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Weekend Round-Up (25 - 26 April)
27/04/2026 00:00, In Blog /
APPALACHIAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE CHAMPIONSHIP – APRIL 23-25
Ellen-Mary Kearney (Warriors/Milligan) was named Track Athlete of the Year at the AAC Championships following a remarkable haul of three individual wins, a relay victory and two meet records.
Firstly, Kearney helped Milligan University to victory in the 4x800m relay, where the team posted a new meet record of 9:24.35.
Then she took nearly 40 seconds off the meeting record in winning the 3000m steeplechase in 10:37.23.
The 800m and 1500m titles also went to Kearney as she clocked times of 2:13.87 and 4:37.73 respectively.
Kearney was also part of the Milligan 4x400m team which finished in fourth place.
PENN RELAYS – PHILADELPHIA, APRIL 24
Gwenno Goode (Cardiff Athletics/La Salle University) finished sixth in the women’s 3K steeplechase at the prestigious Penn relays in a time of 10:06.33.
In the men’s 5,000m, Lloyd Sheppard-Brown (Cardiff Athletics/George Mason) finished 26th in 14:05.34.
TCS MINI LONDON MARATHON – 25 APRIL
Young Welsh athletes produced medal winning performances on the streets of London on Saturday morning.
The Mini London Marathon has built up a reputation for producing future international athletes including the likes of Olympic gold medallists Keely Hodgkinson, David Weir and Mo Farah.
Rising wheelchair star Toby Richardson (Yate and District) produced an outstanding performance to win the Under-15 T53/54 race.
The Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athlete, one of the most promising young wheelchair racers in the UK, roared to victory in a time of 6.54 to repeat the feat he achieved at last year’s event.
In the Under-18 boys T37/38 ambulant race, Fletcher Roberts (Brighton Phoenix) won bronze in 11:24.
In the Under-16 boys race, Nate Greig (Bridgend Athletics) won an excellent individual silver medal, crossing the line in 7:21.
The Welsh team finished fifth. The remaining places were: 27 Macsen Watts (Blaenau Gwent Athletics) 7:50; 30 Lucas Howard Machado (Cardiff Archers) 7:51; 40 Oliver Cobbold (Swansea Harriers) 7:57; 50 Lewis Durston (Bridgend Athletics) 8:03; 69 Osian Phillips (Cardiff Athletics) 8:17.
There was another medal winning performance in the Under-18 women’s race where the Welsh team secured a superb silver medal.
The team was led home by Bryony Boyce (Cardiff Athletics) who ran 8:29 to secure seventh place. The remaining Under-18 placings were:14 Libby Hale (Swansea Harriers) 8:42; 19 Rebecca Harries (Cardiff Archers) 8:45; 22 Julia Teka (Cardiff Athletics) 8:48; 33 Millie Pierce (Swansea Harriers) 8:59; 42 Amelia Williams (Carmarthen Harriers) 9:08.
The Under-18 men’s team finished eighth with Lucas Salvage (Newport Harriers) the first individual finisher clocking 7:26 in 15th. The remaining Welsh team places were: 23 Zac Campbell (Deeside AAC) 7:30; 51 Will Chalk (Newport Harriers) 7:48: 53 Sam Griffiths (Carmarthen Harriers) 7:51: 64 Taylor Greig (Bridgend AC) 8:01.
The Under-16 girls finished 12th in their team event with Martha Bown (Menai Track and Field) the first home in 16th place clocking 8:42. The other placings were: 54 Esme Lewis (Bridgend Athletics) 9:16; 61 Leah Rhodes (Newport Harriers) 9:20; 63 Isabella Lawley (Swansea Harriers) 9:23; 68 Tamsin Seguin (Menai Track and Field) 9:40; 70 Lily Chapple (Neath Harriers) 10:01.
There was a fine team performance in the Under-14 girls race, where Wales finished sixth. They were led home in 9th place by Gwen Hayes (Deeside AC) 8:57. Placings: 26 Alesha Santos (Rhondda AC) 9:14; 32 Ella Hayes (Deeside AC) 9:18; 40 Heidi Crabb (Newport Harriers) 9:31; 59 Betty Lancaster (Aberdare Valley AAC) 9-58; 65 Rosie Gabrielle (Rhymney Valley) 10:08.
