Sometimes the most impressive parkrun isn’t the fastest one.
It’s the one that shows control, maturity, and clear signs of progress.
This week’s parkrun Progress Report looks at Jonathan Morton’s Palmerston North parkrun, where he ran 24:20 on a beautifully flat course alongside the Manawatū River — and delivered one of the cleanest negative splits you’ll see.
The splits
Jonathan’s kilometre splits were:
- 1st Km – 5:16
- 2nd Km – 4:57
- 3rd Km – 4:53
- 4th Km – 4:43
- 5th Km – 4:28
That’s a textbook negative split.
Each kilometre is faster than the last. No mid-race wobble. No late fade. Just controlled acceleration from start to finish.
On a course with virtually no elevation change (around one metre across the route), that pacing pattern comes down to decision-making and discipline.
Why this matters on a flat course
Flat courses reward restraint.
If you start too fast at Palmerston North parkrun, there’s nowhere to hide. The river path is honest and exposed — you either paced it correctly, or you didn’t.
Jonathan’s 5:16 opening kilometre might look conservative compared to the 4:28 finish, but it was likely intentional. It gave him space to:
- Settle into rhythm
- Let heart rate rise gradually
- Avoid lactate accumulation too early
From there, he built momentum rather than fighting fatigue.
Stable mechanics, stable effort
While we don’t have split-by-split heart rate and cadence data, we do know:
- His heart rate was relatively stable
- His average cadence was 175 SPM
- The course was flat
An average cadence of 175 SPM across a negative split run is a very positive sign. It suggests:
- Efficient mechanics
- Relaxed stride
- No scrambling in the final kilometre
When cadence remains stable while pace increases, it usually means stride length improves slightly as confidence grows — not that the runner is forcing things late.
The bigger picture: A rebuild in progress
Looking at Jonathan’s recent parkrun history tells an encouraging story.
In early January 2026, he was just under 27 minutes. Since then:
- Late January: around 25½ minutes
- Early February: just over 25 minutes
- 14 February: 24:20
That’s meaningful improvement in a short space of time.
Last year, Jonathan ran sub-23 performances on this course, including a PB of 22:23, likely during a build-up to a half marathon in May. Since mid-2025, his training appears to have been less consistent, and his times naturally drifted.
What this 24:20 shows is not that he’s back at PB level — but that he’s rebuilding intelligently.
The key coaching insight
The most important part of this run isn’t the finishing time.
It’s the execution.
The final kilometre at 4:28 shows he wasn’t at his absolute limit. There’s likely 10–15 seconds available simply by starting closer to 5:00/km instead of 5:16 — without changing fitness at all.
That’s a very good position to be in.
When you can finish that strongly, the engine is returning.
What happens next?
If Jonathan maintains consistency:
- Sub-24 is realistic in the short term
- Low-23 is achievable with sustained training
- Challenging his 22:23 PB becomes a medium-term goal
The pacing maturity is already there. Now it’s about stacking weeks of consistent training.
The takeaway for you
If you want to improve your parkrun performance:
- Start slightly controlled
- Let the race unfold
- Build confidence kilometre by kilometre
- Finish knowing you executed well
Negative splits aren’t just satisfying — they’re often faster overall.
Want help improving your own parkrun?
If you’d like structured guidance to build consistency, pace smarter, and finish stronger every Saturday:
🚀 Join parkrun Kickstart
A 4-week plan designed to improve your pacing and performance.
👉 https://www.coachraytraining.co.nz/signup/parkrun-kickstart
🟢 Apply for Your Own parkrun Progress Report
Get a personalised breakdown of your pacing and effort.
👉 https://qwik-kiwi.kit.com/parkrun_progress_report
Ka kite anō — and all the best for your next parkrun.