With five months of summer athletics about to be completed, the cross-country season returns in less than a months' time, starting in Nantyci with the 2019 Carmarthenshire Primary Schools Cross Country Championships which will take place at the United Counties Showground in Carmarthen.

It is being held on the evening of Thursday 19th September, with the first event at 4.30pm and sponsored by McDonalds and Welsh Athletics.

Each event will be over a 1000m or 1200m course for boys and girls in years 3, 4, 5 and 6. All schools in Carmarthenshire have been invited to enter teams in this popular annual sporting event in West Wales.

Schools will be reminded and sent forms at the beginning of the school term with reply slips to be returned to Mr Dylan Evans Head Teacher of Ysgol Y Dderwen by Monday 16th September. Entry fee for teams of £4 per team.

It's the first time that the championships in Carmarthenshire will return in two years following the unfortunate postponement last September due to the adverse weather and unsafe conditions.

The first 10 in each race will receive medals along with the first 3 teams in each race (first 3 members of school to score).

In 2017's edition, the athletes turned out in their numbers as over 45 schools were represented and a record number of almost 1,100 runners took part.

In the team competition, there were four different team winners which were Ysgol Griffith Jones, Ysgol Y Dderwen, Ysgol Teilo Sant and Ysgol Iau Llangennech.

These are likely to feature again but other teams will also be looking to impress on the big stage.

The championships follow on from the successful Dyfed Primary Schools Cross Country Championships held at the beginning of April as children from Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Pembrokeshire descended on the Showground fields.

Victories on the evening in their respective races went to Year 3 Girls: Eva Davies (Llanybydder), Year 3 Boys: Harry Broadhurst (Tenby Juniors), Year 4 Girls: Esme Lynock (Llangadog), Year 4 Boys: Rhys James (Y Dderwen), Year 5 Girls: Jessica Norman (Llansteffan), Year 5 Boys: William Coles (Llangadog), Year 6 Girls: Mared Jones (Y Dderwen) and Year 6 Boys: Macsen Toogood (Teilo Sant)

Ron Mounsey from McDonalds has been a great supporter of school athletics and cross country in Carmarthenshire and the Dyfed district for a number of years and said: "We at McDonalds are very pleased and proud to once again be sponsoring primary schools athletics and cross country competitions staged in Dyfed this year.

"It is a privilege to see so many young children taking part in the sport."