Rory Leonard on breaking the British 10km record

The European under-23 10,000m champion displays on his Valencia race and the journey that has led him to turn into a British record-holder

Rory Leonard made historical past final weekend (January 12) in Valencia as he broke the British 10km file with a exceptional time of 27:38. The 23-year-old slashed six seconds off the earlier mark, which was held by each Mo Farah and Emile Cairess.

Farah’s time got here within the 2010 Vitality 10,000, whereas Cairess matched it in Valencia three years in the past.

Whereas Leonard’s victory was spectacular, working via 5km in 13:45, he admits it wasn’t solely surprising, explaining that breaking the file had been his objective all alongside – regardless of feeling some struggles across the 3km mark.

Leonard wasn’t the one Brit with a standout run in Valencia. Charlie Wheeler completed because the second-fastest Brit and likewise ran faster than the earlier nationwide file and Leonard’s coaching associate, Efrem Gidey, broke John Treacy’s 40-year-old Irish file by three seconds with 27:43.

Although Leonard hadn’t raced a 10km on the highway since 2022, his current performances confirmed him he was heading in the right direction.

On the European Cross Nation Championships in Antalya, Leonard positioned ninth general, ending as the highest Brit and profitable group bronze. He additionally earned a spot on the British group for the European Championships in Rome final summer time, working the ten,000m.

The final 10km Leonard ran on highway was when he ran 29:03 in Bordeaux in 2023. The 12 months earlier than that he lived in America whereas finding out on the College of Arkansas, the place each his dad and mom honed their working.

His father Tony was a former British worldwide, whereas his mom Sharon was a medallist in English Faculties and Nationwide Cross Nation championships. Nonetheless, Leonard displays on the transfer to Arkansas as one thing that wasn’t the correct match for his growth as an athlete.

Now, Leonard trains with Workforce Makou, knowledgeable group supported by Hoka and coached by Andy Hobdell. The group, which incorporates athletes similar to Callum Elson, Scott Beattie, Ellis Cross, Efrem Gidey and Sarah Astin, has been making waves with stellar outcomes.

How did it really feel to run the British 10km file?

Coming throughout the end line, understanding that I’d truly carried out it was fairly cool as a result of from 5km, you’re in a little bit little bit of panic mode as a result of you’ve by no means run that quick earlier than on the highway.

I felt horrible at 3km. I used to be feeling fairly dangerous and was considering I’ve nonetheless acquired 7km of this to go. I noticed my 3km break up and knew I needed to decide it up a little bit bit as a result of I wasn’t bang on tempo by that time. I instructed myself that all the things would determine itself out in just a few kilometres, simply sit in, keep out of the wind and to tuck in, overlook about all the things, get to 5km and then you definitely’re on the best way dwelling.

I used to be working with [Narve Gilje] Nordas for 99% of the race – he additionally runs for Hoka – and I tucked in behind him and he put me away within the final 200m massively. I used to be fairly fortunate with the group that I discovered myself in as a result of Nordas was attempting to interrupt the Norwegian file, so he couldn’t let the tempo drop. I used to be attempting to interrupt the British file, so I couldn’t let the tempo drop, and so it led to fairly a pleasant  buying and selling off impact.

Within the final 50 metres the place I might see the time correctly, I knew that I used to be going to get it, offered no Brit got here round my shoulder and beat me.

Do you know you have been able to breaking it?

That was the rationale why I went, I didn’t go for some other motive, actually. However I additionally assume that there have been three or 4 guys who on their greatest day, might have carried out it. Tright here’s lots of people who can do it, however it’s nearly truly getting it carried out.

There’s so many elements of whether or not you do it otherwise you don’t do it and and it’s getting it proper on the day. I instructed folks beforehand, you may be somebody who breaks the British file on this race and be the third Brit throughout the road if everybody has a great day.

For me, it was if you exit quick sufficient, go laborious sufficient, then the time will likely be there on the finish.

What did you make of the sturdy efficiency from the opposite Brits?

It says a lot in regards to the depth that we’ve acquired within the UK in the intervening time within the distance scene, which is nice information. I imply, I’m very completely happy that Charlie [Wheeler] was 4 seconds behind, I didn’t know he was coming, however he was. 

Charlie and I have been at Loughborough collectively in 2020 and on the time we have been like 14-minute 5km guys. We weren’t actually wherever close to the highest at that time, we have been type of plugging the miles away collectively. So, it was fairly cool that we got here throughout the road shut collectively. Clearly he broke that earlier file too so it was fairly good to do this with Charlie.

What does it imply to take the British file from athletes like Mo Farah and Emile Cairess?

It’s a difficult one with Mo as a result of I’m certain that if he had actually given a 10km highway race a go, when he was in his prime, he would have run quite a bit faster than 27.44. It’s cool that he didn’t as a result of I get to say that I’ve damaged his file. However I additionally acknowledge that he’s a distinct beast and double, double Olympic champion.

