Noa wins silver in British and Irish Mountain Running Championships

Coleg Menai student Noa Vaughan claimed an impressive silver in the British and Irish Junior Mountain Running Championships.

The 18-year-old was the standout performer for the Wales team, finishing second in the under-20 men’s race in Ireland.

Noa, who studies Level 3 Sport & Exercise Science at the Llangefni campus, said: “I was very happy to come home with a silver medal and help Wales to a team bronze medal.

“I felt proud of my performance and it was a good experience racing at a high level.”

Picture (left): John Shiels / www.actionphotography.ie

He faced tough competition in Glendalough, with the field including six athletes who recently competed for Great Britain at the European Junior Championships.

Noa missed out on that competition through injury, but made up for it with a superb run over the tough 3.8-mile course, which included more than 900 feet of ascent.

In a close race he finished just six seconds behind the winner, Samuel Bentham of England, in a time of 23 minutes 35 seconds.

Noa, from Y Felinheli, competes for Eryri Harriers and won last year’s Welsh under-20 Mountain Running Championship.

He has only been running competitively since 2022, when he was selected to represent his school in a cross-country race. Noa improved very quickly under the guidance of his dad Alun, a former Wales international, and incredibly finished 21st in the under-18 World Championships that same year.

Noa aspires to run for Wales and GB at senior level, saying: “In the future, my ambitions are to represent Wales in the senior category and hopefully achieve a GB vest on the road, trails or cross country. I would like to compete in the marathon, especially London.”

He says his course at Coleg Menai is aiding him in his sporting ambitions, adding: “I’m really enjoying the course. It has helped me develop my performances through learning things such as how to deal with pressure before competing, correct diet and how to lower the risk of injuries.

“The facilities at the sport department, such as the gym, have helped me develop a lot as I do a lot of strength and conditioning work there. I would recommend this course to anyone who wants to pursue a living out of sports in the future.”

After college, Noa hopes to gain a scholarship to study in the USA so he can keep pursuing his dream of competing on the highest stage.

His tutor Gareth Griffiths said: “We’re very proud of Noa’s achievements and that he’s been able to apply himself in both his coursework and his sporting achievements.

“He’s been able to apply what he’s learning on the course towards improving his own sporting performance, and utilise the facilities we’ve got in Llangefni.

“As with all our students, we accommodate their need to travel so they can compete nationally and internationally.

“Good luck to Noa as he keeps striving towards his academic and sporting ambitions.”

It's not too late to apply to college! We still have places available on full-time courses. Go to gllm.ac.uk/courses to find out more