Bute Park in Cardiff hosts inaugural home nations 5km event with team victories going to England

Jake Smith and Annabel Simpson took victory at the ASICS Home International 5km Races in Cardiff on Saturday (Aug 20) with England taking team honours.

Smith lined up for the ‘Sunday Plodcast Team’ just days after returning from holiday in Morocco and only one week back into training. He had run with a small lead group including Richard Allen, Callum Elson and Remi Adebiyi until the last lap of three when he pulled clear, chasing his own Welsh all-comers’ record of 13:59 and falling just short with a winning time of 14:05.

He was followed home by former Podium 5km record-holder Allen from the ‘Sportsshoes’ team in 14:09 and Callum Elson, running for the ‘Puresport’ team, in 14:10.

England took team honours led home by Jonathan Cornish in 11^th.

“That was amazing,” said Smith. “I finished the track season with a 14:03 so tonight I ran by myself in 14:05 and I was really struggling but it’s all I can ask for to win a race.”

The women’s race saw Simpson pull clear with Jenny Nesbitt of Wales, who was completely at home on the loop of the Cardiff parkland where she does much of her training.

Scottish 5000m champion Simpson overcame the local athlete, winning for her Scotland team in a PB of 15:51. Nesbitt was the next to finish for the home team in 15:53 with Georgie Grgec third for the Sportsshoes team, dipping under the 16-minute mark for the first time in 15:54. Ellie Wallace led her England quartet to team victory.

“That was such a fantastic course,” Simpson said. “This is such a lovely park and the atmosphere is amazing so I really enjoyed it.

“Knowing that Jenny was behind me and hearing everyone cheering her on made me think that I need to just dig in and keep going.”