A new track, and the same great club

Left to Right – Steve Brace (Bridgend Athletics); Councillor Huw David (Leader of Bridgend CBC); Councillor John Spanswick (Mayor of BCBC); Councillor Susan Spanswick (Mayoress BCBC); Brian Davies OBE (Sport Wales CEO); Alan Kerr (Chair Bridgend Athletics); James Williams (Welsh Athletics CEO) Councillor Steven Bletsoe (Mayor of Bridgend Town Council) and Councillor Mrs Freya Bletsoe ( Mayoress of BCBC)

A New Track

In 1997 we opened this track.

“It was 24 years ago when you first opened, with Lynn Davies MBE here. The only thing we have in common is that we both come from Nantymoel. I’m not Lynn the leap, but I did do the high jump in school.” John Spanswick

And last year through significant effort the track was re-laid. Today we officially reopen the track.

We extend our thanks to Sport Wales, Bridgend County Borough Council, Bridgend Town Council.
They contributed half of the cost of the track. With £50,000 invested by the club itself. Over the last 20 years the members of this club have contributed this money in their membership, and events we organise. Without everyone’s support, this wouldn’t have happened.

“Bridgend is the only town in Wales that hosts a top flight rugby, cricket, and football team within the top leagues in Wales. And we can never forget what Bridgend Athletics does.” Steven Bletsoe

The same great club

“Bridgend Athletics is one of the greatest athletics clubs in Wales. It’s produced Welsh, British and World champions, and that’s only possible with generations of incredible volunteers. I was proud when you asked to us to invest in this. And I’m sure we’ll see many more generations of athletes achieving – for themselves, their club, county and country.” Huw David

In a timely coincidence, we recently re-branded the club. What was Bridgend Athletics Club, is now Bridgend Athletics, which leads into Welsh Athletics, and into British Athletics. The revamp is partly to distinguish us from other sports clubs in the area. But the name change also represents the pathway in the sport of track and field, cross country and road running – Bridgend Athletics leads to Welsh Athletics, and later British Athletics.

Brian Davies OBE, Sport Wales Acting Chief Executive Officer:

“Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson always mentions Bridgend track when she’s interviewed about her start in athletics. The track didn’t actually exist then, when she trained here. She used to train in the multi-story carpark, going up and down the ramp, with her coach holding up the traffic coming in.

It’s facilities like this that start the journey.”

The running order of the event

Names from across the Welsh sporting scene attended the re-opening of Bridgend athletics track.

First up was club chairman Alan Kerr, who passed the baton to name John Spanswick - Mayor of Bridgend County BC Councillor, followed by:

Councillor Huw David, Leader of Bridgend CBC

Brian Davies OBE, Sport Wales Acting Chief Executive Officer

James Williams, Welsh Athletics Chief Executive Officer

Councillor Steven Bletsoe, Mayor of Bridgend Town Council

Other distinguished attendees:

Bridgend County Borough Council Councillors and CBC Mayoress Councillor – Susan Spanswick

Bridgend Town Councillors and Mayoress Councillor Mrs Freya Bletsoe

Chairs of all the local running clubs, Bridgend AC Officers; Committee and Trustees, the coaches, officials, volunteers with the businesses, landowners and organisations that have supported the club

A one-man team

Presentation of the Welsh Athletics Meritorious Award to Mike Guest

What to say about Mike Guest... he epitomises a commitment to community and elite sport. As an athlete he joined the club in the early 90’s.

“He came as a decathlete, with prowess across all disciplines. I can remember one notable trip, either Wrexham or Colwyn Bay, where Mike managed to do nine events – a one-man team – going round, event to event. We stayed in the Welsh League with just a car full of us.” Steve Brace.

He later coached his sons David and Stephen to national and international standard. To this day he’s recycling his vast athletics knowledge for our youngsters. We’re proud to have Mike represent Bridgend Athletics. And are proud that Welsh Athletics have awarded him the Meritorious Award.

Mike Guest being presented his Meritorious Award from James Williams – Welsh Athletics CEO

Efforts of marathon proportions

While our invited guests took the podium to speak, our junior athletes were running lap after lap on London Marathon weekend. The target? To cover the marathon distance, twice, and raise enough money for a defibrillator of our own.

At the time of writing, we’ve raised a hefty £2,510 (with more to come in). £1,500 will get us the defibrillator we’ve had our eye on, and the rest will be put into junior development.

Our athletes ran 687 laps of our 300m track. Over 128 miles. Nearly 5 full marathons. The quickest marathon team effort was a swift 3:12:29.

A roll-call of those taking part, despite the grey and gloomy weather were:

Alex Clarke, Bel Durrant, Bethan Deeks, Calla Davies, Daisy Cowan-Baylis, Daisy Lewis, Eli Phillips, Ffion Calford, Ffion Howe, Flo Durrant,
Fraser Higginson, Freya Allen, Freya Helling, Gemma Price, Grace Baynham, Grace James, Grace Patterson, Hollie Lewis, Imogen Vecchi,
Isabelle Sheppard, Isobel Davies, Jacob Barnes, Jake Beynon, Joshua James Crump, Katy Griffiths, Lewis Barnes, Lili Whitcombe, Lily May Crump, Maya Hodges, Megane Howe, Noah Roberts, Rhydian Lloyd-Francis, Scarlett Hodges, Seren Hardman, Skye Evans, Sophie Coles, Sydney Spear, Tiffany Sheppeard, Tom Clarke, Tom Coles

“I’d like to pay tribute to all the parents, grandparents, all the people that get behind the sport. There’s a lot of people that contribute behind the scenes, making it happen. On days like this. Standing on the side lines. Getting wet.” John Spanswick

A few of the club youngsters completing their laps around the track in the Marathon Challenge in aid of an AED

Newbridge Fields Athletics Track and Bridgend Athletics Clubhouse.

