Morpeth Harriers run seriously fast with one recording the seventh fastest time ever by a UK runner

Rory Leonard celebrates winning the 10,000m during the European Athletics U23 Championships in July. (Picture: Jurij Kodrun/Getty Images for European Athletics).

The annual Armagh 5k once again took over the streets of the Northern Irish town on Thursday evening, attracting many elite-level runners from across the UK and Europe.

With snow having fallen during the day, the race was held in some pretty cold and unfavourable conditions – although with 17 sub-14 minute times and no less than 130 sub-15 runs it was certainly not your average park run.

At the sharp end of the field, Morpeth’s James Young had an excellent run and was only beaten in the sprint to the line by Finland’s Topi Raitanen, the Finn clocking 13:49 to Young’s 13:50.

Six other Morpeth Harriers recorded sub-15 minute times, with Carl Avery next back, 58th in 14:28, one second and one place ahead of colleague Lawrence McCourt.

Finn Brodie was 83rd in 14:39, Will Cork 111th in 14:49, Phil Winkler 118th in 14:54 and George Lowry 127th in 14:55, while Alistair Douglas (150th in 15:06) and Peter Smallcombe (153rd in 15:08) narrowly missed the 15-minute mark.

The previous night saw two club members involved in the Ayo Falola Dream Mile at Lee Valley Indoor Athletics Centre in London.

A rare opportunity to race over the distance indoors, the race was won by Joseph Tuffin in 3:59:24, with Morpeth’s Rory Leonard chasing him every inch of the way round the boards to clock his very first sub-four-minute mile in 3:59.55 in third.

It was an also a great return to form for Cameron Boyek, missing out on the four-minute mark by 0.60 of a second when finishing fourth.

Sunday saw Leonard back in action, this time travelling to Monaco for an Elite 5k race round the streets of the Principality.

Clearly in fantastic shape, he clocked 13:37:31, finishing fourth, with the race won in 13:22 by Frenchman Yann Schrub.

Leonard’s time puts him in equal seventh on the UK all-time list for the distance on the roads, and with the same time as legendary Elswick Harrier and Olympic silver medallist over 10,000m Mike McLeod.

Something of an understatement, Leonard said later: “Good week ticked off…just getting started.”