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Welsh Senior Outdoor Track & Field Championships - Day One Round-Up
27/06/2026 00:00, In Blog /
Day one of the 108th Welsh Senior, Under-18 and Para Outdoor Track and Field Championships lived up to expectations with a brilliant day of athletics in the Cardiff sun.
This year’s event also incorporates the Great Britain trials for this summer’s European Under-18 Championships in Italy - attracting some of the finest young athletes from across the UK and resulting in a number of championship best performances.
The opening day of competition also featured two of the athletes heading to the Commonwealth Games as part of Team Wales – para athletes Olivia Breen (City of Portsmouth) and Bree Cronin (Cardiff Athletics).
But one of the Welsh stars of the day was outstanding NDP athlete Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AAC) who ran the Euro qualifying standard as she won her heat in 54.41.
However, Coslett was saving her best for later in the day as she finished second in the Under-18 women’s 400m final in a new Welsh age group record of 53.93. The race was won by Noa Chodokufa (Woodford Green Athletics Club with Essex Ladies) in a championship best 53.49.
Those performances should be enough to book both athletes a place on the plane to Rieti for the Euro Under-18 Championships.
A delighted Coslett said afterwards: “There were so many girls who ran super-fast this year, coming around off the final bend, everyone was there with each other, so you I had to have a good kick to make it.
“I’ve run two standards today so hopefully that will get me selected for Italy and win my first GB vest. It’s been a difficult year because I haven’t been running the times I wanted. But that’s a big PB and I think an age group record as well, which is the cherry on top!”
In the men’s Under-18 hammer – the first field event of the day to be completed - Gethin Brown (Deeside AAC) comfortably claimed gold in a championship best of 65.91m.
Brown, who is the top ranked Under-18 thrower in the UK, now faces a nervous wait to see whether he will be selected for Rieti with the team being announced on Wednesday, July 1.
Despite having exceeded the qualifying standard of 68m last weekend, the competition wasn’t recognised as a qualifying standard event.
Brown said: “I threw the standard last weekend, but the competition wasn't the right level. At least I know I can throw that far. It’s just a matter of waiting now and hoping what I’ve done is enough.”
Finnley Roynon (Cwmbran Harriers) just missed out on an automatic qualifying place in the men’s Under-18 100m final for the European Championships as he finished third in 10.60, which matches the qualifying standard.
The first member of the Welsh Commonwealth Games team to make an appearance over the weekend was the hugely popular Olivia Breen.
T38 para athlete, a two-time gold medallist at the Commonwealths, was competing in the women’s long jump competition.
Breen, who will be competing at her fourth Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, jumped a best of 4.97m in the first round and was pleased with her performance.
The 100m gold medallist in Birmingham four years ago, who suffered concussion in a training fall recently said of Saturday’s competition:
“I’m happy with that, it’s only my second competition back. There’s work to do, but me and my coach have a good plan in place and I’m confident.
“I’m looking forward to Glasgow now. I’m really excited and looking forward to it. It’s always an honour to represent Wales. It’s a great team with great support and a great community.”
The open competition was won by Ruby Jerges (Harrow AC) with a best of 6.22m, while the Welsh title was won by Welsh Athletics Transition Programme athlete Jessica Lee with 6:08m. NDP multi-eventer Matilda Quick (Swansea Harriers) earned silver with 5.77m while fellow multi-eventer Lauryn Davies (Swansea Harriers) claimed bronze with 5.66m.
Another of the Welsh team for Scotland competing on Saturday was F44 thrower Bree Cronin (Cardiff Athletics) who won the para female ambulant discus with a throw of 35.43m, which she saved for the sixth and final round.
However, Cronin wasn’t entirely satisfied with her afternoon’s work ahead of the Games.
“It wasn't great, but you know, there's more there. I’ll go back to the drawing board with my coach before the games start.”
Commenting on competing at the Commonwealths, Cronin said:
“It’s getting really close - I can’t wait! This is my first one, so yeah, I'm really excited.”
