LOCAL runner Jorge Thomas became Welsh Champion on Saturday when he came through a strong field to win the Men's Senior title at the Welsh National Cross Country Championships in Llanelli.

The Abergavenny runner, running for his club Cardiff AC, kicked for home with approximately 1,000m to open a five second gap ahead of teammate Andrew Hunt.

And Jorge secured a double on the day, taking home the team prize with fellow Cardiff athletes also coming home in fifth and sixth.

Thomas, 23, completed the 11km course in 34mins 44secs.

The Leeds University student said afterwards: "It was quite a nice flat course, which suited me in a way because I'd run at the BUSA University Championships in Stirling two weeks earlier with a cold and couldn't get a rhythm going there.

"But I felt much better prepared on Saturday and there were only a couple of hills.

"That was better for me as I've been doing a lot of track work recently.

"I almost dropped out at BUSA but plodded on treating it as a training session and coming in 14th.

"That was alright but a couple of people I had beaten at the Cross Challenge in Cardiff the week before came fifth and sixth so I could have done better.

"That made having such a good run at the Welsh Championships all the more satisfying."