Caerleon hosts International Cross Country Championships

Wales hosted the International Cross Country Championships, the forerunner to the World Championships, for the first time on Saturday, 10 March, 1906. The event was staged at the Caerleon Racecourse and the first Welsh finisher was Tommy Hughes in ninth place, Wales finished fifth overall having come home in the silver medal position in the second edition of the event in 1907. Caerleon again hosted the event in 1911, 1921, 1927, 1933 and 1951. Ely Racecourse was the venue in Wales in 1939, Pontcanna Fields was used in 1958 and Barry staged the event in 1967. Chepstow Racecourse hosted the 1976 running of what was then the IAAF World Championships. The race was won by England’s Charlie Straw.