How to Run a Sub 20 Minute Park Run (& Why They’re Important) 

Tail walkers are the best thing about Parkrun. When you invite people their reaction is often " I am worried that I will come last". Can't happen, put your fear aside, someone already has that place sewn up.

I love this channel 😍 I started Park run 2 years ago at 67. I managed to run 32:23. I ran 25:57 a few weeks back. Hoping to get quicker after reaching 70 ( 3 weeks 😣). It’s a life changer as far as I’m concerned. Thanks for your channel ❤

Love this channel. I'm on my longest parkrun streak (a whopping 5) as it's finally clicked with me that the only one that cares about time/whether you walk/run is yourself. Plus the mental health benefits and the general welcoming community of parkrun is huge.

I'm on my 249 parkrun this Saturday. So one more to my 250th . ALL ran at one place Quinns Rocks parkrun Perth WA Love parkrun 😊

I find Parkrun great for my faster running, trying to keep up with the runners around me pushes me a lot so I usually use Parkrun as a VO2 max workout. Our local one is Rickmansworth which is on tarmac, flat and quite fast. I would usually go early and do a 3-4km easier warmup so it extends it into a 9km workout sometimes. Started running in 2022 at 45 years old, first Parkrun was 35:30 min. Current PB is 24:42. Would love to get to Mary's level.

Have run just under 300 parkruns now. Agree with all your points! I'm no longer improving my PBs but just concentrating on age grading now!

U guys could start a parkrun in Thailand??

Good stuff! Parkruns are always 5K btw, physically measured. It's the GPS which is sometimes inaccurate.

For the record Tonbridge parkrun is intentionally 5.02km long - to maintain consistency every week. Discrepancies in distance on GPS watches occur because of the two switch backs and 2km in the woods. - Tonbridge parkrun Event Director ;) Nice Video 💪

Parkrun is great for beginner runners. People are so friendly and helpful there and welcoming to absolutely everyone-kids, elderly, slow runners, walkers…I’ve made so many friends at parkrun and I’ve seen a few romances start there as well 😃 And just as you said in the video-I started to get invited to training sessions and joined a running club, I also signed up to many races I found out about from other runners at parkrun. People cheer you on and motivate you and congratulate you on even the tiniest success (even if they are twice as fast as you).

Another great watch both, this might sound silly but I started running after 35 years at Christmas I’m 63 doing 23 min park runs and joined a club, when I’m feeling tired on the 10km runs I think of Mary, you have such a relaxed technique and I try to copy that it seems to work 😂 😂

this channel honestly helps so much! I always start to lose motivation then I see you’ve posted one of your well thought out videos and it brings me back!

Thank you for mentioning the volunteering - all parkrunners should do it every once in a while. There are lots of different roles to try, and everyone is always happy!

I know this sounds crazy but hear me out… you should start a Parkrun! You know how awesome the experience can be for the community and it would be wonderful to share in beautiful Thailand. I’m fortunate to have a Parkrun near me where I’ve run and volunteered several times. It’s shocking that there is only 1 in the whole state of California!

Smashing those sub 20s Mary!! Amazing running both 💪💪

I'd love to see more training plans factor in parkruns. So many have saturday as rest before a big SLR.

Just wanted to thank you guys for the motivation you provide me every day! Yesterday I secured a new 5k pb of 24:35, which is my first ever sub 25minuter and is something I've been working on since my first sub 30 last October! You guys always raise the bar for running RU-vidrs and your presence on this platform is SO appreciated 🙌

🎉great job again🎉 Keep em coming guys. 🙏🙏🙏

Absolutely love parkrun. Please be aware of you're running in Scotland our parkruns start at 9.30am.

Remains the highlight of my week when your new videos come out. Always inspiring!!!

Thank you for your great content. I'm using your training program to come back from injury and a few really tough years. Your tips and mindset tricks have helped me improve exponentially. So please keep up the great work, your both so inspirational 🎉

I like the way you combined a ‘reasons’ video with your actual parkrun experience - really nice way of putting it together!

Absolutely love parkrun for all the reasons you suggest. Just started RD training for my local event too! New merch looks great - my new vest should be arriving any day 🤞

Love this video! You guys are in a very different league to me, I’m afraid🏃‍♀️🐢 and yet your videos always feel so inclusive. Thank you🙂

I often marshal the lesnes Abbey Woods junior parkrun. A nice feeling to of helped

Excellent reasons to get involved with parkrun. The community aspect has been really great for me. I moved house a couple of years ago and parkrun proved to be a great way to meet other runners in my new town. Parkrun is really big here in South Africa, so if you are every visiting definitely check them out (but take note, we start at 8AM here so don't be late!)

