Hunt overcomes strong competition

James Hunt overcame a classy field to elude Dewi Griffiths of an eight senior title at the 116th edition of the races held near Llanelli. Strong winds had threatened the event earlier in the week but conditions underfoot remained excellent on the undulating course around Pembrey Country Park.

2018 Champion Hunt had been a pre-race favourite following a 13:58 clocking over 5km at the Brooks Armagh International Road Races 10 days earlier. He was joined in the early stages by club-mate Ciaran Lewis and Swansea Harriers Griffiths and Morgan Davies.

By the half way point Hunt had established a lead of around 30 metres with Lewis in second, himself around 30 metres clear of Swansea club stalwart Griffiths who was happy to be back racing on the country.

Cardiff’s Dan Nash came past Griffiths in the closing stages to close a Cardiff only podium and help to ensure that the team title stayed with the club from the capital city.

Swansea Harriers were the second team with Pontypridd Roadents led home by Adam Bull in third.

‘It was nice to race Dewi and the other boys from the Welsh Cross Country scene’ said Hunt.

‘Conditions were tough but I went off quite hard at the start and I saw the boys trying to tuck in so I started to push hard in different parts of the course. Dewi finally dropped of the group and I never looked back so I’m really happy with that’.

Dominant Wilkins claims gold

Mel Wilkins of Wycombe Phoeonix Harriers was a convincing women’s winner, going one better than her silver medal spot from 12 months ago. Wilkins had looked confident from the early stages, sitting a few metres ahead of BUCS Silver medallist Lauren Cooper of Parc Bryn Bach Harriers. Wilkins used the undulating parts of the course to ease away from cooper and when she had established a gap, was never likely to be caught.

Wilkins eventual margin was 33 seconds with Cooper some way ahead of Rebeeca Evans who finished third leading her club to team victory ahead of Lliswerry Runners and Les Croupiers RC

‘It was extremely windy out there today but it was brilliant to come back said Wilkins’. ‘Last year I came second so to come back and win today was a big aim for me’.

‘My long term aim is to qualify Commonwealth Games Marathon for Wales so that’s the big goal but I’m going to stay pretty chilled until then and see how I get on. I was very happy to come here today and win the title’.

Credit: Alex Donald

Competitive racing for junior titles

Dominic Smith ran solidly to claim the U20 men’s title ahead of Sheffield & Derne AC’s Sam Roberts with Aled Jones of Menai Track & Field in third.

There was a brave attempt by Cardiff AC’s Lloyd Sheppard to run away from Osian Perrin of Menai Track & Filed in the U17 Men’s race. It was Perrin however that timed his bid for glory perfectly to retain his title here.

Samia Jones of Menai Track & Field overcame last year’s U17 Champion Ashleigh Willis of Swansea Harriers to claim the U17 title and to win the combined U17 / U20 Women’s race outright. Martha Owen of Deeside AAC took U20 honours.

There were victories for local club Carmarthen Harriers courtesy of Frank Morgan and Iwan Thomas in the U15 and U13 Boys respectively.

Jessica Evans of Cardiff AC took the U15 Girls title with Beca Haf Bown yet another winner from Cari Hughes’ childhood club, Menai Track & Field.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you

The post James Hunt and Mel Wilkins claim Welsh Cross Country titles appeared first on Fast Running.

The Welsh Cross Country showpiece will take place at Pembrey Country Park near Llanelli and is set to go ahead despite further difficult weather conditions forecast for the region.

This may play in to the hands of Swansea Harrier Grifffiths who will defend the title and be on the hunt for an eight senior win. The event stalwart is notoriously hard to beat in difficult conditions.

He will however face 2018 Champion James Hunt who is moving from strength to strength at a time when Griffiths is looking to regain previous form.

Hunt’s last outing was a sub 14 minute posting at the Brooks Armagh 5k International last week with Griffiths showing a return to fitness with a 14:24 clocking.

Track specialist Guy Smith and GB International Triathlete Morgan Davies will support Griffiths in the Swansea men’s team.

North Walian Nathan Jones is a new addition to the Cardiff AC team, joined by the British record holder for 50km, Dan Nash.

Cardiff are the defending team champions and are possibly the strongest on paper.

2018 Winner James Hunt Photo: Paul Stillman

Women’s competition an exciting prospect

Melanie Wilkins of Wycombe Phoenix Harriers and Lauren Cooper of Parc Bryn Bach Runners will start as the favourites for the women’s race. Wilkins was the runner-up last time and Cooper was the silver medallist at the BUCS Championships over 3,000m last weekend.

