Carmarthen Harriers athletes have enjoyed great success across track and field and road running events over the past four weeks at club, national and international level. In our latest round up below, we report from thirteen different fixtures which happened during the month of August including the bank holiday period.
As another summer track and field season concludes for 2023, Welsh Athletics hosted its annual U13, U17 & U20 championships in Newport over two days as well as the U20 Track & Field International in Cardiff last weekend. Elsewhere, the final Welsh Junior League - West Wales Division was held at Swansea University for the younger U11, U13 & U15 age groups whilst the England Athletics U15 & U17 championships headed to the Midlands in Birmingham.
Off track road running races locally and further afield for distance athletes have included the Run4All Neath 5K Summer Series, Ras Myddfai, ABP Barry Island 10K, St Clears 10K, Poppit Sands 2K & 5K Series, Tri Hard Harriers 5K and Cilycwm 5 mile & junior event.
Below are the Carmarthen Harriers club results from events held between August 2nd - 29th at Aberavon, Myddfai, Barry Island, Newport, Swansea, St Clears, Poppit Sands, Cilycwm, Cardiff, Birmingham, Worcester and Exeter.
Run4All Neath 5K Summer Series - Aberavon Seafront (Wednesday 2nd August)
In the third Run4All Neath 5K Summer Series in Aberavon on the first Wednesday of the month, endurance athlete Nansi Griffiths was the second junior female home in a time of 20:16.
Ras Myddfai - Llandovery (Friday 4th August)
There were three distances on offer at the Ras Myddfai near Llandovery on Friday evening 4th August. There was a second-place finish for Jake Lynock (50:17) in the 8-mile event, with Huw Davies (52:26), Jack Tremlett (52:42) and Steffan Davies (63:31) among the top finishers.
Matching Lynock in the runners-up spot overall was Elizabeth Tremlett (38:28), this time over 5 miles. Esme Lynock (42:35) also finished in the top ten.
Alys Tremlett clocked 24:21 in the junior race.
ABP Barry Island 10K 2023 - Barry Island (Sunday 6th August)
The latest Run 4 Wales 10K series on Sunday 6th August saw hundreds of novice and elite runners complete the ABP Barry Island 10K road race.
The future challengers race for youngsters saw sisters Paige-lily Williams and Tayla Williams finish in 6:54 and 8:47 respectively, Paige-lily picking up second spot in her category.
Welsh Athletics Under 13, 17 & 20 Track & Field Championships 2023 - Newport Athletics Stadium (Saturday 12th & Sunday 13th August)
Six weeks after the senior championships took place in the Welsh capital, Welsh Athletics hosted its second Welsh championship of the track and field season for under 13 and under 17 and under 20 age groups.
Held at Newport Athletics Stadium over two-days, a total of seventeen athletes made the journey up the M4 to compete in East Wales. There was several new personal and season bests along with fourteen medals won by club athletes to add to the ten picked up in Cardiff.
Results:
Ellimay Williams – 100m (12.70) & 200m (26.37)
Anest Jones – 200m (29.62)
Paige-lily Williams – 800m (3:00.33), 1500m (6:02.92), Shot (5.27m) & Javelin (11.46m)
Jessica Hyland – 1500m (4:48.73) - gold & 3000m (10:25.33) - gold
Amelia Williams – 3000m (10:22.73) - silver
Beatrice Morgan – Long Jump (5.37m) - bronze
Dolly Evans – Discus (30.88m) - gold
Summer Evans – Javelin (31.78m) & Discus (25.16m)
Gracie Williams – Discus (24.09m)
Sara Jones – Ambulant Shot (3.50m) - gold & Ambulant Discus (9.18m) - gold
Tygan Davies – 400m (53.63)
Jake Lynock – 1500m (4:34.02)
Iwan Thomas – 1500m Steeplechase (4:26.44) - gold & 3000m (9:06.03) - gold
Finley Bruce – 1500m Steeplechase (4:36.52) - silver & 3000m (9:14.69) - silver
Joshua Barnett – 3000m (9:49.59)
Buddy Evans – Shot (9.24m) - silver & Discus (24.54m) - gold
Morgan Batten – Javelin (54.47m) - gold
Welsh Junior League 3 (West Wales Division) - Swansea University Athletics Track (Sunday 20th August)
The Welsh Junior League concluded across the West, South and East of Wales over the weekend of 19th and 20th August.
