Evan Fitzgerald and Annette Kealy ran the fastest parkrun times in Ireland this weekend (30th November)

Evan Fitzgerald of Clonmel Athletic Club ran 15:52 at Clonmel to set the fastest parkrun time in Ireland this weekend. With a 5th place finish at Ballinameela 5k in October and a 3rd place finish at Bandon 5km in early November Fitzgerald went on to win a Bronze medal at the Munster Junior Cross Country at Conna later in the month.

There was good depth in women’s parkrun this week with the top seven all running inside 19 minutes. Top of the list was the familiar name of Annette Kealy. Kealy this week won Masters Athlete of the year at the National Athletics Awards and celebrated it in style with her 3rd fastest parkrun ever with 17:50 at Malahide and an age graded score of 96:36%. The award came in a year where the Raheny Shamrock won the W50 World Cross Country title, the European W50 5,000m title and the 10km European W50 championship on the road.

After an 8th placed finish at the u/18 Irish Life National Cross Country Championships last week Callum Morgan ran the eqaul 2nd fastest parkrun in Ireland this weekend. 16:17 was a new parkrun PB for the Ulster Schools 3000m Champion who has junior international representation in track, XC and mountain racing.

Also clocking 16:17 and a parkrun PB this week was Pat Hennessy who was first back at Kilkenny. The West Waterford man was a winner of September’s Greenway Half Marathon in 70:20 and his parkrun performance came the day after racing in Kilkenny’s Medieval Mile Race on Friday night.

Like Annette Kealy, Teresa Doherty (nee McGloin) is a well known name in Irish distance running. The Donegal athlete was first back overall when breaking the course record at Dungloe parkrun in 18:06. Doherty boasts PBs of 34:22 for 10km and 16:38 for 5000m and claimed her 10th senior Donegal XC Championships crown earlier this month.

Winner of the Northern Ireland & Ulster Even Age Group XC Championships in October Robyn McKee was the third fastest woman this week running 18:20 at Belfast Victoria. The Dromore athlete has had a fine 2019 and was the winner of last week’s Malcolm Cup Open XC in Ballyclare.

A mention also goes to under 14 Kirsti Foster, back in the top 10 this week now running for Willowfield, clocking the fourth fastest time on the Castlewellan course.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Clonmel

Evan Fitzgerald, 15:52, Clonmel Athletic Club

=2) parkrun: Waterworks

Callum Morgan, 16:17, St Malachys AC

=2) parkrun: Kilkenny

Pat Hennessy, 16:17

4) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Dylan McBride, 16:20, Willowfield Harriers

5) parkrun: Waterworks

Conall McClean, 16:23, St Malachys AC

6) parkrun: Waterworks

Fionntan Campbell, 16:29, St Malachys AC

7) parkrun: Malahide

Wesley O’Brien, 16:37, Raheny Shamrock AC

8) parkrun: Waterford Nature

Brian Murphy, 16:38, Carrick-on-Suir AC

9) parkrun: Ballincollig

Feidhlim Ó Dubhlaing, 16:40, Leevale AC

10) parkrun: St Anne’s

David Rooney, 16:42

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Malahide

Annette Kealy, 17:50, Raheny Shamrock AC

2) parkrun: Dungloe

Teresa McGloin, 18:06

3) parkrun: Belfast Victoria

Robyn McKee, 18:20

4) parkrun: MUSA Cookstown

Elaine McGuckin, 18:33

5) parkrun: Castlewellan

Kirsti Foster, 18:39, Willowfield Harriers

6) parkrun: Deerpark

Sinead Lambe, 18:46, Donore Harriers

7) parkrun: Clonmel

Caroline Godard, 18:56

8) parkrun: Ballincollig

Martina Kiely, 19:13, St Finbarrs AC

9) parkrun: Shanganagh

Sarah Baryga, 19:15

10) parkrun: Gorey

Clodagh Kelly, 19:25, Croghan 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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