The Under-14 boys went one better as they finished fifth in their team race with Jacob Moss (Cardiff Athletics) putting in a fine individual performance to finish sixth in 8:14 with his club-mate Zac Munn finishing a fraction behind on the same time. The remaining placings were: 31 Noah Howells (Aberdare Valley AAC) 8:36; 56 Rowan Carson (Bridgend AC) 8:56; 57 Farley Pritchard (Cardiff Athletics) 8:56; 58 Ioan Wyn Davies (Neath Harriers) 8:59.
WMRA MOUNTAIN RUNNING WORLD CUP – BEIJING CHANGPING, APRIL 25-26
Eden O’Dea Deeside AAC) earned two impressive top 10 finishes at the WMRA Mountain Running World Cup event in China over the weekend.
On Saturday, O’Dea competed in the Great Wall Grunt – a 3.5km lung-busting time trial featuring 509m of ascent alongside 157m of technical descent on one of the world’s most historic landmarks.
Competitors climbed the Juyongguan section of the wall, running on steps which have stood for more than 600 years.
Competing in a world class field, O’Dea finished in an excellent seventh place, completing the gruelling run in 29:32 after a tight tussle with Camila Amaya Noe of the USA. The race was won by Switzerland’s Maude Mathys in 26:13.
The following day, the Classic Up and Down race took competitors to the historic Silver Pagoda Forest. The course covered 18km with more than 1,200m of ascent.
O’Dea once again finished in seventh place, this time clocking a time of 1:50.10. The race was won by Joyce Muthoni Njeru, of Kenya, in 1:40.33.
Two-time World Athletics Championships marathoner Josh Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) also competed at the event.
BRITISH GRAND PRIX OF RACE WALKING – LEEDS, APRIL 25
Commonwealth Games medallist Bethan Davies (Cardiff Athletics) won the women’s 10K final in Leeds on Saturday.
The multiple British champion, who won a bronze medal at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in Australia, took the honours in Yorkshire in 49:37 – almost a minute ahead of her nearest rival Abigail Jennings.
At the same event, Spencer Jones (Wrexham AAC) won the Under-14 boys race in a new personal best of 10:18. In the same race, clubmate Ellis Gabriel Jones finished fourth in 14:00.
CHARLOTTE INVITATIONAL – NORTH CAROLINA, APRIL 25
Bryn Woodall (Colwyn Bay AC/Furman University) celebrated a new personal best of 3:39.91 as he won the men’s 1500m at the Charlotte Invitational in the United States. Woodlall finished more than two seconds ahead of his nearest rival.
CHESHIRE TRACK AND FIELD GRAND PRIX MATCH 1 – MACCLESFIELD, APRIL 25
National Development Programme athlete Annabelle Jones (Wrexham AC) threw a 1K discus personal best of 32.38m.
BLACK COUNTRY HAMMERFEST JGP1 – TELFORD, APRIL 25
National Development Programme thrower Amelia Mitchell (Neath Harriers) celebrated a hammer personal best of 53.96m.
RUN WITH THE WIND INCLUDING PARA EVENTS 2 – CARDIFF, APRIL 26
More than 140 athletes took part in the second Run With The Wind event this year at the Cardiff International Sports Campus.
Olympian and Wales Commonwealth Games star Joe Brier (Swansea Harriers) claimed comfortably the fastest 400m time of the day when he stopped the clock at 46.33.
The next fastest time by a Welsh athlete came from Welsh Athletics Transition Programme sprinter Aron Tugwell (Cardiff Archers) with 49.41.
Ellie Rose Isaac (Cardiff Archers) posted one of the fastest female 400m times of the day with 57.51.
In the 100m races, Owain Lloyd Hughes (Swansea Harriers) continued his return to action by posting the fastest men’s time of the day with 10.74.
Next fastest was Welsh Athletics Transition Programme sprinter Lewis Stephens (Cardiff Athletics) who posted a best of 10.77. NDP athlete Tomi Roberts-Jones (Newport Harriers) ran 13.32.
The fastest female time of the day was 11.91 from Abigail Charles-Ojo (Watford). Cardiff-based Malta Olympian Charlotte Wingfield (Cardiff Athletics) ran 12.01, while Elana Murray (Cardiff Athletics) ran 12.16.
