OpenTube

I Cheated in a Parkrun (By Hiring an Olympian)

Russ Cook

548,496 views

After years of running at a continental pace, I decided it was time to see how fast I could actually run over 5K. Not across Africa. Not through the desert. But at my local parkrun.

To have any chance of finishing first, I had to swap the endless ultra miles for speed training, interval sessions, and track workouts that would push my VO2 max, improve my running form, and sharpen my 5K pace.

Over the course of 30 days, I met with some of the best runners and coaches in the country to learn more about about tempo runs, lactate threshold, race strategy, and what it really takes to break a 5K PB.

Tommy: Instagram: coachtommy.nrg
George: Instagram: georgemills800
Stephen: Instagram: lionscull

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hardestgeez...
Twitter: https://twitter.com/hardestgeezer?lan...
PATREON: Patreon: HardestGeezer

20 Comments

@lopakker4362 11 months ago

This video is shorter than my 5k PB

@BackpackingBananas 9 months ago

Getting overtaken by someone pushing a buggy when you're fighting for your life really is the thing that keeps me humbled every week

@whardyphotography 11 months ago

Gets 18 minutes in his first park run and calls himself a plodder 😂

@Dan-yv9pk 11 months ago

45 seconds off an 18:30 PB in 30 days is ludicrous, epic work. 3 month block and I can see that 16:49 become reality

@GaranSOI 11 months ago

Would love more content like this between the big missions

@GeoWizard 11 months ago

Well done Russ, great effort mate. Taking the best part of a minute off at that level is no joke!

@ethanmason2001 11 months ago

Shows you how fit Russ really is. 18:30 as a starting point is ridiculous, i’ve been running for nearly a year and if I could ever run 1830 I’d be elated

@xxwookey 11 months ago

Anyone doing under 20 mins is already pretty bloody quick in my book. I only started this silly game this year, and have got from 28 mins to 22:20 so far. Stephen is quite right that you are racing against yourself, and that is surprisingly addictive.

@triptwo425 11 months ago

It's mad that the subscriber counts is so low having completed the Africa run. That was one of the best YouTube adventures out there. If not the best.

@stevendeckert6373 11 months ago

It took me about four months to go from 18:30's in the 5k to 17:30. Then another year to break 17 minutes. Couldn't break 17 until after I broke 5 minutes in the mile, so I was doing 10x400 in 75 with 60 seconds rest. Very cool collab with Stephen and George.

@danstitt3140 11 months ago

Ive been watching Stephen's channel for years and he's never mentioned he's ran 2:09 before

@JoeWeller 11 months ago

Quality keep it up russyy boyyyy 💃🏻

@scottrobinson4611 11 months ago

It's ambitious for just a month of training, taking a good 45s off the PB in a month is solid work.

Love to see Stephen on the channel!
I've been following him for the past year or so as a new Irish runner myself. He's a beast.

No joke about his effort being 2/10 at 17:00 pace, he's run sub-14 before.

@Tsomy 11 months ago

Seeing a Stephen and Russ collab is so cool! Two of my favourite runners out there

@bodilidily 11 months ago

Lol hes starting at 18 mins that pretty rapid!

@veloboy 11 months ago

I highly recommend volunteering at parkrun to anyone who is ever injured and just wants to stay near the action. I was coming back from an injury in 2020 and have volunteered 51 times and run 80 times since then.

@JohannesWiberg 11 months ago

Excellent stuff! Your videos are so inspiring; I'm running my second Marathon in about a week, trying for sub 4hrs, and it's in large part thanks to you lad.

@LashanR 11 months ago

That start line is absolute madness for a parkrun 😂 Insane progress for 30 days!

@andyplant3855 8 months ago

To knock that much time off in only 30 days is huge. Well done.
It’s easy to have big gains as a beginner runner but as you get better the incremental gains are so much smaller. I can’t wait to see if you carry on and achieve your victory. Massive appreciation