Griffiths To Join Farah For Cardiff World Half Marathon

Welsh cross country champion Dewi Griffiths will team up with Mo Farah in the Great Britain team for the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff.

Griffiths has been named in a five-man squad for the event which will be held in the capital on March 26.

The 22-year-old tweeted: “Delighted to be selected to represent Wales and Great Britain at @Cardiff2016 thanks @BritAthletics for the opportunity. Bring it on.”

Griffiths will become only the third Welsh male athlete after Steve Brace (1992) and Steve Jones (1993) to represent Great Britain at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships.

The Carmathenshire runner qualified for the British team by finishing second in the British Half Marathon Championships at the Cardiff Half Marathon in October.

For Farah – the double Olympic and five-time world track champion – this will be his debut in the event.

“I am looking forward to running on the British team at the IAAF / Cardiff University World Half Marathon Championships in Cardiff,” said Farah, the European record holder over the half-marathon (59:32).

“It will be my first time to compete at this Championship but I have been training hard and hope to perform well.

“I always enjoy racing in front of a home crowd and I’m sure they will give myself and the rest of the British team, fantastic support as they line the streets of the city.”

Callum Hawkins, Matthew Hynes and Ryan McLeod complete the British men’s line-up while 2014 European Cross Country champion Gemma Steel leads the way in the women’s team and will be looking to improve upon a seventh place finish at the 2012 edition of the event in Bulgaria.

Alyson Dixon, 18th at the last edition in Copenhagen, and Charlotte Purdue take their places in the squad while Rachel Felton and Jenny Spink will make their debut international appearances for the British Athletics team. Jess Coulson, who won the Trials in Cardiff last October, was not available for selection.

“There is some great British history in these championships with Paula Radcliffe and Liz McColgan winning at previous editions and I am really looking forward to seeing the team tackle the course at the IAAF / Cardiff World Half Marathon Championships, ” said team leader Spencer Duval.

“It is a great opportunity for the team to contest a major championship on home soil and I have every faith that they will take advantage of the support from the British public on the route.

“It will be a fantastic development opportunity for some of the athletes and those who are preparing for the Virgin Money London Marathon (Olympic Trials event) in April.”