Sunday's Athletic Club 5K in convincingly style by a huge margin over Tracy Wright.

Armstrong, who recently returned home from college, shaved a second off the previous record set by Mark Perry in the inaugural event four years ago.

In the absence of May 24 Marathon Derby winner Brett Forgesson, Wright had his path to victory blocked by the in-form Armstrong. Wright crossed the finish line in 16:47.8, more than a minute behind his young rival.

The ever-improving Roger Dill was third in 16:50 while Jeremy Ball (17:01.1) and Jamal Hart (17:06) completed the first five.

Maria Conroy-Haydon was 15th overall and the first female finisher in 18:17, with Karen Adams, 20th overall, second amongst the women in 18:35.9. Julia Hawley was the third female finisher in 19:03.6, 27th overall.

There were some 133 finishers to the race which started and finished at the Victoria Park. (Full results will appear in tomorrow's Gazette.) Forgesson, Sandra Mewett and Peggy Couper were among the 5,634 runners competing in the 18th Grandma's Marathon in Duluth, Minnesota on Saturday, with Couper first in her age group.

In 65-degree temperatures with 90 percent humidity Forgesson was 41st overall in 2:35.56 while Mewett placed 254th overall and the fourth female finisher in the masters age group. Mewett had a time of 3:05.36.

Couper was the 29th female finisher and first in the senior masters division in a time of 3:18.44. She was 517th overall.

The overall winner was Don Johns, 29, of Ottawa Lake, Michigan, who outkicked Mexican Jose Ramirez to win the closest race in the history of the event in 2:18.19. Ramirez was six seconds behind.

Linda Somers of Danville, California ran away with the women's title, winning in 2:33:42, the fourth fastest time ever in the 26-mile, 385-yard course.

Somers, 33, was one of 33 women to break 2:50 and qualify for the 1996 Olympic trials.