Welcome To All Our Members (Past & Present) and Friends in Athletics

Last updated - 05/05/2012 (Page(s) - 2012 Events/2012 Diary/Overseas Trips/Photos added to Track & Field & Road Running sesctions)

Hello and welcome to the Swansea Harriers 50th Anniversary website.

The website is currently in the process of being developed so if you have any stories/articles that you feel are worth including, or if you have any old photographs please contact Kevin Corcoran at westglamleague@sky.com   In the meantime the site is being used to highlight our Clubs 50th Anniversary.

Since we were established in 1962 the Club has developed from a small running group of young men and boys from Swansea into one of the top athletics clubs in the UK, catering for all athletic disciplines in all age groups, both male and female. Our membership is multi-cultural and includes athletes from all home nations as well as from France, Germany, Estonia, South Africa, Canada and USA.

We have produced Welsh and Great Britain International athletes in all age groups and in 2011 the Club produced it's first senior World Champion - David Greene.

The Harriers were voted UK Athletics Club of the Year in 2009 and we will celebrate our 50th Anniversary in London Olympic Year 2012.  This site is dedicated to everyone who has helped and competed for the Club over it's 50 years and we welcome messages from former members, especially those no longer in Swansea.  Please leave your message in the guestbook.

50th Anniversary Club Dinner

To celebrate the Clubs 50^th Anniversary the Club is holding a Celebratory Dinner on Saturday 27^th October 2012 at The Marriott Hotel, Swansea Marina, Swansea

Approximate Cost - £20-£25

Demand for tickets is very high so to confirm your place at this event please forward a £10 deposit (per person) to Sue Griffiths at 33 Raglan Road, Tycoch, Swansea

For further information (including hotel rates if you wish to stay overnight at The Marriott) please contact Sue at sgriffiths56@hotmail.co.uk

2009 - UK Athletics Club of The Year

December 2009 saw the Harriers named UK Athletics Club of the Year after the judging panel found them "head and shoulders" above the competition. Club coach Mel Curds accepted the award at the National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull last Saturday where the Harriers beat two other shortlisted clubs.

The prize is awarded not just for on-track success, but for achievement behind the scenes in coaching and infrastructure. Judges praised the Harriers' facilities at the university sports centre in Sketty and their development of athletes and coaches.

"Swansea has once again established itself as Wales' largest and most successful club across all age groups," read a UK Athletics statement. "The panel found them to be head and shoulders above other clubs for breadth and depth of work done, and every panel member voted for them as either first or second selection."

It was the third time in as many years the Harriers have been nominated for the award, but the first time they've won it. "It's a case of third time lucky and it's a huge honour to be voted the best club in the UK," said Swansea Harriers president Barrie Owen.

"Our numbers have shot up from an average of 300 to around 550, a lot of which are juniors, and we now have 40 coaches. "We had a bit of a lull after Morfa closed, but with the opening of the new facility at the university, a lot of youngsters have started to come in and now they're starting to come through."

Four hundred metres hurdler David Greene was the club's most high-profile success story last year. The Llanelli athlete began the summer by breaking the Welsh 400m hurdles record and sealing a place in the British team for the World Championships in Berlin.

There he set a personal best in the semi-finals and was hotly tipped for a place on the podium before eventually fading in the final to finish sixth. But he will go into 2010 as favourite for Commonwealth Games gold in Delhi and will also be fancied to medal in the European Championships.

He is currently the number one ranked European in his event and fourth on the all-time British list. "David Greene has come through really well and that's helped encourage the youngsters," said Owen.

"He's had a number of injury problems in the past two years, and once he freed himself of those he really knuckled down. "He's come good quite quickly and I'm confident he can get better. "He came along to our presentation evening and he's such a quiet, modest guy — he's a great role model."

The Harriers men's cross country team finished second at the European club cross country trials, having won the 2009 Welsh Championships where the club also enjoyed success at under-13 and under-15 level.

At the Welsh road relay championships the Harriers won the senior women, master ladies and under-15 girls categories with the senior Men, masters men and under-13 boys teams all picking up silver medals.

The club also won the inaugural Welsh under17/under-20/Senior Track and Field League and were victorious in both the Welsh junior and Louise Arthur leagues.

Report taken from South Wales Evening Post - December 2009



Club Coach Melanie Curds receives the UK Athletics Club of the Year award from Welsh Athletics Chief Executive Matt Newman