West Wales' division third fixture for the younger U11, U13 & U15 was held at Swansea University Athletics Track on the second day of the weekend, after visiting Neath and Carmarthen earlier on in the season.
On what was a well attended and successful day, 187 athletes from seven clubs - Bridgend AC, Carmarthen Harriers, Llanelli AAC, Neath Harriers, Pembrokeshire Harriers, Swansea Harriers and TROTS - entered despite the school holidays.
Thirty-two athletes travelled to Swansea, competing in the vests of Carmarthen Harriers. It was great to see so many members from the club making their competition debut here, the U11's and U13's in particular.
Results:
Anya Walters - 75m (11.89); 150m (24.20)
Mila Evans - 75m (11.94); 800m (3:06.44); Long Jump (3.30m)
Ayla Jones - 75m (12.22); 150m (24.92)
Zara Evans - 75m (12.23); 800m (3:04.53); Long Jump (2.78m)
Mia Hodge - 75m (12.87); 150m (25.47)
Florence Morgan - 75m (12.99); Long Jump (2.97m); Javelin (11.58m)
Tayla Williams - 75m (14.59); 800m (3:46.11); Javelin (8.34m)
Bethan Hampshire - 150m (25.51); 800m (3:10.79)
Emily Evans-Williams - 800m (2:59.83)
Teaghan Williams - 800m (3:09.47)
Paige-lily Williams - 100m (16.27); 1500m (6:07.48); Shot (4.92m)
Eva Davies - 800m (2:42.44)
Katie Miller - Long Jump (2.88m)
Anest Jones - 100m (14.00); 200m (29.05)
Beatrice Morgan - 200m (25.89); Long Jump (5.39m)
Amelia Williams - 1500m (4:48.99)
Sally Owen - 1500m (5:12.95); Long Jump (4.11m); Triple Jump (9.27m)
Nansi Griffiths - 1500m (5:14.62)
Scarlett Richards - 1500m (6:36.78)
Chloe Thomas - Shot (8.03m)
Dafydd Williams - 75m (11.87); 150m (23.27); 800m (2:45.39)
Jac Hughes - 75m (13.29); 800m (3:11.47)
Dylan Williams - 150m (25.65)
Steffan James - 800m (2:52.91)
Macsen Davies - 800m (2:57.39); Long Jump (2.89m)
Marleigh Mackie - 75m Hurdles (14.36)
Gethin Mason - 75m Hurdles (17.11)
Max Edwards - 100m (15.92); 800m (3:13.94); Long Jump (3.37m)
Tomos Cai Davies - 200m (30.39); 800m (2:28.70); Long Jump (3.68m)
James Bentley - 200m (24.56); 300m (39.48)
Toby Anthony - 1500m (4:54.52)
David Thomas - Shot (8.96m); Discus (30.85m)
Poppit Sands Photo Credit: Stuart Ladd
St Clears 10K (Sunday 20th August)
At another local event in Carmarthenshire, the St Clears 10K, Joshua Barnett was the fourth open male to finish in 40:48.
Poppit Sands 5K Series - Race 3 (Tuesday 22nd August)
Tuesday 22nd August was the Poppit Sands 5K Series in Pembrokeshire over a multi terrain course, with the last of three races held this week featuring the junior and 5K race.
Steffan Davies and Huw Davies took part in the 5K in 18:37 and 21:38 respectively. Prior to this was the junior 2K which saw victory for Tomos Cai Davies in 7:16, followed by third female finisher Eva Davies (7:41) and Macsen Davies (8:36)
Tri Hard Harriers 5K - Swansea Bay (Thursday 24th August)
Four days after St Clears, Joshua Barnett was competing in another road running event, this time at the Tri Hard Harriers 5K, the first to be organised by the club on Thursday evening 24th August. At Swansea Bay Seafront, he picked up the runner-up spot in the open male category in 17:50.
