Telford parkrun: 22:10 and 3-Run 5K Progression

Three consecutive Telford parkruns have produced a steady improvement in 5K performance, with my time coming down from 22:39 to 22:25 and then 22:10.

That is a 29-second improvement in just three weeks. More importantly, the improvement has come through repetition rather than one isolated performance. Running the same parkrun each Saturday provides another opportunity to experience the course, judge the effort, understand the climbs and refine the pace.

22:39, 22:25, 22:10

The progression is simple:

• Two Saturdays ago: 22:39
• Last Saturday: 22:25
• Today: 22:10

The improvement has been remarkably even, with 14 seconds gained on the second run and another 15 seconds today.

This was my third consecutive parkrun after a gap, so the first run was partly about getting back into the rhythm of running a hard 5K. The following two runs have provided the repetition needed to become more familiar with the effort again.

A Demanding Course

Telford is not a flat, straightforward 5K. The first 500 metres are downhill from the start, which helps produce a quick opening section. The course then becomes undulating before a gradual climb through the woods.

The second circuit is again undulating, followed by another gradual uphill section through the woods. The final part is undulating before the route reaches the most obvious challenge: a climb of roughly 300 metres in stages towards the finish.

That makes the final kilometre particularly important. A fast first kilometre is useful, but the real test is maintaining a strong pace when the course starts taking more out of the legs.

Today’s Run

Today’s time of 22:10 placed me 51st out of 597 runners and first in the VM55-59 category, where there were 26 runners. The age grade was 71.13%.

Average heart rate was 153 bpm and maximum heart rate was 171 bpm, so this was a genuine hard effort rather than a controlled training run.

The Kilometre Splits

The splits were:

4:07 – 4:24 – 4:36 – 4:30 – 4:33

The first kilometre was quick, helped by the downhill opening. The pace then settled as the course became more demanding, with the third kilometre at 4:36 during the gradual climb through the woods.

The encouraging part was what happened afterwards. The fourth kilometre improved to 4:30 and the fifth was 4:33, despite the undulating course and the climb towards the finish.

That suggests the improvement is not simply about running the opening kilometre faster. The ability to maintain pace as the course becomes harder is becoming an increasingly important part of the performance.

The Value of Repetition

There is a useful training lesson in three consecutive runs over the same course.

The first attempt establishes where the effort is required. The second gives you another opportunity to adjust. By the third, the course, climbs and demands are much more familiar.

That familiarity doesn’t make the course easier, but it can make the effort more manageable. You know what is coming, when to settle the pace and where you need to keep working.

This is also where repetition fits with the longer walking and walk-run sessions I have been doing. Not every session needs to be a hard 5K. Longer aerobic work provides a different type of training, while the weekly parkrun provides a regular opportunity to repeat a hard running effort and measure the result.

Getting Close to 22 Minutes

Today’s 22:10 leaves just 11 seconds between this performance and a sub-22-minute parkrun.

There is no need to force that target. The more interesting development is the sequence itself: 22:39 → 22:25 → 22:10.

Three repeated efforts on the same demanding course have produced a clear improvement. The next parkrun will provide another opportunity to see whether that progression continues.