Former Alabama University team mates Sarah Livett of Menai Track & Field and Rebecca Evans of Cardiff AC will also feature in the women’s race.

Andrea Whitcombe is a former multiple Welsh Cross Country Champion who will return to the event in the W45 category, racing for the Swansea Harriers team.

The women’s title went to the Harriers in 2019 but is perhaps wide open this time.

Training partners Elliott Lawrence and Dominic Smith of Swansea Harriers will be worth looking out for in the U20 men’s race.

Osian Perrin of Menai Track & Field was the U17 Champion 12 months ago but will contest the U20 men’s race this time.

Samuel Roberts of Sheffield and Derne AC warmed up for the weekend with a solid run in Armagh with a time of 14:41 and finishing ahead of Lawrence, Smith and Perrin.

Morgan James of Cardiff AC will lead his clubs hopes here.

Bridgend AC’s Katrin Higginson will defend her U20 women’s title with Deeside AAC’s Martha Owen the runner-up from 2019 also racing.

Ashleigh Willis will return to Pembrey in the U17 women’s race having won her age-group and the race outright last time.

Lloyd Sheppard of Cardiff AC was the highest placed athlete in 2019 that will remain in the u17 age-group this time.

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you

The post Show down at Pembrey Country Park for Welsh XC Champs appeared first on Fast Running.

Griffiths, the Team Wales Commonwealth Games and Team GB World Championships marathoner found himself trailing at the half-way mark in the spectacular new event on the seafront at one of Wales’s most popular resorts, but had the strength to hit back and post another notable victory.

“James took it out and made me work really hard. I didn’t get ahead until the final minute and it was his first time under 30 minutes, so hats off to him,” said Griffiths, the Welsh 10K road champion.

“I wanted to win, and it is always nice to get under 30 minutes, but he really made the race. That is my first 10K win this year and it is always nice to cross the line first.

“The support all the way around the course was simply fantastic and some of the best I’ve had around Wales and it was the perfect setting. I wanted to kick on in the Healthspan Wales 10K Series so I’m happy I got the victory.”

So close, but so far

While Griffiths was able to chalk up his first race win of the year at the third leg of the Healthspan Wales 10K Series, Cardiff AAC runner Hunt was left with the bittersweet feeling of having run the race of his life, but still coming home in second place. Not that he was too bothered – he pocketed a £200 cheque to take away on holiday with him later this month.

“Josh just came on strong in the last kilometre and I couldn’t hold onto him. I was leading at half-way and I’d dropped the group,” said Hunt, who was able to celebrate a 20 second PB.

“I was out in front, couldn’t hear anyone behind me and I thought I was going to stay away. But Josh is a solid runner and came back at me.

“Even so, it is a huge PB for me and the first time I’ve dipped under 30 minutes, so I’ve got to be happy with that – and a £200 cheque for second place.

“The support I had around the course was unreal and this is a major breakthrough for me. I feel as though I can go on and push my boundaries again.

“I did my first half for a while in Swansea a few weeks ago to build up my strength and that clearly helped me. Now I can look forward to the Cardiff 10K and maybe even the Cardiff Half Marathon in October.”

There were almost 4,000 runners on the start line and when they finally got away at 10.30am the conditions were perfect. The tide was in, the sun was shining and Welsh sporting legend Iwan Thomas got everyone underway.

Marathon specialists for the win

Photo: Porthcawl 10km

The women’s race was also won by a marathon specialist in Natasha Cockram. The winner of the inaugural ABP Newport Wales Marathon last year, she led home the experienced Jenny Spink, a former British World Half Marathon Championship athlete, to take the tape in 34:51 to win by 29 seconds.

“I’ve struggled a bit with injuries over recent weeks after running in the London Marathon. I ran when I probably shouldn’t have in London and I had to take a couple of months off afterwards,” said Cockram.

“But I’ve been back running again for the past three weeks and I’m just happy to be back racing again. It wasn’t about the time, and It wasn’t that quick, but for me it was just about getting back into a race.

“We were pretty much together in the first half, but then I felt her dropping off a bit and just pushed on. I can’t thank my physio enough for getting me back after the knee injury, and also Welsh Athletics and Sport Wales.

“The aim is to run a marathon again later this year, but before then I want to do a few more 10Ks and maybe the Cardiff Half in October.”

Are you a fan of Fast Running? Then please support us and become a patron. For as little as the price of a monthly magazine you can support Fast Running – and it only takes a minute. Thank you.

The post Exciting finish at inaugural Porthcawl 10k appeared first on Fast Running.

