Records broken at annual Run for All Leeds 10k

Thousands of people took part in the Run For All event Credit: ITV News

Records have tumbled at the Leeds 10K as elite athletes and thousands of fun runners took to the city's streets.

Around 5,500 participants, from the ages of three to 85, descended on Leeds for one of the biggest running events in the Yorkshire region.

Kenyan athlete Timothy Kibet Kosgei, who is ranked in the top 100 10,000m runners by World Athletics, crossed the finish line first in a record 29:01.

Timothy Kibet Kosgei set a new Run For All record with an astounding time of 29:01 Credit: ITV News

The Leeds 10K female course record was also broken by former TeamGB triathlete Heather Townsend, of Leeds City Athletic Club with a time of 33:41.

She said:" It was just as hard as last year, that last hill at 8-9k was hard work, but then it's all downhill to the finish and the crowds are really really fun."

The female course record was also broken by Heather Townsend with a time of 33:41 Credit: ITV News

The race was first run in 2007, the brainchild of amateur athlete and fundraiser Jane Tomlinson. Having raised £1.8million for charity while she was battling terminal cancer, she and her husband Mike established the Leeds 10K as her lasting legacy to continue the fundraising vehicle for charities that she had started.

Crossing the finish line today, Mike Tomlinson said: "I did it in just under 50 minutes, not bad for someone who is 63, I guess.

"I can't speak for others, but for me it's a massively emotional day and I feel like I need to cry if I'm being honest."

The event raises money for a range of good causes including the Jane Tomlinson Appeal, Leeds Hospital’s Charity, Mind Leeds, MacMillan Cancer Support, St George’s Crypt, Candlelighter’s, Leeds Rhino’s Foundation and Athletic Minds Foundation.


Want a quick and expert briefing on the biggest news stories? Listen to our latest podcasts to find out What You Need To Know.