Runners on an Italian job for Wales

Four young local runners are in the eight-member Wales team that will compete in tomorrow’s World Mountain Running Association U18 Cup in Saluzzo, Italy.

The quartet of Welshpool’s Maddie Griffiths and Callum Morgan from Welshpool and Newtown’s Fin Cullen and Aled Breeze qualified for the event in April at the Red Kite Challenge, held at Devil’s Bridge, and will be hoping to make an impression among some of the best young endurance runners in the world.

The team will be joined in Italy by Maldwyn coach, Sharon Jones, who is team manager.

After two years of cancellations due to Covid-19, the event is confirmed in the town of Saluzzo, an hour south of Turin.

The race will take place over 4.35km with 155m of ascent and descent. They begin with a short loop, 550m around the centre of Saluzzo, before a long loop of 3.8km takes runners up onto the hillside to the west of the town.

The International U18 Mountain Running Cup plays an important part in the development of young athletes, giving them the opportunity to represent their country in an international competition. It also gives athletes whose primary sport might be track, cross country or orienteering a flavour of racing in the mountains.