British international Mhairi Maclennan, who finished ninth in 2017, got the better of pre-race favourite Steph Pennycook to win the senior women’s crown at the Lindsays Scottish Cross Country Championships on Saturday (February 24) in Falkirk.

Competing for Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds, Maclennan won by 11 seconds in 37:49 to claim her second major cross country title this year after winning the North of England crown in January.

Pennycook took silver in 38:00 and the top two’s placing ensured Edinburgh Uni won the team gold.

Victoria Park AC’s Anna Tait completed the podium in 38:36.

“I am absolutely thrilled to win a Senior National title for the first time and take the gold medal,” said Maclennan, afterwards. “It has been a dream year for me – after a lot of injury and frustration for the early part of 2017.”

Kris Jones moved one step up the podium to win the men’s Scottish title. After finishing second last year, Jones and third-placed Lachlan Oates were expected to battle it out at Callendar Park and that was exactly what happened with the two men taking gold and silver.

Competing for Dundee Hawkhill, Jones proved his decision was correct to sit out the Armagh 5k earlier this month due to a niggle and not risk injury before today’s Scottish Nationals.

Orienteerer Jones won in 33:05, with Oates second in 33:29 over the 10k course.

The third man was Inverclyde AC’s Andy Douglas in 33:37, with Central AC winning an eighth consecutive team title.

It was a Glasgow Uni one-two in the men’s U20 race, with the ever-improving Sol Sweeny taking gold ahead of Tristan Rees. Edinburgh AC’s Freddie Carcas completed the podium, with Glasgow Uni winning the team title.

Anna MacFadyen won the Scottish U20 women’s crown, with club mates Laura Stark and Naomi Lang making it a complete Edinburgh Uni Hare and Hounds podium to secure the team title.

Video highlights of all the races, including drone coverage can be found here.

Hunt and Owen impress in Swansea

Cardiff AAC’s James Hunt claimed his first Welsh senior men’s title at Singleton Park with a 19-second win over Swansea Harrier Philip Matthews.

Hunt, who finished runner-up in last year’s Welsh 5000m championships on the track, opened up a sizeable gap on his two main challengers in the closing stages of the race to win in 30:45.

“It’s unbelievable, I can’t believe I won,” said Hunt after his victory. “It hasn’t really sunk in yet. I was really strong in the second half, I kicked on the downhill and moved away and I didn’t look back.”

Matthews took silver in 31:04 and led the Swansea charge to another team gold. Completing the podium was Tipton Harriers Gareth Griffiths.

After making his comeback from injury in Armagh earlier this month Dewi Griffiths was eyeing a seventh straight title, but after featuring among the four leading men, unfortunately, had to pull up around halfway into the 10.1km race.

2015 U20 champion Bronwen Owen won a first senior crown with a fantastic final lap to beat last year’s winner Beth Kidger.

After two laps it was defending champion Kidger out in front, but the young Leeds Uni triathlete was right on her heels before pouncing in the closing stages of the 6.4km race.

Competing for Scarborough AC Owen’s won in 21:31, with Kidger settling for silver this year in 21:42.

Owen commented on her victory said: “The course was quite tough but not too muddy. I didn’t expect to win but I wanted to medal. I didn’t know who the competition was and didn’t get the lead until around 800m to go”

Winchester & District AC Melanie Wilkin took bronze in 22:19.

Fourth and sixth place finishes from Sian Edwards and Alaw Beynon-Thomas ensured Swansea Harriers regained the team title from Cardiff AAC.

There were under-20 race victories for Ciaran Lewis and Cari Hughes in the junior men’s and women’s races respectively.

It was a Swansea one-two in the U20 men’s race with Conor Smith taking gold with a ten-second win over Dominic Smith.

Swansea rivals Cardiff AAC also enjoyed a one-two of their own in the U20 women’s race with Abi Fisher taking the win from Gracie Wheeler.

Third was Mia Roberts with Cardiff taking team gold.

Northern Ireland & Ulster Cross Country Championships

At Lurgan Park, City of Derry’s Declan Reed and Rebekah Nixon of Dromore AC won the Northern Ireland & Ulster senior cross country titles.

Reed won the men 12k crown from multiple time winner Mark McKinstry of North Belfast Harriers, with Springwell RC’s Neil Johnston taking bronze.

Northern Ireland international Nixon clinched the women’s title after getting the better of defending champion Jessica Craig in the final lap. North Down’s Craig was beaten to silver by clubmate Rachel Gibson and settled for third.

City of Derry AC retained the men’s team title, as did North Down AC in the women’s.

The post Scottish and Welsh Nationals crown new champions appeared first on Fast Running.