News

14/06/2021 00:00, In Blog /

The rising Welsh distance runner Osian Perrin [Andrew Walling] continues his rise in form claiming another Welsh record to his name. Perrin produced a sensational run to break the 44-year-old Welsh junior 5,000m record in Watford on Saturday. The Menai Track and Field athlete broke the tape in 13:53.03! Perrin broke the previous record of 14:07.2 held by Adrian Leek in 1977. 

Not only is Perrins run the fastest time set by a British under-20 athlete this year and the 10th fastest ever by a British junior but is the qualifying standard for next month’s European Under-20 Championships in Estonia.

Also at Watford there were more PB's; 

• Cari Hughes [Andrew Walling] ran a new PB of 4:16.14 in 1500m
• Iestyn Williams ran a PB of 1:52.84 in the 800m
• Dafydd Jones ran a PB of 14:36.07 in the 5,000m

Joe Brier [Matt Elias] and Owen Smith [Matt Elias] both ran great races in the highly anticipated 400m race at the Watford BMC. Brier continues his good form to finish third in 46.32 and Smith was fourth in a season’s best 46.37.

In the sprints, Sam Gordon [Matt Elias] finally claimed a wind-legal PB of 10.25 in the 100m at the Newham and Essex Beagles Sprints and Hurdles Open on the weekend.

Gordon’s time overtakes his previous best legal time of 10.30 clocked in 2019 and puts him third on the Welsh all-time list behind Welsh record holder Christan Malcolm and Tim Abeyie.

The time Gordon ran was just 0.02 outside the 2022 Commonwealth Games qualifying standard, so he'll be hoping to get that standard under his belt soon!

At the same meet, sprinter Dan Beadsley [Dave Norton] ran a huge lifetime best of 10.36. Beadsley has been making great progress this year, chipping away at his 100m time throughout the season. before the weekend Beadsley's time beforehand was 10.48, set in Nuneaton earlier this month.

More positive news came from the women's sprints. =100m Welsh Record Holder Hannah Brier [Matt Elias] produced her fastest time in 7 years! Brier clocked 11.51 into a strong -1.6 finishing second in her heat to Imani Lansiquot. Shannon Malone [Glyn Hawkes] also showed great form by winning her heat in 11.68 and Melissa Roberts running 11.90 in her first race of the season!

Also at the sprint meet;

• Josh Brown [Matt Elias] ran an equal Pb of 10.48
• Aaron Owen [Dave Norton] ran in 10.67
• Zack Price ran a new Pb of 10.72
• James Griffiths, who claimed his fastest time since 2017 ran 10.73
• Olivia Breen, back from the European Para Championships where she won a bronze medal ran a new Pb of 12.97.
• Issie Tustin [Matt Elias] ran a SB of 12.44

Sprinter Dewi Hammond [Andy Paul] also secured the Midland Counties Athletic Association Senior title in a swift time of 10.39w. This was the first time since 2015 that Hammond ran 10.3*, his pb is 10.35 from 2014 when he just missed out on the 2014 Commonwealth Games

There was more great news from the weekend where Jake Heyward set a new lifetime best in the 800m. Heyward clocked a new PB of 1:47.25. The Welsh star is rounding into great form just in time for the Olympic Trials later this month.

There were also great performances at the Welsh athletics Junior weekend event at Newport.

See full results here