Newyddion
Weekend Round-Up (26-27 September)
28/09/2026 00:00, I Mewn Blog /
VITALITY WESTMINSTER MILE, SEPTEMBER 26
Welsh Under-23 athlete Louis Starr (Rugby and Northampton AC) finished 10th in the men’s mile race on the Mall in London.
Starr, who claimed a Welsh Under-20 800m silver medal at Swansea in 2025, clocked a time of 4:18.07 as he crossed the line in front of Buckingham Palace.
The British Athletics One Mile Road Championships were incorporated into the event for the first time since 2019.
THE FINAL FLING – WREXHAM, SEPTEMBER 26 AND 27
Wrexham AC hosted a throws meeting for various age groups over the weekend.
No results were available at the time of writing, but should be published on the Wrexham AC website in due course at the link below.
SPORTSSHOES HOME NATIONS 5K (INCORPORATING UK 5K ROAD RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS) – CARDIFF, SEPTEMBER 27
Melissa Courtney-Bryant put her injury troubled season behind her to win the elite female race at the SportsShoes Home Nations 5K in Cardiff.
The Team Wales Commonwealth Games athlete produced an eye-catching performance against the suitably scenic backdrop of Bute Park and Cardiff Castle. The win also brought Courtney-Bryant the UK 5K Road Race title.
Spectators lining the fast, flat route enjoyed an excellent afternoon’s racing which saw Jack Kavanagh win the men’s elite race and UK title.
Meanwhile, national teams from Wales, England Scotland and Northern Ireland battled for Home Nations honours along with composite teams in the men’s and women’s elite races.
Having missed out on a place in the Commonwealth Games mile final in Glasgow, following an injury hit built up, Courtney-Bryant has returned to fitness in recent weeks, including finishing ninth at the New York Fifth Avenue mile.
On Sunday, the Poole AC athlete, running for a SportsShoes by New Balance composite team, looked in fine form, taking the win with fellow Welsh star Clara Evans-Graham (Pontypridd Roadents) finishing in third place.
Charlotte Dannatt (Camberley and District AC) made the early running on the drying surface following earlier showers, shadowed by Courtney Bryant with Evans Graham close behind in third as they moved away from the rest of the field.
By the end of the first of three laps, the trio had completely distanced themselves from the main pack as they ran in close formation.
Approaching the half-way stage, Courtney-Bryant moved into the lead with Dannatt and Evans-Graham still in close attendance.
Evans-Graham was showing good speed to keep up with the pace having run the marathon at this summer’s European Athletics Championships, where she helped Great Britain to team gold.
Meanwhile, Courtney Bryant was showing few signs for the calf injury which had dogged her season in the build up to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
As the bell sounded to signal the third and final lap, the medal places seemed to have been decided as Dannatt, Courtney-Bryant and Evans Graham were still locked together well ahead of the chasing pack.
In the early stages of the final loop, Dannatt and Courtney-Bryant appeared to up their effort, which saw Evans-Graham drop off the pace.
With around half-a-mile to go, Courtney-Bryant and her made a significant move to open up a gap between herself and her SportsShoes by New Balance team mate Dannatt.
As the 2018 Commonwealth Games 1500m bronze medallist passed Cardiff Castle on her right hand side for the final time, she was well clear of her rivals and the result was a formality.
Wearing a broad smile, the multiple Welsh record-holder broke the bright pink sponsors’ finishing tape in 15:40 to complete an impressive win.
Dannatt followed her home in 15:47 while Evans Graham rounded off a fine run in 15:52 to secure a much deserved third place.
In the team event, Courtney-Bryant’s SportsShoesNew Balance composite team were champions with England second and England Under-20s third.
Afterwards, a delighted Courtney Bryant said:
“I think it’s a really nice way for me to finish my season and know that there is some endurance there ahead of the winter training.
“It’s really fun, I was a little bit nervous warming up because I suddenly realised there were so many Welsh supporters and a few people were saying good luck.
“I just thought, this is actually a big deal. I want to put on a good performance, I really want to win in front of a home crowd.
“My mum grew up not far from here in Caerphilly - it’s kind of local for my family so that’s really special. Every time I come to Cardiff I tend to run well. I think it’s like a lucky omen. I need to do it more often!”
Looking ahead, the European 3,000m indoor silver medallist is targeting next spring’s European Indoor Championships in Valencia.
“I love indoors. I didn’t do indoors this year, I really wanted to focus on my winter block for the summer,” said Courtney-Bryant.
“Unfortunately the summer didn’t go to plan, but I love the 3K, I love racing indoors. People know, they’ve seen me racing indoors quite a bit. I want to go for European indoors and be competitive in that race again.”
The men’s race produced a fast start with a group of around a dozen athletes moving away early on.
Kavanagh, the fastest man in the field moved to the front and led the pack over the line at the end of the first lap.
The Holland Sports AC man continued to lead through half way and started to string the leading pack out as they heard the bell.
With the sun now starting to show Bute Park in its finest early autumn colours, Joseph Tuffin, representing England, moved to the front with around 600m to go.
However, Kavanagh roared back over the last couple of hundred metres to take the win in 13:50. Tuffin was second in 13:54 and England team-mate Finley Proffitt third in 13:56.
The team honours went to England followed by the SportsShoes by New Balance composite team and England Under-20s.
The afternoon’s action got under way with the open race, which attracted 78 entries, made up of 68 male and 10 female runners.
The early leader was 17-year-old Iestyn Williams (Newport Harriers), who set of at a breakneck pace to open up a handy lead some three minutes into the opening lap.
As he came through the start/finish area at the end of the first lap, Williams was enjoying a lead of some 50 metres.
However, just before the eight minute mark, the tiring youngster was overhauled by Evan Price-Davies (Brecon AC), who himself started to open up a significant lead moving into the second half of the race.
At the bell for the last lap, the 25-year-old was on his own in the lead with a small group chasing some distance behind.
However, the figure of Rufus Thomas (Bristol and West), started to loom in his wake with just over 600m to go and the 22-year-old triathlete glided into the lead and crossed the line in 16.49 to take the win.
The men’s B race saw an entry of 76 athletes, with the early stages being run at a more closely contested pace with the likes of 15-year-old Lucas Howard Machado (Cardiff Archers) to the fore.
As the race approached the end of the second lap a group of four leaders had established itself, with Howard Machado still well in contention.
Joe Matthews (Desford Striders) however, attacked the start of the second lap hard, taking 15-year-old Harry Colson (Stratford Upon Avon) with him as the pair opened up the first significant lead of the race.
With around 600m to go, Colson struck for home to open up a decisive lead and the youngster crossed the line to take the win in a big PB of 15:16 with Matthews second. Howard Machado completed an excellent run to claim third place.
Full results, including the Welsh team placings, weren’t available at the time of writing but are due to be published at the link below.
WEST GLAMORGAN CROSS COUNTRY LEAGUE FIXTURE 1 – TAI’RGWAITH, SEPTEMBER 27
The new cross country season kicked off at the Tai’rgwaith Trotting Track in the Amman Valley on Sunday. Results will be published at the link below.
BERLIN MARATHON, SEPTEMBER 27
Pontypridd Roadents athlete Jake Smith enjoyed a big new personal best of 2:09.24 at the Berlin Marathon on Sunday morning.
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