Double team titles for England at Armagh International Road Race
The Armagh International Road Race celebrated its 33rd year in style with good conditions - resulting in 154 men finishing the 5k in under 15 minutes, and 41 women running sub 10 minutes in the 3k.
The England teams were also celebrating by claiming the men's and women's team titles.
England's Amelia Quirk (Bracknell AC, Mick Woods) led for much of the 3k race, stretching out the excellent women's field, closely tracked by Verity Ockenden (Swansea) and England athletes Holly Dixon (Cambridge Harriers) and Charlotte Dannatt (Camberley, Kyle Bennett).
In a close finish Ockenden stretched away for the win in 9:05, followed home by Thames Valley Harriers' India Weir in 9:07 with Amelia claiming her place on the podium with an excellent 9:09. The England team packed well behind her with Holly Dixon finishing 4th in 9:15 and Charlotte Dannatt 5th in 9:17. Lauren Church (Reading AC, James Thie) also had a strong run 9:26 finishing in 13th. The women's 'three to score' combined time of 28:09 was enough to push Scotland into 2nd and Sweden into 3rd.
The men’s race was equally as competitive with USA's Andrew Colley breaking the course record with a fantastic 13:33, passing long time leader Seb Larstad in the latter stage of the race. England’s Jack Kavanagh (Holland Sports AC, Neil Danby) finished like a train to also pass Larstad and finish 2nd with 13.35 which was also faster than the previous course record.
Jack Gray (Cambridge & Coleridge, Mark Vile) brought his huge experience to bear with yet another excellent performance in an England vest finishing 9th in 13:51, with Charlie Brisley (Newham & Essex Beagles, James McNeil) completing the scoring team in 16th running 13:56. The final member of the England team, Matt Ramsden (Blackburn, Edmund Finucane) finished in a strong 14:02 in 26th. The England team claimed top spot with 41:21, beating Scotland into second and Finland into 3rd.
Team Leader Kerry Newell said:
Full Armagh results"I am absolutely delighted with the individual and team performances, taking home both team titles is a great result, for a brilliant group. Well done to the athletes and their coaches."