Now its time to play name that athlete. First off we have the pristine runner who manages to finish without a mark on his kit – even when the mud and puddles are at their worst. While others reach the finish line with the appearance of a mud wrestler at Glastonbury, this runner dodges every water hazard on the course. True, he runs about 1k more than everyone else but there is little danger of his washing machine getting clogged up.

Second up is the guy who used the 5k parkrun course to train for a half marathon. To relieve the boredom he decided to run the course the wrong way round – only to get lost….twice!

Thanks as ever to this weeks volunteers who included Annie Tosh, Carol McCormack, Caroline Sams, Charles Hampden-Smith, Clive Scammell, Ian Higgins, John Sabourin, Pete Mulholland, Peter Justin Collins, Robert Fortes, Sally Bridge and Simon Bodle

Wimbledon parkrun started on 6th January 2007, and since then 6,606 different runners, including participants from 287 athletics clubs, have completed 40,984 runs covering a total distance of 204,920 km, and there have been 8,742 new Personal Bests.

The Women's course record is held by Justina Heslop who ran in a time of 16:33 on 17th March 2012 (event number 271).
The Men's course record is held by Chris Parr who ran in a time of 15:04 on 23rd April 2011 (event number 224).
The Age Grade course record is held by Jane Davies who recorded a 92.99 % run (21:24) on 29th January 2011 (event number 212).

This week there were 305 runners, of whom 45 were first timers and 55 recorded new Personal Bests. Chris Moore dipped under 20 mins for the first time to record a PB on his 21^st appearance. Other notable PBs were achieved by Andrew Russell on his 28^th run, Matthew Gibbons (63^rd run), Damien Mitchell (24^th), Joost Creutzberg (31^st) and Philip Barton (20^th).

Congratulations to John Sabourin who completed his 100^th run.

This week’s volunteers included Alexander Hall, Charles Hampden-Smith, Clive Scammell, David Hall, David Watkins, Gary Salmon, Geoff Fisher, Ian Higgins, Pete Mulholland, Peter Alasdair Fergus Collins, Peter Justin Collins, Philip Tosh and . Richard Evans. Many thanks to one and all.

Representatives of 18 different athletics clubs took part.

Wimbledon parkrun started on 6th January 2007, and since then 6,571 different runners, including participants from 285 athletics clubs, have completed 40,664 runs covering a total distance of 203,320 km, and there have been 8,691 new Personal Bests.

The Women's course record is held by Justina Heslop who ran in a time of 16:33 on 17th March 2012 (event number 271). The Men's course record is held by Chris Parr who ran in a time of 15:04 on 23rd April 2011 (event number 224). The Age Grade course record is held by Jane Davies who recorded a 92.99 % run (21:24) on 29th January 2011 (event number 212).

One of our eagle eyed runners has spotted the inaugural run of The Kempton Family (we assume mum, dad and three offspring), all of whom made their debuts on 21st April.  Welcome to the Kemptons! All ran again this week and three of them got PBs.

They probably think we have constant entertainment laid on. For their first run we had some Wombles running to promote their London Marathon run, then this week we had the British Legion cavalcade of motorbikes being led by Rangers on horseback to the Memorial!

Many thanks to this week’s volunteers who included Agnes Harmati, Annie Tosh, Charles Hampden-Smith, Chris Rebbeck, Clive Scammell, David Watkins, Francesca Carter, Ian Higgins, Mike Brewer, Norman Urquia, Peter Brunnen, Richard Hurrell, Sue Kumleben and Sue Rothwell.

This week there were 295 runners, of whom 28 were first timers and 37 recorded new Personal Bests despite the conditions. Notable PB’s came from Andrew Russell who recorded his on his 27^th event, Philip Barton on his 19^th and young Tomer Tarragano who knocked over a minute off his previous PB. Representatives of 22 different athletics clubs took part.

Next week we look forward to seeing John Sabourin (aka Cake Boy) complete his 100^th run.

Wimbledon parkrun started on 6th January 2007, and since then 6,526 different runners, including participants from 285 athletics clubs, have completed 40,359 runs covering a total distance of 201,795 km, and there have been 8,636 new Personal Bests.

