Some of the fastest athletes from the UK, Ireland and further afield are ready to race at the 29th edition of the Armagh International Road Races on Thursday (February 14).

Last year in the cathedral city, Sam Stabler led home a record 93 men under the 15-minute mark in the Brooks men’s 5k, while Laura Weightman was at the forefront as 34 women dipped inside 10-minutes in the Intersport women’s 3k.

Stabler clocked 13:59 to clinch the win and returns to defend his crown against another stacked men’s field. However, women’s course record holder and two-time winner Weightman sits out this year, leaving the path clear for a new champion on Thursday night.

After a period on the sidelines, Wreake and Soar Valley’s Stabler is still working his way back to race fitness, but should be in the mix for the top prize once again.

The 26 year-old’s first race back was at the Northern Ireland International Cross Country in January before competing over 3000m at last weekend’s British Indoor Championships.

Also among the leading British entries in the men’s 5k are Luke Traynor, Richard Allen, Jonny Mellor, Kieran Clements, Graham Rush, Philip Sesemann and Luke Caldwell.

Traynor produced a number of impressive runs in 2018, including a 5000m performance of 13:39.95, and no doubt aims to knock a big chunk of his 14:41 5k road best from 2016.

Joining the Giffnock North runner in a strong Scottish team is Caldwell, who ran a PB of 14:05 to finish seventh last year, and 2018 Leeds Abbey Dash 10k winner Adam Craig, who races for the first time over 5k on the roads.

Liverpool Harriers Mellor, who is also a member of the Team New Balance Manchester set-up, is another one to watch and previously clocked 13:57 to finish third in 2012.

Aldershot’s Allen will run for England and is one of the most prolific 5k road runners in the last 12 months.

Photo: Pete Brown

The 23 year-old ended 2018 ranked third in the UK after a PB run of 13:51 in Ipswich.

RELATED: Racing ‘naked’ of technology key for Richard Allen

Also set to race in Armagh for the first time is Shaftesbury Barnet’s Clements who posted a PB of 14:00 in 2018. Leeds City’s Sesemann joins him in the England team and certainly has the potential to lower his 14:09 best.

Leeds City clubmate Rush returns for the third consecutive year and has previously finished seventh and sixth, posting times of 14:07 and 14:05 respectively.

Matt Bergin clocked 14:08 to finish 12th in 2018 and features in the Irish team along with Kevin Dooney, who ran 14:24 two years ago. David Flynn and Brian Maher complete the Irish quartet.

The trio of James Hunt, Abed Teweldebrhan and Guy Smith compete for Wales, while Adam Kirk Smith, James Edgar, Neil Johnston, Ben Branagh and Conor Duffy will race for Northern Ireland.

Among the leading international entries is American Matt McClintock, who has a 13:49 road 5k best, while Belgium’s Yannick Michiels returns to Armagh after a fourth place finish last year in 14:03.

Poland’s Krystian Zalewski is also back and has previously clocked a 14:02 best to finish fifth in 2015.

Meanwhile, Fast Running’s Robbie Britton, who is more widely known for his exploits in ultra running, is set to continue his step down through the distances.

Britton recently clocked a sub 2:30 marathon and now aims to greatly improve his 5k road time of 15:41. Rumour has it he has is eyes on taking to the track over 800m in the future.

Steph Twell, Jess Judd and Kate Avery head the women’s 3k

Steph Twell and Jess Judd are the two standout entries in the women’s 3k field, however, a host of other top athletes, including Kate Avery, should challenge for honours.

Reigning British 5000m champion Twell races in Armagh for the first time – and over 3k on the roads for that matter.

Last November, the 29 year-old announced her plans to focus on the roads following an illustrious track and cross country career.

Photo: Bobby Gavin

The marathon at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics Games is Twell’s target for future, and after a strong 2:30 debut at the Valencia Marathon in December, she certainly looks to have a bright future over the distance.

The Aldershot athlete, who has a 3000m PB of 8:40.98, most recently clocked 33:17 to break the course record at the Chichester Priory 10k.

No stranger to the podium in Armagh, Judd claimed the runner-up spot last year in a time of 9:03, following a third-place finish in 2017.

The 24 year-old, who has an 8:43.24 best over the distance on the track, most recently finished fourth at the BUCS Cross Country Championships.

Last year in Armagh was one of Avery’s first races back after missing the majority of 2017 through injury.

The Shildon athlete ran 9:26 to finish 11th before working her way back to race fitness throughout the year. Avery ended 2018 with a number of strong cross country performances and few will be surprised to see her on the podium on Valentine’s night.

Lauren Heyes (Howarth) and Amy Griffiths finished fourth and fifth 12 months ago and both athletes are among a strong English team that also includes Elsey Whyman-Davis and Holly Archer.

