Having run a number of 5K, 10K, HM and full marathon, I am somewhat convinced that running a few kilo of warm up beforehand is so much more important for shorter distance races. For a full marathon, I can afford to slowly ease into my target pace, but for a 5K or 10K race, seems like you kind of have to hit your target pace right away. Wondering what your thoughts are.
I run 2 - 3km before ParkRun unless I’m doing the pre run course check when I end up doing 7km! I’m 58 and broke my 5km, 10km, 10 mile, 20km and half marathon PBs in 2023. I only missed out on a PB for the marathon because I was unable to run due to a serious medical issue!
A bit cheeky saying over 50's PB's are a thing of the past!! I'm 57, did my first ever run of any description in January this year. First 5k park run was 35 minutes. 8 PB's later and I ran 24.15 this weekend. I aim to keep getting PB's. Stop being ageist!! Ha! Great advise in video thanks.
I’m now 67 and broke my pb at Silksworth parkrun Sunderland last week29.40. This is after two stents in June 22, really bad covid and various injuries. My previous pb was 29.43. 🎉 . I just love the challenge not racing against other people just against the clock.
I love parkrun and always try to do different parkruns if I'm out of town. The best so far is Nambour in Australia - it was also my slowest, by a long way. It's tough, I dont think there is a meter of flat. And it has an emu who didnt mind all the selfies we took with her.
I’m still in the very early days of my running adventures so seem to be getting a PB week in week out at ParkRun as my fitness keeps improving, not looking forward to the day where it slows down 🤦🏻♂️😂
When it slows down you need to start doing strength and conditioning, eating better, and incorporating different types of training runs into your routine, e.g. hill reps.
Good to see the footage again of me (in orange) chasing Sarah at Victoria Dock! After doing parkruns at 124 different locations I can only say that they’ve all been brilliant in different ways.
My favourite ParkRun is probably Ashton Court in Bristol as it’s 2.5km up followed by 2.5km down so negative splits are a certainty although a PB is unlikely!
We don't have much for ParkRuns in the US here, but it looks like people generally don't warm-up for ParkRuns (I could be 1000% wrong). One thing to do to improve your time, would be to do a shakeout run before the race begins to get loosened up and the heart rate going. That way jumping into race pace straight-on doesn't feel so awful. Love your content Ben and keep up the good work.
Great tips there, thanks. One thing I’ve learned is to stop trying to improve your 5k Parkrun time every time you do one. You won’t succeed!! I found that by putting a realistic goal in place and a date you’d like to achieve it is good. It could be 3 or even 6 months away. Also use the Parkruns as training (as you say in video) - no pressure then to feel you have to beat any records at every one, which will stop you pulling out if you feel slightly below par.
Excellent advice, particularly the data on recommended weekly mileage for a target PB. Mine is 19:47 on a current average of 30 miles per week. It’s hard to pick a favourite course (aside from my local) as I like different ones for different reasons: Morecambe is ideal for a PB; Ormskirk had a varied course and especially friendly volunteers; and Fell Foot by Lake Windermere is especially scenic.
Mt Ainslie ParkRun, Canberra, Australia is a trail park run, so no PBs on that one, but great to run on a track through the bush and see the occasional kangaroo. It will be worth the trip.
Lucky you, that's a cracking course! Was fortunate enough to run it myself while on holiday in Deeside last year. Great cafe and the castle seemed like it was worth a look too. I don't think it's the toughest in the UK by any stretch though, I managed to go sub-20 there. The consensus for hardest/slowest course is currently Great Yarmouth which Ben's done a video of in the past.
Love Parkrun , my next one will be my 50th ,looking forward to getting the red t shirt. I have done Victoria Dock , Mote Park, River Walk (both Maidstone) , Dunorlan Park (my local in Tunbridge Wells, where my 26:19 PB was set) Tonbridge ,Orpington, Borrisokane in Tipperary, Ireland,
Umhlanga rocks South Africa. Average morning temperature 25-27Celcius, humidity 76+%. We often refer to it as a Park swim, but the view along the beach is the best!!!
So many to choose from, although I'll have to go for one that's sadly no longer there. Crissy Fields (San Francisco) for the spectacular views. You could tell who the Brits were with the milky white legs 😀
Favourite Parkrun: Whiteley (a housing estate and shopping centre in a field between Southampton and Portsmouth) because the start is around 400m from my front door. I love it.
My favourite Great Yarmouth North Beach Gnoll parkrun Victoria docks parkrun u some how forgot to turn round and go back to the finsh on last lap but still did 16.58
From a mental health pov volunteering is great so a video on parkrun volunteering roles might be good. Great tips for a PB but parkrun is not really about time to my mind. It's a social event where people walk jog run or participate in a wheelchair or frame. It isnt classed as a race. There are no prizes, podiums, checks that people do the full distance (every week parkrunners on multilap courses finish one lap early, people who are late start 0.5km, as you say people get lost). The time and age category date are are primarily metrics for yourself.
The Thornock Farm (near Gainsborough) is a quirky one as it's on a farm, is more of a trail run and is absolutely brutal in the winter. The are sheep that sometimes run across the path near the first lap - one tried jumping over a fence and faceplanted into it instead. Would be great to see you there one day, mate!
The only two Parkrun courses I've done have not been friendly to super fast times, despite being pretty much completely flat, they're mostly 1km out and backs with hairpin turns at each end, I've still managed to get sub-19 on both courses. I'm aiming to go sub-18, then hopefully(!) sub-17 one day, but that's a far off goal for now. Just need to find the fastest courses first!
I feel better about myself. Didn't realise that above 40 percent for age grading meant I'm better than average. I'll take that seeing as I started 6 weeks ago and hit my first sub 30 parkrun this past weekend (SM25-29)
Land's End parkrun is my favourite. It is such an amazing course with breathtaking views of the Cornish Coast. You also get to park for free in a touristic attraction.
Your weekly mileage is actually really accurate to my experience haha. I started running again after a couple year break about 3 months ago and started building up from about 7 miles a week the first week to an average of 25 miles a week now. My 5k PB has slowly been inching up from about 32 mins the first time I (very exhaustedly) ran 3.1 miles a couple months ago to 24:50 on my training run the other day (in the middle of a 5 mile run with a 1 mile warm up and cool down) now that I've upped my mileage. I haven't actually raced a 5k yet since my goal is a half marathon on American Thanksgiving, but I am pretty confident I could cut at least a minute off of my current PB with a proper race! I look forward to WHEN I can do sub 20!
I got lost my 1st time at Wanstead Flats PR lol glad to hear Im no the only one. I was blinded by the snow that week-was my excuse and im sticking to it. Cornerstone Lakes Parkrun in Chicago for me this weekend for a shakeout!
Witney parkrun was my favourite as there is a woodland section with low hanging trees where you have to dodge from side to side. Also some super smooth tarmac and a grassy path. It has everything!
Recommend the Parkrun at Zuiderpark in the Hague as a fast course - 2 laps round a lake, just watch out for bicycles! With family in NL, I've run this more often than my local Parkrun in Derbyshire which is uphill on the return leg 😀
Re the course list - is it slowest based on the people running it or the course? Ie if my local Parkrun has a lot of slow people then it would skew the figures…
I think it works through comparing time of people who’ve run at different parkruns. Some runs have separate winter and summer courses, some are more affected by weather conditions, some are a bit off in measurement (controversial!) but the Power of 10 grades are still pretty reliable in my experience.
