Ljamcevski Record Leads Worldwide Title Rush for GB Clubs
Overseas Individual National Championships
(19th August 2026)
GB-club athletes collected national titles across Europe, Asia, Oceania, Africa and the Americas, with Quemerford Harriers’ Traiko Ljamcevski producing the day’s only national record.
By Justin Lane, Chief Correspondent, with reports from Hao Hai, Max Power, Paige Turner, Bill Board and Anita Bath
The British club presence stretched across 54 overseas individual national championships on Wednesday, producing 93 victories and a long trail of national champions from Australia to Uruguay.
The outstanding record-breaking moment came in North Macedonia, where Quemerford Harriers’ Traiko Ljamcevski won the men’s 10,000 metres in 32:48.16, setting a national record. Ljamcevski later added the marathon title in 2:09:41.70, giving him two national titles on the day.
Traiko Ljamcevski of Quemerford Harriersleads the men's 10,000m with Lazo Mirčeski of Hacksaws in 2nd place.
Weymouth Bay Sharks, Quemerford and Hacksaws supplied many of the victories, but the success was spread much wider. Athletes representing clubs from across the British leagues reached national podiums in every region, while a number of personal bests added individual landmarks to the title haul.
Europe — Ljamcevski Sets the Standard
Paige Turner followed the busiest stretch of the overseas programme, with GB-club athletes appearing in national championships across 30 European countries.
North Macedonia provided the headline. Alongside Ljamcevski’s national record and marathon victory, Weymouth’s Hilda Najdoska won both the women’s 10-kilometre and 20-kilometre walks, Hacksaws’ Metodija Dimovska took the women’s 200 metres and The Titans’ Nevena Jancevska won the women’s sprint hurdles. Filham Excelsior also had a champion through Konstantin Georgijevski, whose personal-best 5.63 metres won the men’s long jump.
Weymouth Bay Sharks enjoyed an especially productive Serbian championship. Maja Kljajić won the women’s 200 metres in 23.86 before taking the 400 metres in a personal-best 56.18. Ekatarina Jovanović added the women’s 800 metres, while Vladimir Iliev completed a 10,000 metres and marathon double.
The Sharks were prominent again in Slovakia, where Iliev’s club-mate Vladislav Pupala won both the men’s 10,000 metres and marathon. Hacksaws also struck twice through Rastislav Hýravý, who won the pole vault with a personal-best 5.24 metres and added the triple jump, while Anastázia Štrbová won the women’s marathon in a personal-best 2:34:42.40.
Lithuania brought another cluster of titles for Hacksaws. Laimis Vainilaitis won the men’s 800 metres and then produced a personal-best 12:01.62 to take the 3000 metres steeplechase. Zita Bilevičiūtė won both the women’s 5000 and 10,000 metres, while Caledonian’s Elena Kriaušienė cleared a personal-best 1.48 metres to win the women’s high jump.
Quemerford collected a hurdles double in Bosnia and Herzegovina through Ades Bresan, winner of the men’s sprint hurdles and 400 metres hurdles. Reading Palm Faces’ Ivica Komenic won the men’s 100 metres, while Milenko Savicevic of Risca Harriers AAC took the men’s 20-kilometre walk.
In Bulgaria, Quemerford’s Viktoria Dineva won the women’s 10,000 metres and followed it with a personal-best 2:32:02.82 in the marathon. Yellerbellies’ Yanko Cholakov added the men’s 3000 metres steeplechase title.
Estonia belonged largely to the hurdlers. Weymouth’s Tiina Rumma won both women’s hurdles events, while Quemerford’s Heiro Kaitsa took the men’s high jump. Finland produced a throwing double for Hacksaws as Risto Riutta won both hammer and javelin.
In Greece, Weymouth’s Andreas Gkouvoudis claimed the men’s 1500 metres in 3:54.18 and the 3000 metres steeplechase in 11:29.40. The Titans’ Antonis Karavatos also reached the podium with a personal-best 4.63 metres for silver in the pole vault.
There were further titles in Denmark, where Quemerford’s Elias Horn won the men’s 10,000 metres in 32:34.07, and France, where Weymouth’s Bastien Gabriel won the men’s 400 metres hurdles in 57.38.
Hacksaws’ Elke Achenbach won the women’s high jump in Germany at 1.76 metres, with Weymouth’s Ben Bechler taking silver in the men’s 100 metres and Hacksaws’ Enya Heiß bronze in the heptathlon. Spain brought another title for Hacksaws as Alfonso Santos won the men’s long jump with 7.72 metres, while Armando Tormo took high-jump silver at 2.13 metres.
Portugal produced a major field-event success through Hacksaws’ Andreia Peralta, who won the women’s shot with 21.39 metres. In Italy, Nadia Bottazzini won the female pentathlon for Hacksaws and added silver in the heptathlon.
