Carmarthen and District Harriers Athletics Club

Club History

The Carmarthen and District Harriers Athletics Club was formed in April 1948 at the Dolwar Café in Blue Street Carmarthen with Ron B Evans and Ernie Jones as its founder members. Ron Evans was Chairman of Carmarthen Harriers for 34 years and for several years was Chairman of the Welsh AAA and also in 1966 President of the Welsh Cross Country Association. The first member of Carmarthen Harriers was Russell Davies, who in 1956 competed for Wales against Nigeria and the AAA.

In the 1950’s the Club used to meet at the old Carmarthen YMCA Centre in St Peters Street Carmarthen and most of the training was done at the Carmarthen Park, which was also the venue for athletics events. The Welsh Boys and Youths Athletics Championships were held at the Carmarthen Park on a very wet July day in 1954 and the Welsh Boys and Youths Cross country Championships were held in the Park in 1957 and 1958. Hedydd Davies, the Chairman of the Club since 1982, won a silver medal in the 1954 event and was a member of the winning QE Grammar School for Boys Carmarthen teams in 1957 and 1958

In 1956 John Williams at the age of 16 won the 880 yards in 1.56.6 sec in the Welsh Schools National Athletics Championships in Eirias Park Colwyn Bay. John and Wynne Oliver, whilst still at school, competed for Wales in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games held in Cardiff in 1958.

Maldwyn Jones and Hedydd Davies had the honour of carrying the Queens Message Relay baton into Guildhall Square Carmarthen on the occasion of the Games in Cardiff.

Carmarthen Harriers had a very strong Welsh senior men’s team in the 1960’s and 1970’s and at one time all the three-quarter backs of the Welsh rugby team were members of the Harriers senior relay teams; such was Ron Evans’ persuasive powers. Many of the young Carmarthen Harriers members in those days were indebted to Ron for taking them, at no charge, in his Rover car (ATH 100) to athletics meetings all over the country. Ron organised the excellent Young Athletes courses held each year at Easter at Aberystwyth University and many top British athletes attended as coaches.

In 1966 Gwynne Griffiths won the British Inter Counties 440 yards Championship and competed for Great Britain that year in the European championships. The 1967 Welsh 6 mile Championship was held at the new Ystrad Tywi School cinder track in Johnstown in conjunction with the match between Carmarthen Harriers and Birmingham club Birchfield Harriers.

Ron Evans organised the Welsh Marathon Championships in Carmarthen in 1967 and 1970. The present Club chairman Hedydd Davies won the 1970 event (the third of his four Welsh marathon titles). This event was held after the Commonwealth Games which was held at Edinburgh that year at which five Carmarthen Harriers were members of the Welsh team.

In the 1960’s road races were held on Good Friday in Lammas Street Carmarthen and some of the top Great Britain sprinters took part in the 100 yard sprint races.

In 1982 the Mayor of Carmarthen Cllr Peter Hughes Griffiths and the Harriers Chairman Hedydd Davies organised the first annual Carmarthen Mayor’s Road Races at Easter. The 20th Annual Carmarthen Mayor’s Road Races was held on Easter Monday 16 April 2001 and over £104,000 has been donated to the local Hospitals in Carmarthen.

19 Welsh Road Race Championships have been held in conjunction with the Carmarthen Mayors’ Road Races: -

Under 17 / under 20 three mile or 5K Championships (1985-94,98,99,2000 and 2001)

Half Marathon Championships (1990,1991)

10 mile Championships (1985,1987 and 1988)

The old cinder track at Ystrad Tywi School (now QE Maridunum School) in Llanstephan road was replaced in 1988 by a 400 metre all weather synthetic track. The Harriers club was fortunate in obtaining grants from Dyfed County Council, Carmarthen District Council, Carmarthen Town Council and the Sports Council of Wales to meet the cost of £156,000 for the new track. The new Track was officially opened on 4 June 1988 on the occasion of the Dyfed AAA Championships. The track was refurbished in 1995 with a grant of £110,000 from the Carmarthen District Council.

