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Weekend Round Up (30th April-1st May)
04/05/2022 00:00, In Blog / Track & Field / Commonwealth Games /
Grand Prix of Race Walking (inc British Championships), Leeds, UK
Heather Lewis (Pembrokshire) walked the race of her life this weekend, breaking the Welsh 10km Race Walk record with a time of 44:56. Her time was also well inside the Commonwealth Games Nomination Standard. In the 5km event, Gracie Griffiths (Pembrokshire) recorded a new personal best with a time of 25:26 to win the race.
Also in action, over the 20km was Bethan Davies (Cardiff). Having shown fantastic form so far this year, she continued this, winning the race in a time of 1:38:49, improving her seasons best by nearly 4 minutes.
Payton Jordan Invite, CA, USA
Athletes looking for Commonwealth Games Nomination standards headed to the perfect climate of Palo Alto to take full advantage of a great racing opportunity.
Both Jonny Hopkins (Swansea) and Jenny Nesbitt (Cardiff) dropped down in distance to take on the 1500m. Jonny ran a time of 3:52.36 and Jenny clocked a new personal best of 4:13.1, as she looks ahead to a 5000m next week.
Cari Hughes (Cardiff) also took to the metric mile, recording a time of 4:17.3 as she looks ahead to debuting in the 5000m next week at another California event!
In the 3000m Steeplechase, Welsh Record holder, Kate Seary (Cardiff) ran a time of 10:05.52 to finish in 7th place.
Taking on the longer distances, Commonwealth Games Bronze Medalist, Melissa Courtney Bryant ran her first 5000m in over a year, securing a Commonwealth Games nomination standard, running a time of 15:25.9 to finish in 3rd place as she looks ahead to the mile at the Night of 10000m PBs.
Beth Kidger (Brighton) returned to the Stanford track a month after her first race here to give the 10,000m another go. This time she ran a time of 33:15.05 to finish in 4th overall.
Full results can be found here.
Cardiff 5k - Race For Victory, Cardiff, UK
Returning to its normal date, the Cardiff 5km took place on Sunday evening, with an Inter-area Match and the Welsh 5 km Championships incorporated into the event, there was a fantastic opportunity to run hard!
Jake Smith (Cardiff) ran a Welsh All Comers record of 13:59 to take the victory in the mens race. He was followed home by Alex Brown of Morpeth Harriers and Thomas Bridger of Cambridge who ran times of 14:17 and 14:22. Abed Teweldebrhan retaned his Welsh Title in 14:31, leading home his Welsh team.
The Womens race was won by Danielle Hodgkinson of Wallsend, competing for the North of England in a new personal best of 15:50 whilst it was a close affair between 2nd and 3rd, with Ellie Wallace (North Somerset) just edging out Anna Bracegridle (Wales, Salford Harriers) with times of 16:07 and 16:10. Anna also claimed the Welsh Title.
Full results can be found here
Welsh Trail Running Championships, Devils Bridge, Wales
In the Welsh Trail Running Championships, held at Devils Bridge, Ffion Price of Maldwyn Harriers and Peter Taylor Bray of Chorlton Runners took top honours in the race outright. Ben Michell of Swansea Harriers claimed the men's title in the Welsh Championships.
Over the half marathon distance they covered the ground in 1:25:34 and 1:45:0 to become Welsh Champions.
In the U17 races, it was Aled Breeze (Maldwyn Harriers) and Maddison Griffiths (Maldwyn Harriers) who crossed the line first, whilst in the U15 event, Iwan Thomas (Carmarthen Harriers) and Nia Brown (Menai) who claimed gold.
Sioned Cordiner of Wrexham won the U20 womens race. Ollie George claimed the U20 men's title.
Full results can be found here
Memphis Tiger International, USA
At the Memphis Tiger International, Amber Simpson (Deeside) once again showed she’s rounding into the shape of her life ready for this summer!
Throwing a distance of 65.85m in the Womens Hammer, she improved her personal best and recorded another Commonwealth Games nomination standard.
BUCS Champs, Bedford, UK
Many of our athletes headed to a new venue in Chelmsford for the annual BUCS Track and Field Championships. A competition which has provided many athletes with an opportunity to make the next step in their careers, it was another weekend of fantastic competition.
Highlights include:
- Mens 100m ambulant : John Bridge (Cardiff) 3rd; 11.81
- Mens Hammer : Jac Palmer (Cardiff) 2nd; 62.90m
- Womens Hammer : Ffion Palmer (Cardiff) 5th; 53.01m
- Mens 5000m : Michael Ward (Cardiff) 4th; 14:19.49, Ben Miles (Cardiff) 17th; 14:38.24
- Mens 200m ambulant : John Bridge (Cardiff) 3rd; 23.54
- Womens Long Jump : Rebecca Champman (Cardiff) 3rd; 6.21m, Emily Thomas (Cardiff) 4th; 5.80m
- Mens Steeplechase : Ben Thomas (Carmarthen) 2nd; 9:04.35 (PB)
- Womens 400m : Ffion Mair Roberts (Cardiff) 3rd; 55.16
- Womens 200m : Hannah Brier (Swansea) 1st; 23.72
- Mens 200m : Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff) 1st; 21:00 (PB); Joe Brier (Swansea) 2nd; 21:19
- Mens 1500m : John Howorth (Cardiff) 3rd; 3:47.56
Other results include:
- Sam Gordon (Cardiff) 10.24s, whilst Dewi Hammond (Cardiff) ran 10.32s over 100m in Dagenham.
- Dewi Griffiths (Swansea) won the Great Birmingham Run in a time of 65:10.
(Photo : Mark Easton)