We know the names of the fastest runners and can guess some of the faster events, but which is the fastest?

Instead of just listing the fastest male and female course records we figured we’d try to add a little more depth to this ranking (what better way to spend a Friday night eh?) and include average finishing times too.

So the plan is to include the top 10 male and female course records (which included 15 individual events) and then rank those 15 for average finishing time, otherwise I’d have to open over 700 tabs to check all the average times. Then the position for each ranking would be tallied together to produce the overall positions. Hopefully that makes some sense?

We figured it might mix things up a little bit and not just make it all about where Andy Baddeley, Charlotte Arter and Alex Yee like to run (Bushy Park was still number one, but it was closer than the attendances). So without further ado….

The early rounds

After the Male and Female course record rounds Bushy was well ahead courtesy of a 1st and 4th ranking, but the average time of 27:14 was 3rd, so maybe Dulwich or Cardiff sniffed a chance. Bushy is clearly very fast, but it also has the greatest numbers and parkrun celebrates bringing the average down as a sign of greater inclusivity, which we’re all for.

Second position was just one point behind, with Dulwich’s 2nd and 6th in the course records and then a rapido 25:46 for average time for participants. Given the large numbers turning up each week it’s a really quick time for the average at the south London event. With 9 points in total, to Bushy’s 8, it was a close run thing.

Third, not surprisingly, is home of the female parkrun record, Cardiff parkrun. With 9th for the men, 1st for the women and 5th of the average times with 27:18 it was the speedy chaps who let the team down.

We know there are some really quick boys in Cardiff so next time we do similar rankings maybe they’ll be able to mix things up (although we’d rather get back to our weekly rankings and everyone be able to meet on a Saturday morning instead).

Just off the podium

Only one other event scored under 20 and that was Walsall Arboretum, mainly down to Omar Ahmed and Hayley Carruthers quick course records of 14:12 and 15:58 respectively. Average time of 29:16 was still 12th overall and shows a quick course for anyone in the Midlands.

It was actually the excellent average times of 26:47 and 27:16 at Brighton & Hove and York parkruns, 2nd and 4th in the rankings, that propelled the two events, at opposite ends of England, into joint fifth. Obviously both are flat loops with plenty of space as both still draw in excellent numbers of parkrunners every weekend.

The full rankings are below and their male and female course records. Now time to get my thinking cap on for next week. If anyone knows how we can figure out the age-grade rankings then answers on a postcard.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Bushy 
Male CR: 13:48 (1) Female CR: 15:58 (=4) Average Time: 27:14 (3)
2) parkrun: Dulwich 
Male CR: 13:57 (2) Female CR: 16:08 (6) Average Time: 25:46 (1)
3) parkrun: Cardiff
Male CR: 14:24 (9) Female CR: 15:50 (1) Average Time: 27:18 (5)
4) parkrun: Walsall Arboretum
Male CR: 14:12 (3=) Female CR: 15:58 (=4) Average Time: 29:16 (12)
5=) parkrun: Brighton & Hove
Male CR: 14:25 (10) Female CR: 16:43 (11) Average Time: 26:47 (2)
5=) parkrun: York
Male CR: 14:37 (12) Female CR: 16:12 (7) Average Time: 27:16 (4)
7) parkrun: Pegwell Bay
Male CR: 14:17 (6) Female CR: 16:14 (8) Average Time: 28:27 (10)
8) parkrun: St Albans
Male CR: 14:45 (15) Female CR: 15:55 (3) Average Time: 27:45 (7)
9) parkrun: Long Eaton
Male CR: 14:43 (14) Female CR: 15:51 (2) Average Time: 28:45 (11)
10=) parkrun: Braunstone
Male CR: 14:34 (11) Female CR: 16:15 (=9) Average Time: 28:00 (8)
10=) parkrun: Poole
Male CR: 14:38 (13) Female CR: 16:15 (=9) Average Time: 27:36 (6)
12=) parkrun: Bakewell
Male CR: 14:17 (1) Female CR: 17:13 (15) Average Time: 28:03 (9)
12=) parkrun: Llanelli Coast
Male CR: 14:12 (3=) Female CR: 16:52 (12) Average Time: 30:02 (15)
14) parkrun: Southend
Male CR: 14:15 (5) Female CR: 17:12 (14) Average Time: 29:23 (14)
15) parkrun: Exmouth
Male CR: 14:21 (8) Female CR: 16:57 (13) Average Time: 29:19 (13)

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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