Hiko Tonosa, Rachel Gibson and Kirsti Foster are your fastest athletes at Irish parkruns this weekend (August 24th).

We don’t see too many sub 15 and sub 18 parkrun times in the Irish roundup but this week two men cracked the 15 minute mark and three women went under 18 on a weekend of fast times.

Hiko Tonosa smashed the course record at Poppintree running 14:53. He became the first refugee to win an Irish national title when he won the Irish 10km road championships in April and captured the National 5,000m as well earlier this month.

With a time that would usually see him in the number one spot Neil Johnston of Springwell AC was this week’s second fastest runner with 14:59 at Belfast Victoria. The time was just eight second short of Paul Pollock’s course record for Johnston who ran a 5km road PB of 14:28 at Armagh this year.

Foyle Valley man Scott Rankin ran 15:41 at Limavady to finish third on the list this week having finished third in a tight podium battle at Dessie’s 10km on Wednesday in 31:39.

Top three crack 18 minutes

Rachel Gibson of North Down AC and Kirsti Foster of East Down AC shared the top spot on the women’s top 10 this week. Gibson ran 17:55 at Derry City and is in fine form this year with PBs at 10km, 5 miles and 1500m as well as big 3,000m PB of 9:33.18 set earlier this month.

Kirsti Foster was in the top spot last week, and maintains that this week running under 18 minutes for the first time with 17:55 at Belfast Victoria. With a big 800m PB of 2:17.78 at the Belfast International Foster also won Crawfordsburn 5K earlier this month.

Kate Cronin also cracked the 18 minute barrier running 17:56 to smash the course record at River Valley. Cronin has a half marathon best of 78:43 but is most commonly seen racing in the hills as one of Ireland’s leading mountain runners.

Despite the super quick times run this week 10 year old Emer McKee achieved the highest male or female age graded result in the top 10 times this week. McKee’s 18:33 at Belfast Victoria was a big personal best and achieved a WAVA grading of 92.00%.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Poppintree

Hiko Tonosa, 14:53, Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club

2) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Neil Johnston, 14:59, Springwell RC

3) parkrun: Limavady

Scott Rankin, 15:41, Foyle Valley AC

4) parkrun: Wallace

Adam Kirk-Smith, 16:16, Woodford Green AC with Essex Ladies

5) parkrun: Wallace

Charles Hardy, 16:32, London Heathside

6) parkrun: Castlewellan

Aaron McGrady, 16:33, East Down AC

7) parkrun: Waterstown

Josh O’Sullivan-Hourihan, 16:38, Donore Harriers

8) parkrun: Ardgillan

Rossa Hurley, 16:41, Donore Harriers

=9) parkrun: Castlewellan

Miceal McCaul, 16:43

=9) parkrun: Waterworks

Joe McAlister, 16:43, St Malachys AC

Women’s top 10

=1) parkrun: Derry City

Rachel Gibson, 17:55, North Down AC

=1) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Kirsti Foster, 17:55, East Down AC

3) parkrun: River Valley

Kate Cronin, 17:56, Raheny Shamrock AC

4) parkrun: Shanganagh

Sarah Baryga, 18:32

5) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Emer McKee, 18:33, Willowfield Harriers

6) parkrun: Killarney House

Joasia Zakrzewski, 19:02, Dumfries RC

7) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Lucy Foster, 19:05, East Down AC

8) parkrun: Marlay

Harriette Ann-Marie Robinson, 19:17, Dundrum South Dublin Athletic Club

9) parkrun: Cootehill

Lisa Clerkin, 19:25

10) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Jodi Smith, 19:27, North Down AC

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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