Gerald Forde and Martina Kiely ran the fastest parkrun times in Ireland on Saturday 18th January

Icy conditions saw the cancellation of many parkrun events across Ireland including those that often provide many of the quickest times such as Belfast Victoria and Waterworks. The cold conditions where not enough to stop Gerald Forde from setting a new course record of 16:06 at Avondale Forest. The Slaney Olympic man has a parkrun best of 15:16 dating back to 2015 and was a winner of the 2019 Wexford 5km running 14:55.

The course record at Killarney House also fell to Martina Kiely who ran 18:14 to finish as this week’s fastest woman. The St Finbarrs AC athlete was a winner at the annual New Year’s Day Road Races at Beaufort running the 5km in 18:03 taking victory in a sprint finish. Earlier in the year Kiely was a member of the winning F35 St Finbarrs team at the National Road Relays.

At Malahide Ciaran McCarthy ran 16:23 to finish as the second fastest parkrunner in Ireland. McCarthy was selected to as a reserve for Ireland at the British & Irish Masters Cross-Country Championships in November. The Raheny Shamorock athlete ran 33:51 at the National Road 10km in April.

Caroline Crowley ran a new parkrun PB of 18:53 to finish as this week’s second fastest woman. The Crusaders athlete has an impressive 5 mile best of 27:06 and has run 9:45.12 over 3000m and was a member of the bronze medal winning Irish team at the 2015 Euro Cross.

Malahide also saw the third fastest men’s time this week where Damian Bourke clocked the fastest of his 263 parkuns with 16:28. Bourke is usually to be found running at Marlay where he has racked up an impressive 207 parkruns. Another runner notching up a parkrun PB was the third fastest female runner, Sarah Graham with 19:13 at Castlewellan. The Mourne runner finished 10th at the Carlingford 5k in August running 18:53 and is usually to be found running and racing in the mountains including an impressive win on Ben Nevis in September.

Men’s top 10

1) parkrun: Avondale Forest

Gerald Forde, 16:06, Slaney Olympic

2) parkrun: Malahide

Ciaran McCarthy, 16:23

3) parkrun: Malahide

Damian Bourke, 16:28

4) parkrun: Tyrrelstown

Ian Christopher Conroy, 16:35, Raheny Shamrock AC

5) parkrun: Tolka Valley

John Moroney, 16:41, Galway City Harriers

6) parkrun: St Anne’s

Peter Mullane, 16:44

7) parkrun: Marlay

James Kelly, 16:46, Castlecomer Athletics Club

8) parkrun: Stormont

Neill Weir, 16:47, Willowfield Harriers

9) parkrun: Coole

Robert Frewen, 16:48, Raheny Shamrock AC

10) parkrun: Stormont

Tommy Hughes, 16:56, Termoneeny Running Club

Women’s top 10

1) parkrun: Killarney House

Martina Kiely, 18:14, St Finbarrs AC

2) parkrun: St Anne’s

Caroline Crowley, 18:53, Crusaders Athletic Club

3) parkrun: Castlewellan

Sarah Graham, 19:13, Mourne Runners

4) parkrun: Malahide

Jenny Johnston, 19:17, Portmarnock Athletic Club

5) parkrun: St Anne’s

Julie Cleary, 19:20

6) parkrun: Naas

Emma Boland, 19:25, Newbridge AC

7) parkrun: Naas

Ruth O’Loughlin, 19:46

8) parkrun: Mullingar

Maud-Annie Foley, 19:48

9) parkrun: Clonbur Woods

Siobhan Lee, 19:49

10) parkrun: Shanganagh

Ann Marie Kenny, 19:54, Parnell 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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