Northern Ireland 5000m and 10,000m record holder Emma Mitchell finished sixth in 2018 and is set to race in Armagh ahead of making her marathon debut in two months time.

Commonwealth Games steeplechaser Iona Lake finished seventh last year and returns, as does Leeds City’s Claire Duck after securing a top 10 place in 2018.

Also among the entries is 2017 fifth place finisher Katie Snowdon, and Commonwealth Games athlete Alex Bell, who finished 14th last year, while 2:35 marathoner Hayley Carruthers races for the first time in a 3k road race.

Fionnuala Ross of race organising club Armagh AC finished 12th last year and heads the Northern Ireland team that also includes Kelly Neely, Jessica Craig and Teresa Doherty.

Kerry MacAngus, Morag Millar and Eloise Walker join Twell in the Scotland team, while Bronwen Owen and Beth Kidger compete for Wales. Set to compete for Ireland are Grace Lynch, Emma O’Brien, Nakita Burke and Una Britton.

Poland will be represented by Mariola Slusarczyk, who finished 19th last year, while Isabeau Lenaerts and Elise Van Raemdonck compete for Belgium.

The night of racing gets underway with the juvenile races at 6.30pm, before the women’s 3k action at 8.10pm, followed by the men’s 5k at 8.30pm. The open men’s 3k will conclude the 29th edition of the Armagh International Road Races at 8.55pm.

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Armagh, a city because of it’s two cathedrals, with a population the size of a small town, welcomes some of the best runners from Britain, Ireland, USA and beyond, year after year, for the club organised international men’s 5k and women’s 3k races.

Spectators are within touching distance of the elite runners as they stampede around the oval lapped road course chasing nothing put a personal best. True racing – no pacing – no tactics – just fast and furious running.

The men’s race last year set a 5k world record for the highest amount of runners ever to finish under 15 minutes  – 77 to be precise. And with women’s 3k just as impressive with 28 sub 10-minute runners, the quality and depth is unquestionable.

Without a doubt, no road race in the UK or Ireland attracts the depth of quality that the local athletics club, Armagh AC, impressively bring together annually.

On Thursday (February 15) the Armagh International Road Races take place for the 28th year and amongst the host of familiar names returning is women’s 3k champion, Laura Weightman.

The British Olympian set a course record 8:59 last year, pipping fellow participants at last year’s World Championships Rosie Clarke and Jess Judd to the win.

So what entices athletes of the calibre of Weightman to make the trip across the Irish sea year after year?

With a top prize of £150 and no appearance fees, it’s not a payday – that’s for sure. Intrigued, Fast Running asked the two-time Olympic finalist why the race is so attractive.

“It is a race that I had always wanted to do, it looked so much fun and always attracted good strong fields of elite athletes,” the European 1500m bronze medalist tells Fast Running. “I wanted to go last year and see what it was all about for myself.

“Also I don’t race indoors, so running at Armagh is a good way to test myself after a good hard block of winter training.

“I think for the women it’s a unique event as there aren’t any other 3k road races in the UK. It’s great to have the chance to run a fast 3k race without having to race indoors.”

After starting 2017 with a course record in Armagh, the 26-year-old went on to have one of her best seasons ever – finishing sixth in the 1500m at the World Championships in August, before setting a new British road mile record in New York the following month, as well as numerous PBs from 800m on the track to 10k on the road.

After all of those accomplishments in a single season, of course, you would want to begin 2018 with another trip to Armagh.

“I loved it last year, it was fun and fast,” she says. “I knew I wanted to go back in 2018 as soon as the race was over.

“The course is brilliant. It is like a stretched out track! It’s a fast lap around the tree-lined mall that have little fairy lights in and it is lined with people supporting the whole way around so it creates a fantastic atmosphere.

“Armagh manages to put together a very strong field bringing together the middle and long distance athletes racing together, which delivers exciting races for the athletes and the spectators.

And the important question, how is the course record holder feeling ahead of this year’s race?

“I am really excited to be racing again this year. I have had a great five week training camp in South Africa so I am looking forward to testing the legs out back down at sea level,” she explains. “I am hoping for a good hard fast race to really push myself.

RELATED: Laura Weightman: how I train at altitude

“Last year we were lucky with great weather conditions. It made for perfect racing conditions and I will be hoping for the same again this year.”

The two international world-class races are not the whole story of the Armagh Road Races and the programme also includes an open men’s 3k race plus ten juvenile races that are all run with clockwork precision thanks to a team of dedicated volunteers.

This week there will be further features as the build-up continues to the world-renowned racing in Armagh on Thursday night.

Fast Running will help showcase a number of high-quality club organised races this year to highlight the great work that happens at grassroots. Get in touch at team@fastrunning.com if you think your race deserves more coverage.

The post What makes racing in Armagh so special? appeared first on Fast Running.