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Cardiff Half Marathon

Registration Open
Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom
Oct 4, 2026 at 10:00 AM

The Lowdown

The Cardiff Half Marathon is one of the UK's largest and most prestigious half marathons, drawing over 25,000 runners to the Welsh capital every October. Founded by Barnardo's in 2003 with 1,500 runners, the event has grown into a World Athletics Elite Label race and a member of the international SuperHalfs series, and has hosted the World Half Marathon Championships (2016) and Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships (2018). The flat, fast, record-eligible course starts at the historic Cardiff Castle, passes the Cardiff City Stadium and Principality Stadium, heads into the Vale of Glamorgan, crosses the Cardiff Bay Barrage past the Norwegian Church and Wales Millennium Centre, loops around Roath Park Lake, and finishes in the civic centre outside the Temple of Peace on King Edward VII Avenue. The race has carried several title sponsors over the years (including Cardiff University and ASICS in past editions); it is best known by its sponsor-neutral name, Cardiff Half Marathon. For 2026, entry moved to a free ballot system for the first time, with results announced in October alongside charity, Business Challenge, tour operator, and SuperVoucher entry options.

Race Day

Weather Forecast

🌥️
fall
cool

Elevation

Terrain Profile

⛰️

Relatively flat course

Participants

Field Size

🎊
27,500RUNNERS

Major marathon

Crowd Rating

Spectator Support

🔥
9/ 10

Legendary crowd support

Course Highlights
1

Cardiff Castle (start)

2

Cardiff City Stadium

3

Principality Stadium

4

Cardiff Bay Barrage

5

Norwegian Church

6

Wales Millennium Centre

7

Roath Park Lake

8

Temple of Peace, King Edward VII Avenue (finish)

Race Weekend

Other distances available during the event weekend:

Half Marathon (13.1 miles / 21.1 km)
Destination

Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom

GB

Est. Hotel Cost
$140/ night

Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line

Minimum Age
17years
Time Limit
3 hours 30 minutes

Eligibility

  • Minimum age 17 on race day

Required Documents

  • Photo ID
  • Ballot confirmation / race entry confirmation

Entry Methods

  • Free public ballot
  • Charity guaranteed places
  • Business Challenge packages
  • Tour operator packages
  • SuperVoucher (skip-the-ballot) entries

Cancellation & Refund Policy

Review the official cancellation and deferral policy on cardiffhalfmarathon.co.uk before registering

World Athletics Elite Label road race

Member of the international SuperHalfs series

Hosted the IAAF/World Half Marathon Championships in 2016

Hosted the Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships in 2018

Founded in 2003 by Barnardo's with 1,500 runners; now one of the UK's largest half marathons

2026 was the first year entries were run via a free ballot system rather than direct sale

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Community

Stories, tips, and race-day snapshots from runners who have tackled this course.

Community Reviews

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