Annette Kealy of Raheny Shamrock AC and Louis McCarthy of Rathfarnham WSAF ran the fastest parkrun times in Ireland this weekend

The familiar name of Annette Kealy was again to be seen at the top of the parkrun rankings in Ireland as the Raheny Shamrock ran 18:32 at Malahide. Kealy, who has run for Ireland at the European and World Cross Country Championships, is one of Ireland’s fastest masters runners.

Under 15 athletes Kirsti Foster (18:44), Anna Gardiner (18:59) and Lucy Foster (19:09) all of East Down AC finished as a once, two, three at Belfast Victoria this week and it was Foster who finished 2nd on this week’s top 10 on a very high quality week with seven runners inside 19 minutes.

Wicklow Masters Cross County champion, Catherine O’Connor, ran 18:46 at Shanganagh to finish as this week’s 3rd fastest female parkrunner with former Northern Ireland & Ulster XC Champion Shalene McMurray 4th with her run of 18:48 at Castlewellan.

Another familiar face from the Irish club running scene, Louis McCarthy of Rathfarnham WSAF, was this week’s fastest man. The solicitor has run 15:07 for 5000m and 52:17 over 10 miles. His 15:44 time at Marlay was just 12 seconds outside his parkrun best.

Ian Conroy is another man with excellent club pedigree and he too ran sub 16 minutes with 15:54 at St Anne’s. The 15:12 5000m man is also an Irish international mountain runner and was a mid week winner of the latest Lord Mayor Series 2 mile race.

Declan Power was just shy of his parkrun best when running 16:08 at the Father Collins course in Dublin. After an excellent 3rd place finish and 33:53 at the recent Termoneeney 10K Vincent Mcalister ran 16:25 at MUSA Cookstown for finish 4th on this week’s list.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Marlay
Louis McCarthy, 15:44, Rathfarnham WSAF
2) parkrun: St Anne’s
Ian Christopher Conroy, 15:54, Raheny Shamrock AC
3) parkrun: Father Collins
Declan Power, 16:08
4) parkrun: MUSA Cookstown
Vincent Mcalister, 16:25, Acorns AC
=5) parkrun: Olbridge
Stephen Kelly, 16:28
=5) parkrun: Westport
Stuart Moloney, 16:28
7) parkrun: Derry City
Craig Simpson, 16:30, Foyle Valley AC
8) parkrun: Clonmel
Paul Minogue, 16:33, Clonmel Athletic Club
=9) parkrun: St Anne’s
Colm Cassidy, 16:42, Raheny Shamrock AC
=9) parkrun: St Anne’s
Graham O’Dwyer, 16:42, Raheny Shamrock AC

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Malahide
Annette Kealy, 18:32, Raheny Shamrock AC
2) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Kirsti Foster, 18:44, East Down AC
3) parkrun: Shanganagh
Catherine O’Connor, 18:46, Parnell AC
4) parkrun: Castlewellan
Shalene McMurray, 18:48, Newcastle & District AC
5) parkrun: Vandeleur
Mel Casserly, 18:52
6) parkrun: Clonmel
Angela McCann, 18:58, Clonmel Athletic Club
7) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Anna Gardiner, 18:59, East Down AC
8) parkrun: Oldbridge
Maebh Eakin, 19:01, Dunleer AC
9) parkrun: Belfast Victoria
Lucy Foster, 19:09, East Down AC
10) parkrun: Cootehill
Lisa Clerkin, 19:11

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

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.