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119th Welsh Cross Country Championships Preview
14/02/2024 00:00, In Blog / Cross Country /
The 119th Welsh Cross Country Championships returns to the Penlan Arena in Brecon on Saturday, with over 1,000 athletes entered.
An 11-race programme will start with Primary School Races, held jointly with the Urdd Gobaith Cymru.
Winners in recent years include eight-time Champion Dewi Griffiths, James Hunt, Osian Perrin, Bronwen Owen and former UK Inter-Counties Champions Cari Hughes and Jenny Nesbitt.
Following the Primary School Races, the U13 events will get the Welsh Championship Races underway.
It will be a close battle in the senior women’s race, with the podium finishers from the 2023 Welsh Inter-Regional Championships going head-to-head. In Newtown it was Alaw Evans (Les Croupiers) that took the title, with Lauren Cooper (Western Tempo) in second and Martha Owen (Deeside AAC) in third. Further competition will come from Lucy Marland (Les Croupiers) who finished second in last year's edition and Caryl Edwards (Swansea Harriers).
Alaw Evans wins the Senior Women's Inter-Regional title. © Paul Stillman
The senior men and master’s race will follow the women’s event. Top entrants include Tom Wood (Eryri), Matt Willis (Wrexham AAC), and Jonathan Butler (Swansea Harriers). Wood took the senior men’s Inter-Regional title back in November, whilst Butler put in a strong performance at the Armagh Road Race International representing Wales. The Swansea athlete helped lead the team to fifth with a performance of 14:29.
The age grade races will see a number of athletes transition from the track to cross country.
The U15 girls’ race will see 2023 U13 Welsh Cross Country Champion, Bryony Boyce (Cardiff Athletics) in action, having moved up an age category. The Cardiff athlete topped the 2022-23 British Cross Challenge series standings for the U13 category. Also in contention are Amelia Williams (Carmarthen & District Harriers) the new Welsh 3000m Champion and Maddison Hughes (Maldwyn Harriers), the North Wales athlete finished fifth at last year’s edition, and recently put in a strong performance in the U17’s 3000m race at the Welsh Indoor Championships.
Bryony Boyce takes the Welsh Schools Cross Country title. © Paul Stillman
Also transitioning from the track to cross country are Garyn Tough (Aberdare Valley) and Alfie Shilan (Colwyn Bay) in the U15 boy’s race. Tough finished in second in both the 1500m and 300m at the recent Welsh U13 / U17 / U20 Indoor Championships. Whilst Shilan finished in the bronze medal position in the 3000m at the Indoor Championships, they will look to go head-to-head once again.
Reigning U17 women’s Champion, Beca Haf Bown (Menai Track & Field) will look to reclaim her title for a second successive year. The U17 women’s race will also see a close battle between Millie Gold (Cardiff Athletics) and Abigail Doherty (Deeside AAC). Both athletes have moved up an age grade, with Gold taking the U15 title last time around and Doherty finishing in the silver medal position.
Whilst the U17 men’s race boasts a strong field of athletes, Iwan Thomas (Carmarthen & District Harriers) leads the way, the Carmarthen athlete finished second at the 2023 edition, and went on to finish third in the 2022-23 British Cross Challenge Series standings. Stepping up from the U15 age category is 2023 U15 Champion Joshua Sanders (Cardiff Athletics). Further competition will come from Miguel Jenkins (Menai Track & Field) and Finley Bruce (Carmarthen & District Harriers).
Caitlin Jones (Aberdare Valley) will hope to take the U20 women’s title. Jones currently sits in third position in the U20 Gwent League standings. Joining her is Beth Rawlinson (Wolverhampton & Bilston), both athletes recently represented Wales at the Home Countries Cross Country in London.
Dafydd Jones finishes second in the U20 Men's race at the 2023 Cardiff Cross Challenge. © Paul Stillman
Dafydd Jones (Swansea Harriers) leads the U20 men’s entries, the Swansea Harrier put in a strong performance to finish second at the 2023 Cardiff Cross Challenge U20 race. Joining Jones is Henry Evans (Newport Harriers) who finished in 14th position at the British Cross Challenge in Parliament Hill and Oliver James (Bournemouth / Durham Uni) who put up a strong challenge to finish in 13th at the Southwest Inter County Championships.