Nocturnal 
The Cardiff Half Marathon returned to the Welsh capital on Sunday, with around 30,000 runners taking on the 13.1-mile route in the 23rd edition of the race.
Kenya’s Joyciline Jepkosgei stole the headlines, setting a new women’s course record of 1:05:40. She is the first athlete in history to run a half marathon in under 65 minutes, making her win in Cardiff all the more significant.
The men’s race was won by fellow Kenyan Gideon Kiprotich, who crossed the line in 59:43. In the wheelchair events, Poland’s Sam Kolek took the men’s title while Mel Nicholls won the women’s race.
Why it matters
The Cardiff Half Marathon has grown into one of the UK’s biggest mass-participation sporting events, and this year’s demand was higher than ever. For the first time, the race sold out via a ballot system when entries opened in 2025, meaning there were no on-the-day entries available for anyone hoping for a late sign-up.
The event also carries a World Athletics Elite Road Race label, which is why it attracted a strong international field including competitors from Kenya, Ethiopia, the USA, Australia and the Netherlands. Behind Jepkosgei in the women’s race were Ethiopia’s Wede Kefale and Tigist Tesema in second and third. In the men’s race, Kiprotich finished ahead of 2025 winner Yismaw Dillu, with Bahrain’s Jonah Rutio taking third.
Cardiff is also part of the SuperHalfs series alongside Lisbon, Prague, Berlin, Valencia and Copenhagen. Runners who complete all six races earn a SuperMedal, drawing serious half marathon enthusiasts from across Europe to the Welsh capital each year.
Famous faces on the course
Among the thousands of runners were some recognisable names. Former Arsenal and Cardiff City midfielder Aaron Ramsey took part, telling BBC Wales there had been “tough parts coming up those hills” but that it was “all in all, a good day”. He added: “What a day. The fans are amazing, got me through bits, and seeing some family and friends as well was nice.”
Former Wales prop Adam Jones also ran the course. Speaking to BBC Radio Wales Breakfast beforehand, he explained he took up running after piling on weight and feeling unhappy with his fitness, starting out with a Couch to 5K programme before working up to the half marathon distance.
Everyday runners described similarly memorable experiences. Ella Jennings, 26, who runs with Cardiff’s Les Croupiers club, completed the course for the sixth time and called it “unbelievable” this year. “Every year, I don’t know how it gets better,” she said, adding that living near the route meant she could “pretty much run past your house”.
Dutch runner Albert Mussche, who is working through the SuperHalfs series, said Cardiff was his second stop on the circuit. “It was beautiful, the crowd was amazing,” he said.
What happens next
The route took runners past some of Cardiff’s best-known landmarks, including the Wales Millennium Centre and the Principality Stadium, with the race starting on Castle Street at 10:00 BST amid widespread road closures across the city.
With this year’s event already sold out via ballot, organisers are likely to run the same entry system for the 2027 race, meaning hopeful participants will need to register early rather than wait for on-the-day spots. For now, attention turns to the rest of the SuperHalfs calendar as runners chase their medals in the series’ remaining legs.