On the Emile entrance, I take a look at him now and the best way that he’s carried out issues. I do look as much as him and I believe ultimately I’d wish to be as profitable as he’s. I believe that’s right down to his laborious work too. So I’d wish to assume that I’m on that trajectory for these future championships and stuff.

What does coaching seem like within the construct as much as this?

I haven’t carried out a 10km on highway for fairly a very long time. We did the San Silvestre in Madrid final 12 months, effectively in 2023 on New Yr’s Eve, which is 8km instantly downhill after which a 2km soar, which is actually, actually laborious. It’s simply chaos.

Coaching smart, I got here ninth at European Cross in mid-December and knew that I used to be in a fairly great spot. We didn’t change a lot within the construct as much as this, it was very regular, the standard weekly schedule that we’d do exactly with a little bit little bit of tune up work. However nothing loopy. It was simply sufficient that I might use the health that I had and tune up a little bit bit for going via 5km comfortably.

How did your coach and group react to the file?

Andy was buzzing and naturally, Efrem acquired his Irish nationwide file, too so we got here throughout the road on the similar time, discovered Andy and it was nuts. We couldn’t have carried out higher on the day for the group, particularly for me and Efrem.

All of us knew it was going to occur so greater than something, it was validating that that’s the place we’re at. It was such a good feeling that what we’re doing is working and we’ve acquired a fantastic ambiance across the group.

We’ve acquired a fantastic group. Everybody’s keen one another on after which once you get performances like that, it simply exhibits everybody that everybody else within the group goes to have these breakthrough performances as effectively.

Why does your coaching group work so effectively collectively?

I think about with different teams, the model pulls folks in who probably don’t know one another. Really, what we had was a gaggle of 5 buddies who conveniently have been attempting to show professional at an identical time. We additionally had a really like-minded individual in Chris Rainsford at Hoka who wished to drag this group collectively and with out Chris it doesn’t occur. It got here collectively so naturally that we didn’t rush it.

We didn’t announce the group till July of this 12 months and we’d been going about six or seven months earlier than that. What we’ve got is a real friendship, it’s a friendship group and I believe that it’s completely different to different groups the place they’re signing athletes.

They need the teams to work collectively and there’s no assure of chemistry. However what we had was chemistry earlier than it was a professional group and I believe that’s what’s particular about our group.

What has your transitional journey been like from a teenager to now?

It’s unusual as a result of I haven’t missed a GB vest for yearly since I used to be 17 and I’m 23 now. However each single one in every of these years has seemed so completely different. It seems nice making GB vests, however I’ve had years the place issues have been going nice and issues have been going terribly.

I’ve managed to get right here by studying from large errors within the build-up and a kind of was going to America and determining that it’s not the correct match for me. However fortunately I had the health to return again to Liverpool and make a group.

When it comes to like transitioning to the seniors, I believe I’ve all the time been instructed by my dad, who was a fantastic runner as effectively that the below 23 age group exists and it’s good and useful to transition via. For those who come out of that age group proper, then you definitely’ll be one of many seniors on the entrance and also you’ll be doing what you’re doing.

I believe I’ve bumped up properly yearly, coaching smart, high quality smart, quantity smart and it takes that as effectively to not get injured. I do know some folks get actually unfortunate with accidents.

How does your dad’s success in working assist you along with your profession? 

He went via the highs and lows of his profession additionally. He understands what it means to interrupt a British file or to get wherever close to that, and to realize one thing like that. So for him, I believe it’s additionally fairly surreal.

I believe in his thoughts, I’m his son, proper? He all the time thought I’d do one thing like this. In order that’s beautiful  however I believe truly doing it’s fairly particular. To have a household who fully perceive it and the work that’s gone into it, it’s nice.

What’s are your targets for 2025?

I’m not solely certain, as a result of I’d like to make the world champs, proper? However the time is 27 flat to get into that championships. The rating factors are going to be laborious to return by so my absolute, virtually unrealistic, objective can be to make that world championships.

I’m going to go to Sound 10km [The Ten] on March 29 and that’s once I’ll take an enormous swing at getting the potential UKA commonplace and seeing if that’ll bump me into the rankings. However other than that, I believe it’s a little bit of a free hit of the 12 months.

I’m going to go to Boston subsequent month, attempt to run a quick 5000m. My PB in the intervening time is 13:29 and I can run quite a bit sooner than that and ideally I’ll try this subsequent month.

I believe with these instances being set at one thing like 27 flat, you’re not going to do it in a 12 months. I’m fairly fortunate within the place that I’m at with the funding, having the ability to be full time with Hoka, that I can see myself getting there, however it may take a few years. It’d take just a few years to run 27 flat. You’ve acquired to do an terrible lot of coaching and you’ll’t cram all that into one coaching block.

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