Newyddion
Weekend Round-Up (2 - 3 May)
05/05/2026 00:00, I Mewn Blog /
PAYTON JORDAN INVITATIONAL – STANFORD, CALIFORNIA, MAY 1
Almost four years after his last competitive race, Olympian Jake Heyward (Cardiff Athletics) made a sensational return to the track in California on Friday.
The Welsh 1500m record holder put his injury nightmare behind him as he surged to victory in the United States.
Heyward, who finished ninth in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics 1500m final, announced his return to action by clocking a time of 3:37.75.
The European Under-18 and Under-20 title winner, who also has a European senior silver medal to his name, had not raced since the Lausanne Diamond League meeting in August of 2022.
Earlier that year, Heyward finished fifth in the Commonwealth Games 1500m final in Birmingham.
Placing fifth behind Heyward in California was fellow Wales and Great Britain international Piers Copeland (Pontypridd Roadents).
The European Under-23 silver medallist, who himself was making a return to action for the first time since June of last year, crossed the line in 3:40.36.
BRITISH ATHLETICS UPHILL ONLY TRIAL RACE – SKIDDAW CUMBRIA, MAY 1
Both Kris Jones (Swansea Harriers) and Eden O’Dea (Deeside AAC) earned top 10 finishes at the trial races for the European Off-Road Running Championships.
The senior races were held over an 8.6km course with 945m of ascent on Skiddaw in the Peak District.
Jones, who has excelled for Wales and Great Britain across a number of running disciplines, finished fifth in the men’s race in 44:27.
Meanwhile, O’Dea, fresh from last week’s adventures on the Great Wall of China in the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup, finished seventh in the women’s race in 54:31.
OORDEGEM OPEN – BELGIUM, MAY 1
Olympian Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers) was in winning form in Belgium on Friday as he led a quality domestic 400m field home in 46.32.
GARY WIENEKE MEMORIAL – CHAMPAIGNE, ILLINOIS, MAY 1
David Locke (Bradley University/Cardiff Athletics) enjoyed an 800m win at the Gary Wieneke Memorial meeting, clocking 1:46.75.
NORTH WALES EDURANCE OPEN 1 AND FIELD EVENTS – DEESIDE, MAY 1
Almost 150 athletes took part in the North Wales Endurance and Field Events meeting at Deeside College Track on Friday evening.
Gethin Brown (Deeside AAC), the UK’s number one ranked Under-18 hammer thrower, took first place here with a winning throw of 60.83m. Annabelle Jones (Wrexham AAC) celebrated a new PB of 31.50m placing sixth.
Race walker Spencer Jones (Wrexham AC), ranked the number one Under-14 athlete over 3,000m in the UK, chalked up a new 2,000m personal best as he won in 9:56.50.
Elsewhere, there were a rash of PBs in the Under-14 to Seniors mixed 1500m, which was won by Under-18 athlete Lewis Davies (Deeside AAC) in a new PB of 4:06.50.
Other notable performances in the two races included Under-18 Heather Watson (Deeside AAC) clocking a PB of 4:37.70 and Under-16 athlete Martha Bown (Menai Track and Field) celebrating a PB of 4:39.80.
The Under-14 to senior 3,000m saw Under-18 athlete Zac Campbell (Deeside AAC) take the win in a new PB of 8:39.80.
The women’s 1500m steeplechase was won by Under-18 runner Sali Owen (Carmarthen Harriers) in 5:19.10. The men’s steeplechase saw Ruben Crierie (Colwyn Bay AC) finish second in 4:46.80.
WORLD RELAY CHAMPIONSHIPS – BOTSWANA, MAY 2-3
The four Welsh sprinters competing at the World Relay Championships in Botswana experienced mixed fortunes.
Making her Great Britain senior debut, Charlotte Henrich (Invicta East Kent) helped the women’s 4x400m team to run a world lead of 3:21.28 – the fourth fastest time ever clocked by a British women’s team.
After running the third leg in the victory, Henrich said:
I feel really grateful for the girls I was running with. It was obvious I was really nervous even yesterday when we saw the track the girls really helped me.
In the final, Henrich pushed hard on the anchor leg, but couldn’t quite catch her Canadian opponent, as GB missed out on a place on the podium by just 0.11 of a second in 3:22.77. The performance over the two days in Botswana did gain the women’s 4x400m team a place at the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
On day one, Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) helped the men’s 4x100m team qualify for the final in 38.01. The second place finish also ensured the 4x100 team a spot at the 2027 World Athletics Championships.
However, the final didn’t go as well as the GB quartet failed to finish due to the baton being dropped on the second exchange.
Azu, who had given the GB team a good start on the opening leg, said afterwards:
It's a tough one to take.
We put a lot of work into coming out here and performing. The nation put its trust in us, and we have just fallen short of that. We take responsibility as a team. If we win together, we lose together, so it's not a mistake on one person.
