Cardiff Half Marathon

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, and Principality Building Society more recently); since 2025 it has been headline-sponsored by Spanish fashion retailer Oysho, though it is still best known by its sponsor-neutral name, Cardiff Half Marathon. For 2026, entry moved to a free ballot system for the first time; the ballot closed in October 2025 and, with the race now days away, all entry routes (ballot, NSPCC charity fundraiser, Business Challenge, tour operator, and SuperVoucher) are closed or sold out, with a reminder-list sign-up open for the 2027 ballot.