The senior women’s title was won by Storm Evans (Carmarthen Harriers) who saved the best until last with 45.91m in the final round. NDP athlete Lucy Harris (Swansea Harriers) was second with 44.14m with Cerys Aboagye (Croydon Harriers) third with 43.28m.
Great Britain international Nell Desir (Cardiff Archers) won the senior women’s 100m title with a brilliant run of 11.53 to just edge out NDP sprinter Jessica Mantle (Cardiff Athletics) with 11.55. Bronze went to Isabella Wigley (Cardiff Archers) in 11.89.
The men’s final saw Sam Gordon (Cardiff Athletics) claim the Welsh title in 10.40 with Lewis Eniola Adedotun (Swansea Harriers) second in 10.59 and Transition Programme athlete Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Athletics) third in 10.60.
The first track titles of the weekend came in the 400m hurdles. The Under-18 men’s Welsh title was won by Ethan Stockwell (Bridgend Athletics) in 1:00.36, while the senior women’s title went to NDP hurdler and UK Championships finalist Sophie Lisk (Cardiff Archers) in 1:01.48.
Two other finalists from the UK champs went head-to-head in the senior men’s high jump. Seb Clatworthy (Chelmsford AC) climbed to gold in 2:11m ahead of Sam Davies (Swansea Harriers) with 2.08m.
British Championship medallist Pat Swan (Cornwall AC) continued his dominance in the senior men’s shot put where he convincingly out-distanced his opponents to claim yet another Welsh title with a best of 17.79m. Alfie Williams (Thames Valley Harriers) took the silver medal with 15.43m with Matthew Baker (Newport Harriers) third with 12.03m.
NDP multi-eventer Macsen Martins-Hughes (Cardiff Archers) kicked off a busy weekend, which saw him entered in four competitions, by winning the Under-18 men’s long jump with a best of 6.24m.
Another NDP athlete, Olivia Morgan (Swansea Harriers) won the Welsh Under-18 women’s 800m title in a new personal best of 2:11.49.
A high quality Under-18 men’s 2,000m steeplechase final saw Aaron Reid (Giffnock North Athletics Club) win in a European Under-18 qualifying standard of 5:50.31. The first Welsh finisher and national title winner was Will Chalk (Newport Harriers) in a big new PB of 6:17.22.
NDP athlete Bryony Boyce (Cardiff Athletics) celebrated a gold medal and a PB in the Under-18s 1500m which was run during one of the hottest periods of the afternoon. Boyce crossed the line in 4:30.65. The second Welsh athlete home was Rebecca Harries (Cardiff Athletics) in 4:40.14 with fellow NDP Nansi Griffiths (Carmarthen Harriers) closely following in 4:40.89.
Craig Williams (Newport Harriers) won the men’s 1500m final in 4:19.51, ahead of Tudur Harper Lloyd (Menai Track and Field) in 4:20.60 and Oliver Williams (Cardiff Athletics) in 4:21.79.
The women’s final was won by Poppy Elton (Worcester AC), who followed up her appearance at the British Champs last week with a winning time of 4:24.78. Lilly Grace Oakenfull (Newport Harriers) was second in 4:30.87, while Cara Scott (Menai Track and Field) took bronze in 4:55.17.
There was a Welsh Senior Championships first as the event hosted a frame running for the first time in its history. The 100m race was won by Scottish athlete Finlay Menzies in 16.02.
The men’s 100m wheelchair race was a battle between outstanding NDP T54 athletes Toby Richardson (Yate and District) and Owain Terrell (Newport Harriers). And it was Richardson who crossed the line first in 16.17 ahead of Terrell in 18.63.
Terrell also prevailed in the 1500m wheelchair race, clocking 3:37.05 ahead of Terrell in 4:20.29.
Imogen Ashwell-Rice (Newport Harriers) won the Under-16 girls 100m title in 23.60, while Lily Bignall (Charnwood Athletics) won the senior women’s 100m title in 24.53.
There were a number of other outstanding performances throughout the day. See the link below for full results. Tomorrow’s action starts at 11am.