We will go back and see what we could have done better, see how slick the first changeover was, so at least we will get some data from that. I think we were in the lead, to be honest but that’s relays.
We've got a home Europeans which is going to be huge to run in front of the UK fans. It's not something we take lightly and such an honour, and I can't wait. I think it's like 100 days to go - it is going be amazing.
Louisa Stoney (Belgrave Harriers) was part of the women’s 400m squad but didn’t run in either the women’s 400m or mixed 400m strike teams.
Harry Bradley (Newport Harriers) was ruled out through injury a few days before the championships started.
BUCS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – CARDIFF, MAY 2-5
Cardiff hosted hundreds of athletes from across the globe as well as the UK at the British Universities and Colleges Sport (BUCS) Outdoor Championships on the Bank Holiday weekend.
There were a number of excellent performances by Welsh athletes across a high quality three days of competition which drew large crowds to the capital.
On a rainy first day, Welsh Athletics National Development Programme thrower Lucy Harries (Loughborough) claimed gold in the women’s discus (1kg) final.
The Swansea Harrier set a new personal best of 45.95m as she clinched victory over fellow Loughborough student Emma Ann Kowalski of the USA with 45.07m.
British Athletics World Class Programme F44 thrower Funmi Oduwaiye (Bristol University) won the ambulant women’s (1kg) discus.
The Cardiff Athletics Paralympian claimed the win with a throw of 36.75m. Mia Lloyd (Cardiff Met) was third with 14.26m.
In the women’s 100m final, Jessica Mantle (Cardiff Met) was just edged out of gold as she finished 0.02 of a second behind Lucy Fraser (Glasgow). The Cardiff Athletics sprinter clocked a time of 11.82 to claim silver. In the semi-finals, Mantle had run a season’s best 11.77.
Transition Programme sprinter Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Met) finished sixth in the men’s 100m final in 10.83. In the semi-final, the Cardiff Athletics man ran a season’s best 10.68.
NDP T35 athlete William Bishop (Cardiff Met) won the ambulant men’s long jump final as he jumped 4.36m. The Newport Harrier also finished fourth in the ambulant men’s 100m final in 11.63.
On Sunday, NDP thrower Ameila Fettis was pipped to the gold medal by her fellow Loughborough team-mate Katie Head in the women’s hammer A final.
The Newport Harrier produced a season’s best distance of 59.57m in answer to the winning distance of 59.86m.
The men’s pole vault final saw a bronze medal for Aharon Graham-Mulvaney (Loughborough) who produced a season’s best height of 4.26m.
Welsh highlights on Bank Holiday Monday included Funmi Oduwaiye following up her win in the discus with gold in the ambulant women’s shot put (4kg) thanks to a season’s best 11.26m.
Lily Bignell (Loughborough), won gold in the 100m wheelchair final. Bignall, who is also a Welsh international wheelchair tennis player, won in a new PB of 22.41.
Later in the day, Bignall also won the 800m final in a new PB of 2:56.83.
Dafydd Jones (Cardiff University) claimed a silver medal in the men’s 5,000m. The Swansea Harrier earned a season’s best time of 13:56.59.
Sam Davies (Loughborough/Swansea Harriers) also earned a silver medal in the men’s high jump thanks to a season’s best height of 2.06m.
In the ambulant men’s shot put (7.26kg), William Bishop followed up his medals on Saturday with a silver and a new PB of 9.62m.
There was yet more Welsh silver in the men’s 800m where Jack Organ (Oxford) ran 1:50.46. Meanwhile Steph Jones (Edge Hill) was also second in the women’s long jump with a best of 6.10m. Transition Programme athlete Jessica Lee (Loughborough) was third in 5.93m.
Poppy Elton (Leeds Beckett) won a bronze medal in the women’s 1500m in 4:25.09, with Ceri Griffiths (Edinburgh) sixth in 4:31.14.
There was also a bronze medal for Ben Parker (Loughborough) who jumped a wind assisted 7.45m in the men’s long jump final.
Transition Programme athlete Tom Wilcock (Loughborough) finished just outside the medals in the 110m hurdles final in a season’s best 14.18. In sixth place, Toks Akanbi-Mortimer (Cardiff Met) notched a PB of 15.11.
There was another fourth placed finish in the women’s 200m final where Isabella Wigley (Cardiff University) clocked 24.28. Millie Webb (Gloucestershire) was fifth in 24.30 with Eli Jones (Loughborough) sixth in 24.58.
The men’s 3,000m steeplechase saw Henry Evans (Birmingham) finish fifth in 9:19.91. Oliver James (Durham) was sixth in 9:20.13.
Sophie Lisk (Loughborough) finished sixth in the women’s 400m hurdles final in 1:01.24. Jacob Winter (Cardiff Met) was also sixth in the men’s 400m final in 49.13.
In the relays, which rounded off the event, Cardiff Met claimed silver in the women’s 4x100m with Cardiff University earning bronze. Swansea University won bronze in the men’s 4x100m.
