By Owen Morgan
Dewi Griffiths will make his return to the red vest in a strong Welsh squad named for October’s inaugural Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.
The Swansea Harrier missed out on a place in the Wales party which travelled to the Gold Coast for the Commonwealth Games in April after he suffered a stress fracture in his hip.
But the Llanfynydd man has spent the summer recovering and building himself back up towards the kind of form which saw him clock the fastest marathon time by a Britain for three years when he made his debut over the 26.2mile distance in Frankfurt last October.
Since his return to competition last month, Griffiths has clocked sub-30 minute times in winning the British 10k in London and the Barry Island 10k.
The six-time Welsh cross country champion will be joined in the men’s team by fellow Swansea Harriers Kris Jones and Josh Griffiths, as well as Stockport AC’s Andy Davies.
The women’s team is equally impressive featuring Commonwealth Games athletes Caryl Jones and Jenny Nesbitt, as well as Rosie Edwards and Clara Evans.
All the Welsh team members have been in excellent form this season.
Kris Jones is fresh from competing at the World Orienteering Championships where he finished 10th in the sprint race, just 38 seconds behind the winner. He also finished 6th and 7th in the relay races.
Earlier in the season he won a bronze medal at the European Orienteering Championships, while on the track he set a personal best of 13:45.25 over 5000m.
Andy Davies and Josh Griffiths both competed in searing temperatures in the Commonwealth Games marathon in Australia, finishing in 11th and 15th place respectively. This coming after they both competed in the marathon at the World Athletics Championships in London last summer.
Since then, Griffiths has won the Tenby 10k and finished second in the JCP Swansea Half Marathon. Meanwhile, Davies has chalked up second place finishes at the Llanelli and Benidorm half marathons this season, as well as winning gold at the World Masters Mountain Running Championships in June.
Caryl Jones has already competed at the Commonwealth Games and European Championships marathons this season, where she claimed 8th and 30th placings. The Pembrokeshire based athlete won the Llanelli Half Marathon back in February.
Jenny Nesbitt also competed on the Gold Coast, where she ran the 10,000m in a then personal best time. Worcester athlete has since lowered her PB to 32:38.45 and set best times in the 3000 and 5000m.
Former Welsh marathon champion Rosie Edwards has been training and competing in America, where she has been in good shape having run a PB of 1:16:06 in the Houston Half Marathon and a 5000m best of 16:31.17 at the Bryan Clay Invitational in California.
Cardiff AAC’s Clara Evans finished sixth at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia in March and tenth in the Madrid Half Marathon in 1:16.34 the following month. She had earlier finished second at the Llanelli Half Marathon.
Chris Jones, Welsh Athletics national coaching and performance lead said he was delighted with the quality of the Welsh teams chosen: “It’s great that we will have such competitive men’s and women’s teams, in what is a showcase event for Wales.
“It’s wonderful for these senior athletes to have the opportunity to represent Wales on home soil in Cardiff in a Commonwealth Games event.
“It’s an exciting time for distance running in Wales, endurance athletes made up a significant part of our Commonwealth Athletics squad, and they are increasingly earning places to compete at major events and championships.
“Welsh Athletics is investing in developing both athletes and coaches, and the strength in depth that we’re building up at senior and junior level indicates the impact this is starting to have.”
The Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships was announced by Welsh Athletics Chief Executive, Matt Newman at the Commonwealth Games in March
The event on October 7 will form part of the Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon, which celebrates its 15th anniversary this year.
The race will also take place 60 years on from the 1958 Empire and Commonwealth Games.
The full Welsh team is:
Dewi Griffiths, Swansea Harriers
Josh Griffiths, Swansea Harriers
Kristian Jones, Swansea Harriers
Andy Davies, Stockport
Caryl Jones, Swansea Harriers
Jenny Nesbitt, Worcester AC
Rosie Edwards, Rotherham
Clara Evans, Cardiff AAC