkrun but want to develop and get a bit faster then find a running club near you. Clubs have all the social aspects of parkrun and cater for all levels to help you progress. More information can be found here.

Also if you would like to run faster at parkrun, top tips to help runners of all abilities can be found here.

RELATED: 7 ways to run faster at parkrun

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