Annabel Gummow and Ian Crowe-Wright ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (8th April).

Our weekly parkrun top ten is sponsored by 1001 Running Tips by our editor Robbie Britton. Want to run faster at parkrun in 2023 or your next marathon then order your copy today.(PBs not guaranteed, but very likely).

It was a bobby dazzler of a weekend for parkrun with plenty of fast times and racing (even though it’s not a race, you can race each other right?). There were two women under 17 minutes and seven men under 15 minutes with 15:05 only good enough for tenth place this Saturday. Some weekends you can be first with 15:05…

At Storey’s Field there was plenty of fireworks with Annabel Gummow clocking 16:22 to top the women’s rankings. It’s a parkrun PB to go along with the 10k and half marathon PB that 2023 has already seen. 73:54 was good enough for the win at Watford Half too.

Ian Crowe-Wright was flying around Bushy park and crossed the line in 14:25 to be the fastest male runner at UK parkrun this weekend. It’s a new parkrun best for the Brighton & Hove athlete, but not as quick at the 14:13 he ran at Armagh earlier this year and a fair chunk behind the impressive 13:47.11 5000m PB from last year. Possibly the most mind blowing stat though, a 28:59 10k in January was only good enough for 49th at Valencia 10k.

The rest of the best

The other female runner under 17 minutes was Katy Wood of City of York AC. With 16:53, a new parkrun best, it’s a strong start to 2023 after a mighty 2023 that saw PBs at every distance from 1500m to 10k.

Andrew Milligan was the second fastest male with 14:36 at the super quick Belfast Victoria parkrun. Another runner who was at Armagh earlier this year for a 5k PB and that time he beat Crowe-Wright to the line with an excellent 13:50 for 13th place!

Charlotte Penfold was just over 17 minutes with 17:04 at Blyth Link parkrun. It’s a fastest parkrun since 2016 and only 10 seconds from the North Shield Poly runner’s best so a great sign for the year ahead, especially on the back of some strong cross country performances this year already. We’re unsure if Ernest Penfold was in attendance, but Danger Mouse was apparently very impressed.

As it is rare we have so many sub 15 minute men it feels a little strange some of the people not getting more of a focus, but the top three was completed with Finn McNally running 14:43 at Worthing parkrun on the south coast. In February McNally won the Northern Ireland & Ulster Senior Championships for cross country and, although not a parkrun PB, it’s looking spicy for April.

The fastest course?

It looks like Annabel Gummow not only topped the women’s charts, but was part of a quartet of strong runs at Storey’s Field today with Oscar Bell and Chris Darling both breaking 15 minutes and Tim Lamont missing the magical mark by a “gnat’s baw hair” (which a Scottish friend informs me means “very close”).

Women’s Rankings

Men’s Rankings