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Weekend Round-Up (6-7 June)
08/06/2026 00:00, In Blog /
WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE – ROME, JUNE 5
Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) was the only British sprinter to line up in the showcase men’s 100m at the Rome Diamond League meeting.
The Olympic relay medallist and 2025 World Indoor 60m champion finished ninth, clocking 10.12. The race was won by Olympic champion Noah Lyles, of the USA, in 9.88.
WANDA DIAMOND LEAGUE – STOCKHOLM, JUNE 7
Tokyo Olympic 1500m finalist Jake Heyward (Cardiff Athletics) made his first Diamond League appearance in almost four years on Sunday evening.
Heyward’s run at the Zurich Diamond League meeting on September 8, 2022 was his last competitive race until he made his spectacular comeback from long-term injury in the USA last month.
Earlier in that summer of 2022, Heyward, finished fifth in the Birmingham Commonwealth Games in a personal best of 3:31.08.
Since 2022, Heyward has undergone two Achillies surgeries. After two years without running at all, he started jogging again in January of this year before returning to the track and achieving a Commonwealth Games A nomination standard of 3:34.18 in California on May 9.
On Sunday evening in Sweden, the Welsh record holder made a fast start in a large, world class field, slotting into the leading places as the race settled.
Understandably after so long away from the world scene, Heyward slipped back through the field as the race progressed.
The 27-year-old eventually finished in 13th place in 3:35.53, but the race was another huge step on his remarkable return to the highest level.
Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) lined up in the Diamond League 200m race, but was disqualified for a false start, although he did run under protest.
However, earlier in the meeting, Azu won a non-Diamond League 100m race in a new season’s best time of 10.07.
In a non-Diamond League women’s 800m race, Under-23 athlete Ava Lloyd (Wigan and District AC) finished seventh, just outside her PB, in 2:02.85.
RUN WITH THE WIND – CARDIFF, JUNE 3
Among the highlights from the Run With the Wind event in Cardiff was National Development Programme T37 athlete Tomi Roberts-Jones (Newport Harriers) clocking 13.76 over 100m.
Transition Programme sprinter Aron Tugwell (Cardiff Archers) ran 21.02 over 200m. NDP athlete Joshua Thomas (Cardiff Archers) registered 22.91, while non-programme athlete Alex Azu (Cardiff Athletics) returned 10.53 over 100m and 20.85 over 200m. Millie Webb (Cardiff Athletics) ran 12.13 over 100m and 24.47 over 200m.
EUROPEAN ATHLETICS OFF ROAD RUNNING CHAMPIONSHIPS – LJUBLJANA – KAMNIK, JUNE 5-7
Tom Wood (Eryri Harriers) made his Great Britain debut at the European Athletics Off Road Running Championships in Slovenia.
Competing in the men’s 13km up and down race, Wood finished 36th individually out of a field of 79 in a time of 1:07.17, which helped the GB team finish ninth out of 18.
WELSH UNDER-14, UNDER-16, UNDER-20 AND PARA JUNIOR OUTDOOR TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS – DEESIDE, JUNE 6-7
More than 350 of Wales most promising young athletes gathered at the resurfaced Deeside Stadium track for two days of exciting competition.
There were a number of outstanding performances across the weekend, including Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athlete Darcy Coslett (Llanelli AC) claiming the Under-20 women’s 200 and 400m double.
For a full round up of the action, see the links below.
WELSH CASTLES RELAY – JUNE 6-7
The hugely popular annual Welsh Castles relay took place over the weekend, featuring 65 teams from across England and Wales who took on the challenge.
Starting in Caernarfon Castle and finishing at Pontcanna Park playing fields in Cardiff, the event is a two-day, 20 stage, 205 mile staggered relay stage race organised by Les Croupiers Running Club Cardiff.
This year’s event was the 42nd staging of the event which was launched in 1982. The relay has only been postponed due to the foot and mouth outbreak in 2001 and during the COVID pandemic, it was held mostly on the road but with many hills and mountains on route with an overnight stay in Newtown.
Teams compete in one of four categories – Open, Ladies, Vets and Business House. Races within races are also a key feature as individuals try to earn individual stage wins and teams battle it out for both the overall category awards and the special mountain stage prizes.
There are six mountain stages (three on each day) in all and three team mountain stages prizes: the Kings (Open), Queens (Ladies) and Monarchs (Vets).
This year’s race once again attracted some top athletes with the likes of Olympic marathoner Clara Evans-Graham and fellow Great Britain international Jake Smith representing Pontypridd Roadents, while Commonwealth Games athlete and multiple Welsh Cross Country Champion Dewi Griffiths was running for Swansea Harriers.
Pontypridd and Swansea were in contention for much of the event, but the eventual open winners were Salford Harriers, who took the lead after the third stage and never looked back, completing the challenge in 18 hours 8 minutes and 54 seconds.
Last year’s winners, Pontypridd finished second in 18:27.04, while Meirionnydd came through to equal their third place finish from last year in 18:32.30.
In the ladies race, Les Croupiers took the lead after the fifth stage and there they stayed until the end, posting a winning time of 23:19.28. Chorlton were second in 24:16.02 and CDF third in 25:02.55.
Team Bath took the veterans prize, while the business winners were South Wales Police.
BRITISH MILERS CLUB LOUGHBOROUGH PB CLASSIC – JUNE 6
Welsh Athletics National Development Programme athlete Lucas Salvage (Newport Harriers) was in excellent form at Loughborough on Saturday.
The Under-18 athlete won the 800m A race in a new personal best of 1.52.75 – just outside the top 10 fastest times run in the UK this year in his age group.
Fellow NDP athlete Millie Pierce (Swansea Harriers) was second in the women’s 2000m steeplechase going under seven minutes for the first time in a big new PB of 6:53.58.
Another NDP Under 18 runner Olivia Morgan (Swansea Harriers) was sixth in the women’s 800m A race where she clocked 2:11.95.
A number of non-NDP athletes competed at the same meeting, Jack Crock (Cardiff Athletics) ran 1:55.63 to win the 800m B race while fellow Under-18 runner Cai Lewis (Newport Harriers) was third in the 800m C race in a big new PB 1:57.97.
Under-20 athlete Lilly Oakenfull (Newport Harriers) was fourth in the women’s 1500m A race in a new PB of 4:30.72.
MIZUNO SWANSEA HALF MARATHON – JUNE 7
Thousands of runners took to the streets for the sold-out Swansea Half Marathon on Sunday.
The elite men’s race was won by Omar Ahmed (Birchfield Harriers), who broke the tape in 1:03.42.
Second place went to home athlete Jonathan Butler (Swansea Harriers) who clocked 1:06.07. Charlie Jones (Western Tempo) was third in 1:06.48.
In the women’s race, Olympian Rose Harvey (Clapham Chasers) set a new half marathon record for the race by taking the victory in 1:11:58.
Fellow GB international and clubmate Tracy Barlow was second in 1:13.19, while Chelsea Baker (Bristol and West) was third in 1:14.04.
This year’s event also hosted more than 300 masters athletes from Wales and England competing in the annual Masters International.
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Welsh Junior Championship photos: Bill Scriven