Following a successful bid by Carmarthenshire County Council, all roads led to the home of Carmarthen & District Harriers Athletics Club for the traditional showpiece event of the Schools’ Track & Field calendar on Saturday 20th July.
The annual Schools’ International Athletic Board’s under 17 Track & Field International was hosted by Welsh Schools and Welsh Athletics this year.
Selected as the host county, Carmarthenshire welcomed the best athletes and their coaches, officials and supporters from across Great Britain and Ireland on Saturday.
The track and field competition - involving Welsh Schools, English Schools, Irish Schools and Scottish Schools - was staged at the Johnstown-based venue for the second time, twenty-five years after the first.
Carmarthenshire has staged several major sporting events, including two SIAB cross country internationals, at Parc Dinefwr in Llandeilo in 2013 and the recent fixture at Pembrey Country Park in March 2022.
Despite the miserable and grey conditions throughout, there was a fantastic atmosphere and a full programme of events in the running, walking, jumping and throwing disciplines.
Representing Wales on their home track, 5 Carmarthen Harriers members were taking part in the athletics international edition for the first time.
Summer Evans (Queen Elizabeth High), a year 9 pupil was the youngest member of the Welsh squad. In the javelin, she threw a best of 34.76m in round 4.
One of the shortest distances of the day saw sprinter Elli-May Williams (Maes Y Gwendraeth) entered in the 100m, crossing the finish line in 12.92.
Following on from the combined events match during the winter, Beatrice Morgan (Bro Dinefwr) received her second international call up in the space of seven months.
Her afternoon began with a 25.64 in the 200m before recording a leap of 5.47m in the long jump.
Endurance athlete William Harries (Haverfordwest High) was in action in the 1500m Steeplechase and claimed a 11-second new personal best of 4:33.27.
A few hours after watching her sister competing, discus thrower Dolly Evans (Queen Elizabeth High) went out beyond 30 metres to 34.94m in the final field event of the fixture.
Williams and Morgan made up the girls’ 4 x 100m quartet who clocked 47.65.
They were joined by a further 6 school pupils from the Dyfed Schools District.
SIAB track and field is set to return in July 2025 when English Schools will look forward to hosting next time around.
Elsewhere, Iwan Thomas was named in the Great Britain & Northern Ireland squad for the European Athletics under 18 championships in Slovakia.
At Banska Bystrica, Thomas was one of 6 Welsh athletes selected for this year’s championships in the men’s 2,000m steeplechase.
In the first event of the morning session on the second day (Friday 19th July), he placed 10th in heat two with 6:01.57.
Running the qualifying standard at the Welsh Athletics Senior & under 15 championships last month, he followed in the footsteps of brother Ben who competed in exactly the same discipline in Hungary back in 2018.
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Elsewhere during the middle part of July...
Cwmann 5 mile - Lampeter (Friday 12th July)
Sarn Helen Running Club organised its latest off-track event, the Cwmann 5 mile on Friday evening 12th July.
Steffan Davies was third overall but the first open male to finish in a time of 28:45, followed by Huw Davies in 37:14, who was the seventh M50.
Crib Goch Welsh Junior Mountain Running Championships 2024 - Moel Tryfan (Sunday 14th July)
Nansi Griffiths made the trip up to North Wales to compete in the Welsh Junior Mountain Running Championships. Finishing in a time of 30:17, Griffiths was the first under 17 female home.
Ammanford 10K Road Race - Recreation Ground (Sunday 14th July)
The road running weekend continued back in Carmarthenshire with the annual Ammanford 10K, which was back in the calendar in its usual slot.
A week on from the OGI Porthcawl 10K, Joshua Barnett recorded the same time of 38:40 over the 10K distance.
Poppit Sands 5K Summer Series - Poppit Sands (Tuesday 16th July)
The first of three Poppit Sands 5K took place on Tuesday 16th July.
In the 5K, which is a multi terrain course that starts and finishes at Crwst Poppit Cafe, Steffan Bridger and Tom Bridger were ninth and tenth in 20:58 and 21:09 respectively.
Before the main event, there was a 2K junior race over a shorter distance. Victorious was Alex Ladd in 9:02 and Gethin Thomas' time of 9:19 saw him take third in the male category.
Rabbit Run 2024 - Merthyr Mawr (Saturday 20th July)
Saturday afternoon was the Rabbit Run at the Merthyr Mawr Estate in Bridgend, which included the toddler dash, junior and fun run races. Rabbit Run takes in stunning trails, hills, valleys, a river crossing, and the chance to experience the Big Dipper.
In the junior race, Manon Phillips claimed victory in the under 13 girls whilst Tomos Cai Davies was second in the boys’ category. They were joined by teammates Paige-lily Williams and Macsen Davies.
Glyn Davies was was making his club debut in the Rabbit Run with a time of 1:11.31.
England Athletics U20 & Senior Championships - Alexander Stadium, Birmingham (Saturday 20th July)
There was a silver medal for Jessica Lee in the under 20 women's long jump, on the second of three days at the England Athletics U20 & Senior Championships in the West Midlands.
A leap of 6.01m in the fourth round was enough to place second overall at the first England Athletics Age Groups Championships of the month.