A bumper anniversary celebration has today been announced for the Cardiff Half Marathon, following the successful return of the event to the streets of the Welsh capital this weekend. The race will be celebrating its 20th anniversary on Sunday 1 October next year.
Founded in 2003 when just 1,500 runners took part, the event has grown into one of Europe’s largest half marathons, attracting a field of over 25,000 registered runners.
Wales’ largest mass participation and multi-charity fundraising event will be marking its two-decade milestone with a festival of activity celebrating the incredible legacy of the race, which has put Cardiff on the map as a destination for sports tourism, raised huge sums of money for charity and made positive contributions in areas including mental health, women’s running, grassroots sport, volunteering and environmental sustainability.
Special 20th anniversary commemorative finishers items, including medals and t-shirts, will also be awarded to all of those taking part.
Run 4 Wales Chief Executive Matt Newman, commented: “The Cardiff Half Marathon has become a truly world class event and one that Cardiff and Wales can be proud of.
“The legacy of hosting the World Half Marathon Championships in 2016 has elevated the status of the race on the global stage, but the impact of the event locally is what we’re most proud of. It has made incredible contributions to the health and wellbeing of the nation and raised incredible sums of money for all sorts of charities and good causes – with the £20 millionth pound in fundraising generated ahead of the event this year.
“We’re excited to be marking the twenty-year milestone in 2023. It’s going to be a real celebration of everything that we all love about the event and the city of Cardiff.”
Entries for the 2023 event have now gone on sale, with a discounted early bird entry offer available for the first 5,000 people to sign up. The race has sold out for 5 consecutive years and the 2 latest editions of the event have reached capacity within 3 months of launching.
Demand is expected to be higher than ever in 2023, with excitement building ahead of the 20th anniversary celebrations and a record number of runners from overseas signing up as part of their efforts to complete the SuperHalfs – a new international series of half marathons including races in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen, Valencia and Cardiff.
