On Saturday Oliver Weddell made his England debut in the mixed relay at the SIAB international in Bangor, Wales. He ran the 1500m leg in 4.22, the fastest leg of the day by any of the athletes. 

Oliver Weddell was the star of the Bedfordshire show at the English Schools Cross Country Championships held in bright but cold windy conditions at Liverpool’s Sefton Park on Saturday 14^th March.

Having decisively won the County Championships at Ampthill a month earlier, Ollie stepped up on the big stage to finish 10^th in a very competitive Inter Boys 4.5Km race. His exceptional performance earned him an English Schools vest for the Home Countries International taking place in Bangor following week.

On Sunday at the Irish Masters Indoor Championships in Athlone Bedford & County athlete Richard Phelan won two golds and a silver for LJ (4.16m), TJ (8.64m) and PV (2.40m) respectively.

Well done Richard, a feat made even more impressive as the Pole vault and triple jump were running concurrently!

The season opened in style at StoneX Stadium this weekend, highlighted by a record-breaking performance from Oriana Johnson in the hammer. Oriana launched the implement out to 18.46m, setting a new club W60 record and continuing the excellent progress shown in her recent training.

She also produced strong supporting performances in the other throws, recording 16.12m in the discus and 6.12m in the shot put, completing an impressive all-round competition.

In the U16 boys discus, Holder Botha delivered one of the standout performances of the day with a 3-metre personal best of 34.61m. The throw secured victory in the Pool 1 group and marks an excellent early-season result that points towards even longer throws as the summer progresses. 

A very encouraging start to the season for the club’s throwers, with records falling and personal bests already on the board.

Congratulations to James Lawler who has broken the club M50 half marathon record with a time of 72.49 at the Malaga Half.

A number of Bedford and County athletes joined the 14,000 plus competitors at last Sunday’s Cambridge Half Marathon.

There were some excellent results achieved by club members, our contingent being led home by Sam Winters’ pb of 67:43, for 15^th place overall. 

The 2026 England Winter Long Throws Championships were held at Loughborough last weekend with standout efforts from Bedford & County Athletic Club athletes:

📊 Emily Elphick – U16 Girls Javelin
Emily delivered a gutsy series in tricky, rainy cross-wind conditions during the female javelin competition finishing 3^rd with 38.13m. After trading positions with rivals early on, she threw consistently and showed technical resilience. While she didn’t reach the very top of the podium place performance was competitive and close to personal best distance, reflecting strong developmental momentum heading into the outdoor season. Emily's medal was presented by Goldie Sayers, UK Record holder and Olympic Bronze Medallist.

🔨 Mia Flynn – U16 Girls Hammer
Mia lit up the final event of the day with a powerful hammer series winning her first national title. Battling through multiple no-throws, she produced a modest winning mark on her last attempt 47.89m to clinch the title in her age group. Her capacity to refocus under pressure and finish strongly was a highlight, signaling excellent form and championship composure.

Both performances from Bedford & County’s girls were impressive and bode well for the summer season’s ambitions.

There were some excellent club performances at Battersea FNUL last Friday – as ever, the races were of a very high quality. There were road pb’s for Ed Whiting (15:07) and Lauren Nichols (17:10), and very solid seasons bests from Ed Blythman (14:17) and Sam Knee-Robinson (14:46).