The sun was shining as hundreds of runners descended on Caerphilly for the annual Bryn Meadows 10K and 2K run on Sunday 14th May.
The course set in the shadows of the spectacular Caerphilly Castle led over 2000 runners in and around the town centre, passing iconic landmarks such as the Tommy Cooper statute and the giant cheese sculpture.
The day began with a one minute silence in memory of Ethan Hamer who won the 2K race in 2022 and sadly lost his battle to cancer at the beginning of this year. An avid sportsman, Ethan ran for Cardiff Archers, Glamorgan Valleys and South Wales whilst playing football for Cwrt Rawlin Football Club. A large group of friends and teammates ran the 2K and 10K in his memory.
The popular 10K run which attracts runners from across Wales and beyond was the Welsh Athletics 10K Road Running Championships and part of the Welsh Road Race Series. Dewi Griffiths crossed the 10K finish line first in a time of 30 minutes and 23 seconds taking the Welsh title and the first female across the line was Lauren Cooper completing the course in 35 minutes and 40 seconds.
The 2K fun run event attracting more people every year was a huge success with local schools, community groups and sports clubs taking part. Lauren Price, Olympic Gold Medallist and the first ever female welterweight British champion alongside Karriss Artinstall, Olympic Bronze Medallist started both races. Both sportswomen ran the 2K race to show their support for the event.
Leader of the council, Cllr. Sean Morgan, who ran the Caerphilly 10K, commented “It was a great event as usual, organised by the Sport Development and Events Team. The atmosphere around the town centre and along the course was fantastic and it was great to see so many local businesses and local people getting involved and supporting the runners”.
Cllr Chris Morgan, Cabinet Member for Leisure, said “It was fantastic to see so many people from all over the region coming together to take part in the Bryn Meadows Caerphilly 10K and 2K. The event supports our vision of getting more people, more active, more often. We hope to see everyone again next year!”
You can register now for next year’s event which will take place on Sunday 12th May 2024. The early bird sign-up offer will be valid until June 4th 2023 with 10K runners only paying £18 entry fee. To sign up, visit www.caerphilly10k.co.uk.
