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Weekend Round-Up (16-17 August 2025)
18/08/2025 00:00, In Blog /
BRITISH ATHLETICS UPHILL ONLY TRIAL RACE – KESWICK, AUGUST 15
Eden O’Dea (Deeside AAC) produced a brilliant run at the event on Skiddaw in Cumbria which served as a trial to select the British Team for the World Mountain and Trail Running Championships in Spain.
The Welsh international finished second in the women’s race. Hopefully the performance will be enough for O’Dea to secure a spot on the plane to Canfranc at the end of September.
Fellow Welsh athlete Katrina Entwistle (Bristol and West Bath University) was 10th. In the men’s race, Kieran Wynne-Cattanach was 14th.
NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL – OXFORD, AUGUST 16
Swansea Harriers clinched promotion to the National Athletics League Premiership following an exciting Championship Final at Oxford Horspath.
The Welsh club had secured their place in the eight-team shoot-out having clinched the NAL Championship West Regional title in Cardiff last month.
And on Saturday, they secured promotion to the top flight of British athletics as they finished second to Tonbridge AC.
Leading the way for Swansea were two of their Novuna UK Athletics Championships medallists from two weeks ago in Birmingham.
Welsh Athletics Transition Programme athlete Michael Jenkins won the discus with a winning throw of 56.72m, while UK Champs silver medallist Patrick Swan won the shot put with 17.07m - more than two metres further than his opponents.
Swansea had been given a flying start to the fixture on the track with double victory in the women’s 400m hurdles.
National Development Programme hurdler Sophie Lisk won the A race in 61.40 and Evie Aitchison won the B race in 64.91.
There was a thrilling battle in the women’s high jump, which reflected the closeness of the overall contest between Swansea and Tonbridge.
Another NDP athlete Matilda Quick and Tonbridge’s Ella Thomas tied for first place as they could not be separated on 1.63m.
Ultimately, Tonbridge took overall victory on the day with a total points haul of 583. But Swansea’s total of 555.50 was enough to bring them second place ahead of Chelmsford AC and spark a Premiership promotion party.
NATIONAL ATHLETICS LEAGUE PREMIERSHIP FINAL – BIRMINGHAM, AUGUST 16
A number of Welsh athletes were representing their clubs in the Premiership Final which took place at the Alexander Stadium in Birmingham on Saturday.
There were maximum points for Transition programme athlete Adele Nicoll (Birchfield Harriers) and Thomas Walley (Thames Valley Harriers).
Nicoll followed up her shot put gold medal at the same venue in the Novuna UK Championships by winning the women’s shot with a best of 16.24m – exactly three metres ahead of her closest rival.
While Walley, who was also a medallist at the UK Championships, won the pole vault with a best of 5.02m.
The Premiership title was won by Harrow AC, with Thames Valley Harriers second and Birchfield Harriers third.
BWAA AND BWRA GRAND PRIX AUGUST 2025 – STOKE MANDEVILLE, AUGUST 16
Wheelchair racer Toby Richardson (Yate and District AC) claimed a new 400m PB of 53.38, which slashed almost a second from his previous best performance, as he won his heat at Stoke Mandeville.
Richardson also posted PBs in the 100m where he finished sixth in his heat in 17.46 and the 800m where he was seventh in 1:51.84.
Owain Terrell (Newport Harriers) also celebrated a new PB of 61:71 as he finished in fourth place in the same 400m heat as Richardson. Terrell also claimed a PB in the 100m where he finished third in 18.56.
MEETING VOOR MON – BELGIUM, AUGUST 16
Mark Mellor (Cardiff Athletics) finished fifth in the pole vault in Leuven with a best height of 5.00m
RACE THE TRAIN 2025 – TYWYN, AUGUST 16
The unique Race The Train event celebrated its 40th anniversary on Saturday alongside the world-famous Talyllyn Railway.
The races were held across a variety of distances from 14 miles down to the Toddler’s Trot.
Winner of the flagship Rotary Challenge 14-mile race this year was Rob Corney (Reading Roadrunners), who completed the course in 1:27.37, ahead of Matt Speed (Kent AC) in 1:32.02 and David Cole (Cardigan AC) in 1:34.28.
The first female finisher was Nia Nokes (City of Stoke AC) in 1:54.14. Helena Croft (Holmfirth Harriers) was second in 1:54.52, followed home by Jenny Hartley in 1:55.59.
CHEPSTOW RUNNING FESTIVAL – AUGUST 16
The Chepstow Running Festival saw participants tackle a range of distances from half-marathon to 5K at the town’s racecourse on Saturday.
The half-marathon was won by James Vassallo in 1:24.40 ahead of Aiden Zembrzuski in 1:26.06 and Tim Langley in 1:27.57.
The women’s race was won by Emma Preston in 1:33.47 with Yasmin Hadid second in 1:34.54 and Nadine Thomas third in 1:44.31.
STRATFORD SPEED GP – NEWHAM, AUGUST 17
Wales’ fastest man and woman over 100m – Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) and Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) - were in outstanding form in Newham on Sunday.
Brier smashed her Welsh 100m record, while Azu produced a blistering performance to equal his Welsh 100m record.
Azu’s time of 9.97 is also hugely significant in giving him the qualification standard for next month’s World Athletics Championships.
