One Bournemouth AC star very much on the rise at the moment is steeplechase specialist and cross country connoisseur Oliver James. Since moving up north to study at Durham University, Ollie’s running has continued to thrive, just as it was when he was based here in Bournemouth. He just seems to keep getting stronger and stronger and faster and faster.

It was probably in 2021 where Ollie’s running really began to hit another stratosphere. That year he won the 2000 metre steeplechase at the Welsh Junior Championships and also became Dorset Schools’ Champions and Dorset County Champion at the same event. Later on that year he ran a very impressive 15:36 at Moors Valley parkrun. That was a little teaser of the kind of ability that was bubbling under the surface.

In 2022 he retained his Welsh Junior Championships and Dorset Schools’ Championship titles in the 2000m steeplechase. He also finished 2nd at the South West Schools’ Championships and 3rd in the English Schools’ Championships at that same event.

He also achieved some very impressive cross country results that year, finishing 18th at the Southerns and 5th in the Welsh National Championships. On top of that, he ran an astonishing sub 15 minute 5000m at a Hercules Wimbledon Night of Graded 5000m Races where he was battling it out with club mate Rob McTaggart.

In 2023 Ollie ran a 32:19 10k at the Run Newcastle Valentines event and also finished a second outside the Moors Valley parkrun course record, tearing round in 15:23. That was another glimpse at what he was capable of when in full swing. He went on to finish 2nd in the Dorset County Championship Cross Country race, when only the super fast William Rabjohns was able to beat him in a star studded line up.

Putting in an incredible performance at the Broadstone Quarter Marathon on New Years Day, Ollie finished 2nd to Joe Arudel, with both men recording times that would have beaten the previous course record. Ollie’s managed a 34:37 on a very tough undulating course and that’s a time most athletes wouldn’t even get near for a 10k!!

Ollie has also achieved some impressive cross country results already this year, finishing 2nd Under 20 at the South West Inter County Championships at RNAS Merryfield and 7th at the Southern Championships. Those were terrific outcomes in very high standard races.

Putting in perhaps one of his best ever performances, Ollie finished 31st at the BUCS (British Universities & Colleges Sport) Cross Country Championships on one of the hardest courses he’d ever ran on. The mud in that race was a different level but Ollie felt super strong and tackled it with aplomb.

Competing in the Under 20 Men‘s race at the Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Ollie was going for gold over a 6.85km course. The running scene in Wales is big though and there are a lot of top quality athletes around so it was always going to be hotly contested.

The location was Penlan Arena in Brecon and the course was wet, muddy, winding and undulating. Ollie ran well though and came away with a silver medal, recording a superb time of 20:44, putting his average pace at a very impressive 5:32. The only man able to better that on the day was Dafydd Jones of Swansea Harriers who clocked a time of 20:25.

Crossing the line 30 seconds ahead of the third placed man Henry Evans from Newport Harriers, Ollie’s silver medal was never really under threat. It was another excellent result for Ollie as he continued on his remarkable running journey where he just keeps getting better and better.

The weekend after the Welsh National Cross Country Championships, Ollie took to the track for the BUCS Athletics Indoor Championship 3000 metres. Clocking a five second PB in that one, Ollie got round in 8:28.89 which put him in 3rd place in his heat. He was pipped for 2nd place by 0.63 of a second and just missed out on the required qualifying time for the final so Ollie was a little disappointed with that. It was still a very impressive display though.

For his next challenge, Ollie would be lining up for one of the fastest 10k races in the UK when he took on the Trafford 10k. That race also brought him an opportunity to don the famous Welsh Athletics vest again and it was going to be very interesting to see what sort of time he could produce.