Newyddion

23/12/2025 00:00, I Mewn Blog /

What an incredible year for the sport across Wales.

This year has seen the sport continue to grow from strength to strength, with more groups being established across Wales, and our existing clubs and groups experiencing more growth and demand than ever before.

Own the Night

Our clubs and group play key roles in our local communities – this has been evident by the number of groups who supported the Welsh Athletics ‘Own the Night’ campaign, advocating for women's safety. Over 60 takeover runs took place across Wales, with significant engagement from our clubs and groups, helping to bring leaders in Local Authorities and the Welsh Government to take notice.

Over 90% of women have been subjected to some form of harassment or abuse whilst out running – a shocking statistic. Albeit this is not exclusively a running problem to solve, we do feel passionately about raising awareness and challenging the authorities to do more to protect women whilst out exercising.

We will continue this campaign in 2026 and also deliver another Women's Running Conference, bringing the community together to celebrate, learn and share experiences.

Growing Junior Athletics

The past six months have also seen the organisation consult on how we engage and retain more young people in the sport. We will be launching a new junior athletics offering in April called AthletiX – this will provide opportunities for children as young as four to join a club, and enjoy the sport, develop their skills, build confidence and more importantly have fun.

We hope this will help clubs and groups attract new volunteers and coaches – this will be done by the introduction of a new foundation coaching qualification, making it easier for new coaches to start their journey.

Wales and the World's Fastest!

2025 was also a unique year for our athletes. The winter indoor season saw an incredible achievement from Jeremiah Azu – he competed in 4 events, and crossed the finish line first in each one. He finished the indoor season as Welsh Champion, British Champion, European Champion and joined a very elite club by becoming World Champion. We must also acknowledge the role that coach Helen James played in supporting Jeremiah this year – an incredible achievement all round.

Not to be outdone, Sabrina Fortune added to her incredible CV, with yet another global title in the F20 shot. Her throw of 16.75m in India added exactly 1m to her own World Record. The throw was so good that it puts her in touching distance of a qualifying distance for the able-bodied shot at next year's Commonwealth Games. Sabrina was part of an incredible group of athletes who returned from India with 5 medals.

A Summer of Sport

2026 is a unique year for our performance athletes – the Commonwealth Games takes place in Glasgow at the end of July, and it's quickly followed by the European Championships in Birmingham a week later. What an opportunity for our athletes to showcase their talent at a Home Major Championships.

I do not doubt that many young people across Wales will be inspired by what they see in the summer of 2026, and we stand ready to support our clubs to attract and retain the inspired generation.

As ever, the sport cannot thrive without the passion and dedication of our members. The club volunteers, the officials, the coaches, the run leaders and many, many others who give up so much time to support others to achieve.

Thank you for all you do, and I look forward to seeing what we can all achieve in 2026.

Nadolig Llawen and Blwyddyn Newydd Dda.

James Williams

CEO