The Olympic bronze medallist had previous finished in one of the required top two qualification sports at the Novuna UK Athletics Championships in Birmingham. But the 9.97 he ran on that day was wind-assisted.
Sunday afternoon’s winning performance now means Azu meets all the selection criteria for the GB team, with just one week of the qualification period remaining.
The World Indoor 60m champion crossed the line well ahead of the rest of the field on Sunday, with Elliot Jones (Liverpool) finishing second in 10.04. The wind reading was just below the allowable speed at +1.9.
Meanwhile Brier, making a rare return to racing over 100m, finished fourth in a high quality second round heat, stopping the clock at 11.26 to better her previous national record of 11.33. The time is also a Glasgow Commonwealth Games B nomination standard.
Brier had earlier clocked a rapid 11.31 to win her first round heat, which would have lowered her record if it weren’t for a +2.3ms tailwind.
The two-time Commonwealth Games athlete also ran a new 200m personal best of 23.16 as she finished third in her heat.
Also in the 200m, Welsh Athletics Performance Programme heptathlete Abi Pawlett (Trafford) ran a new PB of 23.01, while Louisa Stoney (Belgrave Harriers) ran 23.42 to in her heat.
Issie Tustin (Cardiff Athletics) finished third in her 200m heat in 24.99 and posted a time of 11.97 in the 100m as she earned her highest placing of the day with a second placed finish.
Paralympian Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth) clocked a time of 13.07 over 100m as she finished fourth in her heat.
Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Athletics) continued his return from injury by clocking 10.44, his best time of the day. Team mate Alex Azu (Cardiff Athletics) matched it with 10.44 in the same race.
Eli Onyewu (Swansea Harriers) recorded 10.76 to finish second in his heat. Menai Track and Field clubmates Cameron Jones and Ewan Jones produced their fastest times of the day finishing fourth and fifth respectively in the same heat in 11.32 and 11.38.
The women’s 100m hurdles first round race saw Grace Morgan (Cardiff Archers) finish fourth in 13.87. Morgan also clocked 12.43 finishing third in her 100m heat.
There was also a fourth place for Sian Harry (Belgrave Harries) as she clocked 54.61, while there was a similar result for Olympian Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers) who was fourth in his 400m heat in 46.50.
BRITISH ATHLETICS SENIOR AND JUNIOR CLASSIC TRIAL FOR WORLD MOUNTAIN RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS – LAKE DISTRICT, AUGUST 17
A strong Welsh team travelled to Whinlatter Forest for the event which also incorporated the Senior Home Countries International.
In the women’s event, Eden O’Dea (Deeside AC) followed up her brilliant performance at the uphill only trial which took place on Friday.
On Sunday, O’Dea was the top placed Welsh woman, finishing sixth overall, the first under-23 athlete, and fourth in the international match.
Other Welsh finishers in the women’s race:
Bethan Logan (Mynydd Du) 12th overall (7th International match)
Katrina Entwistle (Bristol and West Bath University) 16th overall (11th International match)
Joanne Henderson (Denbigh) 21st overall (14th International match)
Mabli Baines (Eryri) 26th overall (8th U23) (18th International match)
Catrin Donnelly (Eryri) 27th overall (19th International match).
The first Welsh male finisher was World Championship marathoner Josh Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) who placed 17th overall and eighth in the International match.
The other Welsh men’s results were:
Huw Davies 33rd overall (14th International match)
Ed Woodhead (Deeside) 34th overall (5th U23) (15th International match)
Sion Edwards (Eryri) 38th overall (17th International match)
Gavin Roberts (Eryri) 40th overall (18th International match)
Sam Gunning 42nd overall (7th U23) (20th International match)
ST CLEARS 10K – AUGUST 17
Dewi Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) continued his excellent form in road races across Wales by winning Sunday’s St Clears 10K in a new course record.
The Commonwealth Games marathoner last week won the Caernarfon 10K in a course record and he repeated the feat in west Wales.
Griffiths crossed the line in 31:06, almost five minutes ahead of the next finisher – Martyn Rowling (Aberdare Valley AAC) in 35:57. Kieron Weston from the home club TROTS was third in 36:06.
The winner of the women’s race was Donna Morris (Builth and District Running Club) who clocked 38:15. Sian Jones (TROTS) was second in 40:15 and Tifanie Lewis (Amman Valley Harriers) was third in 44:15.
BEAST OF BRYN – PORT TALBOT, AUGUST 17
The annual Beast of Bryn event, which features 6 and 10 mile races, took place in the mountains of Afan Argoed on Sunday.
Winner of the 6 mile race was Rhys Milling (Ealing Eagles Running Club) in 46:59, ahead of Lloyd Evans in 51:53 and Ethan Parry in 53:30. The first female finisher was Chloe Fulbrook in 56:20. Sarah Turner (Run Portablo) was second in 58:22 and Lauren Lakhani third in 59:57.
The 10.5 mile race was won by Ed Slaughter (Porthcawl Runners) in 1:07.29 from Lewis Munro (Islwyn RC) in 1:10.03 and Sam Hodge (Port Talbot Harriers).
Chole Fulbrook was the first female home in 1:11.40 with Sarah Howard second in 1:20.07 and Ffion Davies (Port Talbot Harriers) in 1:21:43.
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