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16/02/2026 00:00, In Blog /

Welsh athletes plundered a fantastic 15 medals at the Novuna UK Indoor Athletics Championships in Birmingham.

The tally featured five golds, six silvers and four bronze medals as well as a flurry of new Welsh indoor records. A number of other athletes put in hugely creditable performances across the weekend.

First up, Jeremiah Azu and Abi Pawlett underlined their world class credentials winning gold medals on a successful Saturday which saw Tom Walley also claim a bronze medal.

But if Saturday had seen a steady flow of Welsh success, Sunday turned into a deluge with another 12 medals, including three golds, and more Welsh records bagged.

Day one saw Pawlett (Trafford AC) break her own Welsh indoor 60m hurdles record three times on the way to defending her UK title in spectacular fashion.

Meanwhile, Azu (Cardiff Athletics) continued his campaign to defend his world indoor title in Poland next month by winning a third UK 60m title on the bounce.

Azu was the first to strike Welsh gold as he powered to victory in a hotly contested men’s 60m final.

Wales’ fastest ever sprinter has enjoyed a whirlwind 12 months, which has seen him sweep all before him over 60m, as well as becoming a dad for the first time.

The reigning European and world champion needed all his speed and quality to beat a hugely competitive field with a winning time of 6.56 to outpace Romell Glave (Croydon Harriers) in 6.62. Jodie Smith (Thames Valley) took bronze in 6.63.

Not only did Azu end up on top of the podium but also the crash barrier at the end of the track as he took the acclaim of the Birmingham crowd.

Coming back down to Earth, an emotional Azu said afterwards:

It is never easy to defend these titles, and it is not something I take for granted. I am getting emotional because my family are here, my son is here, it is such a privilege.

I will be going to world indoors to go and defend my title. This was a dress rehearsal. I actually wanted to run quicker, well I always want to run quicker.

The emotions of running in competition always have an impact. Training can’t do that. So, getting through this today gives me confidence going into world indoors.

My life has changed so much over the last 12 months. It is never easy and nothing is guaranteed, no matter how hard we train.

Shortly afterwards, Pawlett rounded off what appeared to be a perfect day for her personally as she broke her own Welsh record for the third time in the 60m hurdles final.

The European under-23 heptathlon silver medallist, whose Welsh record stood at 8.09 going into these championships ran 8.08 to win her heat and 8.06 to triumph in her semi-final.

In the final, Pawlett lowered the record again as she led the field home in 8.05 ahead of Emma Nwofor (Thames Valley Harriers) in 8.14 and Thea Brown (Sale Harriers) in 8.22.

However, as she crossed the line in each of her three races, Pawlett appeared slightly disappointed with her performance, suggesting there is a lot more to come.

The Team Wales Commonwealth Games hopeful said afterwards:

It wasn’t the smoothest start to the season with illness over the winter, but I opened up the season decently last week (at the Welsh indoor championships), and I am really happy with how today has gone.

I really want to get sub 8 now – I think I looked unhappy after every race, but I was just trying so hard to get sub 8. I think I have a chance of doing it next week at the Corpernicus Cup.

If world indoors isn’t to be, then my focus will be outdoors. It is ok, there are the Europeans and the Commonwealths, so they are big goals for the year. 60m hurdles really set me up well. It improves my start, and it really shows where I am and what I am capable of.

The men’s pole vault final on Saturday afternoon saw two Team Wales Commonwealth Games hopefuls taking part as they chase the qualifying standards.

Tom Walley (Wrexham AC), who won bronze at the UK outdoor championships last summer, added an excellent indoor bronze here as he soared to a best height of 5.25m. Mellor finished fifth with a best of 5.10m.

Great Britain international Nell Desir (Cardiff Archers) was a highly commendable fourth in what was a stacked women’s 60m final where multi-global medallists Dina Asher-Smith and Amy Hunt took the top two places. Desir finished just off the podium in 7.41.

If Saturday had been exciting for the Welsh contingent at the Utilita Arena, Sunday was even better.

Leading the march – quite literally – was race walker Bethan Davies (Cardiff Athletics), who strode to victory in the first track final of the day – the 3,000m walk.

Davies, who has become a mum since her last success at these championships, won the women’s gold medal in 14:00.94 – 11 seconds ahead of her nearest rival.

The Commonwealth Games medallist from the Gold Coast in 2018 said afterwards:

It is really nice to be back indoors. I haven’t been here for a couple of years because I had a baby. She is 18 months now, and she was at the top of the stands watching. It was very special to win it in front of her.

I have won titles before but this one was very special to me. It has been tough with a lot of sleepless nights, so it has been a completely different way of training. My priority now is my child. I do love racing, hence why I am still doing it.

The men’s race saw more Welsh success as Guy Thomas (Tonbridge AC) claimed silver in 12:36.46 behind champion Cameron Corbishley (Medway and Maidstone AC). Fraser Higginson (Bridgend AC) won bronze in 16:32.68.

