ATHLETICS

The 26th edition of the prestigious Cardiff Cross Challenge returns to Llandaff Fields this Saturday. As one of the UK’s leading athletics events, over 2,000 athletes from across the globe have entered to take part in the UK’s only World Athletics Cross Country Tour Gold Label Event. The event will see local runners from age under 11 to over 70 lining up alongside top global athletes, right in the heart of Cardiff.

The 2023 edition includes the introduction of an Elite Mile, which is sponsored by SportsShoes.com and boasts some of the UK’s best athletes. The event is also supported by local Welsh businesses, Dragon Signs and Sportin Wales, which form part of the Dragon Group.

This year’s event has attracted athletes from over 10 different countries including running powerhouses Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda and the UK, as Cardiff hosts the third race in the World Athletics Gold Cross Country Series.

Vincent Keter and Likina Amebaw are of top international interest. Whilst Marc Scott, Jess Warner-Judd and our very own Dewi Griffiths and Jenny Nesbitt lead the domestic entries.

Welsh pairing Jenny Nesbitt (Pontypridd Roadents) and Cari Hughes (Cardiff Athletics) will battle it out on home soil, both former UK Inter-Counties Champions. Nesbitt was the runner-up at Cardiff Cross Challenge in both 2019 & 2021 and Hughes was an impressive runner-up at the Armagh Road Races in 2023.

Dewi Griffiths (Swansea Harriers) leads the top Welsh entries in the senior men’s race, previous winner here and perhaps the most familiar with the course. Griffiths claimed his eighth Welsh Cross Country title earlier this year at the 118th edition of the Championships.

The event will be live streamed on Welsh Athletics YouTube. Keep up-to-date with the live action here: https://www.youtube.com/live/g0ZZ2NDZJjQ?si=1DLqtDOl7nM4VSqQ

More information on the event can be accessed here: https://cardiffcrosschallenge.co.uk/

 

RALLYING

Matthew Hirst/Declan Dear are set to become Motorsport UK Pirelli Welsh Rally champions for a record-equalling third time as they take an unassailable lead into the final round of the all-gravel series, the Wyedean Stages Rally on Saturday.

The defending champions have led the series since the beginning of the season, winning the opening four rounds in their Delta Salvage/Witham Group Ford Fiesta R5.

But having been unable to start the Phil Price Memorial Woodpecker Stages and then retiring on the most recent Visit Conwy Cambrian Rally meant that their once handsome lead had been eroded to just 10 points.

It looked like the Wyedean would be a straight head-to-head fight between Hirst/Dear and Russ Thompson/Stephen Link for the title – until pre-event engine problems with their Dunnow Plant Mitsubishi Evo 9 forced the 2019 Pirelli Welsh runners-up to withdraw from the event.

 

This leaves Hirst/Dear on course to secure their third Pirelli Welsh title in four years and aiming to add to their Wyedean victories of 2019 and ’22.

 

TABLE TENNIS

A Welsh table tennis academy has attracted over 800 people for sessions since it opened its doors four months ago as they seek to discover the next Anna Hursey.

The academy – a partnership between Coleg Cambria and Table Tennis Wales (TTW) – aims to provide grassroots coaching in North Wales.

TTW regional development officer for North Wales Aaron Beech said: We have had a very busy few months and the feedback has been brilliant.

“As part of our high-performance hub we have invested in new equipment – the Yale college site now has 12 table tennis tables – and across the region we have met and trained with people of all ages.

“From students to children and older members of the community, there is a lot of talent out there, so we are trying to harness it and help people reach their potential.”

Wales’ 17-year-old Commonwealth Games star Hursey has this week broken into the world’s top 100 senior women players for the first time.