Dewi Griffiths Makes Marathon Debut In Germany

Dewi Griffiths has already hit the Commonwealth Games A standard for the 5,000 and 10,000 metres this year and on Sunday (29 October) he hopes to make it a hat-trick when he makes his marathon debut in Frankfurt.

The 26-year-old has run faster and faster every time he has got to the start line in 2017 and last weekend picked up the Welsh Athletics Senior Off-Track athlete of the year award. While he doesn’t intend to run in the marathon on the Gold Coast next year, he is hoping to qualify for the 2018 European Championships.

“The qualifying mark for the Euros is 2:16.00 and I hope to run faster than that. I’m looking forward to having a go at the marathon although I’m not sure what is going to happen after 20 miles,” said Griffiths.

Griffiths’ latest PB came at the Cardiff University/Cardiff Half Marathon earlier this month when he clocked 61:33 to become the second fastest Welshman of all-time. That time took 80 seconds off his previous best set at the Great North Run three weeks earlier.

Prior to that he had run 28:47 to win the Cardiff 10K before a setting a UK leading 28:27 time to take the runner-up spot at the Swansea Bay 10K. On the track this year he has improved his times over 3000, 5000 and 10,000 metres.

While he has grown into major road races in the UK, and become competitive at a world class level up to half-marathon, his step up to the 26.2 mile distance is likely to be the steepest learning curve he has ever encountered. The fastest in the 14,500 field will be Ethiopia’s Getu Feleke, who has a 2:04:50 PB from 2012, and Germany’s Arne Gabius, who has a best of 2:08:33.

Last year’s champion Mark Korir of Kenya, who ran 2:06:48 for victory in 2016 and has a PB of 2:05:49 from Paris in 2015, returns to defend his title, while last year’s runner-up Martin Kosgey of Kenya, whose best is 2:07:22, will be looking to go one place better.

Earlier this year Griffiths’ Swansea Harriers team mate Josh Griffiths rocked the British marathon world by winning the UK title at the London Marathon in 2:14.49 on his debut. That will be a target for Griffiths and most experts feel he is capable of running much faster if he gets it right.

Top 10 Welsh Marathon Performances

1              2:07:13  Steve Jones (Newport)                 Chicago, 20 October, 1985
2              2:10:35  Steve Brace (Bridgend)                 Houston 21 January, 1996
3              2:12:12 Dennis Fowles (Cardiff)                 London 13 May, 1984
4              2:12:33  Tony Simmons (Luton)                   Sandbach 7 May, 1978
5              2:13:17  Norman Wilson (Thames Valley) Hopkinton-Boston, 20 April, 1981
6              2:13:21  Ieuan Ellis (Elswick)                         Beijing 19 October, 1986
7              2:13:41  Dale Rixon (Bridgend)                    Puteaux 10 November, 1996
8              2:13:48 Mike Bishop (Staffs Moorlands) Paris 17 May, 1987
9              2:14:03  Adrian Leek (Cardiff)                      Pittsburgh 3 May, 1987
10           2:14:49 Josh Griffiths (Swansea)                                London 23 April, 2017