In one incredible year, Josh Griffiths has gone from park runs to membership of the world’s marathon elite. Owen Morgan went to meet him and heard about his plans for an equally memorable 2018.

 

As the mid-day sun reflected off the Thames below, high above on Tower Bridge Josh Griffiths was doing some reflection of his own.

The Swansea Harrier had just finished the World Athletics Championships marathon, completing a whirlwind year which had seem him transform from talented club athlete to one of the top 40 marathon runners in the world.

The moment was captured in the picture above as the Gorslas runner leaned on one of the bridge’s historic parapets overlooking the Tower of London.

Griffiths this week revealed just what was going through his mind as he paused to catch his breath and take on some much needed water at the finish line.

“I guess I was a bit tired after the race and I needed something to lean on, maybe!

“It was nice to sit back after it all and look back over what kind of race I had just run, and I guess reflect on how far I’d come from a year ago.

“So, it’s a nice picture just to see me on my own, looking back at the journey I’ve had over the past six to 12 months.”

Just what an incredible journey it has been for the former Carmarthen Harrier is summed up with a glance over his race history during the past year.

On August 6, 2016, Griffiths was rubbing shoulders with club runners, enthusiastic  joggers, families and even some walkers taking part in the weekly Saturday morning Swansea Bay Park Run.

Exactly a year later, on August 6, 2017, he was in slightly different company, finishing 39th out of 100 of the best marathon runners on the planet and representing Great Britain on the world stage.

When I point this out to Griffiths, even he is surprised: “I didn’t even realise that, it’s quite funny. It shows I’ve made a big jump over the last year. It just shows anyone can do it, I guess?”

Not quite anyone, perhaps.

Griffiths was the clear winner of that Park Run along the Swansea shoreline back in 2016, and was an established runner who had represented Wales.

Even then, what has happened to the 23-year-old since is the stuff off storybooks.

His shock performance at April’s London Marathon, which brought him qualification for the World Championships, has been well documented and brought him recognition around the world.

It also transformed his life.

“It’s changed a lot,” acknowledges Griffiths.

“It’s been a big change, mentally, more than anything. Before the London Marathon, I just saw myself as a student looking for work and a runner on the side.

“But as soon as I ran London, running became much more of a focus of my life.  Even though the training wasn’t too much different, I consider myself more of an athlete now than anything else.

“Obviously, from a media point of view, I’ve had a lot more attention, which at the start was daunting. But you just get used to it after a while and you just have to get on with training because my performance now is as a runner and nothing else.”

Does this mean he is now a full-time professional athlete?

“That’s the goal for anyone who’s an amateur, you always want to make the jump to become a professional and you need an amazing race day like I had to make the jump.

“So, I’m just trying to do what I can to make sure that I can continue to have running as a focus and use that as a source of income.

“I’d be stupid just to rest on my laurels and think that I‘ve made it. I’ve made the jump now and I’ve just got to train hard and make sure I keep racing well because I know if I don’t, I’ll be back to where I was a year ago. So I’m training hard and I’m more motivated than ever now that I’ve been to that level.”

His task, however, isn’t as simple as just concentrating on his role as a runner. He is also his own coach.

Having graduated with a Masters in sports coaching in June, he is keen to continue self-coaching, for the time being at least.

“I’m enjoying training by myself. I’m still improving, but I’m not against having discussions with other people who I respect in the marathon world to try and learn more because you can never, ever learn too much. So I try and get as much help as I can along the way, but I’m still training on my own for now.”

Griffiths did allow himself a break from training following the August marathon, but after a week’s rest where he relaxed and watched the rest of the World Championships “as an athletics fan” it was back to training in preparation for some goals closer to home and close to his heart.

“I’m possibly running the Cardiff Half,” he said, referring to next month’s Cardiff Half Marathon: “I’m training at the moment to make sure I’m back fully fit and I aim to run in Cardiff.

“I love the Cardiff Half. I’ve done it a good few times now. It’s a really good course and really well supported, too.

“Cardiff’s such a good sporting city in general, it really gets behind the sporting events there, whether it’s the Velothon, the Cardiff Half, or whatever, they always seem to put on a good event and the crowds turn out. I do love running there.”

Listening to Griffiths speak it is obvious he is a fiercely proud Welshman and following his unexpected exploits on the world stage this summer, there is another international event on the horizon which he is setting his sights on – the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia next April where he would swap a Great Britain vest for a Welsh one.

Commonwealth Games qualification was Griffiths’ target when he lined up for the London Marathon in April. World Championship qualification had been an unexpected bonus, akin to a Welsh rugby player being capped for the Lions before Wales.

“The Commonwealth Games were always my goal,” he said.  “They’ve been my goal for a long, long time. To run the qualifying time in London was special, and obviously I ran the worlds time as well, but if I got the chance to run at the Commonwealth Games it would be what I was aiming for when I started the sport.

“Being Welsh, the Commonwealth Games are huge, so I just hope that I am on the team and I’m on the start line in Australia.

“If I got the chance to wear the Welsh vest at the Commonwealth Games, that obviously would be another level to any I’ve competed at for Wales before, so it would be a really special moment and a proud moment for me as well. I’m really looking forward and hoping that I’m on that team.”

As well as his own personal achievements this season, he is delighted with the success achieved by his club in being promoted to the Premiership of the British Athletics League for the first time in its history.

“It’s brilliant,” says Griffiths. “Swansea had such a good year, they won the national 12 stage relays, they’ve been promoted to the Premiership, it’s just been a great year for them really, so if we got to win a couple more things for the rest of the year, it would be pretty special and it won’t be done again, I don’t think.

Griffiths is looking forward to competing for his home club in the top flight next season.

“I ran in the British League last year and I couldn’t this year because I was preparing for the marathon, but yes, it’s definitely something I’d like to get involved with in the future for sure.”

If 2017 has been an unforgettable year for the young man from Gorslas, he has plenty of ambitions to make 2018 an even more memorable one for both club and country.