Armagh International Road Races Tune Up for National Cross Country
With the National Cross Country Championships and our own Allan Scally Relay due to take place in the coming weeks, it was time for a number of athletes to tune up. Armagh, a small town in Ireland, is famous for hosting the fastest 5km races in the world, both in quality and depth. The club is grateful to Armagh AC, who invite us to be part of this great event, and we look forward to welcoming them to the Allan Scally Relay on 28th February.
Six men competed in the 5km and three ladies in the 3km, and they all thanked the club for the opportunity to compete in such a great event. It was a night of mixed fortune, with the squad changing a few times in recent weeks, which affected the overall team positions. Both the men’s and ladies’ teams finished 7th in this high-quality event.
Brogan Wallace pulled on her Scottish vest and helped the ladies finish 4th in the international team event on a cold and damp night in Armagh. Joining her were Charlotte McKenna, who ran 10.50, and ladies’ captain Avril Mason, who clocked 11.26.
The top finisher for the men was Philip Neilson in 14.29, who has just returned from a month of altitude training in Kenya and will see the benefits over longer distances in the coming weeks. He was closely followed by Ross Good in 14.36 and Luke Howard in 14.59. Luke suffered an unfortunate fall during the race and did remarkably well to finish despite sustaining a serious knee injury, which is likely to keep him out of the National Championships next week.
The team was completed by Sam Lesley in 15.08. It was also great to see Taha Ghafari return after many months out with injury, finishing in 15.20 and showing clear signs of improving fitness. Tom Porter finished the squad in 15.23.
Check out short videos of this fantastic event to see why it is on the bucket list of most athletes:
Men’s 5km finish
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1405851937998532
Women’s 3km finish
https://www.facebook.com/reel/1619340422439686
Daniel Bradford Wins in Monaco
Daniel Bradford travelled from his Kenya training camp to begin a short European tour. Competing in the prestigious Monaco 5km, one of the top road races in Europe, Daniel secured 1st place in the Masters age group with a time of 14.30. His next race will be the Castellon 10km in Spain next weekend.
Meanwhile, 62 Shettleston athletes are entered for the Scottish Cross Country Championships in Falkirk, where the rest of the club will compete.
Bennets results
Chris Bennet competed in the Winter Throws competition at Crownpoint in the Hammer Throw, his second outing of the year. He recorded an excellent distance of 66.55, showing improvi
Young Athletes Shine at Kirkintilloch
The Springburn Harriers Young Athletes meeting at Kirkintilloch is always popular, and with the U11 Club Cross Country Championships title at stake, competition was strong.
Joseph Paterson ran a well judged race to win, with Henoch Woldeselassie finishing 2nd and Aron Murray taking 3rd to complete a clean sweep for the club. Rio Biddlecombe was a clear winner of the Primary 5 to 7 race, while Sam McGowan dominated the S4 race. Harry Bell also secured victory in the S1 race.
Thank you to the parents and coaches who travelled to support the athletes.
Victoria Park Run Success
At Victoria Parkrun, several newer members enjoyed excellent success:
1st Ben Seath
3rd Louie Doig
6th Alex Manley
2nd Eloise Combes
Road Racing in Tough Conditions
Five members braved heavy downpours to compete in the Neil McCover Half Marathon and the Robert Rogerson 12.5km in Kirkintilloch.
Half Marathon
John Duffy, 3rd M60, 25th overall
Gerry Mason, 94th overall, preparing for the London Marathon
12.5km
Andrew Bryson, 6th
Joe Haughey, 88th
David Murphy, 104th
Kinloss to Lossie Half Marathon
Calum Oates produced an excellent run to finish 7th overall in the Kinloss to Lossie Half Marathon.
Parkrun Update, 14th February 2026
Highlights this week included international participation from Ellie and Rebecca Ryan in the USA and a personal best performance from Cameron Muir at Strathclyde.
Tollcross
John Craig, 32:59, 47th
Cuningar Loop
Gillian McMillan, 34:24, 222nd
Ruchill
Cameron Maguire, 23:41, 21st
Strathclyde
Cameron Muir, 15:24, 2nd, personal best
Black Combe
Lee Mitchell, 30:56, 25th
South Boulder Creek, USA
Rebecca Ryan, 29:17, 35th
Ellie Ryan, 36:31, 61st
The club now looks ahead to the Scottish National Cross Country Championships and the Allan Scally Relay, where athletes will look to build on these excellent performances.