Lyla Belshaw and Jack Kavanagh ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (30th March).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is now sponsored by Vertebrate Publishing (my publisher) and here’s a link to buy my book on their website. They actually have a bunch of great books to choose from, especially the mountaineering ones, so don’t feel like you have to buy 1001 Running Tips.

Firstly, a thank you to everyone running a wee bit slower last weekend so my parkrun at Perth could make the rankings. Very much appreciated.

Now into the business of fast parkruns and it was Colchester Harrier Lyla Belshaw who was flying along with a 16:39 this week at Colchester Castle parkrun (which sounds great, a parkrun and a castle). The U17 has PB’d at 800 and the mile indoors already this year and this is the second parkrun PB of this month after a 16:48 a couple weeks back.

In the men’s rankings it was just one second that separated the top two and Jack Kavanagh took the biscuit up in York. The Holland Sports AC athlete has already clocked a 5k PB this year, with 14:03 at Friday Night 5K Under the Lights in February. 15:02 isn’t a parkrun PB, but that is a 14:35 at Poole parkrun last December so is pretty recent too.

The best of the rest

Scottish athlete Morag Millar made sure that Perth parkrun stayed in the rankings for the second week in a row and now I have first hand experience of how strong a performance 17:01 is there at the moment, as a decent chunk of the route is on muddy grass (and entertaining running in Alphaflys).

The men’s rankings saw the top five all within ten seconds, with Ross Harrison only one second behind at Ormskirk parkrun. The Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton Harriers & AC runner has been in action on the cross country this year with a win at the Liverpool & District League Championships in Feb, a 37th at Northerns and a 52nd at Inter-Counties. A strong base for the year ahead for the middle distance runner.

At Hastings parkrun Alison Moore ran 17:24, equalling the time of Rhiannon Navesey, who is coming back super strong as a new mum and clocking a parkrun PB for the second time this year after one two weeks ago at the same event, Worthing.

At Dulwich parkrun Peter Chambers was the first finisher in 15:06 (and third in our rankings) and the Croydon Harrier was chased home (in the race, not afterwards) by Gary Laybourne and Charlie Haywood, with 15:08 and 15:12 respectively.

The fastest course?

The trio of speedsters at Dulwich parkrun gave the victory to them for the fastest course this week. It’s a good event for a parkrun PB if you’re looking for one.

Women’s Rankings

Men’s Rankings