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Weekend Round-Up (19-20 September)
21/09/2026 00:00, In Blog /
WORLD ROAD RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS – COPENHAGEN, SEPTEMBER 19 AND 20
Six days after finishing second in New York’s Fifth Avenue Mile, Jake Heyward (Cardiff Athletics) was 11th over the same distance at the World Road Running Championships in Copenhagen.
Representing Great Britain for the second time this season – having finished fourth over 1500m on the track at the European Athletics Championships - Heyward was one of 58 starters who toed the line on the V-shaped course in the centre of the Danish capital.
Pre-race favourite Yared Nuguse, of the USA, made the early running as the large field set off down the long opening straight before negotiating a turn which took them back along another straight road to the finish line.
In the first half of the race Heyward looked strong as he tracked Nuguse closely in second place. However, the final third saw him move back through the field.
The race was won by Robert Farken, of Germany, in a new world lead time of 3:51.80. Nuguse finished second in 3:52.33 with Ruben Querinjean, of Luxembourg, third in 3:52.77.
Although Heyward’s time of 3:55.76 was slower than he ran last Sunday, it was a new personal best due to the New York course not being recognised for official records.
Heyward, who had been unwell in the lead up to the recent Diamond League final in Brussels, said of his performance in Denmark:
“I was disappointed. I just didn’t have the legs today.
“It’s been a long season and when I had the opportunity to do this [championships] I wanted to obviously but I’ve been racing a lot just week in, week out.
“I think getting sick in Brussels, and then flying to New York, doing that, and then coming back here, probably just pinched me a bit.”
It has been a remarkable comeback season for Heyward after a four year absence from competition due to injury. As well as twice representing Great Britain, he finished fourth over 1500m for Wales at the Commonwealth Games and broke his own Welsh mile record on the track at the London Diamond League meeting.
WELSH ATHLETICS AND WELSH SCHOOLS ATHLETICS ASSOCIATION JOINT OUTDOOR COMBINED EVENTS – CARMARTHEN, SEPTEMBER 19
Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athletes Tiana Odugbesan and Cobie Phillips were amongst the gold medal winners in Carmarthen.
Odugbesan (Cardiff Archers), who won the England Athletics Age Group heptathlon title last month, was also triumphant in the Under-18 women’s pentathlon here.
In a field of 15 athletes, the competition got under way with the high jump which was won by Evie Ingleson (Newport Harriers) with a best of 1.51m. Odugbesan jumped 1.48m for 599 points.
The 100m hurdles was won by Odugbesan in 15.35, which brought her a further 796 points.
Beatrice Morgan (Carmarthen Harriers) won the long jump with 5.57m. Odugbesan was second with 5.50m for 700 points.
The shot put saw Odugbesan back to winning form with a best of 12.24m, which strengthened her position in the overall lead with another 677 points. Second place in the shot went to another NDP athlete, Tabitha Ventress-Brett (Swansea Harriers) who posted a PB of 11.13m.
The final event – the 800m – was won by Ingleson, who crossed the line in a PB of 2:26.95.
Odugbesan finished sixth in 2:42.11 for 549 points, which were enough to secure her the overall victory with 3321 points. Beatrice Morgan was second with 3064 points with Ventress-Brett third with 2895.
In the Under-18 men’s event, Phillips literally got off to a flying start in the 110m hurdles, which he won in 16.00 for 733 points. The long jump also went his way with a best jump of 6.40m, which brought him 675 points.
The 200m saw Phillips and Noah Bradshaw clock exactly the same time with 24.77 for 626 points each.
Phillips was a convincing winner in the shot put where he registered a new PB of 11.79m for 594 points.
The 800m was won by Ernest Maley (Newport Harriers) in 2:13.28, with Phillips crossing the line in third place in 2:24.48 for 553 points, which took him to a winning overall total of 3181.
Noah Bradshaw finished second with a total of 2670 with Aaron Campbell (Swansea Harriers) third with 2624 points.
The Under-16 boys pentathlon was won by Ethan Stockwell (Bridgend Athletics) with a total of 2812, ahead of Dylan Holmes (Cardiff Archers) with 2490 and Ryan Kingdom (Cardiff Archers) with 2441.
The Under-16 girls winner was Katriel Udoh (Swansea Harriers) with a total of 3301. Sophie Piddington (Newport Harriers) was second with 3035 and Imogen Vecchi (Cardiff Archers) third with 2594.
The Under-14 boys quadrathlon was won by Patrick Dunne (Carmarthen Harriers) with 1913 ahead of Llewellyn Morgan (Cardiff Archers) with 1876 and Kian Harris (Rhymney) with 1766.
The girls winner was Lily Hodge (Newport Harriers) with a total of 1837. Next was Freya Cleverly (Swansea Harriers) with 1535 and Eryn Bunston (Cardiff Athletics) with 1469.
ESSA ENGLISH SCHOOLS 52nd RACE WALK CHAMPIONSHIPS – BEDFORD, SEPTEMBER 19
Three Welsh athletes competed as guests at the ESSA Schools Championships in Bedford.
Spencer Jones (Wrexham AAC) won the junior boys 2K race in 9:39.92, while Tayla Jones (Carmarthen Harriers) finished fifth in the Under-13 1500m mixed race in 10:06.08, while Cerys Fitzpatrick (Carmarthen Harriers) was fourth in the junior girls race, clocking 11:28.41.
SWANSEA BAY 10K – SEPTEMBER 20
Glorious weather marked the 45th running of the popular Swansea Bay 10k.
The men’s race saw a one-two for Birchfield Harriers as Kadar Omar took the win in 29:03 ahead of his clubmate Omar Ahmed, who clocked 29:13.
Third place went to Jonathan Butler, who will be representing Wales at next weekend’s SportShoes Home Nations 5K in Cardiff.
Butler led a charge of three Swansea Harriers as he crossed the line in 29:33.
Last year’s winner Dewi Griffiths was fourth in 30:30 with Matthew Verran fifth in 31:31.
The women’s race saw last year’s winner Louise Small (Aldershot Farnham and District) return to repeat the feat on Sunday, breaking the tape in 33:04.
Also like last year, second place went to Olivia Tsim (Pontypridd Roadents) in 35:18. Rae Nicholls (Birchfield Harriers) was third in 37:54. Lucy Thomas (Pontypridd Roadents) was fourth in 38:08 and Ebony Vanderras (Bridgend Athletics) fifth in 38:46.
Another of last year’s competitors to make a successful return was Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athlete Owain Terrell (Newport Harriers) who once again won the wheelchair race. This time, Terrell triumphed in a PB of 29:35. Ron Price was second in 41:36.
ESSA ENGLISH SCHOOLS 6TH WHEELCHAIR RACE CHAMPIONSHIPS – BEDFORD, SEPTEMBER 20
Welsh Athletics National Development Programme wheelchair racer Toby Richardson enjoyed a successful day representing Wiltshire in Bedford.
Richardson won all three races he entered – the mixed age and gender 100m in 16.62, the mixed age and gender 400m in 1:01.16 and the mixed age and gender 200m in 30.68.
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