The European Under-23 10,000m champion has reflected on his Valencia race and the journey that led him to become the British record holder.
Rory Leonard made history last weekend (January 12) in Valencia as he broke the British 10km record in a remarkable time of 27:38, six seconds off the previous mark held by both Mo Farah and Emile Keires.
Farah’s time came at the 2010 Vitality 10,000, while Cairess matched it in Valencia three years ago.
While Leonard’s win was spectacular, running 5km at 1:45pmHe admits it wasn’t entirely unexpected, explaining that breaking the record had been his goal all along, despite feeling a bit of a struggle around the 3km mark.
Leonard wasn’t the only Brit to impress in Valencia, with Charlie Wheeler finishing second-fastest Briton and also running faster than the previous national record, while Leonard’s training partner Ephraim Gidey beat John Treacy’s 40-year-old Irish record of 27:43.
Although Leonard has not run a 10km since 2022, his recent performances have shown he is on the right track.
Rory Leonard (David Hewitson)
At the European Cross Country Championships in Antalya, Leonard finished 9th, taking the best British and team bronze medal.He also earned a place in the British team at the European Championships in Rome last summer, running in the 10,000m.
The last 10km Leonard ran was when he ran 29:03 in Bordeaux in 2023. The year before that he was living in America studying at the University of Arkansas, where both parents had done their runs.
His father, Tony, used to be British and his mother, Sharon, was a medalist at the English Schools and Cross Country Championships.However, Leonard reflects on the move to Arkansas as something that was not right for his development as an athlete.
Leonard now trains with Team Makou, a professional group supported by Hoka and coached by Andy Hobdell, a team that includes athletes such as Calum Elson, Scott Beattie, Ellis Cross, Ephraim Gidey and Sarah Astin with stellar results. has raised a wave.
Rory Leonard (Mark Hookway)
What was it like to run the British 10km record?
Crossing the finish line knowing that I actually did it was pretty cool because From 5km you are in a bit of a panic because You have never run so fast on the road before.
I felt terrible at 3km. I was feeling pretty bad and thought I still had 7km to go. I saw my 3km split and knew I had to push it up a bit because I wasn’t running fast at that point. I told myself that everything will be clear in a few kilometers, just sit back, stay out of the wind and to get in, forget about everything, get to 5km and then you go on the way home.
I ran with (Narve Gilje) Nordas for 99% of the race. he also runs for Hoka.and I got stuck behind him and: he pulled me away massively in the last 200m.I was pretty lucky with the group I was found myself in as Nordas was trying to beat the Norwegian record, so he couldn’t let the pace drop. I was trying to beat the British record so I couldn’t let the pace drop and it led to quite a nice commercial effect.
In the last 50 meters, where I saw the time correctly, I knew that I was going to get it, provided no British came shoulder and beat me.
Did you know you were capable of hacking it?
That’s why I went I didn’t go for any other reason, really. But I think there were three or four guys, too who could do it on their best daythere are many people who can do it, but it’s just about actually doing it.
There is so many factors into whether you make it or not and get it right on the day. I told people in advance, you may be the one who breaks Brits hold a record in this race and be the third Brit in this race if everyone has a good day.
For me it was an if you get out pretty fast go hard enough and the time will come eventually.
What did you make of the other Brits’ strong performance?
Says so much about depth that we’ve got in the UK at the moment with a distant view which big news. I mean, I’m very happy that Charlie (Wheeler) was four seconds back. I didn’t know he was coming but he was.
Charlie and I were together in Loughborough 2020 and back then we were 14 minute 5km guys. We weren’t really anywhere near the top at that point, we kind of were connecting the miles together. So it was great that we met line close to each other.Obviously, he also broke the previous record It was so much fun doing it with Charlie.
What does it mean to take the British record from the likes of Mo Farah and Emile Keires?
