Dominic Shaw, last year’s runner-up in the Sunderland 5k, smashed his own record in the Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers’ Marina five-mile Road Race yesterday.
The New Marske runner clocked 24min 15sec to chop nine seconds off his old mark.
Shaw said: “I ran with the group until three miles before we turned with the wind on our backs and then I just blasted it.’’
Middlesbrough AC’s Under-17 prospect, Josh Cowperthwaite, had a significant performance in second (25.28) and Dean Newton (New Marske) was third (25.43).
Unattached Sunderland athlete and former Sunderland Stroller Liam Taylor is still putting in creditable performances despite being outside the club system. He finished sixth (26.19).
He has previously won the Hellhole 10k the Lambton Challenge and Penshaw Hill race.
Sunderland Harrier Rob Walker, one of the North East’s leading Over-45s, took 12th (26.49) to win his category by 56 seconds.
Last Saturday, he won the Netley Abbey parkrun in 16.58.
Clubmate Darren Stoker finished 59th (30.38) and Paul O’Brien took 91st (32.45) in a race which attracted a record field of more than 500 runners.
Top Sunderland Harrier woman Alice Smith, heading to next Sunday’s London Marathon, finished second (30.06) in 46th overall to Darlington’s Louise Talman, who was three places ahead of her in 29.56....