The Carmarthen Athletics Track has since 1988 hosted many Welsh Championships and International matches

Welsh under 13 and under 15 Championships in 1990 and 1991

Welsh under 17 and under 20 Championships in 1989,1996 and 1998

Celtic Games in 1989 and 1993

Welsh Schools National Track and Field Championships in 1992 and 2000

British Schools International match in 1999

Welsh Schools under 20 Internationals in 1988,1989,1983,1996 and 1997

The Celtic Men's Cross Country International match was held at the United Counties Showground in 1992,to be followed the following year at the same venue with the Home Countries Ladies Cross Country International match. In 1994 the Welsh Cross Country Championships were held at the Showground and the Welsh Inter County Cross Country Championship were also held there in 1995.

The Dyfed Primary Schools Cross Country championships have been held at the Showground since 1990 and Gwent League Cross Country matches have been held there on five occasions. The final match in the Gwent League 2001/2002 season is scheduled to be held at the Showground on Saturday 16 March 2002.

The 1996 Celtic Cross Country International was excellently organised by the Harriers vice chairman Kevin Evans and his local team at Aberaeron.

Carmarthen Harriers since 1985 organises and hosts every year 20-25 events in Sportshall athletics, track and field athletics, and road and cross-country.

The Annual events organised every year are -

Carmarthenshire Primary Schools Sportshall Athletics, Cross Country and Athletics Championships.

Dyfed Primary Schools Sportshall Athletics, Cross Country and Athletics Championships.

Primary Inter County Cross Country and Athletics matches

Dyfed Secondary School Relays Championships

Dyfed 5K and 10K Track Championships

Annual Carmarthen Mayor’s Road Races (since 1982)

Louise Arthur League (11-15), Gerald Codd Trophy (11-15)

Welsh Junior League (11-20)

National Young Athletes (11-17) Midlands League matches (boys and girls)

Dyfed/West Wales Championships

The Carmarthen and District Harriers Athletics Club celebrated its 50th anniversary in November 1998 with a special dinner at QE Maridunum School when 210 members attended. Lyn Davies Wales’ only Olympic Athletics gold medallist was the guest speaker at the Dinner.

The period from the mid 1980’s onwards have been very successful years for the Carmarthen Harriers Athletics club.

Every year since 1982 Club members win over 100 medals in Welsh Team and Individual Championships and every year, on average since 1985, about 30 members of the Club have either won Welsh Championships or represented Wales or Great Britain.

TEAMS SUCCESSES OF THE CARMARTHEN AND DISTRICT HARRIERS ATHLETICS CLUB SINCE 1975

Welsh Cross Country Team Champions

Welsh Road Relay Champions

Welsh Road Race Team Championship

Welsh Men's League Champions
1974, 1975, 1977 and 1978

Welsh Women’s League Champions
1983

Welsh Junior League Cup Champions
1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999 and 2001 (2nd in 2000)

British McDonalds Midlands Boys (11-17) Division One League Champions
1992, 1996

Louise Arthur League (9-15) Overall Champions
1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000 and 2001

Golden Wonder Trophy (11-15) Champions
1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999

Gerald Codd (11-15) Trophy Champions
2000, 2001

Gwent Cross Country League Team Champions
Novice Boys 1992-3, 1994-5 ,1995-6, 1996-7, 1998-9, 1999-2000
Under 13 Boys 2000-2001
Under 15 Boys 1988-89, 1992-3
Under 17 Men 1993-4
Under 20 Men 1995-6
Novice Girls 1990-1, 1991-2, 1992-3, 1993-4, 1994-5, 1998-9, 2000-1
Under 12 Girls 1999-2000
Under 15 Girls 1990-1, 1991-2
Under 17 Women 1976-77

Carmarthen Harriers Welsh Champions or Internationals in 2001