Australian Olympian breaks women’s parkrun world record

One week after Melissa Courtney-Bryant of Wales set the women’s parkrun world record at 15:31 in Poole, U.K., on Christmas Eve, Australian Olympian Izzi Batt-Doyle lowered it by six seconds at the Aldinga Beach parkrun, just outside her hometown of Adelaide, Australia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Izzi Batt-Doyle (@izzibattdoyle)

From the aerial shot of the Aldinga Beach parkrun, its flat and scenic course would be a dream for many Canadian runners who are dealing with chilly January training temperatures.

Parkrun is a weekly, free, community-based, timed 5K where you can run, jog and or walk in parks and open spaces around the world. Every parkrun event is 5K, and is held on Saturday morning.

Batt-Doyle, 27, represented Australia at the 2020 Olympics in the women’s 5,000m, where she placed 15th. She is currently coached by her boyfriend and training partner, Riley Cocks, who holds a marathon PB of 2:16:56 from the 2022 Melbourne Marathon.

Earlier this year, Batt-Doyle became the fastest Australian woman to debut in the marathon, placing second at the Melbourne Marathon in 2:28:10.

Although it is uncommon to see Olympians at your local parkrun, Batt-Doyle said on social media that doing a parkrun on New Year’s Eve is a family tradition. “I’ve always been a big fan of parkrun,” said Batt-Doyle. “It’s a great event to connect with the community and for all levels of runners to get involved in.”

If you are interested in checking out or volunteering at a parkrun, you can find your nearest parkrun here.