Being married to a runner, I was allways watching but never had the guts to join into a race, it seemed so intimidating, untill parkrun took that anxiety away and made it the norm to line up and go. I now have done many 10km races and will be doing my first 21km this year. Would never have had the guts if not for Parkrun. Love the channel.

Hey guys. Only found your channel 3 months ago. Love your work. Infectious happy😊😊😊Thanks for your efforts

Thanks for my little cameo in the video, I just couldn't quite reel you in Mary! Well done both of you.

I really wish that we had Park Runs! Great to see other folks getting to enjoy them. Congratulations to both of you!

Been living in Dijon, France for 9 years. No parkrun here. Will be moving back to Dorset, uk soon and is one of the things I am so looking forward to.

Good topic, im always running past the group of park runners on my tun, they usually start as im finishing my 10km runs, and ive always wanted to join, i might do it after this vid, ty.

Love your channel. As a runner and teacher, feel inspired by you both to make the time no matter what I have on. Slightly intimidated by your speed, but find your words encouraging. If I am honest, I hate Parkrun as it is so short and fast - felt less daunted by a recent ultra race! Your arguments for supporting it, however, are right so I will line up to run here in Leipzig this weekend. A couple of years ago I was under 23 minutes, but post-pandemic or maybe post 50th birthday, can't manage much less than 25... working towards 23.30. Enjoy your last weeks of holiday and thanks again!

Parkrun is a fantastic organisation, I love the fact is inclusive of everyone, I've you can race yourself, or just complete it and no one is ever last :) I've recently volunteered at one too, was a good experience and il certainly volunteer again as without volunteers it wouldn't happen each week! Hope you guys are enjoying your time back in England, hope it's not to cold for you 😂

Ben keeps calling it a race!

no2 was absolutely the reason i 1st did a parkrun.I had started running about 8 months before and having built up the mileage and sometimes going as far as half marathon i fancied trying my first race and nearly booked a HM then had a bit of panic that as i live in middle of nowhere and run at 5am had no idea if i could tolerate running near others,so did a parkrun as a tester. loved it! The last 8 i have done have all been under 21 minutes Pb is 20:20(twice) but 20 minutes seems a long way away still!

When both of you are in NYC, I invite you to my parkrun in New Jersey. We usually have tourists Marathon weekend that bus over to Delaware & Raritan Canal parkrun. Would love to see you at my parkrun!! No hard sell, of course! 😊

Grateful for you guys. You’re both so awesome! My parkrun PB is 18:48!

The community at my local Parkrun is the main reason I keep going back. I'd definitely recommend volunteering occasionally, you get to see all the organisation that goes in behind the scenes just to make it happen.

Enjoyed the video, parkrun is a great community and always welcoming and friendly. One small gripe though - the parkrun courses are measured out so they should be exactly 5k. It’s more likely your GPS watch isn’t measuring the course distance correctly.

I've got back to regular pk running, Woolwich pk run opened up recently. A good out n back with a toughie middle section up a winding mound and return. Don't go out to hard 😬

I wish we had park runs in the US. Congrats to both of you on another great run 🎉

Nice video. Sadly next Parkrun is about 80Km from me, if there was one nearby, I would join regularly.

I think it’s amazing too! Bit surprised by the title as thought you said sub 20 5K is important! 😂 would like to become a RD at one point!

Ben, Mary, so have you thought about being the people who start parkrun in Thailand? What a legacy to leave behind if you ever actually leave. Someone has to kickstart it, might as well be you. Lumpini parkrun!!!!

I have only started Park Run and I love it. The people who run it are awesome and encouraging to each person on the course. Perhaps reason 7 is that you will push yourself running with others as opposed to running by yourself 😊

