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Endurance Regional Development Programme Underway with College Merthyr Tydfil
05/09/2025 00:00, In Blog /
This year, Welsh Athletics formed a partnership with College Merthyr Tydfil to create an Endurance College Regional Development Programme in the heart of Merthyr Tydfil.
The partnership is the first of its kind in Wales and for the Welsh Athletics Performance Pathway.
Based on College Merthyr Tydfil’s existing Sports Academy model, learners will be able to study any further education course they wish to at the college and combine this with the regional development programme.
Through the endurance development programme, learners have the opportunity to take part in Glamorgan and Welsh Schools Cross Country and athletics events and also the Association of Colleges (AoC) Sport National Championships events, whilst at the same time receiving high level coaching and training, strength and conditioning and nutritional advice.
One of the key selling points of the programme is the opportunity for athletes to attend sessions with Welsh Athletics at the performance hub at the National Indoor Athletics Centre.
On Monday in NIAC, the first of six sessions took place. Three of these sessions will be at NIAC, and three of these sessions will be at Merthyr College. The session consisted of profiling athletes for their physiology, speed, power and reactivity off the floor, followed by a workshop on the information collected. Following this session, individual meetings will be arranged with each athlete, their coach and staff from Merthyr College to go through their data and how it can inform their athletics development moving forward.
Steve Mitchell, National Talent Development Coordinator for Endurance at Welsh Athletics, shared
There has been significant planning between Merthyr College and ourselves to get the Endurance College Regional Development Programme started.
This was a very promising first session with a talented and keen group of athletes, and we look forward to supporting these athletes throughout the 2025-2026 season and beyond, and to supporting future athletes who choose to go to Merthyr College to further both their studies and their athletics.
For Welsh Athletics, our future aim with the Endurance College Regional Development Programme is to role out this programme so that every Welsh region will have a college where athletes can choose to attend to further both their studies and their athletics.
We would like to thank all the athletes who attended the first session, and we look forward to working with you going forward.
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