So I ran my second park run this morning. It was week 7 run 2, so a 25 min total run. I did my 5 min warm up walk just ahead of the claxon so ran from the start. After my official 25mins were up, I could see the finish line so, it being my third 25 min run, decided to slightly break the rules and carried on, finishing in 27.5 mins (so 10% further time wise). I’m obviously super chuffed with my time and really enjoyed the run. The question is, if I do the parkrun in a couple of weeks time, it should be my final C25k run week9/3, but I should be running for a full 30 mins on that run in order to graduate. Assuming I do a similar time today, it will probably be less than 30 mins though. Should I just count it as a training run and do my final run a few days later? Writing this, I’m thinking that I should, as I want to be able to run a full 30 mins... (came 721st) 
Graduation- 5k or 30mins?: So I ran my second... - Couch to 5K
Graduation- 5k or 30mins?
That is a excellent time for your first parkrun this morning, you have ran a sub 30 minute 5k before you even have got to week 8, let alone week 9 run 3, your graduation run. Just continue with the program, next run is run 3 of week 7, the third 25 minute run. After a days rest continue with the 3/ 28 minute runs of week 8 then the 3/30 minute runs of week 9, the third of these being your graduation run.
A lot of runners like to graduate at a parkrun, you are welcome to do that even if it's another sub 30 minute 5k that is excellent, only around 10% of people who have ran the C25K training program achieve that. 😊 🏃
Thank you! I feel I may feel too guilty so suspect I’ll do a final final 30min run a couple of days afterwards before claiming graduation 🎓
Perhaps run 2 of week 9 at a parkrun and your 30 minutes graduation run on the following Monday.
Yes that’s a plan!
👍🏃
On the park run I’ve done before, as you pass the finish, you get handed a numbered token. You then have to register that against your barcode. Could you be really cheeky, and after you pass the finish line and grab your finish token, simply run for three more minutes before going back to the registration area?
No that wouldn’t work at our parkrun as it’s so huge - as soon as you finish you go into a long funnel and it takes about another 5-10mins of shuffling forward before you get your finishing token, and you have to stay in strict finishing order or it kicks up everyone’s times unfortunately.
The objective of the program is to run for 30 minutes three times in one week.
Well done on your super-speedy W7r2+ and your parkrun time of 27.5 minutes. It wouldn't do any harm to complete the parkrun in a couple of weeks, and then (once through the finish funnel) run on for the full 30 minutes.
Thanks but as I replied to AlasdairW above, do t think it would work at Bushy Park. I think I’ll do as AlMoor suggested, and finish the C25k doing the parkrun in a fortnight (wk 9:3), but will probably then do a second official 30mins graduation run a couple of days later (wk 9:4)
Well done.
The plan says 27 runs, with the final three being thirty minutes each, so technically that is what you should do to satisfy the requirements of the graduation badge faeries.........they are a tough bunch.
I would certainly carry on with the plan and if you happen to run 5k in less than 30 minutes on your graduation run........well, we might turn the camera off on the C25K surveillance drone.........or maybe carry on jogging for the extra few minutes...........they might take your word for it.
I would.
Haha thanks!
I so love this forum!!!!!
Or you could just do a 5 min warm up walk or jog before the start and then do your last 30 min run of Week 9 Run 3 at a lovely leisurely 6 min/Km Pace so as to do the 5K in 30 mins. Just pace yourself at a 6 minute 5k time.
Damien
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