Cilycwm 5 mile & Junior race - Cilycwm (Friday 25th August)
The August Bank Holiday Weekend got underway with an annual local Carmarthenshire event on Friday 25th August in the village of Cilycwm near Llandovery.
Three club members headed to the north of the county for the Cilycwm 5 mile & junior fun run. In the 5 mile, Elizabeth Tremlett was the second female finisher in 37:01 whilst Huw Davies’ time of 38:09 was a 14th place finish.
In the junior event - 1 lap, Paige-lily Williams was also the second female finisher in a time of 21:33.
Welsh Athletics Under 20 Track & Field International 2023 - Cardiff International Sports Stadium (Saturday 26th August)
Moving from midweek to a weekend event in 2023, three Carmarthen Harriers members were selected to represent the Welsh Athletics team at the Welsh Athletics U20 Track & Field International at Cardiff International Sports Stadium on Saturday 26th August.
Recently returning from the Commonwealth Youth Games out in Trinidad and Tobago, Jessica Lee and Mia Lloyd were first to compete in their respective field disciplines. There were two bronze medals for Lee with a clearance of 1.66m in the high jump and a season's best of 5.97m in the long jump later midway through the afternoon. Lloyd produced her best performance of the season by throwing 16.32m in the women's ambulant discus to secure second on the podium.
The third Welsh representative was Morgan Batten, who threw beyond fifty metres four times in the men's javelin. His best throw of 54.06m came in the fifth round and confirmed a third-place finish.
Jessica also picked up silver as part of the Welsh Athletics women's 4 x 100m relay in the penultimate track event of the day.
In addition, guest spaces were also up for grabs with Ellie Loweth and Jessica Hyland taking advantage of the opportunity to compete at this international event.
Loweth ran an outdoor season's best of 27.66 in the women's 200m whilst there was a new personal best for Hyland of 10:20.57 over 3000m.
England Athletics Under 15 & 17 Track & Field Championships 2023 - Alexander Stadium, Birmingham (Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th August)
Alexander Stadium in Birmingham, which staged the 2022 Commonwealth Games last summer, staged the England Athletics U15 & U17 Track & Field Championships over the weekend of 26th and 27th August.
Two endurance athletes, Iwan Thomas and Finley Bruce both finished in the top four of the Under 17 men 1500m Steeplechase. A new personal best of 4:26.06 saw Thomas claim gold with Bruce also running strongly to clock 4:39.22.
Amelia Williams ran a new lifetime in the Under 15 girls 3000m at the end of the first day, improving by seven seconds - 10:14.52 to finish in sixth overall.
Beatrice Morgan experienced these England Championships for the first time and began early on Sunday morning. In the Under 15 girls' long jump, her best leap of the competition was 5.65m (w) to secure fourth position as a result. Shortly after in the heats, she progressed to the 200m semi-finals, finishing in fifth with a time of 26.21.
24 hours after victory in the 1500m steeplechase, Iwan Thomas stepped up to the flat 3000m event. Running over the same distance as teammate Williams, he stopped the clock on 8:45.06 to place in the top four.
KSAC Mike Lambert Open - Worcester Athletics Track (Monday 28th August)
On Bank Holiday Monday, 28th August, Paige-lily Williams and Tayla Williams travelled to Worcester for the KSAC Mike Lambert Open Meeting.
Both produced multiple new personal bests between them - with Paige recording 15.96 in the 100m, 2:53.60 in the 800m and 5.38m in the shot put and Tayla taking part in the 75m (14.73) before finishing the 600m in 2:42.52.
British Milers Club Endurance Open Meeting - Exeter Athletics Track (Tuesday 29th August)
Jessica Hyland travelled down to Exeter on Tuesday 29th August for the last but one British Milers Club fixture of the 2023 summer.
Running in the mixed 1500m C race, she finished in 4:47.80.
Commonwealth Youth Games 2023 - Hasely Crawford Stadium, Trinidad and Tobago (Monday 7th - Thursday 10th August)
The first week of August saw the Commonwealth Youth Games 2023 return for the first time in six years and it was fantastic to see three of the eleven athletes involved from the Johnstown-based club.