ATHLETES from across Carmarthenshire were involved in the Cardiff University Festival of Running & Half Marathon weekend recently.
12 Carmarthen Harriers athletes took to the roads of the capital in the annual Welsh mile championships with four taking national titles in a series of fiercely competitive races.
The day not only saw a number of Welsh Mile Races, but also the popular Toddler Dash, Mascot Race, University Fun Run and Family Fun Run which proved popular with runners turning out in their numbers.
In the junior races, Frank Morgan took the under 13 title (5:19) and Ben Thomas the under 17. Morgan dominated his race from the start, eventually winning comfortably from two Cardiff athletes. Jack Thomas, in his first race at this distance, finished a solid fifth (5:43).
Thomas took the under 17 title for the second year in a row, kicking with 600m to go he pulled away off the second to last bend finishing in 4.33, just a second ahead of his nearest rival. Tomos Rees ran an excellent race beating a Newport athlete to the bronze by two seconds (4:43).
Trystan Leech came sixth overall in the same age group, the under 17 men’s with a time of exactly five minutes. For the under 17 women, Harrier Grace Page finished sixth overall (6:54).
The future for Harriers certainly looks bright with the club dominating the under 11 boys category. An outstanding run from Iwan Thomas (5:42) saw him take the title from teammates Ifan Bowen in second (5:46) and Liam Upton-Boorman in third (5:52) completing a Harriers 123 and making an appearance on BBC Wales Television in the process.
It’s certain that friends Bowen and Thomas will have many more good battles over the season to come. Fast improving Jake Lynock was unlucky to finish fifth after being with the leaders for much of the race. He was run out of the medals by only three seconds (5:55).
With the Harriers youngest athletes performing so well, they could not have failed but to be impressed by Sharon Leech who took the Welsh and British Women’s veteran titles finishing in 5:55.
Paul Clarke finished a good fifth in a blanket finish, amongst a very competitive vet’s field running an impressive 4:45 to cap off an outstanding day for Carmarthen.
The club from Johnstown had representatives in the half marathon the following day with some excellent times.
Jack Tremlett was the first of the 11 to cross the line (1:17:39) followed by David Jones (1:17:58), Liz Tremlett (1:27:38), Huw Davies (1:34:41), Dylan Raymond (1:38:26), Joanne Bowes (1:39:23), Liz Davies (2:00:58), Meg Hollinger (2:25:18) and Andrea Brabrook (2:25:24), Nicola Broadbridge (2:30:52) and Saran Nicholas (2:46:35).
In addition, senior Llanelli club runners were also out in force with all the following completing the 13.1 mile course: Dai Keenan (1:18:52), Steven Williams (1:21:20), Nick Sheehan (1:22:45), Simon Rees (1:24:51), Martin Flear (1:28:38), Dan Totterdale (1:28:38), Jamie Stedman (1:31:41), Nick Venables (1:33:09), Dean Summers (1:37:31), Rob Campion (1:37:49), Paul Bunyan (1:43:11), Louise James (1:54:05), Leighton Webb (2:05:34), John Marson (2:06:27), Luigi Bonifacio (2:10:14), Suzanne Owens (2:10:46) and Emyr Evans (2:45:38).
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