BRITISH WHEELECHAIR GRAND PRIX 2026 – COVENTRY, MAY 2
Welsh Athletics National Development Programme T54 wheelchair racers Owen Terrell (Newport Harriers) and Toby Richardson (Yate and District) AC) were in brilliant form in Coventry.
Terrell set three new personal bests winning the men’s senior 1500m in 3:36.42, finishing second in the men’s senior 800m in 1:55.45 and fourth in the men’s senior 400m race one in 58.37.
Richardson was third in the men’s senior 100m race two with a season’s best 16.27. He finished second in the senior 200m final in a new PB of 29.38 and second in the senior 400m race one with a season’s best 55.47.
VAULT MANCHESTER – MAY 2
Tom Walley (Wrexham AC) won the senior A final with a new PB of 5.35m.
Mark Mellor (Cardiff Athletics) also competed finishing second with a height of 5.05m.
ATLANTIC 10 OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – FAIRFAX, VIRGINIA – MAY 2-3
Gwenno Goode (LaSalle/Cardiff Athletics) claimed her second gold medal in three years in the 3,000m steeplechase in at the Atlantic 10, crossing the line in 10:08.08.
Lloyd Sheppard Brown (Rhode Island/Cardiff Athletics) also struck gold in the 10,000m where he produced a sprint finish to claim the win in 32:00.39.
HILL CITY TWILIGHT – LYNCHBURG, VIRGINIA, MAY 2
Ben Reynolds (Virginia Tech/Cardiff Athletics) placed seventh over 800m in 1:50.53 and 11th in 3:45.44 over 1500m at the Hill City Twilight meet in the United States.
BURY ST EDMUNDS STEEPLECHASE AND WALKS FESTIVAL – MAY 2
Tayla Williams (Carmarthen Harriers) finished second overall and the first Under-14 girl in the 1000m walk in 6:25.30.
Under-16 athlete Isabelle Lawley (Swansea Harriers) finished fifth overall in the women’s 1500m steeplechase in a new personal best of 5:29.30.
EORRC UP AND DOWN TRIAL/SENIOR INTER-COUNTIES MOUNTAIN RACE – SEDBERGH, MAY 3
The senior trial races for the European Off-Road Running Championships were held over a 14.5k course with 980m of ascent/descent.
Tom Wood (Eryri Harriers) finished third in the men’s senior trial – just outside the automatic top two places for the four strong team.
Eden O’Dea (Deeside AAC), who finished seventh in the uphill only trial on May 1, finished 14th in the women’s race. Will Chalk (Newport Harriers) finished seventh in the men’s Under-20 race.
SIRHOWY CHALLENGE – MAY 3
The Sirhowy Challenge is a 10-mile multi-terrain race that climbs 1500ft to Machen Trig Point.
This year’s men’s race was won by Joe Luckett (CDF) in 1:18.29, ahead of Alun Wood (Parc Bryn Bach) in 1:19.14 and Brett Thornbury (Islwyn) in 1:20.12.
The first female athlete, who was also fourth overall, was Kimberly McGourlick (Islwyn), who crossed the line in 1:20.50. Nikki Morgan (Chepstow) was second in 1:22.30 and Jenny McCall (Islwyn) third in 1:24.34.
UK YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE – SUNDAY, MAY 3
Results were not available at the time of writing. They will appear in due course at the link below.
BANNISTER TRACK MILES – OXFORD, MAY 4
The Bannister Track Miles were held at Iffley Road, Oxford, the iconic venue where Sir Roger Bannister ran the first four minute in 1954.
Athletes of all levels and ages gather to celebrate the anniversary of the legendary athletics achievement over a series of graded races.
In the men’s A race, Craig Williams (Newport Harriers) finished ninth in 4:11.86. Meanwhile, Darcie Bass (Swansea Harriers) won the women’s B race in 4:50.77.
BREWER MEMORIAL GAMES – GLOUCESTER, MAY 4
There were a number of stand-out results for Welsh Athletics performance pathway athletes at the Brewer Memorial Games in Gloucester on Bank Holiday Monday.
Among those to shine was Commonwealth Games medallist and Paralympian Harrison Walsh (Swansea Harriers) who won the Under-14 and above discus with a distance of 52.58m, throwing the 1.5kg implement.
National Development Programme athlete Owen Garrett (Yate and District) took second place throwing a 1.75kg distance of 51.33m.
Another NDP athlete William Richards-Baldwin (Gloucester AC) threw a new 1.5kg PB of 49.62m to finish fourth.
Richards-Baldwin (Gloucester AC) also threw a new personal best of 16.41 with the 5kg shot put to win the Under-14 and above men’s final.
Another NDP thrower Grace Hawker (Cardiff Archers) threw a new 3kg PB of 13.44m to win the women’s Under-14 and above shot put final.
Photo Credit: @kiaracherubini and British Athletics
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