SportsShoes Podium Home Nations 5K 2026: Race Recap and Results.

Fast road racing, national pride and UK championship titles on the line: SportsShoes Podium Home Nations 5K.

Returning to Bute Park in Cardiff for its fifth edition, this year's SportsShoes Podium Home Nations race also hosted the 2026 UK Athletics 5K Road Race Championships.

Held in collaboration with New Balance and Welsh Athletics, the event brought together top road-running talent as they battled for individual and team honours. Athletes representing England, Wales and Northern Ireland lined up alongside composite teams from across the UK, including our very own SportsShoes x New Balance team.

The three-lap, 5K course is known for its flat tarmac and flowing layout. With no tight corners to disrupt the rhythm, a course like this offers an appealing opportunity for runners chasing a personal best.

The course records set a formidable benchmark for the 2026 field. However, both remained unbroken at this year's event, leaving the existing targets for next year's talent to take down.

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations Records

Across four races, the action built, starting with the open race and men’s B race and closing with the elite championship contests; the winners of the Men's and Women's Elite races were crowned 5K Road British Champions.

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations Elite Women's 5K

There is little room to hide in a 5K. From the moment the gun goes off, every second counts.

SportsShoes x New Balance athlete Melissa Courtney-Bryant showed us just that, delivering a commanding performance to win the elite women's race in 15:41. 

Courtney-Bryant set off strong, holding the lead as Charlotte Dannatt and Clara Evans-Graham stayed on her shoulder. With the trio locked in a contest for the podium, she began to create some daylight between the chasing athletes as she entered the final 1k, before crossing the line seven seconds clear of Dannatt, who finished second in 15:48. Evans-Graham completed the podium in 15:53, rounding off a competitive top three.

Courtney-Bryant not only secured the event title and national championship honours, but also helped the SportsShoes x New Balance team secure the women's team title.

Elite Women's 5K results

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations Elite Men's 5K

While the women's race was decided by a sustained move from the front, the elite men's race came down to a late fightback. 

Jack Kavanagh led for much of the race, but with just under a kilometre to go, Joseph Tuffin, racing for the England Senior team, made his move and took the lead.

With the finish line approaching, it looked as though Tuffin had the advantage. But Kavanagh had more to give.

With only a few hundred metres left, Kavanagh found another gear. He responded to the challenge, fought his way back into the lead and powered through the final stages to take the victory.

Kavanagh crossed the line in 13:50, four seconds ahead of Tuffin Tuffin, who finished in 13:54. Finley Proffitt followed closely behind in 13:56 to complete the podium.

Elite Men's 5K results

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations team competition

While individual titles were up for grabs, awarded by UK Athletics, SportsShoes Podium Home Nations also awarded teams for their performance, adding another layer to the event.

Each team consisted of four athletes, with their finishing times combined to determine the overall standings. Giving you a race within a race as runners fought for the team title and impressive prize money.

Women's team results

1st — SportsShoes x New Balance Team

Melissa Courtney-Bryant, Charlotte Dannatt, Kirsty Maher and Lauren Church.

2nd — England Senior Team

Abbey Brooke, Maddie Jordan-Lee, Jemima Elgood and Ella Semple.

3rd — England U20 Team

Zara Brat, Ava Clough, Eleanor Foster and Isabella Tutt.

The SportsShoes x New Balance team took the women's team title, combining Courtney-Bryant's individual victory with the contributions of the wider squad.

Men's team results

1st — England Senior Team

Joseph Tuffin, Finley Proffitt, Charlie Brisley and Andrew Penney.

2nd — SportsShoes x New Balance Team

Alex Durant, Jack Stanton-Stock, Mark Ruby and Dylan Gillett.

3rd — England U20 Team

Edward Sankey, Jack Sanderson, Joseph Grange and Samuel Stapley.

The England Senior team claimed the men's team title, with Tuffin and Proffitt both finishing on the individual podium and contributing to the team's overall success.

Seeing the England Senior team take the men’s title and the SportsShoes x New Balance team take the women’s win, it really highlighted the competitive depth of this event.

Men's team results

1st — England Senior Team

Joseph Tuffin, Finley Proffitt, Charlie Brisley and Andrew Penney.

2nd — SportsShoes x New Balance Team

Alex Durant, Jack Stanton-Stock, Mark Ruby and Dylan Gillett.

3rd — England U20 Team

Edward Sankey, Jack Sanderson, Joseph Grange and Samuel Stapley.

The England Senior team claimed the men's team title, with Tuffin and Proffitt both finishing on the individual podium and contributing to the team's overall success.

Seeing the England Senior team take the men’s title and the SportsShoes x New Balance team take the women’s win, it really highlighted the competitive depth of this event.

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations 5K: full results and photos

Looking for the full race results or want to get a close look of the action from Cardiff? Find the results and event photography below.

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations 2026 Results
View the full SportsShoes Podium Home Nations 5K results

SportsShoes Podium Home Nations Event photography:

View Graham Smith's Photography

View The Run Room Photography

Discover more SportsShoes Podium events

SportsShoes Podium offers a series of competitive road races designed to celebrate performance and the pursuit of faster times, giving athletes opportunities to test themselves against strong fields.

Explore upcoming events and find out more about the SportsShoes Podium series on our SportsShoes Podium page.