Records are there to be broken and on New Years Eve, the last day of the year, Joe Armstrong broke the long-standing Sunderland Harriers & A.C. club 5k road record.
Joe ran the race of his life at the acclaimed Cursa dels Nassos 5k international championship in Barcelona, a race well-known for its quick course and fields of top-quality athletes.
The club record of 14:00 had stood since 1986, a whopping 38 years, and was held by club legend Brian Rushworth.
As usual, the race got off to a fast and frantic start, this did not faze Joe as he stuck to his own race plan. A plan he ran to perfection as he crept through the field and finished in 10th position with his record-breaking time of 13:50.
However, this was not the only record to be set as Kenyan Beatrice Chebet became the first woman to dip under 14-minutes for the 5k road distance, running a mind-blowing 13:54 to set a world record in a mixed athletes race.
A fantastic performance from Joe, much to the delight of everyone past and present of Sunderland Harriers & A.C.
Congratulations and here is to more personal bests and record-breaking performances in 2025.
Race Results
Men: 1. Matthew Kipkoech (Kenya) 13:28. 2. Pierrik Monrozier (France) 13:28. 3. Abdessamad Oukhelfen (Spain) 13:30.
Women: 1. Beatrice Chebet (Kenya)13:54 WR. 2. Medina Kumunda (Ethiopia) 14:23.
3. Belinda Chemutai (Uganda) 14:36
After the race, Joe reflected on his performance and sat down to give us his thoughts on the future of himself and for future generations.
How did you find the race?
The Cursa dels Nassos is renowned for being one of the fastest 5k races in the world - there have been four world records set there now in as many years. Having ran it last year for the first time I learnt a lot, particularly in terms of how best to pace it and not get too carried away at the start. Initially the organisers planned for two separate races for men and women, but when Beatrice Chebet’s management mentioned that she’d like to attempt sub-14 in a mixed race, they happily obliged and provided a male pace maker.
They actually went off much quicker than that, passing half way in exactly 6m 50s, at which point I was about three seconds back. I’d visualised the race a fair bit in the days leading up to it, so when it came to actually competing I almost felt as if I’d been there before and felt really quite relaxed and confident.
I think one of the main reasons for my recent PB's is that I’ve learnt to run with restraint over the longer distances and feel my way into them. I knew after making the last turn into the finish that I was going to comfortably break 14 minutes, so it was pretty special to be able to just enjoy that last 200m or so. It’s definitely the best feeling I’ve had in my career to date and a fitting way to break the long-standing club 5k road record.
What are your main aims for 2025?
Before the winter I sat down with my coach (David Lowes) and set out four key races that I wanted to compete well in, each about six weeks apart. We’re half way through that plan now following Barcelona (the first target was Podium 5k in November). Once we get to March we’ll turn our attention to the track where again we’ll pick out two or three key races and work training around those (likely to be 5000m races). It’s generally accepted the track is slightly quicker than the roads so I’d like to think something in the high 13:30s / low 13:40s isn’t out of the question if I can stay healthy and injury free. I never like to set myself limits as I think that’s a sure fire way to limit progress.
How did the new kit feel?
It’s my second race in the new club speed suit and second PB which says it all really! It’s great the club have been able to secure the new kit range with Total Sport, as it gives a really professional feel to things and helps build our reputation locally, nationally and beyond.
Any advice for younger athletes at the club or new members starting out?
Enjoyment and having a positive experience is key and we’re lucky to have such a supportive environment in the club, whether it’s in training, racing or online. From a training and racing perspective, my main advice would be that there is no substitute for hard work and just turning up week in and week out.
With social media it’s never been easier to get caught up with the latest trends and gimmicks. Most fall into the trap of looking for marginal gains before they’ve got the basics right. It’s like trying to put the roof on a house that hasn’t been built yet and getting surprised when it falls over.
Running has become cooler and more popular in recent years (which is great), but with that we’ve also seen a rise in what I’d call ‘cowboy coaches’ - people without any substantial experience or qualifications charging a lot of money to give really poor advice.
Generally, for those just starting out or younger athletes, the best thing to do is join and support your local club and take it from there. I’ve really enjoyed coming through to use the new track on club nights recently and it’s fantastic that it will now benefit a new generation of athletes from the local community.