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Weekend Round-Up (7 - 8 March)
09/03/2026 00:00, In Blog /
WORLD ATHLETICS INDOOR TOUR SILVER MEETING BERLIN – MARCH 6
Wales’ fastest man over 100m also went clear as Wales’ fastest man over 60m in Berlin on Friday night.
Jeremiah Azu (Cardiff Athletics) previously shared the Welsh 60m record with the legendary Colin Jackson at 6.49.
But the reigning world 60m champion completed the perfect preparation for defending his title in Poland later this month by blasting to victory in Germany in 6.47.
As well as claiming the Welsh record for his own, the time puts Azu third on Great Britain’s all-time 60m list.
Dwain Chambers 6.42 and Jason Gardener 6.46 are now the only two sprinters from these islands to have run faster than Azu, who last month won the 60m and 200m sprint double at the Novuna UK Indoor Athletics Championships.
Azu’s brilliant run also broke the meeting record in Berlin and also set the fastest time for a European in 2026. Second was Emmanuel Eseme (Cameroon) in 6.55 ahead of Ireland’s Toluwabori Akinola in 6.57.
The World Indoor Athletics Championships, where Azu will be looking to defend his title, start in Torun on March 20.
Azu will be joined in the Great Britain team in Poland by fellow Welsh athletes Abi Pawlett (Trafford), Louisa Stoney (Belgrave Harriers), Issy Boffey (Enfield and Haringey) and Tess McHugh (Sales Harriers, Manchester)
ENGLAND UNDER-15 AND UNDER-17 COMBINED EVENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS AND JUNIOR PARA CHAMPIONSHIPS – SHEFFIELD, MARCH 7-8
Welsh Athletics National Development Programme multi-eventer Tiana Odugbesan (Cardiff Archers) continued her excellent indoor season by claiming gold in the Under-17 women’s pentathlon.
Odugbesan produced consistent performances in the competition’s first two disciplines – the 60m hurdles and the high jump, registering 8.79 and 1.48m respectively.
But it was in the shot put where Odugbesan stamped her mark on the event producing a new personal best of 11.80, which put her into second place, just 11 points off the lead going into the final two events.
In the long jump, Odugbesan leapt out to 5.67m with her last effort to put her into a strong position going into the 800 finale.
And her time of 2:40.70 was enough to secure the title with a total of 3,521 ahead of her nearest rival Elysia Rose Chivers (Windsor Slough Eton and Harrow AC), who accumulated 3,437.
Further down the standings, there were PB totals for other Welsh athletes – Lily Parsons (Cardiff Athletics) 3,122, Tabitha Ventress-Brent (Swansea Harriers) 2,767, Imogen Vecchi (Cardiff Archers) 2,565 and Isabelle Watkinson (New Marske Harriers Club) 2,444.
The men’s Under-17 heptathlon saw Cobie Phillips (Cardiff Archers) just miss out on a medal as he finished fourth.
Phillips did have the consolation of recording a new personal best total of 4,498. His performance included PBs of 7.36 in the 60m, 11.48m in the shot, 1.71m in the high jump and 3.50m in the pole vault, before completing the competition with another PB of 3:03.94 in the 1000m.
There was also a personal best total for Gethin Hanagan (Cardiff Archers) who accumulated 3,357.
There were also PBs in the Under-15 girls pentathlon for Celyn Jones (Cardiff Archers) 2,334 and Betsan Bradbury (Cardiff Archers) 2,258.
The Under-15 boys pentathlon also saw Xavier Paul Wilby-Davies (Cardiff Archers) score a PB of 1,472.
In the women’s para long jump saw T38 athlete Sienna Allen-Chaplin (Swansea Harriers) finished fourth with a new PB of 2.86m. Allen-Chaplin also claimed a PB in the women’s para ambulant 60m final, finishing sixth in 10.53.
