The 2024 edition of the SportsShoes.com Armagh International Road Race celebrates the 32nd running of this iconic event, now ranked as the best and most popular road race in the world.

This has come about through the incredible in-depth, consistent standard of the Men’s 5k over many years. This has been highlighted by the fact that no other race brings together so many athletes running under 15 minutes – in the 2020 race there were 139 runners who recorded sub-15 times!

The event is organised by Armagh Athletic Club and attracts athletes of the highest elite standards from all over the world – last time out no fewer than 191 of the 237 finishers were from outside the island of Ireland, and incidentally the winner in 2019, Topi Raitanen of Finland took gold in this summer’s European Championship steeplechase!

The Women’s International 3k too, continues to attract some of the finest athletes from around the world, with the 2018 winner and record-breaker, Laura Weightman going on to take the bronze medal in the European Championship 1500M, while the winner and new record-holder from 2020, Denmark’s Anna Emilie Moller was European Under-23 Cross-country champion in 2019.

The slick delivery of the programme contributes to the excitement and atmosphere as runners of all ages and abilities speed round the Mall cheered on by the spectators and encouraged all the way by the ringing voice of the commentator. The course is flat and fast and the competition at every level is of the keenest, giving runners the opportunity to run personal best times.

Race Programme

6.30pm – Programme of 11 underage category races commences
8.10pm – Armagh Sports & Trophies International Women’s 3K
8.30pm – SportsShoes.com International Armagh 5k
8.55pm – Linwood’s Men’s 3k

Sponsorship

These races couldn’t take place without, firstly, the generous support of the Armagh, Banbridge & Craigavon Borough Council whose Lord Mayor will be presiding on the night.

The headline event, the Men’s 5k race, is enthusiastically sponsored by SportsShoes.com.

In addition, the Women’s International 3k race is generously sponsored by Armagh Sports & Trophies, while the Men’s 3k is kindly sponsored by Linwoods.

Added to this is a very substantial funding package from White’s Oats, while the Armagh business community has once again come to the fore with their usual generous support for advertising in the race programme and sponsorship of the individual children’s races.