Press Report: Good Year for WCAC

by Dennis Wall

INTERNATIONAL honours, medals and records were recorded by West Cheshire Athletic Club members in 2025.

Mia Johnson, Jessica Lark, Harriet Wheeler, Niamh Le-Gall, Holly Bosworth, Kara Stoll, Alan Littler, Joseph Morrison, Lewis Morris, Lewis Parsons, Fiona Cook, Michael Young, Keely Smith, Joy Hickman, Wullie McGarrell, Alba March and Arwen Thorne provided memorable moments for the purple-vested outfit based at Ellesmere Port Sports Village.

Mia won the Welsh Under 15 women’s 300m title in Swansea during June after winning the Welsh indoor 20m and 300m titles at Cardiff in February, and pocketed a silver medal at the England Indoor Championships in the 200m to end the year ranked 18th for her age in the UK. 

Jessica won the Northern Indoor Under 20 women’s 800m title in Sheffield during January and finished the year ranked second for her age in the UK indoors and third for her age outdoors, and then achieved a European Under 20 Indoor Championships standard of 4:17.06 for the 1500m in her first-ever British Indoor Championships appearance.

Harriet finished the year ranked third in the UK for the under 20 women’s javelin with a throw of 48.61m achieved while representing England at the Ron Pickering Memorial Throws International at Loughborough and secured a silver medal at the English Under 20 Championships and a bronze medal at the English Schools Championships.

Niamh celebrated a gold medal at the Northern Championships with a new under 20 women’s 200m personal best time of 24.21 seconds, alongside Holly who secured a bronze medal with a new 200m best of 24.68 seconds, while Kara nailed a throw of 41.91m for a bronze medal in the under 20 women’s hammer, and Alan cleared 1-70m for a bronze medal in the senior men’s high jump. 

Joseph completed the year ranked 18th in the senior men’s 800m UK ranking list with a personal best of 1:46.20 at Watford in July.

Lewis Morris ended the year with a victory in the Welsh Inter Regional Cross Country Championships, and Lewis Parsons secured a silver medal in the 400m at Swansea in the Welsh Under 20 Championships.

Fiona won the women’s title and finished third overall in her first ever 100 miles race at the Cheshire Ring Ultra fixture in September with a female course record time of 16 hours 32 minutes 54 seconds, having won the Chester 50 miles race earlier in the year with a course record time of seven hours 41 minutes 30 seconds, and won the Manchester to Liverpool 50 miles Race in April with a course record time of six hours 38 minutes 19 seconds. 

Michael clocked a winning time of one hour 30 minutes 15 seconds for victory in the Chester Metric Marathon, and Keely was second in the women’s race with a time of 1:47 and claimed first position in her over 40 age category.

Joy completed the year ranked second in the UK for her over 60 age group for the 2,000m steeplechase, eighth for the 800m, eighth for the 3,000m, and 13th for five miles.

Wullie secured number one spot in the UK ranking lists for his over 60-men’s age group with a time of three hours three minutes and three seconds at the Seville Marathon.

Alba claimed a gold medal in the mixed 4x100m relay at the English Schools Championships. 

Arwen delivered silver and bronze medal performances in the under 17 women’s javelin and high jump events at the Northern Championships, alongside Dylan Gledhill who achieved a silver medal in the under 15 boys javelin, and Lucas Sawyer who claimed a silver in the under 13 boys 800m. 

Dave McKay produced a silver medal in the over 45 men’s throws pentathlon at the European Masters Track and Field Championships held in Madeira during October.

West Cheshire AC members pocketed 83 medals at the Cheshire Track and Field Championships (34 gold, 27 silver and 22 bronze), held at the Ellesmere Port Sports Village track in May.

And the club celebrated promotion in the Youth Development Track and Field Lower and Upper Age Group League Competitions to secure Premier Division status in 2026.

ENTRIES close on Sunday, December 28, for the Cheshire County Cross Country Championships being held at Kelsall Equestrian Centre, on Saturday, January 3, while the Northern Cross Country Championships, will be held at Pontefract, on Saturday, January 24; and the English National Cross Country Championships, will be held at Sedgefield, on Saturday, February 21.

THE Cheshire Schools Cross Country Championships will be held on Saturday, February 7, at Knights Grange, Winsford.

THE North Wales Cross Country Championships will be held at the Treborth Track, Bangor, on Saturday, January 10. Entries can be made via the following link: https://www.entrycentral.com/NorthWalesCCChamps

ENTRIES are now being accepted for the Northern Senior, Under 20 and Under 17 Indoor Track and Field Championships taking place at Sheffield on January 10 and 11, as well as the Northern Under 15 and Under 13 Indoor Track and Field Championships taking place at Sheffield on Sunday, February 1. The online entry link is: northernathletics.co.uk/events/

FIXTURES for this season’s Borders Road Running League are: 1st February, TBC (Pensby); 1st March, Wallasey; 22nd March, Promenade (Wirral AC); 6th May, Prestatyn, Relays.

THIS winter’s Sale Harriers Manchester Indoor Track and Field Open Meetings will be held at the Regional Athletics Centre, Sportcity, Manchester. M11 4FF, on the following Sundays, January 18; February 8; February 22; and March 15. The online entry link is: https://www.saleharriersmanchester.com/winter-indoor-series/

ENGLAND ATHLETICS have announced the dates and details for the 2026 Indoor Championships:

17-18 January: The Under 20 and Senior Combined Events and Senior Para Championships (including Race Walking Championships and British Milers Club on 18 January. Entries on Roster close on 17 December.

7-8 February: England Age Group Championships. Entries open on Roster on 15 December, closing on 18 January.
7-8 March: England Age Group Combined Events and Junior Para Championships. Entries open on Roster on 2 February, closing on 22 February.

FURTHER details about West Cheshire Athletic Club can be found at: www.westcheshireac.co.uk