The Women's course record is held by Justina Heslop who ran in a time of 16:33 on 17th March 2012 (event number 271). The Men's course record is held by Chris Parr who ran in a time of 15:04 on 23rd April 2011 (event number 224). The Age Grade course record is held by Jane Davies who recorded a 92.99 % run (21:24) on 29th January 2011 (event number 212).

Well done to all of you who completed the 2012 London Marathon and now have the t-shirt. There were some truly outstanding performances from some of the many Wimbledon Common park runners who ran in this year’s event. We have managed to track down the following: Pat Wright 2:35:36; Emlyn Christie 2.36.31; Mark Rabbetts 2.44.37 (an 81% age grading and a new PB); David Grima 2:51:25: Peter Lee 2:52:11; Michael Daniels 2.52.47; Ruth Clifton 2:53:47 (22^nd lady to finish); Keith Macintosh 2.56.21; Troy Squires 2.58.33; Charles Hampden-Smith 3:06:30 (a new PB); Nick McKay 3:08:48 ( a new PB by more than 26 mins); Paul Lee 3.14.36; Alex Grima 3:15:24; Stewart Bond 3:17:44; Frank Wood 3:17:59; Jeremy Purnell 3:33:49; Peter Metcalf 3.38.02; Liam O’Hare 3.36.08; Nicholas Hill 3:38:56; Maurice Sharp 3:40:20; Alison Purnell 3:45:52 (a new age group record for her club); Brynjar Agnarsson 3.48.00; Caroline Helder 3.54.39; Geraldine Hellings 3.58.09; Matthew Bray 3.59.30; Annie Tosh 3.59.01; John Carter 4.25.57(fantastic performances from virgin marathon runners Annie and John); Sapphira Van Assema   4.28.27; Annette Barrett 4.40.34; Marcus Mulroe 4.44.49; Clive Davies 4:46:44; Dennis Williams 5:12:03; Jeffrey Gordon – who has yet to miss a London marathon - 6:25:23.

In the Under 17 Girl’s Mini Marathon, Rose Woolhouse finished in 22.52, Amabel Watkins 24.23, Natasha Hampden-Smith 24.40 and Victoria Hellings 26.29.

This week’s event was visited by two large Wombles road testing their outfits for the marathon. Their aim was to become the fastest runners dressed as characters from a book. Sadly I think they were beaten by Count Dracula but there’s a world of difference between a light gossamer cape and a pair of big teeth as compared with half a ton of fur.

My own marathon day started with every alarm clock in the house going off at 5:45. After the obligatory bowl of porridge and yet another check on the contents of my sports bag I headed off for the station to join the crowds at Greenwich. Whether out of habit or superstition I made my way across the Thames from Waterloo to Charing Cross taking in the view of the course I would hopefully be seeing again some 5 hours later.

Getting onto the train, all was peace as I settled down to catch up with the Sunday Times. At Waterloo East I was joined by three young ladies who looked a if they had come straight from the set of ‘The Only Way Is Essex’ – Sophie, Stephanie and an Unknown Athlete. One was dressed head to toe in shocking pink, not one ash blonde hair out of place under the pink head band, full make up, earrings, nail extensions – fantastic and a lot easier on the eye than some of the guys in the compartment.

And so eventually I arrived at the start area, wondering how the eight foot high beer bottle in front of me in the toilet queue was going to manage. I make the start with 30 secs to spare. All’s well as we set off and as usual the atmosphere created by the watching crowds was electric – and not just because the pubs have already been open a while. We pass the Kodo drummers with their rhythms reverberating beneath a flyover a little ahead of the Cutty Sark. Always guaranteed to create goose bumps.

Somewhere around miles 9 and 10 I find myself running alongside a guy raising money for Water Aid – just as we reach a water station where we all take a small sip from our 330 ml bottles before consigning them to the kerbside. It was all I could do to stop myself suggesting to Water Aid man that he might like to start right here and now. And to think we are in the middle of a drought.

