Merry Christmas & Happy New Year & More!

We would like to wish all our athletes, volunteers and everyone else associated with the club a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, in what has been the clubs toughest ever year, as it has been for us all, 2021 can only get better!?

Track Closure:

After the Saturday 19th December Welsh Government announcement, both the indoor and outdoor tracks are now closed. The tracks were pencilled in to re open on Monday 4th January, which is now on hold due to the tier 4 Welsh Government restrictions. As soon as we know facilities can open again, we will update our covid 19 plan accordingly and aim to get it published on this website as soon as is humanly possible. This means that club/group training is suspended with immediate effect.  Meeting to train with others outside of your own household/support bubble is not permitted, whilst it is also worth remembering that, at level 4, travel is restricted, therefore you should not be travelling to train/exercise.

Christmas Thank You List:

The club has just about managed to keep running despite the many rules and regulations we have been adhering to. This has primarily been down to the hard work of all of our volunteers and the university track staff! The final 10 days or so having been particularly challenging for us to keep going with so many volunteers having to isolate for one reason or another. In no particular order:

Thanks to all the coaches for making themselves available as much as possible in all weather conditions, ensuring athletes social distance, keeping their squad track and trace registers, reading, memorising and adhering to the 16 pages of our covid 19 risk assessments. It takes longer for them to do the paperwork at this time than it does for them to coach the sessions!

Thanks to the treasurer and the cafe team of mums, dads and others, who’ve stepped in to cover eight shifts a week between them, consisting of 2 a day Monday to Thursday to collect training fees, membership fees and kit sales on our new contactless cashless system and religiously turning up even if their own kids weren’t training. We also miss terribly all our previous cafe team who are very sensibly shielding, and look forward to the cavalry’s return in 2021 when it is safe for them to do so.

Thanks to all our Covid 19 officer mums and dads who, just as the cafe team, have also still been attending the eight shifts, even if their own kids weren’t training. We would have had to cancel many of the club nights without their presence. In addition, they all look resplendent in their Covid Marshal Hi Viz jackets kindly donated to us by the team at  J&S Products Leanne, James, Caitlin & Megan whose support we are so grateful for.

Thanks to all of the club trustees/committee who have steered the club through these tough times, much if not all of their work goes on unseen in the background.

Thanks to the University Track Staff who have worked their socks of too, keeping both the indoor and outdoor tracks open in a Covid 19 secure environment, they’ve got even more risk assessments to follow than we have!

To all the athletes, who have been able to attend training we hope you have enjoyed what limited events we have been able to offer you. Particularly the primary introductory groups who have been restricted to just four rather than all the events. We hope to offer more variety again in 2021, the letter to Santa is being submitted!

Results:

They’ve been few and far between this year, but we have a sprinkling of more results to summarize for you:

Sunday 29th November SM Kristian Jones runs a very quick (14.10) for 5km in Fife, Scotland finishing 3rd, well done Kristian!

Saturday 12th December eight Swansea Harriers juniors took part in the pilot, invitation only 3km road race at Pembrey for those juniors on the Welsh Athletics regional development programme. U15B Joshua Pritchard was our sole representative in the boys race placing 12th in (11.23). In the girls race it was a clean sweep of the top 6 places, all recording personal bests too for: 1st U20W Ashleigh Willis (10.13); 2nd U20W Darcie Bass (10.16); 3rd U17W Ella Davies (11.19); 4th U15G Mai Davies (11.24); 5th U20W Carys Jones (11.27); 6th U15G Sophie Hartley-Green (11.41) and 9th U15G Kaitlyn Jones (12.58). It was a great event in what we hope will be the first of many during 2021. Click here for the full results.

Sunday 13th December U23M Dominic Smith runs a lifetime best of (30.50) for 10km at Kirkby Mallroy to finish in 7th, well done Dom!

Funding Boost:

Funding applications are like buses, you wait well over a year for one to come along and then two arrive at once! The club successfully applied for funding from the Sport Wales Be Active Fund and Local Giving Magic Little Grant, and we are so very grateful for this grant support. The club coaching structure has been hit really hard by Covid 19 hugely restricting what we have been able to offer. During 2021 we now have funding ring fenced to re-grow our volunteer coaching team and to develop those coaches who have been able to remain involved along the UK Athletics coaching pathways. By this time next year we aim and plan to be back to pre Covid 19 coaching resources. This will make a significant difference, enabling us to gradually take on additional members in all age groups and disciplines as restrictions are eased, and help to retain those athletes that we have.

Cross Country League:

The Gwent League Committee, in conjunction with the clubs organising what would have been the last two fixtures during 2021, feel that there is no prospect of staging these events in a way which would be both safe for both volunteers and participants, and also have the blessing of land-owners and support of first aid providers. We have therefore decided to cancel the remaining fixtures for this season.