More than 130 hospitality workers from across Cardiff completed the CDF 10K on Sunday, raising more than £13,000 for local children’s charity Dreams & Wishes.
The runners took part as part of the third annual Lab 22 Hospitality vs 10K Challenge, a grassroots initiative created to bring together people working across Cardiff’s bars, restaurants and hospitality businesses while promoting physical and mental wellbeing within the industry.
This year’s team was the biggest yet, with 130 runners representing more than 30 venues and businesses across the city.
The challenge was first created by Lab 22 owner Tani Hasa in 2024, when he purchased 30 race places and offered them to members of Cardiff’s hospitality community who might not otherwise have considered entering a 10K.
Demand quickly saw that number double, with 62 runners taking part in the first year. The challenge grew to 100 runners in 2025, before reaching 130 this year.
For many of those involved, Hospitality vs 10K has since become much more than a single race, with previous participants going on to become regular runners, training together and building new friendships and connections across Cardiff’s hospitality community.
Tani Hasa said: “I am immensely proud of what we’ve achieved with this initiative and personal passion project. 130 people from our hospitality community have completed the run and helped raise over £13,000 for Dreams & Wishes. It was a wonderful day and we are so grateful for everyone’s support.
“My ambition has always been to do something that is about ‘looking after the people who look after the people’, and this is perfect. The joy on everyone’s faces at the end of that race was priceless, and the money raised is absolutely amazing.”
The event was created partly in response to the realities of working in hospitality, where long and irregular hours can make it difficult for workers to participate in traditional sports clubs, run groups or social activities.
Over the past three years, the initiative has encouraged people who had never run before to take up the sport, while creating new opportunities for workers from different venues, roles and backgrounds to connect outside the usual cycle of working and socialising around the industry.
This year’s fundraising total also smashed the team’s original ‘£10K for the 10K’ target.
Funds raised will go to Dreams & Wishes, a Cardiff-based charity supporting seriously ill children and their families.
The charity holds particular significance for the Lab 22 team. Former Dreams & Wishes ambassador Jay Page, a friend and supporter of Lab 22, originally encouraged Tani to fundraise for the organisation.
Following Jay’s death, the team has continued to support Dreams & Wishes in his memory and to help continue his legacy.
Kelly Reardon-Brown, Board Member at Dreams and Wishes said “We are overwhelmed and so very thankful for the continued support from Tani and all of the venues who ran and raised money for us in the Hospitality 10k. Jay was an ambassador for us, and I know how happy this would have made him knowing his friends and colleagues from all over in Cardiff were working together to reach such an amazing goal.
This incredible initiative has raised nearly £40k for the charity in the past three years and continues to put smiles on faces of children and their families going through some very tough times. We are very proud to partner with all of them. We can’t say thank you enough.”
Following Sunday’s race, Pasture Cardiff hosted all 130 runners for a post-run buffet and celebration, donated by the restaurant as part of its continued support for the challenge.
Pasture has supported Hospitality vs 10K since its first year, while Asahi 0.0% also backed this year’s initiative, helping Lab 22 deliver the event and experience for those taking part.
Among the 2026 runners were team members from businesses including Asador 44, Barbara’s, Be At One, Bonnie Rogues, The Botanist, Bran, Browns, Cosy Club, Curado, Dirty Gnocchi, Gaucho, Golf Fang, Gin & Juice, Glamorgan Cricket, Ivy Asia, Lab 22, Lowkey, Mad Dog, Mowgli, Nighthawks, NQ64 Arcade Bar, Parallel, Pasture, Picton & Co, Rum & Fizz, Security Cymru, Six by Nico, Sonder, The Cocktail Club, The Dead Canary, The Bear, Tonight Josephine and Vicino.
With Hospitality vs 10K now firmly established in Cardiff, Tani and the Lab 22 team hope to grow the concept further, with ambitions to take ‘Hospitality vs 10K on Tour’ to other towns and cities in future.
