7 Tips for a faster parkrun!

It’s incredible to see how the Parkrun community has grown over the years - such a simple concept of a 5km every Saturday morning that brings people together and encourages exercise. I am a big fan! What I love most about it is that it’s for everyone. If some runners want to run faster then that’s completely fine, and if others want to take it easy then that’s also fine too. If you’re looking to improve your Parkrun time here are some tips that may help you:

Often, what ends up happening is that we roll out of bed, put our clothes on and head to parkrun not fully warmed up. You should ideally get started around 20-30 minutes before parkrun commences. A sufficient warmup is anywhere between 10-20 minutes. After that, you want to do some dynamic drills like high butt kicks, high knees, crossovers, hip opening and closing movements and so on. For a harder running session, you’d usually do a warmup. So, if you’re giving parkrun a solid effort, then this should be no different.

Stay activated and keep warm, so by the time parkrun starts, the body is ready to go.

If you’d like to run a quicker parkrun time, then ideally, look for one of the faster courses. Some of the faster ones I’ve come across in the UK include Dulwich, Poole, Edinburgh, and I’ve heard Battersea has recently started one too, which I’m sure will be quick, but you might be like me and want to get the fastest possible time at your home parkrun, which may not necessarily be the fastest route. A good example of this was when I first moved to London and lived in Tooting. Tooting parkrun was my home parkrun. I tried week-in and week-out to crack 17 minutes for that 5K. It took ages, but I eventually got there. Had I done a race, on a faster course, in quicker conditions, I probably would have done it sooner, but ideally I wanted to do it at my home parkrun.

As we head into winter here in the UK, a lot of the parkruns become sludgy and slippery. Make sure you’re running in shoes most suited to your course that will give you the best chance of a good outcome. Even though my local parkrun (Winchester) is predominantly off-road, I find that road shoes are still good enough for it. However, there are others in the UK, where trail shoes might be more suited. Try and do a course recce the day before or check weather conditions. That will help you make a more informed decision on what the best kit and shoe choice will be.

Just a reminder, here’s how I break down a 5K: 1st km: see it as an active warm up, settling into your rhythm. Try not to look at your watch before 500m as GPS can often be inaccurate in the early stages. Definitely look at it before or around the 1km mark to make sure you set out at the correct pace. If you’re feeling good, stick to the plan for now.

Km 2 and 3: is all about grind, grind, grind. The initial adrenaline has worn off, so this is the foundation of your 5K and sets the tone for the second half. Get into your zone, hold that form, focus, and concentrate while soaking up the incredible parkrun vibes of course.

Km 3-4: this is my nemesis km as it is for many others -the hardest of a 5K and often tends to be the slowest too. For this km, I always say you should give it all you’ve got, and not worry too much about the final one.

Km 5: is the last km and this km doesn’t count. By this I mean you can always find something extra, especially when you can see those finish line vibes and the barcode scanners waiting for you.

A lot of the parkruns have a few laps or mini-corners to navigate through. I know my home one certainly does so if your Parkrun is like mine and has 15 to 16 corners, try and accelerate into these, within reason of course. You definitely don’t want to lose time on each corner as this could cost you up to 30 seconds at the end of the Parkrun. Be conscious of this and take those corners aggressively. It’s always good to try and get the shortest line to make sure you’re not running over the distance but often in Parkrun when there are laps, this is impossible. We need to be mindful of other runners and if we have to go round the outside, that’s completely fine.

You’re looking for a gradual increase of your heart rate throughout. This may not necessarily always be the case, especially with a course that has a few bumps and hills in it but what you want to avoid is the heart rate climbing far too high, too soon, as you will be at risk of hitting that dreaded wall in the latter stages.

This is slightly different to the usual advice I would give about the way to go about a harder 5k. Generally, I would say an equal to negative split strategy is the best but when it comes to parkruns that have a few laps and you know you’re going to be weaving and overtaking people in the latter stages, then you’re better off banking a few extra seconds on the first lap, when there’s no traffic. Weaving in and out of people can expend excess energy so you might find that even though you are slightly slower on the second or third lap, you’re actually put in significantly more effort. Bank those extra few seconds at the early stages, within reason.

Parkrun is the absolute best way to start the weekend. I hope you find these tips helpful. Train hard, be respectful of fellow park runners. And go smash your PB.

Onwards and upwards,

Boom Shakalaka!