Griggs clocked 13:37 in the 5K while Haggard-Kearney ran 9:07 in the women’s 3K on a night of fast times.
Irish athletes won the feature races at the Armagh International Road Races on Thursday (February 12), with Nick Griggs winning the men’s 5km in 13:37 and Emily Haggard-Kearney the women’s 3km in 9:07.
Both athletes won convincingly on a course that has earned the reputation of being one of the fastest in the world.
In total, 129 athletes broke the 15-minute barrier.
Griggs’ win was also a course record and the first win by an Irish athlete here in 32 years.
A total of 23 runners also surpassed the 14-minute barrier.
Griggs, 21, is the reigning European under-23 cross-country champion and holds the parkrun “world record” of 13:44.
“I only live 20 minutes away and have spent the last few years looking at The Mall,” he said. “It’s really special to do it in front of a home crowd. It’s class, and I felt the crowd behind me every lap.”
Runner-up, a couple of seconds behind, was Matthew Ramsden, one of many Brits riding in search of a fast time, with another Irish runner, Callum Morgan, third in 13:39.
Haggard-Kearney has been a regular at the A.W. cross-country results summaries this winter, especially as winner of the Manchester League races.
Behind her, Danielle Donegan clocked 9:12 and edged Louise Shanahan by a second to earn second place.
As well as British and Irish, there were runners from as far away as Australia, Sweden, France, Finland, Belgium and Poland.
