Roads: Stilin and Bamford win Armagh Road Races. Plus 60m record for Irwin

American visitor Joe Stilin won the men’s 5km at the 25th anniversary Armagh International Road Races in a time of 13 mins 58.34 secs. In a close fought race, British athlete Daniel Cliffe  finished second in 13:59.47, with British Olympic triathlete Jonathan Brownlee third in 14:00.13. England’s Rachael Bamford  won the women’s 3km from Teresa Doherty of Finn Valley and England’s Gemma Hillier, with last year’s winner, Katrina Wooten fourth. More than a thousand youngsters turned out for the  supporting juvenile races. Many of the same athletes will run in Sunday’s Ras na hEireann in Drogheda.

Men’s 5km: 1 Joe Stilan (ZAP team USA) 13:58.34, 2 Daniel Cliffe (Liverpool AC) 13:59.47, 3 Jonathan Brownlee (Bingley Hrs) 14:00.13, 4 Dan Studely(Bristol & West 14:01.80, 5 Krystian Zalewski 14:02.24, 6 John Beattie (Newham Essex Beagles) 14:03.49. Irish: 18 Gary Murray (St Malachy’s) 14:18.64, 19 Mark Kenneally (Clonliffe) 14:20.92,

Women’s 3km: 1 Rachael Bamford (Leeds City) 9:16.14, 2 Teresa Doherty (Finn Valley) 9:22.95, 3 Gemma Hillier (Loughborough U) 9:23.95, 4 Katrina Wooten (Coventry Godiva) 9:25.83, 5 Rachel Felton (Eng) 9:27.32, 6 Anne Marie McGlynn (Letterkenny) 9:39.62. Other Irish: 10 Emma Mitchell (Banbridge) 9:48.28, 12 Danielle Fegan (Armagh) 9:52.87, 16 Natasha Adams (Letterkenny) 10:11.17.

AT THE ATHLONE International Grand Prix, Zak Irwin of Sligo set a new Irish junior record in the 60m final with a time of 6.83 secs. Ferrybank’s Kelly Proper warmed up for this weekend’s Glo Health’s Senior Indoor Championships in Athlone with a 6.06m in the long jump and 7.44 seconds in the 60m heats. Danny Mooney of Letterkenny proved best of the Irish in the mile race where he finished third in 4:03.88, while Niall Tuohy of Ferrybank was third in the men’s 800m in 1:50.00. Newcastle’s Kerry O’Flaherty finished second in the women’s 1,500m with a time of 4.15.04. USA’s Manteo Mitchell won the 400m in 47.18 with Ireland’s Brian Murphy third in 48.71. A clearance of 2.41m in the high jump by the world indoor champion Mutaz Barshim from Qatar was one of the night’s highlights.