Cardiff Half Marathon

Course & Elevation

The Cardiff Half Marathon is a city half marathon through the Welsh capital, held on a Sunday in early October. It was founded by Barnardo's in 2003, when 1,500 runners took part, and is now organised by Run 4 Wales, a not-for-profit charitable trust. The race starts on Castle Street outside Cardiff Castle at 10:00 and finishes on King Edward VII Avenue in the Civic Centre. In the organisers' description, the course passes the Principality Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium, winds through Penarth Marina, crosses the Cardiff Bay Barrage, passes the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre and circles Roath Park Lake before the finish. The organisers call the course flat and fast, although the 2026 women's winner said there were some hills, especially near the end. The cut-off time is 4 hours. The event holds a World Athletics Elite Road Race Label, and a children's race, the Cardiff Half Junior, takes place on the Saturday. In 2026 the official results list 24,038 finishers, and entry went through a ballot for the first time in 2025 after the race sold out. The organisers say more than £3 million is raised for charity each year.