The end of November and the first few days of December saw club athletes of all ages represent the athletics club and Welsh Schools Athletic Association at cross country, road and indoor athletics in Carmarthenshire and further afield. Two annual award evenings also returned in West Wales and in Cardiff. Below are the results from events held between the period of November 25 and December 3 at Liverpool, St Clears, Llanarthne, Bristol and Cardiff.
Da iawn pawb wnaeth cystadlu / Well done everyone that competed.
Read on for round-up and the club results...
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Awards News
Sport Pembrokeshire Awards 2023 - Folly Farm (Friday 24th November)
The Sport Pembrokeshire annual awards evening 2023 was held at Folly Farm in Kilgetty on Friday evening 24th November.
Carmarthen Harriers' Finley Bruce was shortlisted in the top three for his achievements during the track, mountain and cross country season, and was a runner-up in the Boys (U16) sporting achievement category. Llongyfarchiadau!
Welsh Athletics & Run Wales National Awards Dinner 2023 - Cardiff (Saturday 25th November)
The Welsh Athletics and Run Wales National Awards Dinner 2023 was held at Sophia Gardens, Glamorgan Cricket Club in Cardiff on Saturday evening 25th November.
Club Vice Chair and endurance coach Neil Thomas was recognised for his contribution and received the 'Welsh Athletics Participation Coach of the Year' award, having shown his commitment to the endurance running community in Wales for many years.
"An ultra dedicated coach at his club, Carmarthen Harriers, he has developed a fine squad of young, talented middle-distance athletes – many of whom have pulled on the red vest of Wales, competing internationally, over the last 12 months." Llongyfarchiadau!
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Event Results
British Athletics Cross Challenge Series - Fixture 2 - Sefton Park, Liverpool (Saturday 25th November)
In a short turn around, the second leg of the 2023/2024 British Athletics Cross Challenge Series was on Saturday 25th November featuring the best cross country athletes from across the whole of the United Kingdom.
The event headed to Sefton Park in Liverpool just two weeks after the Cardiff Cross Challenge in Llandaff Fields.
Running a distance of 5.5km, endurance athletes Iwan Thomas (17:44) crossed in seventh position and was followed in 37th by Finley Bruce (18:29)
London and Scotland will be the locations for the next set of fixtures in mid-January 2024.
Elsewhere in West Wales (25th & 26th November)
Over the same weekend, there were members taking part in the 2K Santa Fun Run organised by TROTs in St Clears and the Tenovus Jingle Jog 2.5K, 5K & 10K fun run at the National Botanic Gardens of Wales the following day.
John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League - Fixture 3 - Blaise Castle, Bristol (Saturday 2nd December)
Following the opening rounds locally in Pembrey and at Cardiff in November, the 2023/2024 John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League reached the half way mark in the season, with round three of five taking place at a cold and foggy Blaise Castle in Bristol on Saturday 2nd December.
Carmarthen Harriers members and their parents made the longest journey of the league season to South West England to compete, ahead of the Christmas break.
A big Well Done to all runners and thanks to all those who also made the journey to support in Bristol.
The club results on the day were as follows / Canlyniadau y clwb ar dydd oedd:
Novice Girls / Merched o dan 11: Emily Evans-Williams (6:37); Gwenno Jones (7:24); Alys Tremlett (8:15); Tayla Williams (8:19); Olwen Williams (8:20); Gwendoline Fitzpatrick (8:51); Beatrice Hyde
Novice Boys / Bechgyn o dan 11: Dylan Williams (6:26); Jasper Davis (6:35); Dafydd Williams (6:53); Macsen Davies (6:59); Alfie Stopher (7:01)
Under 13 Girls / Merched o dan 13: Lowri Morgan (11:45); Paige-lily Williams (12:37); Beca Elfyn (12:49); Aeronwy Morgan-Fisher (13:34); Miriam Williams (13:36); Cerys Fitzpatrick (15:00)
Under 13 Boys / Bechgyn o dan 13: Tomos Cai Davies (10:47); Gethin Thomas (11:24)
Under 15 Girls / Merched o dan 15: Amelia Williams (13:45); Nansi Griffiths (14:45); Sali Owen (14:49); Macy Blue (15:47); Anastasia Eggleston-Stoker (16:41); Esme Lynock (17:04); Scarlett Richards (17:37)
Under 15 Boys / Bechgyn o dan 15: Tom Bridger (14:13); Jimmy Davis (14:51); Ianto Lloyd (16:13); Luke Owen (16:15)
Under 17 Men / Bechgyn o dan 17: Finley Bruce (16:17); Ifan Bowen (16:42); Jake Lynock (17:24); Joshua Barnett (17:35)
Under 20 Women / Merched o dan 20: Jessica Hyland (17:43)
The John H Collins Gwent Cross Country League will visit Margam Park in Port Talbot in the New Year on Saturday 10th February 2024, before the season concludes at Pontypool Park for a successive season on Saturday 3rd March.
