But this time, we’re looking at Jason Ford’s performance, where he ran a strong 21:06, finishing well ahead of me on the same course, on the same day.
And when you compare the two runs side by side, one thing becomes very clear:
Pacing made the difference.
The run at a glance
Jason’s splits:
1st Km – 4:16
2nd Km – 4:21
3rd Km – 4:15
4th Km – 4:14
Final ~950m – ~4:09 pace
This is a really clean pacing profile:
controlled start
strong middle
faster finish
No big spikes. No big drops.
Just consistent, progressive effort.
The key moment in the race
At the start of the second lap, just before the bridge, Jason was right on my shoulder.
I was starting to feel it.
He wasn’t.
I encouraged him to go.
And he did.
From that point on, the gap opened — and by the finish, he was 42 seconds ahead.
That moment tells you everything you need to know about how the run unfolded.
The pacing story
Jason didn’t go out too hard.
His 4:16 opening kilometre was quick, but it was controlled relative to what he could sustain.
Then:
slight settle in the 2nd Km (4:21)
followed by a steady build (4:15 → 4:14)
That’s excellent pacing.
He didn’t chase speed early.
He let it come to him.
The middle of the run: where the work was done
Most runners lose time in the middle of a 5K.
Jason didn’t.
The 3rd and 4th kilometres are his strongest:
no drop in pace
no loss of control
no hesitation
This is where the difference was made.
The finish: confidence and commitment
The final ~950 metres at ~4:09 pace is the standout.
This wasn’t just holding on.
This was:
committing to the effort
lifting cadence
pushing into the finish
His heart rate climbed from 179 to 188, and cadence increased to around 184 steps per minute.
That tells us:
He had something left — and he used it.
What the data tells us
Heart rate
170 → 172 → 168 → 179 → 188
That dip in the 3rd Km shows he was still under control mid-race.
The rise late shows he chose when to push.
Cadence
89 → 92 spm (≈178 → 184 total)
Steady, then increasing.
That’s a sign of:
efficient mechanics
strong form under fatigue
and a well-timed finish
Why this run worked
This performance wasn’t about pushing harder.
It was about:
starting within himself
building into the run
and finishing with intent
Jason didn’t waste energy early.
He used it when it mattered.
The comparison that matters
On the same course, on the same day:
I started slightly too fast
Jason started slightly more controlled
The result?
He got faster as the run went on. I slowed down before finishing strong again.
That’s the difference.
The lesson
You don’t need more fitness to run faster — you need better pacing.
Jason’s run is a textbook example of that.
Want to run like this?
If you want to pace your parkrun better, finish stronger, and get more out of your current fitness, parkrun Kickstart is designed to help you do exactly that.
A recording of this parkrun is available on the video training platform vRRR – if you would like to run the course with me.
Quality Level II training is the foundation of endurance — but treadmill runs don’t have to be boring. If you have a Bluetooth-enabled treadmill, connect it to vRRR and run real routes from around the world while keeping your heart rate in check. Watch the scenery change, track your metrics in real-time, and build your aerobic engine that makes parkrun PBs possible. Real scenery, real-time data, real endurance gains. vRRR has a free 28 day trial, with no credit card required. Get started »