It’s tricky with Mo because I’m sure if he actually did a 10km road race, when he was in his prime he would have run much faster than 27.44 is awesome that he didn’t, because I can say that I beat his record, but I accept that he’s a different beast and a two-time, two-time Olympic champion.
on Emily’s forehead, I am now looking at him and how he is doing. I look at him and think eventually i would like to be as successful as him i think also to his hard work. So I’d like to think I’m moving on that trajectory for those future championships and stuff.
What does it do? training looks like building up to this.
I haven’t done 10km on the road in a long time. Last year we spent San Silvestro in Madrid. well in 2023 New Year’s Eve which is 8km straight down and then 2km jump which is really very difficult just chaos
In training, I was ninth in the European Cross in mid-December and knew I was in pretty good shape good place We not much has changed in its structure, it was too much a steady, regular weekly schedule that we would do with just a little tweaking of the work. But nothing crazy. That was enough for me to use the fitness I had and strings climb a little to cover 5 km comfortably.
Rory Leonard (British Athletics)
How did your coach and team react to the record?
Andy was buzzing and of course Ephraim got his Irish National Record, very much so we met the line at the same time, found Andy and it worked nuts. We couldn’t have done better that day for the group, especially for me and Ephraim.
All of us knew it would happen more than anything it was confirmation that we were here it’s a good feeling that what we’re doing is working and we have a great atmosphere around the team.
We have a great group. Everyone is ready for each other and then when you get performances like that it just shows everyone that everyone else in the group is getting ready also have these breakthrough performances.
Why does your study group work so well together?
I imagine with other groups, the brand attracts people who potentially don’t know each other. In fact, what we had was a group of five friends who were comfortable trying to become professional at the same time. We also had a very like-minded person in Chris Rainsford To Hoka who wanted to put this team together and without Chris it’s not happening. It came together so naturally that we didn’t rush it.
We have not announced the composition of the team until July of this year and we were going about six or seven months ago. What we have is a true friendship, it’s a friendly groupand I think that’s different than other teams where they sign athletes.
They want groups to work together and there is no guarantee of chemistry. But what we had was chemistry while it was a professional band, and I think that’s what makes it special. about our group.
Andy Hobdell (Charlie McCarthy)
What has your transition journey been like from your teenage years to now?
It’s weird because I haven’t missed a GB vest every year since I was 17 and I’m 23 now. But each of them those years seemed so different.It looks great making GB vests, but I’ve had years where things went great and things went horribly.
I managed to get it learning from huge stacking mistakes here, and one of them was in the making America and finding out it wasn’t for me. But luckily I was fit to return to Liverpool and make the team.
In terms of transitioning to adulthood, I think my dad, who was also a great runner, always told me that There is an under 23 age group and it’s nice and helpful to go through. If you fall right out of that age group, then you will be one of the captains of the front and do what are you doing
I think I’ve had a good run every year. training wise, quality wise, volume wise and that is also necessary to not get get hurt I know some people are unlucky with injuries.
How does dad’s success in running help you in your career?
He came through the highs and lows of his career too.He understands what it means to break a Brit record or come close to it and achieve something like that. So for him I think it is also quite surreal.
I think in his mind, I’m his son, right? He always thought I would something like that. So it’s nice, but I think actually doing it is pretty special. Having a family that totally understands that and work it went into it, it’s great.
What are your goals for 2025?
I’m not entirely sure because i would like to be world champion right? But the time is already 27 to appear in that league. Rating points go difficult to achieve, so my absolute, almost unrealistic goal would be to create that world championships.
I’m going to the Sound 10km (The Ten) on March 29th. and that’s when I’ll take a big swing To get a potential UKA standard and see if that gets me into the rankings. But other than that, I think it’s a bit of a free hit of the year.
I’m going to go to Boston next month, try to run a fast 5000m. My PB is currently 13:29 and I can run a lot faster than that, and ideally I’ll do it next month.
I think with these times Something like 27 flats, you’re not going to do that in a year. I’m pretty lucky in that position I am willing to finance being able to be full time with Hoka, that i see i’m getting there but it may take a few years.It may take a few years for a flat.You have to an awful lot of training and you can’t fit it all into one training block.
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