While the walkers were circling the Utilita Arena track, multiple UK championship medallist Patrick Swan (Cornwall AC) was going about his business to add another gong to his impressive collection.

In the men’s shot put final, Swan registered a season’s best effort of 17.12m to earn himself a silver medal behind serial champion Scott Lincoln (City of York), who now has 10 UK indoor titles.

Just a few yards from the shot put circle, Reese Robinson (Shaftesbury and Barnet Harriers) was working wonders on the triple jump runway.

Having recently broken the Welsh indoor record with a leap of 12.95m in Glasgow, Robinson extended her own record on the way to winning a silver medal.

The daughter of former Welsh rugby international Matthew Robinson and Michelle Griffith-Robinson, herself an Olympic and Commonwealth Games triple-jumper, Robinson leapt out to 13.05m in the third round to seal a well-deserved silver medal.

Also on the busy infield, Hannah Lake (Cardiff Athletics) was hoping to add to the medal she won at these championships last year.

The high-jumper produced a season’s best height of 1.78m, which was enough to secure the bronze medal behind champion Kate Anson (Liverpool Harriers).

The shot circle was in action once again as the women took centre stage – the line-up featuring Welsh para stars Sabrina Fortune (Deeside AAC) and Funmi Oduwaiye (Cardiff Athletics).

F20 World Para Champion and world record holder, Fortune, claimed a brilliant bronze medal with a new PB of 15.12m. Oduwaiye finished ninth with 11.95m.

While the field athletes were busy gathering medals, the Welsh tracks stars were progressing through their heats in some style.

In the women’s 200m semi-finals, Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) broke the 25-year-old Welsh record of 23.35 set by Catherine Murphy at the same venue.

Brier sped to a new best of 23.25, which booked her place in the final, where the double Commonwealth Games star claimed an excellent silver medal in 23.37, behind Renee Regis (Shaftesbury and Barnet Harriers) who won gold in a new championship best time of 22.95.

Minutes before, Jeremiah Azu had followed up his 60m gold medal on Saturday by completing the sprint double with a sensational victory in the men’s 200m final.

Having cruised through the qualifiers, Azu kept the best until last as he surged to a new PB of 20.77 to take gold ahead of Lee Thompson (City of Sheffield and Dearne AC.

Azu said afterwards:

It’s about time that I became a sprinter and cover the 60m, 100m and the 200m.

The 200m indoors is mainly for the training, there is a level of speed that you get in competition that you won’t get in training. We have more time between each race in the 60m yesterday than the 200m today, which is a bit crazy but exciting.

It’s an honour to win medals nationally and race the best in the UK that are around at the time. Heading into Poland I feel like I am in a good place, yesterday was a solid three good rounds.

The three rounds today had to be measured. I want to start doubling up outdoors, so this weekend was an experiment to see if I can handle the load.

The medals were now coming fast and furious for the Welsh athletes as the championships ended in a flurry of more success.

Next up was Issy Boffey (Enfield and Haringey), who like Azu in the 60m was going for a third UK indoor title in the women’s 800m final.

And the Welsh record holder duly delivered as she led from start to finish on the four laps of the arena to secure gold in 1:59.64 ahead of Emily Simpson (City of Sheffield and Dearne AC) in 2:01.43.

Boffey, who is now eyeing the World Indoor Championships in Poland next month, was delighted with the manner of her win.

I am always gunning for more, I am not a natural front runner, so I am learning how to pace it.

I am absolutely buzzing with how I ran and I am so pleased to be the British champion. Winning this title is a big step towards getting to world indoors.

My first aim in Poland is to get through the heats as I didn’t manage that last time, but this time I really want to be in that final.

The weekend’s track action was rounded off with the men’s and women’s 400m finals and it was fitting there were Welsh medallists in both.

National Development Programme athlete Harry Bradley (Newport Harriers), who earlier this month broke the Welsh Under-20 record, carried that form into these championships as he impressed during the rounds on Saturday.

On Sunday, he produced once again as he clocked 47.04 to win silver behind experienced GB international Lewis Davey (Newham and Essex Beagles) who claimed the title in 46.45.

The final race of a thrilling two days of action saw Louisa Stoney (Belgrave Harriers), who the previous day had achieved the Commonwealth Games B standard, race to a superb silver medal.

Stoney claimed a new PB of 51.83 to edge double Olympic medallist Amber Anning into third place. Fellow Welsh athlete Tess McHugh (Sale Harriers) was sixth in 53.03.

A number of other Welsh athletes, some competing at their first UK championships, put in outstanding performances throughout the event.

Among them was Ava Lloyd (Wigan and District Harriers AC), who finished fourth in the women’s 1500m final on Sunday in 4:27.61.

RESULTS