By Owen Morgan
Wales have made a late change to their women’s team for Sunday’s inaugural Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.
Pembrokeshire-based Caryl Jones, who represented Wales at the Gold Coast Commonwealth Games in April and Great Britain at August’s European Championships, has been forced to withdraw due to injury.
However, Wales have a more than able replacement waiting in the wings in the shape of Alaw Beynon-Thomas, who will be making her international championship debut.
The Swansea Harrier is in excellent form having clocked a half marathon lifetime’s best of 76:48 in the mass race at the World Half Marathon Championships in Valencia earlier this year.
Last month she finished fifth in the Cardiff 10k and led her club to retain the Welsh Road Relays by running the fastest leg of the day in challenging wet and windy conditions at Pembrey Country Park.
The final straight… 👊 #RunTheDiff #CardiffHalf pic.twitter.com/yyWHJnHQdP
— Principality Cardiff Half 🏴 (@CardiffHalf) October 1, 2018
Following her call up to the Welsh team Beynon-Thomas said: “I’m always proud to represent my country, but Sunday will be more special because it will be my first major championship race.
“The Commonwealth championships are the only major competition where we get to represent Wales and running in Cardiff will mean a lot to me because I’ve lived here for a few years.
“I was brought up in South Wales which means a lot of my family and friends will be down to watch and support as well.
“The atmosphere and support we get is always special at the Cardiff Half Marathon, and I think this year could be even better with athletes representing their countries as part of the Commonwealth championship.”
The Cardiff University athlete will be more than familiar with the capital city course having run the 2015 and 2017 editions of the Cardiff Half Marathon, which this year runs alongside the Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships.
The 20-year-old will joined in the Welsh squad by Jenny Nesbitt (Worcester Harriers); Rosie Edwards (Rotherham AC) and Clara Evans (Cardiff AAC), along with male athletes Dewi Griffiths, Josh Griffiths, Kristian Jones (Swansea Harriers) and Andy Davies (Stockport AC).
The elite athletes from across the Commonwealth will be joined by 25,000 runners of all ages and abilities on the 13.1 mile course.
The Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon and Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships will be broadcast live on BBC 2 Wales from 9.30am on Sunday, while a highlights package will be shown throughout the UK and Commonwealth.