Cambuslang’s Ryan Thomson and Tonbridge’s Nicole Taylor are the fastest at UK parkruns this weekend (April 27)

You can tell it’s a busy weekend of racing elsewhere as Tonbridge AC’s Nicole Taylor jumps from sixth place to the top of the rankings, despite running a time of 17:08, slower by nine seconds than last week. After five runners broke 15 minutes last weekend, the fastest male time by Ryan Thomson this week was 15:02.

This is good news though as it shows that parkrun and the world of racing can live alongside, despite some saying parkrun takes away from competitive racing in the UK. Quite the opposite as parkrunners across the country will be cheering on their local runners on the big stage of London Marathon tomorrow.

Athletes like Hayley Carruthers and Robbie Simpson are parkrunners who will be on the elite start at London and many more parkrunners will be gunning for personal bests in the capital city this weekend.

Scotland’s Thomson is fresh for a fine third place at the Scottish 10,000m championships with a 30:19.54 and has already run 14:33 at the Armagh International 5k in 2019. The road mark is actually quicker than Thomson’s 5000m best on the track and after sometime in the US in 2018, the Cambuslang Harrier in running fast back home in Scotland this year.

Nicole Taylor regularly pops up in the parkrun rankings but also as part of the strong Tonbridge AC relay squad as part of a dominating club team. Last week’s 16:59 marked a parkrun best for taylor and isn’t far from her 16:36 5k PB that was run in 2018 at the Ipswich Twilight 5k. Hopefully we see taylor back in action in Ipswich this year or chasing a new 10,000m PB at Highgate in May.

Frank Baddick of Newham and essex Beagles ran 15:16 at Long Eaton parkrun in the Midlands. The 3:42.06 1500m man was 14th at the English National Cross Country Championships back in February and the George Gandy coached athlete has run 14:03 for 5000m on the track back in 2016 at the BMC Watford Grand Prix.

Birch field Harriers regularly have multiple women featuring  in the rankings and this week is no different with becky Straw the second fastest lady with a 17:19 showing at Cannon Hill parkrun in Birmingham. The Birmingham University student ran 9:52 at the Armagh 3k race in February and has a 16:24 5k time that might be a target this summer.

Both Long Eaton and Albert Park, Middlesborough, featured twice this week so were the fastest places to go racing this Saturday AM. What will be interesting now is to see if any of or top rankers will be toeing the line at London tomorrow and how their pace compares over the long distance. Not an ideal taper, but you know someone will do it.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Greenock 
Ryan Thompson, 15:02, Cambuslang Harriers
2) parkrun: Long Eaton
Frank Baddick, 15:16. Newham & Essex Beagles AC
3) parkrun: Victoria Park, Glasgow
Peter Avent, 15:17, Shettleston Harriers
4) parkrun: Newcastle
Jarlath McKenna, 15:22, Bristol & West AC
5) parkrun: Albert Park, Middlesborough
Gregory Jayasuriya, 15:36, Middlesborough & Cleveland Harriers
6) parkrun: Lincoln
William Strangeway, 15:40, Lincoln Wellington AC
7) parkrun: Albert Park, Middlesborough
Patrick Haycock, 15;52, Middlesborough AC
8) parkrun: Maidenhead
Robert Corney, 15:57
9) parkrun: Sheffield Hallam
Connor Milnes, 15:59, Hallamshire Harriers Sheffield AC
10) parkrun: Pegwell Bay
Christopher Thomas, 16:01, Thames valley Harriers

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Tonbridge
Nicole Taylor, 17:08, Tonbridge AC
2) parkrun: Cannon Hill, Birmingham
Becky Straw, 17:19, Birchfield Harriers
3) parkrun: Dulwich
Jo Williams, 17:45, Lothian RC
4) parkrun: Rotherham
Samantha Hughes, 17:47, Rotherham Harriers & AC
5) parkrun: Catton
Joanna Andrews 18:11, Bungay Black Dog RC
6) parkrun: Hackney Marshes
Martha Lloyd, 18:13
7) parkrun: Dalby Forest
Martha Calton-Seal, 18:16, City of York AC
8) parkrun: Sixfields Upton
Sophie Wood, 18:32, Salford Harriers & AC
9) parkrun: Long Eaton
Laura Whittle, 18:32, Royal Sutton Coldfield AC
10) parkrun: Glossop
Caitlin Rice, 18:33, Glossopdale Harriers

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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