It is almost 34 years since Steve Jones smashed the world marathon record in Chicago, but even though Wales’ greatest long distance runner has spent the last 27 years living in the USA, his legacy at home lives on. Rob Cole reports on the Steve Jones Mile Road Race Series.
The great man would no doubt have approved of the concept, but those following in his illustrious footsteps still have a bit of ground to make up.
The good thing was that there was an impressive turn-out for the Steve Jones Mile Road Race Series, promoted by the Parc Bryn Bach Running Club.
For a young, local club to have a World Championship and Commonwealth Games finalist turn up to win their event was a huge endorsement of what they are trying to do for the sport in their area.
Jones may be based in Colorado, but his heart will forever be in Wales, and particularly in the Tredegar/Ebbw Vale area where he was brought up. He is an honorary member of the Bryn Bach club and his sister runs for them.
Whenever he comes home, Jones is often seen joining in the Park Run organised by the club. He would have loved seeing current British internationals Ieuan Thomas and Charlotte Arter supporting a local event.
That is exactly what he used to do back in the 1980s and he ran his fastest mile time on the streets of Cardiff at the Butetown Mile, just cracking the four minute barrier in the point-to-point race.
That gave Thomas a real target to aim at in the Bryn Bach event and he won in a course record 4mins, 14 sec to beat Tonbridge AC’s Charlie Allen by 12 seconds.
Cardiff AAC star, Arter, who will be heading to the European Championships to race over 10,000 metres later this year, showed a good turn of speed to finish fifth in the main race running alongside the men. She clocked 4:39, 10 seconds behind Thomas’s coach James Thie.
Thie is one of only 13 Welsh athletes to have cracked the magical 4 minute barrier for the mile and can still hammer out a respectable time a few days short of his 40th birthday.
Still the fourth fastest Welshman of all-time, he is hoping one day to see one of his charges – Thomas, Tom Marshall or rising star Jake Heyward – overtake not only him, but also Welsh record holder Neil Horsfield.
WALES MILE ALL-TIME RANKING LIST
|
3:54.39 |
Neil Horsfield |
Newport |
Cork, Ireland |
08.07.1986 |
||
| 3:56.19 | Ian Hamer | Swansea | Cork, Ireland | 05.07.1991 | ||
| 3:57.8 | Mal Edwards | Andover | St Helier, Jersey | 19.09.1987 | ||
| 3:57.86 | James Thie | Cardiff | Crystal Palace | 30.07.2004 | ||
| 3:58.25 | Chris Gowell | Swansea | Cardiff | 15.07.2014 | ||
| 3:58.31 | Tom Marshall | Cardiff | Dublin, Ireland | 12.07.2017 | ||
| 3:58.5 | Bob Maplestone | Cardiff | Arkadelphia, USA | 25.05.1973 | ||
| 3:58.66 | Matt Shone | Woodford Green | Crystal Palace | 06.08.2005 | ||
| 3:58.77 | Roger Hackney | Aldershot | Swansea | 13.07.1986 | ||
| 3:58.96 | Tony Harris | Mitcham | White City | 03.07.1965 | ||
| 3:59.16 | Glen Grant | Army | Crystal Palace | 19.06.1970 | ||
| 3:59.18 | Stephen Davies | Newport | Crystal Palace | 25.08.2007 | ||
| 3:59.5 | Gareth Brown | Cardiff | Swansea | 25.08.1984 |
But while Thomas still has some ground to make up on Jones over the mile, this summer he has surpassed the great man’s 3,000m steeplechase best of 8.32.00 set in 1980 with his personal best of 8.30.16 in Leiden earlier this month.
There will be another chance for Thomas, Arter and Thie to have a burn-out over the mile distance on Wednesday, 27 June at the Cardiff Met Miles event in Cyncoed (details below) before they head to the British Championships in Birmingham on 30 June-1 July and then the Welsh Championships in Cardiff on 13-14 July.
Thomas will be joined by Gold Coast team-mate Jonathan Hopkins in trying to clinch a place in the British team for the European Championships in Berlin at the British Championships.
Thomas is ranked two (8.30.160) and Hopkins No.3 (8.30.52) behind Bracknell’s Zak Seddon (8.26.51), with all three men having cracked the qualifying time of 8.32.00.
Another Welsh steeplechaser, Carmarthen AC’s Ben Thomas, will be heading to the 2nd European Athletics U18 Championships in Gyor, Hungary, between 5-8 July as part of the 33-strong British team.
He is the only British competitor in the 2,000m steeplechase and he will be joined in the team by Welsh colleague Kiara Frizelle.
The Cardiff AAC runner will race over 3,000 metres providing she can confirm her fitness. She clocked an impressive 9.36.12 last month to attain the qualifying mark.
Steve Jones Mile Series
1, Ieuan Thomas (Cardiff AAC) 4:14; 2, Charlie Allen (Tonbridge AC) 4:26; 3, Oliver Williams (White Rock Runners) 4:27; 4, James Thie (Cardiff AAC) 4:29; 5, Charlotte Arter (Cardiff AAC) 4:39; 6, Alex Price (Swansea Harriers) 4:40; 7, Sam Jones (Parc Bryn Bach) 5:00; 8, Adrian Williams (Aberdare AC) 5:01; 9, Jon Like (Pontypool & District Runners) 5:06; 10, Paul Hayward (Islwyn) 5:09
Women: 1, Lauren Cooper (Parc Bryn Bach) 5:19; 2, Lorva Spiers (Northern AC) 5:44; 3, Harri Like (Pontypool & District Runners) 5:55
Under 17: 1, Lloyd Shepherd (Cardiff AC) 4:48; 2, Joel Price (BGAC) 4:58; 3, Matthew Brunnock (Hereford & County) 5:12
MET MILES (Incorporating Welsh Masters & Run Met Community Mile)
Wednesday 27June, 2018, Cyncoed Outdoor Track, CF23 6XD
Age group Under 13’s to Masters
Online entries Close: 22nd June 2017 Midday
https://www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk/events/6013/2392/
| MET MILES – cardiffmetsu.co.uk
www.cardiffmetsu.co.uk MET MILES. Date: Wednesday 27 June 2018 Time: 6:30pm – 8:30pm Location: Cyncoed Outdoor Track, CF23 6XD |
Entries will be accepted on the night at £8.00
Online Pre entry Cost £4.00 per entry
Start time: 6:30pm to 8:30pm
All races will be electronically timed
Community mile will be free to enter & with a rolling clock- so no official times but all ages & ability will be welcome to run, jog or walk a mile.
Donations to Pancreatic Cancer UK will be accepted.