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BAC Home Junior Decathlon

During the difficult lockdown months, the junior members embarked in a weekly decathlon challenge at their own homes. With some creativity and ingenuity 10 events were devised and documented into fact sheets, so that each discipline was undertaken safely, overseen and recorded for scoring purposes. The events undertaken were Standing Long Jump; 10x10 metre shuttle run; Chest Push; Balance Test; Speed Bounce; Target Throw; Vertical Jump; Hi Stepper; Reaction Test and Standing Triple Jump – all great disciplines to improve their coordination mobility and strength.

Easter 4

Over 60 of the clubs youngsters competed in the “Easter 4” - a combined events competition of 4 disciplines all done on one day – a 2km run (parkrun route); Long Jump, Shot and 100m sprint. A busy schedule that kept both the officials/volunteers and competitors very busy. It was a great day for the youngsters of all the age groups under 11, under 13, under 15 and under 17 to show their skills of running, throwing, and jumping. It proved to be a great preparation event ahead of summer track and field competitions, that all are hoping will go ahead.

2021 BAC Junior Cross Country League

After 4 rounds of the event at Newbridge Fields, Merthyr Mawr, Forage Fields and Heol Y Mynydd over the last few months the final event moves on to the Forage Lake course in Cowbridge on Sunday 29th  May. Over 75 juniors from the club have competed, and their best 4 performances are taken for overall league awards, but all are receiving a new club brand T shirt for completing.

The event has been a huge bonus for the young endurance runners at the club in the absence of any competitive opportunities due to the pandemic and has given a focus for their hard training that they have been undertaking on a weekly basis. A big thanks to the marshals and Landowners at each of the venues for making it happen.

Junior league events

Dates for your diaries!

With physical events looking unlikely though-out Wales in 2021 our coaches contacted Welsh Athletics to come up with something that can get clubs around the nation competing against each other.  While the framework of events and dates has been agreed we are awaiting Welsh Athletics to fully launch the event but as a club we are working towards these dates and events, if nothing else will give us a bench mark of our current abilities.

After running the first event and seeing the competitiveness and team spirit flowing out from our members it’s absolutely the right thing to do to carry on with the events and we look forward to when other clubs join in so we can compare our athletes.

PBs galore at Shepperdine

A handful of Bridgend AC made the trip over the bridge, to put their training to test over a half marathon. Joe, Mark, Lloyd, Jon and Tom travelled to Bloucester in convey. Phil Welch and our newest team member Sadie were on the start line too.

Covid plans were that everyone would set off in 10 second intervals. On the day this was closer to 2. But that played to our runner’s advantage. After just 800m or so, they’d formed a 5-man group, ticking off early miles around 5:30-40. Around 3 miles Tom decided to run his own race. The only blip to the perfect race-day was the headwind at the 7-mile turnaround.

Tea and cake at the finish line was a welcome touch.

“A well-organized event and good course… grateful that Rouge Runs put this event on, a first return to racing since Covid for most of us.”

To toot our own horn, Bridgend AC were first team.

Check out the full results.

Bridgend AC runners

Jon Butler 72:24 5th PB

Mark Emery 73:33 8th PB

Joe Thomas 73:51 10th, 1st V40

Lloyd Manning-James 74:56 13th PB

Tom Graham 75:55 20th PB

Phil Welch 82.47 67th PB

Sadie Pemberton 1:51:26 209 PB

Aged to perfection triumphs

Over the weekend of 20th-21st Feb, a group of Bridgend AC toed the line for the ‘Marathon of a Weekend Challenge’ – each covering the marathon distance, 26.2 miles.

Running from their front doors, individuals and teams competed against local rivals Porthcawl Runners, Cornelly Striders, Ogmore Phoenix, Brackla Harriers and Pencoed Panthers.

The marathon was split into a 5k at 9am on Saturday, followed by half marathon at 1pm. Sunday kicked-off with a 10k a 10am, then an off road 4.5k at 1pm, ending with an all-out mile effort on tired legs at 4pm.

Our Aged to Perfection team triumphed in the team event finishing in a fine 3:05:08. Richard Dando notched up a sub 3 performance for second overall in the individual standings in 2:54:11. And Gina ‘crossed the line’ first female in 3:32:49.

Check out the full results.

Team Event (Aged to Perfection)

1st, from 24 teams.

Steve Brace 5k – 21.22

Simon 0sbourne HM – 90:14

Tony Phillips 10k – 46.56

Rob Hunt 4.5k off-road – 20.02

Gareth Hardman 1 mile – 6:34

Team – 3:05:08

Individual Results

15 athletes

2nd Richard Dando - 18:56 88:54 38:22 22:10 5:49 – 2:54:11

6th Dan Morgan - 20:35 1:44:00 44:00 22:10 6:16 – 3:17:01

7th Gina Hardman – 23:05 1:46:53 48:56 26:40 7:15 – 3:32:49 (1st female)