BRC’s Viktória Faludy won the women’s 400 metres hurdles in Hungary with a personal-best 1:03.99, while Quemerford’s Ákos Matolcsy took silver in the men’s 20-kilometre walk. Latvia produced victory for Yellerbellies’ Artūrs Krastiņš in the men’s 50-kilometre walk, with Isca Harriers’ Guntars Jēkabsons taking pole-vault silver and Quemerford’s Lauma Graudiņa a personal-best marathon bronze.
Budd Park Darts had a national champion in Belarus through Irina Timiryazeva, whose personal-best 4.70 metres won the women’s long jump. Hacksaws’ Kirill Yershov added two silvers there in the men’s 800 metres and 3000 metres steeplechase.
The Croatian championships brought silver in the men’s 200 metres for Caledonian’s Zeljko Vori, his 23.34 a personal best, and another silver for BRC’s Velimira Vidović in the women’s 400 metres. In the Czech Republic, E-LDN Surge’s Květoslava Čurejová took silver in the women’s 10-kilometre walk and Quemerford’s Adéla Ridošková collected silvers in both shot and discus.
Austria brought two bronzes: Weymouth’s Anna Fritsch threw a personal-best 54.07 metres in the women’s discus, while Hacksaws’ Lenhard Dorfner finished third in the decathlon. Switzerland produced silver medals for Reading’s Thierry Gerung in the men’s 800 metres and BRC’s Lucia Scheffknecht in the women’s triple jump.
BRC also featured in Ukraine, where Juriy Kryzhanovsky took silver in the men’s 20-kilometre walk and Ivas Novokhatsky bronze in the men’s 100 metres. Caledonian’s Anemona Balmoş earned Romanian silver with a personal-best 43.85 metres in the javelin and added bronze in the hammer.
Quemerford’s Angelca Zajec took silver in Slovenia’s women’s 200 metres. In Norway, Risca Harriers AAC’s Aleksander Jansen collected silver in the shot and bronze in the discus, while Caledonian’s Alvin Ersberg was second in Sweden’s men’s 3000 metres steeplechase.
Isca Harriers’ Kristlaug Rafnkelsdóttir produced two personal-best silvers in Iceland, finishing second in both the women’s 20-kilometre and 50-kilometre walks. Kingstonians were represented in Belgium by Téo Pynebrouck, who completed the decathlon in 13th, while Filham Excelsior’s Errikos Xatzimitsis finished fourth in Cyprus’s men’s 10-kilometre walk.
Asia — China and Singapore Bring a String of Titles
Asia correspondent Hao Hai saw GB-club athletes winning across a broad range of disciplines.
China produced six titles. Great Britain’s Qiaozhong Liang won the men’s 800 metres in a personal-best 2:10.68 and also took the 3000 metres steeplechase. Weymouth’s Chengxin Xìng won both the high jump and pole vault, and team-mate Wenlun Zhongsun took the triple jump. Filham Excelsior’s Jimei Fuxi completed the winning group in the men’s 400 metres.
Singapore was almost as productive. Reading Palm Faces’ Janelle Sng won the women’s 100 metres, Quemerford’s Giselle Lok took the women’s 400 metres hurdles, BRC’s Hayley Chin won the women’s 5000 metres in a personal-best 18:08.64, and Grimsby Harriers’ Cayden Kok cleared a personal-best 4.12 metres to win the men’s pole vault.
Malaysia brought victory for Great Britain’s Sri Mumtaz in the women’s sprint hurdles, before she added silver in the 400 metres hurdles with a personal best. Caledonian’s Bintang Jayagandan also produced a personal best in taking silver in the men’s 50-kilometre walk.
In the Philippines, Yellerbellies’ Joel Larong became national champion with a personal-best 53:33.18 in the men’s 10-kilometre walk.
In India, Weymouth’s Gobind Chawla won the men’s shot and added silver in the discus, while Great Britain’s Devina Tayal took 1500 metres silver with a personal best.
Japan brought three second places: Filham’s Tsuyoshi Horiike in the men’s 1500 metres with a personal best, Great Britain’s Katsumi Kumon in the 200 metres and Eita Yokouchi in the hammer.
Hacksaws’ Yoash Danin enjoyed a notable Israeli championship by winning both the male pentathlon and decathlon. Filham’s Zeruya Kravchenko added silver in the women’s shot with a personal best.
Reading Palm Faces’ Aysegül Sener twice reached the podium in Turkey, taking silver in both the female pentathlon and heptathlon.
Oceania — Welsh Doubles in Australia
Oceania correspondent Max Power watched British clubs return a particularly strong set of Australian results.
Quemerford’s Ben Welsh completed the men’s sprint double, winning the 100 metres in 11.34 and the 200 metres in 22.49. Hacksaws’ George William took the men’s 400 metres hurdles, while Quemerford added titles through Emily Edments in the women’s 10,000 metres and Tahlia Edgley in the high jump.
