Carmarthen Harrier Dewi Griffiths has been selected to run for the GB and NI junior team to compete in the World junior cross country championships in Edinburgh on 29 March 2008
Last Saturday 16 year old (not 17 until August 2008) Dewi Griffiths Carmarthen Harrier member, Tre-gib school sixth form pupil and a resident of Llanfynydd, ran probably his best ever race in Nottingham in the world junior (under 20) trials and UK inter county championships
Two years ago Dewi won the UK under 15 inter county cross country championship in Nottingham. He missed a great deal of the competitive year last year through illness and an appendix operation in June
This year he was one of the favorites for the 6000m under 17 title but decided instead to compete against more mature and up to two years older athletes in the under 20 8000m race. It was a big risk and gamble as he would have had two more years in the under 20 age group.Dewi’s coach Kevin Evans however was of the firm opinion that Dewi was ready to have a go at making the team for the world cross country championships in Edinburgh at the end of March
There were 200 competitors in the under 20 race representing 42 counties of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The start was up a 300m long hill and at the top Dewi was in the thirties. At the end of the first big lap he had moved up to be at the back of a large group of twelve athletes. As the race progressed he moved up into the top six positions and decided at the start of the long finishing straight to make his bid for home and held second for a long way and was only passed by two faster finishing athletes just before the finish line
1 David Forrester (Merseyside) 25.37; 2 Simon Horsfield (Greater Manchester) 25.48; 3 Philip Bertsen (Hampshire) 25 49; 4 Dewi Griffiths (West Wales) 25.51; 5 Ross Murray (North East) 25.55; 6 Mitch Goose (Norfolk) 26.06
Dewi will now be a member of the six strong GB and NI under 20 team competing with 87 other countries in the world cross country championships in Edinburgh on 28/29 March 2008
On Wednesday next he will be competing for the Welsh Schools cross country team in Dublin. He is the captain of the Welsh boys team and then on Saturday he will be competing for Carmarthen Harriers in the Welsh Road Relays championships in Swansea
