10 fastest UK parkrun times on 18th March (2024)

Alaw Beynon-Thomas and Logan Beagley ran the fastest parkrun times in the UK this weekend (18th 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.

The parkrun top 10 this week is a little slow, in it’s arrival, because I was running the Centurion Running Hundred Hills 50k on Saturday. It’s a cracking event for anyone who wants to step into the world of ultra-marathon.

Down in Cardiff it was Alaw Beynon-Thomas who was the quickest female runner with an excellent 16:28 at Cardiff parkrun. The Welsh International won Snowdon marathon last year in 2:58:03 and has a marathon PB (on a flatter route) of 2:45:36.

The mens results seem to have been a little more impacted by the Sportsshoes Podium Festival of 5k running with a lot of the faster athletes choosing to head to New College in Leicester. There was still a strong 15:20 from Logan Beagley in Auldcathie District parkrun up in Scotland, which is a long way from Leicester to travel for a 5k. The u20 was 21st at Inter-Counties last weekend and 4th at Scottish Nationals so 2024 is going very well!

The best of the rest

One other woman broke 17 minutes with Lyla Belshaw running 16:48 at Markshall Estate parkrun. The U17 is flying this year with a win at the Essex County XC Champs and PBs indoors over 800m and the mile, the latter a 4:42.85 at the New Balance Indoor Grand Prix – World Athletics Indoor Tour Gold in Boston.

Craig Williams was the next quickest male runner in. 15:32, just a second ahead of Robert Joseph who ran 15:33 for third. Williams, formerly of the Mickey Morris Racing Team, was at Riverfront parkrun and the middle distance athlete ran 400, 800 and 1500m PBs last year so must be building his longer distance strength this spring.

Sophie Coleman was only a few seconds over 17 minutes at Hove Promenade parkrun with 17:04. The Brighton and Hove athlete scored a parkrun PB of 25 seconds and that is off the back of a 2nd place at the Sussex Cross Country in January.

The fastest course?

It was a close battle between Cardiff (1st and 10th) and Storey’s Field (3rd and 6th) but the latter got it on the count back. Had it been equal points it would have gone to Cardiff with the first place spot, but that’s how it goes.

Women’s Rankings

Men’s Rankings