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Welsh Schools National Cross Country Championships 2025 - Preview
17/02/2025 00:00, I Mewn Blog /
For the top schools’ cross-country runners in Wales, all roads lead to Brecon on Wednesday 19 February, when the Penlan playing fields are again the venue for the Welsh Schools’ National cross-country championships. This will be the sixty-second time for the event to be staged.
Welsh Schools will again use a midweek date this year. Following the event teams will be selected to represent WSAA at the SIAB Cross Country to be held in Falkirk on Saturday 22 March. The selection meeting is due to take place on Friday 21 February.
The event will use the new course successfully used at last year’s event, which proved popular with athletes, parents and coaches and is slightly more of a traditional cross-country offer. It is also spectator friendly with all parts of the course easily accessed.
Some exciting competitions are anticipated in the eight-race programme, particularly in the junior and middle sections, in which selection for the teams to compete at the SIAB schools at Callendar Park is at stake. This year the SIAB event will again also include a 4x1500m mixed relay for teams of 2 boys and 2 girls in both the junior and middle age groups, this will give the opportunity for additional athletes to experience International competition.
Each of the races will be sure to produce a high level of competition for individual medals as well with many of those who competed with distinction at the recent Welsh Cross Country Championships at Pembrey in action, although in slightly different age groupings to that event.
The Junior Girls will get the event started at 1pm, this is one of the most competitive contests of the day with the likes of Tamsin Seguin (Friars) and Martha Bown (Bodedern) to the fore, they are likely to be pushed hard by Gwen and Ella Hayes (Brynhyfryd) who finished 1st and 2nd in Pembrey in the Under 13s race.
It is equally unpredictable for our Junior Boys race this time around with Osian Phillips (Glantaf), Oliver Cobbold (Bishopston) and Lewis Durston (Bryntirion) all expected to be in the mix — another race where it is difficult to pick a winner.
The next race is a little easier to call when the Senior Girls get underway (1:40pm), this looks to be a 3 way battle between Millie Gold (St David’s College), Abigail Doherty (Deeside College) and Beca Bown representing the Eryri School District and Bodedern.
The Year 7 races which follow are likely to produce some surprises and see some new names coming to the fore. In the Boys race Zac Munn (Glantaf) is one to look out for following his 4th. placing at Pembrey. The Year 7 Girls event is wide open. Good luck to all those making WSAA National debuts.
The Senior Boys race will give an opportunity for Miguel Jenkins (Friars) to win another Welsh Schools title following his Middle Boys win in 2024. Miguel has been in good form but will face strong challenges from Rhys Pladdy (Llanishen), Josh Barnett (Dyffryn Taf), Noa Vaughan (Coleg Menai) and Matt Benson (Llanfyllin).
Libby Hale (Bishopston) will start as favourite in the Middle girls after a return to form and recovery from a niggling injury. Amongst her challengers are likely to be the Afan Nedd Tawe pairing of Holly Humphries (Gwyr) and Millie Pierce (Olchfa). Also expected to feature are Bryony Boyce (Cathedral), Madison Hughes (Llanidloes) and Heather Watson (Hawarden).
The final race of the day will see the Middle boys go head to head, this again is a difficult one to call with Tom Garrod (Rougemont) probably a slight favourite. Also entered are the top 3 Under 15s from Pembrey and Osian Parry (Ysgol David Hughes), Alfie Bartley-Rose (Connah’s Quay) and Zac Campbell (Darland) will all be looking for podium places.
Good luck to all the pupils competing.