Molly Renfer and Neil Johnston ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (26th October)

Highgate’s Molly Renfer was just five seconds outside her parkrun PB when clocking 17:14 at Dulwich to finish as this week’s fastest female runner. Renfer ran one of the fastest legs at the recent Southern Road Relays and ran 9:40 to finish 30th at the Armagh International earlier in the year.

Coach Mark Kirk had a good day at Belfast Victoria with several athletes he coaches featuring in the men’s and women’s top 10. The Ballymena coach looks after Neil Johnston, Luke Dinsmore, Conall Kirk and Katie Kirk who all feature this week.

Top of the class was Neil Johnston who finished with the fastest parkrun of the weekend with 15:17 at Belfast Victoria. The Ballymena & Antrim man is the Northern Ireland & Ulster 5000m champion and has a 5000m best of 14:22.74 and was 2nd at the Manchester International 3000m in August.

AFD’s Lauren Hall was also just outside her parkrun PB and this week’s 2nd fastest female parkrunner with 17:20 over the trail course at Conkers. Hall has been in fine form in 2019 with huge PB of 33:59 at Chichester Priory 10km, winning the Inter-Services XC Championship and clocking a 5000m PB of 16:45.08 at the 5000m Track Challenge meet.

Tom Cornthwaite was this week’s second fastest male runner with the 2:22 marathon man running 15:33 at Victoria Park in Glasgow. The Salford Harrier was third at last month’s Great Scottish 10km and has competed for GB in the mountains.

800m specialist Katie Kirk was third fastest woman running 17:39 at Belfast Victoria. With a season’s best of 2:03.46 Kirk has a lot of senior international experience including competing at the 2014 Commonwealth Games and picking up a bronze medal at the British Champs in the same year.

A regular visitor to the top 10 Seyfu Jamaal was 3rd fastest man with 15:36 over the lumpy course at Finsbury park. The under 20 man coached by Jacob Howe clocked a big 10000m PB with 30:50.61 at Ladywell 10000m last month and achieved a fine 16th place at the National Cross in February.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Neil Johnston, 15:17, Springwell RC
2) parkrun: Victoria Park, Glasgow
Thomas Cornthwaite, 15:33, Salford Harriers and AC
3) parkrun: Finsbury Park
Seyfu Jamaal, 15:36, London Heathside
4) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Luke Dinsmore, 15:40, Springwell RC
5) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Conall Kirk, 15:44, Lagan Valley AC
6) parkrun: Wolverhampton
Jack Pickett, 15:45, Wolverhampton & Bilston AC
7) parkrun: Jersey
Sam Maher, 15:50, Jersey Spartan AC
8) parkrun: Gunnersbury
Jonathan Poole, 15:52, Serpentine RC
9=) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Peter Gracey, 15:56, Beechmount Harriers
9=) parkrun: Hove Prominade
Simon Heath, 15:56, Brighton Phoenix
9=) parkrun: Edinburgh
Peter Avent, 15:56, Shettleston Harriers
9=) parkrun: Eden Project
Jack Millar, 15:56, Bristol and West AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Dulwich
Molly Renfer, 17:14, Highgate Harriers
2) parkrun: Conkers
Lauren Hall, 17:20, Aldershot, Farnham & District AC
3) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Katie Kirk, 17:39, Queen’s University AC
4) parkrun: Waterworks
Rachel Gibson, 17:47, North Down AC
5) parkrun: Vogrie
Cera Gemmell, 17:47, Team East Lothian
6) parkrun: Old Showfield
Caroline Hoyte, 17:50, Arena 80 AC
7) parkrun: Riverside
Chloe Louise Wellings, 17:58, Gateshead Harriers & AC
8) parkrun: Blyth Links
Charlotte Penfold, 17:59, North Shields Polytechnic AC
9) parkrun: University of Stirling
Jennifer Wetton, 18:02 Central AC
10) parkrun: Warwick Racecourse
Georgie Campbell, 18:14, Stratford-upon-Avon AC

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

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