Hacksaws’ Seth Kinsela won the men’s 20-kilometre walk, and Caledonian’s Caitlin Roberts took the female pentathlon before returning for bronze in the heptathlon.
New Zealand produced another victory for the club Great Britain as Steven Sinclair won the men’s 20-kilometre walk in a personal-best 1:44:42.32. Casey Fletcher took silver in the 10-kilometre walk with a personal best, and Emma Cassidy added another personal-best silver in the women’s 10,000 metres.
The Americas — Brazil, the Caribbean and South America Deliver
Bill Board followed the championships across the Americas, where Weymouth and Quemerford were again prominent.
Brazil produced six GB-club titles. Weymouth’s Guilherme Machado won the men’s 400 metres, while Milena Ventura completed a women’s hurdles double. Quemerford’s Ramon Castán won the high jump and triple jump, reaching 14.17 metres in the latter. Weymouth’s Mônica Silveira added the female pentathlon title.
In Chile, Weymouth’s Felix Cornez completed a hammer and javelin double, while Great Britain’s Adelita Morovic won the women’s javelin with a personal-best 37.65 metres.
Weymouth’s Amparo Reina won the Colombian women’s 10,000 metres in a personal-best 37:17.93, and Quemerford’s Agustina Briceño took the women’s 50-kilometre walk. Weymouth’s Adrian Rada added silver in the men’s 800 metres.
Caledonian’s Maritza Ochoa won both the women’s 400 metres and sprint hurdles in Ecuador, setting a personal best of 1:00.90 in the 400 metres. Reading’s Mayra Montanero took silver in the hammer with a personal best.
Venezuela brought a middle-distance double for Quemerford’s Antonio Smith, winner of the men’s 800 and 1500 metres, while The Titans’ Robert Espinoza finished second in the 400 metres hurdles.
The Bahamas produced two titles for Quemerford’s James Wells, including a personal-best 3:57.38 in the 1500 metres, while Caledonian’s Alan Lewis won the 3000 metres steeplechase with a personal best.
Reading’s Gregorio Bergara won the Uruguayan men’s sprint hurdles, with Grimsby’s Ramon Anchén taking bronze in the 200 metres.
The Caribbean also brought podium finishes in Jamaica and Barbados. Reading’s Warren Bush took Jamaican bronze in the pole vault, while Border City Harriers’ Danny Roberts recorded a personal best in finishing ninth in the triple jump. Grimsby’s Lisa Learmond took bronze in the women’s discus in Barbados.
Caledonian’s Caleb O'Regan finished second in Canada’s men’s 10,000 metres, while Reading’s Horacio Corleto placed fifth in Argentina’s men’s 10-kilometre walk.
Africa — Titles on Track and in the Field
Anita Bath reported a strong South African championship for athletes attached to GB clubs.
Great Britain’s Thandiwe Dlanga won the women’s 400 metres in a personal-best 57.12, while club-mate Sue Kruger took the women’s 800 metres. BRC’s Schalk Adriaanse completed the title-winning trio with 56.97 metres in the men’s discus.
Quemerford’s Quasshie Bakhati supplied both GB-club victories in Egypt, winning the men’s hammer and javelin. Caledonian’s Habibah Badawy added silver in the female pentathlon.
Nigeria brought two podium finishes for Caledonian’s Okpara Njoku, silver in the men’s 50-kilometre walk and bronze in the 10-kilometre walk with a personal best. BRC’s Irawagbon Oliseh also reached the podium with bronze in the women’s 3000 metres steeplechase.
A Truly International Wednesday
The sheer geographical spread made the day unusual even by the standards of the Individual National Championships.
Weymouth Bay Sharks were winning from Serbia and Slovakia to Brazil, China, France and India. Quemerford Harriers collected titles across Europe, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. Hacksaws found champions from Australia to Finland, Germany, Israel, Italy, Lithuania, Portugal, Slovakia and Spain.
But the day was about more than the three clubs most frequently seen at the front of the British programme.
Caledonian produced champions in Australia, the Bahamas, Ecuador and Lithuania. Great Britain won in China, Chile, Malaysia, New Zealand and South Africa. Reading Palm Faces struck in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Singapore and Uruguay, while BRC, Yellerbellies, Grimsby Harriers, Budd Park Darts, Filham Excelsior and Risca Harriers AAC all returned overseas national champions of their own.
For all the titles, one performance stood apart.
Traiko Ljamcevski arrived at the North Macedonian championships as one of Quemerford’s overseas entrants and left with two national titles and a new national record.
On a Wednesday when British clubs recorded results across 54 overseas championships, his 32:48.16 in the 10,000 metres was the day’s only national record.