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Weekend Round-Up (3-5 May 2025)
06/05/2025 00:00, In Blog /
DIAMOND LEAGUE – SHANGHAI/KEQIAO, MAY 3
Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) made his second outdoor appearance of the season at the Diamond League meeting in Shanghai.
After finishing third in the first event of this year’s series in Xiamen the previous week, Azu placed seventh on Saturday in a slightly slower time of 10.19.
The race was won by Akani Simbine, of South Africa, in 9.98.
BRITISH ATHLETICS 100KM CHAMPIONSHIPS INCORPORATING THE ANGLO CELTIC PLATE – MALLORY PARK, LEICESTERSHIRE, MAY 3
Henry Drake (Amman Valley Harriers) was the first member of the Welsh team home overall as he completed the course in 7:46.40.
Also finishing were Nathan Flear (3Ms Gorseinon), who crossed the line in 22nd place overall in 8:17.24 and Gareth Pritchard (Vegan Runners UK), who clocked 8:23.57 to finish 24th overall.
BUCS ATHLETICS OUTDOOR CHAMPIONSHIPS – MANCHESTER, MAY 3-5
There was a strong contingent of Welsh athletes competing at the BUCS Outdoor Championships at Sportcity Manchester over the weekend.
Welsh Athletics Performance Programme multi-eventer Abi Pawlett (Loughborough) won the women’s 100m hurdles final in a new championship best time.
Pawlett, who won gold in the 60m hurdles at the British Indoor Championships earlier in the year, claimed gold here in a season’s best time of 13.14.
National Development Programme athlete Will Bishop (Cardiff Met) won the ambulant men long jump final with a season’s best performance of 4.40m (683 Raza points).
It was a busy championships for Bishop , who finished third in the ambulant men’s shot (7.25kg) with a season’s best 8.66m and was seventh in the ambulant men’s 100m with a season’s best 14.90.
There was also a win in the men’s seated shot put final where F34 NDP athlete Kieran Jones (Cardiff Met) produced a season’s best of 8.34m. Jones went on to finish second in the seated discus, where he produced a personal best of 17.01m.
Oliver James (Durham) claimed a new personal best in the men’s 3,000m steeplechase final as he finished second in 8:57.76.
Lili Church (Cardiff Met) shared second place with three other athletes in the women’s high jump as she cleared a season’s best of 1.65m.
There were two Welsh athletes on the podium in the women’s hammer final where Amelia Fettis (Loughborough) finished second thanks in a new PB of 56.79, while Ffion Palmer (USW) was third with a season’s best 51.71m.
Alex Azu (Cardiff Met) claimed a third place finish in the men’s 200m in a season’s best 21.45, while Sam Davies (Loughborough) was also third in the men’s high jump final with a season’s best 2.04m.
In the 400m hurdles final, NDP athlete Sophie Lisk (Loughborough) was third in 61.13.
Another NDP athlete, Jack Organ (Oxford) was fourth in the 800m in a new PB of 1.49.63. It was the first time the first year university student had dipped under 1:50.00 and was just outside the European Under-20 Championship qualifying time.
In the men’s shot put final, Dafydd Pawlett (Cardiff Met) finished fourth as he threw a season’s best of 14.59m.
In the relays, Cardiff University finished second in the women’s 4x100m, while Cardiff Met was third in the men’s event.
UK YOUTH DEVELOPMENT LEAGUE – MIDLAND PREMIER SOUTH WEST – BLACKBRIDGE ATHLETICS CLUB, CHELTENHAM, MAY 3
Athletes from Cardiff Archers, Cardiff Athletics and Swansea Harriers took part in the first match of the league season.
Cardiff Athletics finished joint third in the match with Gloucester AC, while Cardiff Archers were fifth and Swansea Harriers seventh.
RAS MOEL ELIO RACE – LLANBERIS, MAY 3
The iconic eight mile fell race set in the heart of Snowdonia also acted as the trial for the Welsh team selection for the WMRA Under-18 Mountain Cup.
Amelia Williams (Carmarthen Harriers) and Josie Hurst (Deeside AAC) claimed automatic places by finishing first and second, as did Cai Dafydd (Meirionnydd) and Will Chalk (Newport Harriers).
CARDIFF 5K - RACE FOR VICTORY – MAY 4
James Heneghan (Pontypridd Roadents) and Sophie Pickett (Elswick Harriers) won the Welsh 5km titles at the Cardiff 5K - Race For Victory on Sunday.
As well as claiming the Welsh title, Heneghan won the overall race in 14:21. Jonathan Butler (Swansea Harriers) was second in the championships and overall in 14:21. Michael Ward (Pontypridd Roadents) took the Welsh championships bronze medal in 14:26.
Phil Matthews (Parc Bryn Bach RC) re-wrote the Welsh M45 record with a time of 14:47, erasing Martin Rees' old mark of 15:51.
The overall women’s race was won by Chelsea Baker (UK Armed Forces) in 16:02.
Pickett was the first Welsh woman to finish, in third place, and in doing so claimed the national title in a new personal best of 16:14. Kayley Price (Newport Harriers) claimed silver in 16:32, while Olympic marathon runner Clara Evans-Graham won bronze in 16:35.
There were also strong runs by NDP athletes Bryony Boyce (Cardiff Athletics) and Rebecca Harries (Cardiff Athletics) who finished second and fourth in the under-20s overall race.
SIRHOWY CHALLENGE 2025 – YNYSDDU, MAY 4
The Sirhowy Challenge is a 10-mile multi-terrain race that climbs 1500ft to Machen Trig Point.
The men’s challenge race was won by James Elgar (Micky Morris Racing Team) in 1:05.50 ahead of James Blore (Chepstow) in 1:06.20 and Ben Sinclair (Pontypool) in 1:10.34.
The women’s challenge was won by Sandra Chipper (Lliswerry) in 1:15.36. Kim McGourlick (Islwyn) was second in 1:18.17 ahead of Amy Cox (CDF) in 1:20.33.
The men’s loop race was won by Matt Turner (Caerleon) in 53:48, while the women’s race was on by Lauren Foulkes (Pontypridd) in 1:0142.
BANNISTER TRACK MILES – OXFORD, MAY 5
A number of Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athletes took part in the Bannister Track Miles at the historic Iffley Road Athletics Track on Bank Holiday Monday.
In the elite women’s A race, under-20 athlete Millie Gold (Swansea Harriers) finished eighth in 4:56.64.
The steeple mile saw Henry Evans (Cardiff Athletics) finish sixth in 4:48.34, while Thomas Loynes (Neath Harriers) was second in the men’s mile D race in 4:16.39.
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