Young runner Henry Evans has followed his father Huw to international honours after captaining the Welsh Schools Athletic Association’s cross-country team.

The Monmouth School for Boys 15-year-old had to wait two years to make his international bow thanks to the pandemic, but strode out as the boys’ captain in The Schools International Athletic Board (SIAB) XC International in Pembrey, near Llanelli.

Teams of eight Year 10 and 11 runners were selected from Wales, England, Ireland and Scotland to compete in the idyllic setting of Pembrey Country Park.

As a competitor, the Year 11 student, who lives in Monmouth, raced in the Inter-boys’ event, over a four-mile course, and performed very strongly to place 24th and beat runners from each of the home nations.

The challenging course consisted of very fast grass, sand dunes and a steep hill up the side of a dry ski slope and Henry, wearing the number 27 on his vest, finished just nine seconds adrift of 18th place.

Henry, who won a bronze medal at The Welsh Schools National Cross-Country Championships in Brecon in February, is part of the school’s thriving running team coached by his father, Dr Huw Evans, a senior Welsh runner and Maths teacher at Monmouth School for Boys.