In the para male long jump, F37 athlete Fletcher Roberts (Brighton Phoenix) was fifth in a new PB of 3.05m. Roberts also finished 7th in the men’s para ambulant 60m final clocking a PB of 9.81. On a busy day, Roberts clocked 6:14.65 to finish 4th in the men’s 1500.
The event also featured masters 400m races. In the men’s M55 400m final, Neil Davies (Wrexham AAC) claimed silver in a season’s best time of 59.63.
PIPE DREAM (WELSH SHORT MOUNTAIN CHAMPIONSHIP) – DOLGARROG, MARCH 7
The 6.7K Pipe Dream race sees the route climb steeply alongside the giant water pipe leading to the local hydroelectric power plant. A total climb of 405m.
Renowned for its steepness, the route features 500 steps between two water pipes with some slopes up to 50 degrees.
This year’s Welsh Fell Runners Association event also incorporated the Welsh Athletics Short Fell/Mountain Running Championships, which helped draw a record entry of 180 for the race, run in excellent sunny conditions.
The men’s race and championship title was won by Kieran Wynne-Cattanach (Eryri Harriers), who completed the climb in 33:52. Gavin Roberts (Calder Valley Fell Runners) was second in 34:10 and Rhys Goodrick (Vegan Runners UK) third in 35:02.
Another Eryri Harrier, Bronwen Jenkinson, took the win and championship title in the women’s race, crossing the line in 41:06 ahead of Suzie Richards in 42:57 and Jessica Evans 43:24.
There were 165 finishers. Thanks to the Welsh Fell Runners Association, Fabian4, Craig Jones and his event crew for a well organised race.
UKA CROSS CHALLENGE FINAL AND INTER COUNTIES CHAMPIONSHIPS – NOTTINGHAM, MARCH 7
Welsh runners headed to Wollaton Park in search of individual and team honours as they represented their regions in the 100th Inter Counties Championships.
There were a number of top 20 individual finishes across the age groups and an excellent podium finish for the South Wales team in the Under-13 boys event.
Jacob Moss finished sixth in 10:59 with Rowan Carson 14th in 11:15 to help South Wales to an excellent second place team finish.
In the Under-13 girls race, Alesha Santos (South Wales) was 13th in 12:14, while Gwen Hayes (North Wales) was 20th in 12:19.
Martha Bown (North Wales) finished a creditable 4th in 15:27 in the Under-15 girls race, while Nate Greig (South Wales) was an excellent fourth in 13:43 in the boys event.
The Under-17 girls race saw a number of fine individual runs with Bryony Boyce (South Wales) 7th in 19:01, Heather Watson (North Wales) 11th in 19:08 and Millie Pierce (West Wales) 16th in 19:16.
The Under-20 men’s race saw Iwan Thomas (West Wales) placing 15th in 25:39.
BE FIT FOR TODAY TRACK ACADEMY – LEE VALLEY, MARCH 8
Welsh Athletics Transition Programme athlete T11 sprinter James Ledger (Swansea Harriers) clocked 12.04 as he finished third in his first round 100m heat.
Ledger, and his guide Greg Kelly went even faster in the second round, clocking 12.00 to win their heat.
National Development Programme T37 athlete Tomi Roberts-Jones (Newport Harriers) posted 13.26 over 100m in his first round heat.
AIR LOUGHOROUGH – MARCH 8
UK championships indoor and outdoor medallist Tom Walley (Wrexham AC) finished fifth in Loughborough with a best height of 5.16m.
2026 WELSH UNIVERSITY ATHLETICS MEET – CARDIFF, MARCH 8
Cardiff Met hosted the Welsh University Athletic meeting at the National Indoor Athletics Centre in the capital on Sunday.
Despite the relatively small entry, there were a number of fine performances, including Abigail Charles-Ojo (Swansea University) running 7.69 in the women’s 60m, while Reef Page (Cardiff Metropolitan University Athletics Club) clocked 7.37 in the men’s 60m.
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