A bit further on I was running behind Baywatch Man. He had legs up to his armpits and I could tell this because of the bright red budgie smugglers he was wearing. Still, he drew tremendous applause from the female sections of the crowds.

I got to the third 10k section and it was beginning to get tough as I ground my way round the labyrinth that is the Isle of Dogs and Canary Wharf. Have I taken on enough/too much water? Is it time for another gel? And what about taking on some Lucozade Sport? After what seemed an age I reached the Embankment. Now I’m in the zone with just the final corner and the Mall finish in mind. I approached Big Ben just as it struck one – all I could think of was ‘for whom the bell tolls’. Soon it would all be over and there would be the final feeling of elation crossing the finishing line.

This week there were 301 runners, of whom 36 were first timers and 38 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 15 different athletics clubs took part.

Wimbledon parkrun started on 6th January 2007, and since then 6,498 different runners, including participants from 284 athletics clubs, have completed 40,064 runs covering a total distance of 200,320 km, and there have been 8,599 new Personal Bests.

The Women's course record is held by Justina Heslop who ran in a time of 16:33 on 17th March 2012 (event number 271). The Men's course record is held by Chris Parr who ran in a time of 15:04 on 23rd April 2011 (event number 224). The Age Grade course record is held by Jane Davies who recorded a 92.99 % run (21:24) on 29th January 2011 (event number 212).

Other notable PBs recorded this week included those by Simon Bradwell (after 42 events), Clive Davies (41), David Pennell (39), Kevin Chester (30), Oliver Coughlan (28), Hyun-Jong Oh (27) and Andrew Russell (25).

This will almost certainly be the last Wimbledon Common report before a number of you set off on a little jaunt around London next Sunday, 22^nd April. So good luck to Alex Grima, Annie Tosh, Charles Hampden-Smith, Clive Davies, David Grima, Dennis Williams – who has only ever missed one London marathon - Geraldine Hellings, John Carter, Mark Rabbetts, Maurice Sharp, Peter Lee, Ruth Clifton, Stuart Bond and anyone else running in the London Marathon. Do let us know your times. Send them to wimbledonpr@parkrun.com and we’ll include them in the following week’s newsletter.

As a footnote for those of you running your first marathons in London Olympics year, ten years ago two runners made their 26.2 mile debuts in London – Paula Ratcliffe and Haile Gebrselassie. Sadly Paula had a bad day in the office when the two met head to head in the Vienna half marathon this Sunday.

Many thanks to this week’s volunteers who included Adam Fenton, Carol McCormack, Charles Hampden-Smith, Clive Scammell, Edward Nelson, Ian Higgins, John Krause, John Carter, Natalie Middleton, Oliver Coughlan, Pete Mulholland, Peter Brunnen, Phil Tosh and Yvette Nieslony.

This week we had a record turnout of 317 runners, of whom 41 were first timers and 73 recorded new Personal Bests. Representatives of 15 different athletics clubs took part.

Our record number and, seemingly, a few extra golfers gave the Wimbledon Common wardens a minor headache over the car park. Everything was very amicable and they have asked whether we could give them any advanced warning of rough numbers in future so they might plan accordingly. Short of saying ‘plan on a large turnout when its sunny’ the only thing we can do is to ask you wherever possible to car share, cycle or run here. Alternatively perhaps you could park over the other side of the common by the Fox and Grapes and jog through from there – great warm up for the event. In the meantime we will talk to the wardens about making extra temporary space available for the short time between 8.45 and 10.00.

Wimbledon parkrun started on 6th January 2007, and since then 6,462 different runners, including participants from 281 athletics clubs, have completed 39,763 runs covering a total distance of 198,815 km, and there have been 8,561 new Personal Bests.

The Women's course record is held by Justina Heslop who ran in a time of 16:33 on 17th March 2012 (event number 271). The Men's course record is held by Chris Parr who ran in a time of 15:04 on 23rd April 2011 (event number 224). The Age Grade course record is held by Jane Davies who recorded a 92.99 % run (21:24) on 29th January 2011 (event number 212).