Love it

The distance in all Parkruns is a measured 5k, sports watches are often off

ParkRun is great and it definitely helped me get more into running. I was actually very active before but I always like to have variety in my exercise. I've got a spin bike that I do steady state or HIIT on, a rowing machine for the same, a proper bike for getting on the road plus I do weights a few days a week. Just over a year ago I started watching Mark Lewis on here, we're both extremely tall and I always felt I was too tall and heavy to run. But he runs ultras (plus he's about 12kg heavier than me) so if he can manage that then surely I could do 5k! He recommended Born To Run, mid-strike running style and zero drop, low cushion shoes (Altras for me). So I went and did ParkRun in about 29 minutes and then did about 7 or 8 more and am down to under 25 minutes. The weird thing now is that I'm doing 30+ km per week but haven't done ParkRun for months. I now do 80/20 split of steady state zone 2 and high intensity sessions for VO2 Max. A hard 5k is too intense for zone 2 and not intense enough for VO2 Max. And I'm loving it, last night I was out on a local trail for 15km. I do intend to do a ParkRun every so often but only as a means of measuring progress. Hopefully people can use it as a gateway into getting the incredibly beneficial zone 2 cardio.

lots of great reasons here but another thing i really enjoy is all the challenges (collecting different letters of the alphabet, days of the month..so on.. I recently picked up something called the Palindrome, who knew that was a thing??)... the ambition is to run Bushy Park one day!

Fantastic efforts from you both - Did you find your fitness was a lot better when you came back to England for this park run?

Great video, but if I may be picky replace the word 'race' for 'run' 😄... Although it can be great for race prep and you can take it as seriously as you want 👍🏻

You guys still back in the UK which parkrun are you doing this Saturday? Me my wife and kids are huge fans of your channel and would be awesome to say Hi and to thank you personally for your channel helping us all be inspired and for all the entertainment you have given us over the years 😀👍😃

I would LOVE to be able to do a Park Run, but the nearest one to me is two hours. I wish we could have a Phoenix, AZ run. I believe there used to be one a few years ago, but I'm not sure what led to its downfall.

The closest parkrun to me is 6 hours away by car so unfortunately not exactly free. I would love to do one but it's too much travel for such a short run.

Great video, its inspiring me to finally do a park run. One thing that boggles my brain is sub 20 min 5km, I've been running solid for about 10 months now, almost everyday, sometimes twice a day and I can only get around 27 mins for a 5km. How do I get to sub 20 mins within the next year or must I just trust the process and I'll eventually get there?

Amazing running both of you!! Ps. Ben......it's not a race!! 😝

I joined a park run 20km into my long run and managed 23:30 then ran another 5k home

My best park run is 18:30 last park run was 18:55 :)

I did my first park run last Saturday. But I wonder if I should be participating regularly or not as I should definitely focus more on easy running, but the Park Run just made me want to run fast. On Mondays, I usually go running with another group of people who are a lot faster than me. Running more than three times a week is utopian. So two of my three weekly runs would be too fast for me to stay in zone 2.

They don’t have parkrun where I live.

How did you end up choosing Tonbridge for this video? I did my secondary schooling there in the 80s, it was neat seeing images of the park we used to have to run around 👍

17.42 is a CRACKIN PACE.....well done. Im 61 and my best is 21.51.....what is the secret to getting faster.

Parkrun starts at 8am in Australia FYI. I’ve just started doing it consistently in the last few months, it definitely makes you run faster!

We dont have any park runs in or around Oslo, Norway😢

thanks for the vid! im doing my first parkrun this weekend, i have a race on the 29th and ive never ran with a large group....are butterflies normal o.o

Are there any regular park runs in BKK?

It's "parkrun" all one lower case word... not "Park Run"... OCD kicking in!

Like for many other people around the world in the comments, there's no parkrun in Romania where I am from (there are regular workout runs by local run clubs, though).. and now I'm wondering how we could change that and I only have one question - are there any rules and regulations regarding sporting events that we should know about beforehand? One I immediately think about is that they need to be scheduled with the city council and get approved from security and other points of view, and mandatorily have a medical emergency crew on site (that I know of), which make it safe, but a tad bit too beaurocratic...

Anyone asking you to go out on a run, the day after meeting them at a parkrun, should be treated with extreme caution.

Parkruns are free that's good. So why do most organized marathons cost $100 or more? Sure you get a free t-shirt that you may or may not want to ever wear again provided you get the right size... free water and snacks along the way. But in many countries they don't even close the road properly and the crowds are uncomfortable. There should be a parkrun style organization that puts on free or nearly-free marathons.

I train since years but a 3 minute/km time is so unreachable for me … WHY ;) ?!

Park run means 5k right? I’m American but have heard a few English people call them parkruns

The only way I could run a 20 minute park run is to make it 3K.

Excuses

O no it was going so well untill you started making excuses why you didn't go faster! It is what it was, 17 min's not fast enough? Well done anyways.