Innes FitzGerald opened 2026 by smashing the British parkrun record for women at Exmouth on Thursday morning, clocking 15 minutes and 27 seconds to lower the previous mark by four seconds.
The 19-year-old distance runner broke the national standard set by Melissa Courtney-Bryant, who ran 15:31 at Poole parkrun in December 2022. FitzGerald finished first overall in the five-kilometer event, beating all male competitors at the Esplanade, Exmouth, course, on New Year’s Day.
FitzGerald won double gold at the European Junior Championships in 2025, claiming titles in both the 3000 meters and 5000 meters. The young athlete competed at her first senior World Championships in Tokyo and posted personal bests across track and road distances throughout the season.
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In December, she helped Great Britain’s under-20 team win gold at the European Cross Country Championships in Lagoa, Portugal. The team victory marked her third consecutive team title at that competition.
In the meantime, Samuel Husband crossed the line in second place with 15:49, and was the first male runner across the line, while Oscar Purchase finished third overall in 15:56. Lauren Knox was the second female finisher on the day, placing 17th overall with a time of 17:51.
Exmouth parkrun Results
Thursday, January 1, 2026
- Innes Fitzgerald, female, 15:27
- Samuel Husband, male, 15:49
- Oscar Purchase, male, 15:56
- Mawgan James Andrew, male, 16:25
- Henry Saddler-Irvine, male, 16:31
- Ali Herbert, male, 16:38
- Samuel Wyatt-Haines, male, 16:50
- Benjamin Clode, male, 16:59
- Gareth Davies, male, 17:39
- Simon Minting, male, 17:41
- Sam Franks, male, 17:47
- Riley Payne, male, 17:47
- Ethan Sterry, male, 17:48
- Lauren Knox, female, 17:51
- Peter Lawrie, male, 17:57
- Harry Serle, male, 18:07
- Marcus Widdess, male, 18:10
- Shaun Steer, male, 18:19
- Max Davies, male, 18:21
- William Thomas, male, 18:24
- Andy Chamberlain, male, 18:25
- Jimmy Wangdi, male, 18:26
- Sam Maynard, male, 18:26
