Dewi Griffiths (April 2017)
Dewi Griffiths, is a remarkably friendly and natural character from West Wales.
On the 8th of April 2017, in the sunshine, his club Swansea won the National 12 Stage Road Relay Championships, by a huge margin with Griffiths, running the fastest long leg, on Leg 5. His time 25:10, seventeen seconds faster that the second fastest overall, Alex Yee of Kent AC. Eritrean, Daniel Dista, went ahead for Swansea on the 6th stage, going up the hill and, they never again relinquished their lead (1 Swansea 4:15.06; 2 Bristol & West 4:19.55; 3 Liverpool 4:20.51).
Dewi Griffiths remarked “I think everyone knew we had a good team and everyone ran well for us.
We were second in the National Six Stage in October’ Dewi added ‘We were missing a couple of guys but it was way back. It is difficult to get 12 guys out on the same day. It is a shame many athletes from other clubs don’t do the relay.”
Around the time the relay was on, it was lambing season for Dewi, who works on a farm in Carmarthenshire, West Wales. He did point out that it is undulating, with plenty of places to train for strength.
How did it all start for Dewi Griffiths “I was quite active on the farm and just enjoyed running. I first of all belonged to Carmarthen Harriers before joining Swansea, that had some good runners. Ian Hamer and Shaun Tobin, whose sons run for Swansea. To begin with I was doing alright and got my first Welsh vest competing in the British Schools. I thought the English guys look good then, I remember leading and thought ‘Why can’t I win it’ and I came 3rd and it went from there.”
In the Inter-Counties at Nottingham, as an under 20 runner he was 4th and won the Welsh Championships. Going forward to 2016 he won the British cross Challenge, which was an exciting race in Crofton Park, Birmingham for the British Inter-Counties title. He had a battle on his hands that day when winning. (1. Dewi Giffiths of Swansea, coached by Kevin Evans (37:13) 2 Adam Hickey, Southend (37:18) and Jonathan Taylor, Morpeth (37:50).
“That was a big one. When you hang up your spikes and look back, winning the Welsh cross country title six times, is something to remember. It doesn’t’ matter how you won it but, winning it six times, it is sweeter then.”
At the time of writing his 5000/10000 Bests area 13:53.85/28:28.55. The latter in Amsterdam in the European Championships when he was 5th on the 8th of July 2016.
It is worth noting he has had some quite swift times on the road, with a best 10 mile time of 48:27 in 2015 and 63:27 for the half marathon in 2016.
Dewi Griffiths summed it all up, about his life at Sutton Park, after the National road relay.
“I don’t mind what surface I run on track, road or cross-country. I just enjoy racing but I hope to go quicker that is all I aim for”