There appears to be something of a theme with northern runners achieving medal winning performances at the moment! On Wednesday evening (4 August), Leeds City athlete Emile Cairess headed south and thanks to the performance of his life he bagged a PB and course record at the RunThrough Battersea Park 10K. 

It is perhaps no surprise that this Leeds-native headed so far south to compete in a 10K event, Battersea Park is one of London’s most picturesque parks and the course is totally flat, offering the perfect opportunity for runners to push themselves to a personal best. For this reason the RunThrough Battersea Park 10K has long been a favourite course for those wanting to run their fastest times.

In a field of around 215 runners, 23-year-old Emile took a strong lead within the first kilometre. He maintained this advantage and took the win and course record in a time of 28:14. This remarkable time is just 30 seconds off Mo Farah's current UK record of 27:44 from 2010. 

Organisers believe this is the fastest 10K time in the UK this year, and it is a time that puts him 27th on the UK all-time list. With stats like these, Emile Cairess is a name to watch in the years ahead. 

Making the performance all the more impressive is the fact that Emile contracted COVID earlier in the year! For reasons good and bad, 2021 is certainly going to be a year to remember for this young athlete.