is the Cardiff parkrun a short course or just REALLY fast or brings out all the top people?

Same here.

Ran for Hercules Wimbledon, 1975-87.

There were loads of good runners there like Dave Clarke (3.39, 7.49,13.22,27.56, 2.13) and Bob Holt (3.51, 7.59,13.48, 28.39, 2.16).

My times were modest, 4.19, 8.57, 15.17 (cinders at Wimbledon Park track wearing canvas TigerWhat I find interesting a.d super impressive is that the club Cardiff A.A.C. had no fewer than 27 guys in that race that ran sub. 16 mins! That is indeed impressive depth at the sub. elite level.

It takes commitment or natural talent to run sub. 16 for 5km, although there are many low mileage guys (30 mpw) who can run around 15.20-15.30 ...but still the depth at that mid range level is indeed impressive.

Do not wish to be negative, but I think the course is probably short.

If you tabulate all the pb's achieved in the race, that would indicate a short course.

Ghost in China marathon flats), 32.22 (just 4 days after running 52.48 in the Wimbledon 10 mile) and 1.50.49 in the Finchley 20, in 1978. Finished in the 40s in that race, which, from memory was won by Tony Simmons in 1.42.

I was lucky to make the H.W. team for the National c.c.at Leeds in 1978, where I placed 250th.

In retrospect, my mistake was to never ever train on the track. My training was simply 50-60mpw of mostly steady runs on Wimbledon Common and quasi weekly races.

Ghost in China

We probably raced at same stage - something like South of Thames. I did the National a couple of times, maybe three, one being Newcastle. Actually, I might have done the same one at Leeds - I know I did a x-country race at Roundhay Park in Leeds, and looking back, they didn't have the Inter-Counties there. I was always dreadful in that race, nine miles being way too far. It was tough in those days - I had a friend who was a sub-30 10k runner, whose ambition it was to make the top 100 in the Nationals and never did.

Worst mistake I ever made was qualifying for the Inter-counties semopr. Seven and a half miles of going flat out from the start to avoid being right out the back. I remember earlier doing the junior race at Derby in 1974 then watching Tony Simmons win the senior race. Years later I was running an x-country league race at Luton, and a then near 40-year-old Tony Simmons came pattering by at half way.

Did the Southern Road Relay at Wimbledon many times - that was where I was in the change over box with Seb Coe. I think US club runners miss a lot that we had in those days, rubbing shoulders, however briefly with the good and the great. I don't think you're going to see Rupp in the pub after a run in Portland...

Subway Surfers wrote:

Coevett wrote:

Hahaha, if you can elbow your way past the 1000 others turning up next weekend with the same intention.

Hackney it is then?

I actually ran one of the top 30 fast Parkruns last weekend (my first Parkrun). I didn't choose it because it was fast but because I happened to be on vacation there. The weekend before around 200 runners had shown up and last Saturday (after the Athletics Weekly article) it was 400. The standard at the top end was a lot better too. Normally about 10 people break 20 minutes, this time it was close to 30.

I have a feeling I know who you are! I've not been running more than 4 years but I'm fairly good friends with Conlon (being a Herne Hill guy myself), who you must've raced against, trained with etc. And all the rest of the HHH guys who are still at the club and raced in that era.

I'll be up at Leeds, Harewood House for Nationals this coming weekend. My first one outside London.

Three women under 17 minutes today at Cardiff, Charlotte Arter 6 seconds away from her international parkrun record with 15:56 and two women setting PBs

http://www.parkrun.org.uk/cardiff/results/weeklyresults/?runSeqNumber=586