Cardiff Met Schools Indoor Combined Events U16 & U18 Pentathlon International 2023 - National Indoor Athletics Centre, Cardiff (Saturday 2nd December)
The National Indoor Athletics Centre at Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff staged the annual Cardiff Met Schools’ Indoor Combined Events International on Saturday 2nd December.
Both age groups - with four athletes per country taking part - competed in the pentathlon. 60m Hurdles, Shot Put, 200m / High Jump, Long Jump and 800m made up the day’s events over a six-hour programme.
Sixteen pupils were selected to represent the Welsh Schools Athletic Association in the under 16 and under 18 age groups following the Welsh Schools combined events championships a month ago.
They were up against the top runners, jumpers and throwers from the travelling English Schools, Irish Schools and Scottish Schools squads.
The team were supported at the international by team managers, Welsh Schools officers and four lead coaches. Welsh Schools’ mascot ‘Dewi the Dragon’ also made an appearance following its first outing in the summer.
Congratulations to Beatrice Morgan from Ysgol Bro Dinefwr in Llandeilo, who was selected having finished second in the Welsh Schools combined events championships at the beginning of November. Winning her first Welsh vest here, she helped the Welsh Schools under 16 girls' quartet win bronze medals in the team event and placed in the top six individually to round off a great weekend.
Results (3,244 points)
60m Hurdles (9.12);
800m (2:33.01);
Long Jump (5.26m);
High Jump (1.47m);
Shot Putt (9.31m)
Welsh Athletics Junior Indoor Open U13, U15 & U17 incorporating West Wales 200m, 300m & 400m Regional Championships - National Indoor Athletics Centre, Cardiff (Sunday 3rd December)
Less than 24 hours later, the indoor athletics season for junior athletes got underway on Sunday 3rd December with Day 1 of the Welsh Athletics Junior Indoor Open (Under 13, Under 15 and Under 17 age groups) at the National Indoor Athletics Centre at Cyncoed Campus, Cardiff.
200m, 300m, 400m, High Jump, Long Jump, Triple Jump, Shot Put and para field events took centre stage on the opening day.
Following the same format as in previous years, the Welsh Athletics Junior Indoor Open fixtures incorporates the West Wales*, South Wales, East Wales and South West England Regional Championships (*200m, 300m & 400m for West Wales only, as all other events will be included in the region's indoor championships at Swansea on 13th & 20th January).
Five Carmarthen Harriers members travelled to the Welsh Capital to run over the 200m and 400m distances with four medals picked up.
The club results on the day were as follows / Canlyniadau y clwb ar dydd oedd:
Ellimay Williams: 200m (26.97)
Anest Jones: 200m (29.51)
James Bentley: 200m (24.66) & 400m (55.67)
Benjamin Watts: 200m (31.32)
Macsen Toogood: 400m (59.04)
Day 2 of the Welsh Athletics Junior Indoor Open (U13, U15, U17) will take place at NIAC in early January on Sunday 7th January. Events that day will feature 60m and 60m Hurdles, 800m and 1500m distance events as well as the Long Jump, Shot Put and Pole Vault in the field.
(incorporates West Wales 800m & 1500m Indoor Region Championships)
CLICK HERE TO ENTER Day 2: Sunday 7th January, entries close at 11:59pm on Thursday 14th December; late entries not accepted, don't miss out!