After a stellar race in the final Surrey League cross-country race of the season on Wimbledon Common, we knew that Kieran Barnes was in great form but two races in a week? Kieran headed off on the short flight across the Irish Sea to the town of Armagh for the self-styled ‘fastest race in the world’, a 5k road race which loops around the flat, fast roads in the centre of the Northern Irish town, and which attracts some of the best running talent in Europe.

Well done Kieran, who took almost 10 seconds off his personal best to finish in a time of 14.32. Almost 150 athletes ducked under 15 minutes in this single race, a time which is a real benchmark for high-quality club athletes in the UK and Europe. Great to see a Holland Sports vest mixing it up with some of Europe’s best – something which next year we hope to see more of as Oxted and Hurst Green’s finest take the short trip across the Irish Sea for this ‘stacked’ foot-race.