Welsh Athletics Transition Programme hurdler Tom Wilcock (Northampton AC) returned to competition following a lengthy absence posting the third fastest time in the U-18, U-20 and senior men’s 110m where he clocked 14.35.
NDP sprinter Ava-Lexi Placide (Cardiff Athletics) won the senior women’s 100m hurdles in 13.87. Commonwealth Games heptathlete Lauren Evans (Cardiff Athletics) was third in 14.14, with promising NDP multi-eventer Olivia Scrimshaw (Deeside AAC) fourth in 14.27.
In the 200m races, Wales and Great Britain international Sam Gordon (Cardiff Athletics) blasted his way to the fastest time of 21.35. Steffan Dylan Jones (Swansea Harriers) was the next fastest with 21.94.
The fastest female 200m of the day came from another Welsh Great Britain international, Nell Desir (Cardiff Athletics). The Under-20 athlete ran 24.12. Millie Webb (Cardiff Athletics) was next fastest with 24.45, while NDP sprinter Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AC) posted 24.48.
The 80m Under-16 girls hurdles saw a one-two for the Coote twins from Cardiff Athletics. Olivia took the win in 11.78 ahead of Madison who clocked 12:24.
BE FIT FOR TODAY TRACK ACADEMY OUTDOOR SERIES 1 – LONDON , APRIL 26
A number of Welsh athletes travelled to London for the Be Fit For Tomorrow Track Academy Open at Lee Valley.
In the first round of the women’s 100m, Welsh Commonwealth Games athlete Hannah Brier (Swansea Harriers) posted the second fastest time overall with 11.56.
Jessica Mantle (Cardiff Athletics) ran 11.77, while National Development Programme sprinter Aliyah Afolabi (Cardiff Archers) clocked 11.92.
In the second round, Mantle went even faster as she celebrated the joint quickest time of 11.70.
In the women’s 200m heats, Brier followed up her 100m success as she recorded 23.30. Aflolabi followed up her 100m effort with 24.16.
There was further Welsh success in the women’s 400 heats, where Sian Harry (Belgrave Harriers) came out on top with a run of 53.47.
TCS LONDON MARATHON – APRIL 26
On a historic day at the TCS London Marathon, Dan Nash (Pontypridd Roadents) was the first Welsh finisher in 26th place, crossing the line in 2:14.09.
Chris Thomas (Thames Valley Harriers) followed in 27th place in 2:14.47. The first finisher from a Welsh club was Jake Smith (Pontypridd Roadents) who was 21st in 2:12.19.
Sebastian Sawe, of Kenya, became the first man to run a marathon under two hours as he won in 1:59.30.
There was also a new women-only record set as Ethiopia’s Tigst Assefa defended her London Marathon crown with a time of 2:15:41.
Welsh marathon record holder Clara Evans-Graham (Pontypridd Roadents) was a pacer in the women’s race.
UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM TRACK AND FIELD SERIES – APRIL 26
National Development Programme thrower Lachlan Robbie (Cardiff Archers), who is currently ranked the number one Under-17 shot putter in the UK, achieved a new 5kg shot put personal best of 17.61m.
WREXHAM 10K – APRIL 26
The one-lap route combines Wrexham town centre and the surrounding country lanes, providing an ideal challenge for beginners and seasoned competitors alike.
This year’s men’s race was won by Jack White (City of Norwich) in 31:39. Adam Baker (Western Tempo) was the next home in 32:17 with Nathan Cousins completing the podium in 32:50.
The women’s race was won by Melissa Turnbull (Maldwyn Harriers), who broke the tape in 41:47, almost two minutes ahead of Lynsey Coan in 43:34. Claire Peace (Oswestry Olympians) was third in 43:40.
NOT THE LONDON MARATHON – CARDIFF BAY, APRIL 26
Runners at this event chose how far to run - from 5km to 10k, half to marathon to ultra, competitors complete as many, or as few, laps as they like of a 5.3km, 3.28 mile, course.
Starting near at Norwegian Church, runners headed towards the viewpoint alongside the Barrage Control Centre, past the Senedd and Pierhead Building, through Roald Dahl Plass, to the turnaround point at the Wales Millennium Centre and Torchwood Tower before finishing each lap back at the Norwegian Church. Runners and walkers were welcome to complete one lap or keep going to see how far they ran in the full 7-hour time limit. Everyone received a bespoke finishers medal.
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