Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
Cardiff Half Marathon 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Location
- Cardiff, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
Cardiff Half Marathon: 4 October 2026. Ballot, route, charity places, a pace calculator.
Cardiff Half Marathon Race Timeline
24 days to go
This is where the real training happens — building your long run and getting comfortable with half-marathon race-pace.
Cardiff Half Marathon 2026: quick answers
When is Cardiff Half Marathon 2026?
Cardiff Half Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday, 4 October 2026, starting at 10:00am (elite wheelchair 9:57am; pens released in two waves, 10:00 and 10:10).
What time does Cardiff Half Marathon start?
Cardiff Half Marathon starts at 10:00am (elite wheelchair 9:57am; pens released in two waves, 10:00 and 10:10) from Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle.
Where does Cardiff Half Marathon start and finish?
Cardiff Half Marathon starts at Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle and finishes at Civic Centre, King Edward VII Avenue.
How many miles is Cardiff Half Marathon?
Cardiff Half Marathon is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much does Cardiff Half Marathon cost to enter?
Cardiff Half Marathon runs a public ballot due to demand (2025 sold out within hours). The 2026 ballot opened 30 September 2025 and closed 19 October 2025, with results announced 23 October 2025; general registration for any remaining places closes 1 September 2026. UK ballot entry was £58, international £70, with a discounted £53 Welsh Athletics rate for 1,500 first-come places. Always confirm current pricing and whether entries are still open on the official site.
How can I track a runner at Cardiff Half Marathon?
Live tracking and finisher certificates via the official Run4Wales app (iOS/Android).
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 4 October 2026
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- Cardiff, UK
- Start Point
- Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle
- Finish Point
- Civic Centre, King Edward VII Avenue
- Start time
- 10:00am (elite wheelchair 9:57am; pens released in two waves, 10:00 and 10:10)
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac throughout
- Cut-off time
- Four hours from the start, with a sweep bus collecting any runners still on course after that.
- Age requirement
- Runners must be 17 or over on race day.
- Official pacers
- 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00
- Tracking app
- Live tracking and finisher certificates via the official Run4Wales app (iOS/Android).
Direct Entry Summary
Cardiff Half Marathon runs a public ballot due to demand (2025 sold out within hours). The 2026 ballot opened 30 September 2025 and closed 19 October 2025, with results announced 23 October 2025; general registration for any remaining places closes 1 September 2026. UK ballot entry was £58, international £70, with a discounted £53 Welsh Athletics rate for 1,500 first-come places. Always confirm current pricing and whether entries are still open on the official site.
Ballot Policy
Entry is via a free public ballot, run because demand consistently outstrips capacity. Unsuccessful applicants aren't left with nothing — charity places via one of Cardiff Half's many partner charities are the main alternative route in.
Cardiff Half Marathon Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
Cardiff Half Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle and finishing at Civic Centre, King Edward VII Avenue. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is Cardiff Half Marathon flat?
Cardiff Half is officially billed as fast and flat with only gentle undulations. Independent GPS-based estimates put total elevation change anywhere from around 240ft to 475ft depending on the source, but there's no single official figure or mile-by-mile breakdown. Treat it as a genuinely fast, largely flat course rather than a hilly one.
Cardiff Half Marathon Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle
Start line.
Cardiff Castle start
The route heads out past the Principality and Cardiff City Stadiums shortly after the start.
Cardiff Bay Barrage
Crossing into Cardiff Bay, passing the Norwegian Church, the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre.
Roath Park Lake
The route loops around the lake before heading back towards the finish.
Where Cardiff Half Marathon starts and finishes
Cardiff Half Marathon starts at Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle and finishes at Civic Centre, King Edward VII Avenue. We haven't been able to place those on a map accurately enough to show one — a pin in the wrong place is worse than no pin.
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full Cardiff Half Marathon Route Breakdown
Starts on Castle Street outside Cardiff Castle and heads out past the Principality and Cardiff City Stadiums towards Penarth and Penarth Marina, crossing the Cardiff Bay Barrage into Cardiff Bay — passing the Norwegian Church, the Senedd and the Wales Millennium Centre. The route then turns north to loop around Roath Park Lake before returning for a grandstand finish at the Civic Centre on King Edward VII Avenue.
Cardiff Half Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Cardiff Half Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
Cardiff Half Marathon Pace Chart
Official pacers cover 1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10, 2:20, 2:30, 2:45, 3:00. Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 17:11 | 10:40 | 53:22 | 1:46:43 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 18:19 | 11:23 | 56:55 | 1:53:50 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 19:28 | 12:06 | 1:00:29 | 2:00:57 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 20:37 | 12:48 | 1:04:02 | 2:08:04 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 21:45 | 13:31 | 1:07:36 | 2:15:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 22:54 | 14:14 | 1:11:09 | 2:22:18 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 25:11 | 15:39 | 1:18:16 | 2:36:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 27:29 | 17:05 | 1:25:23 | 2:50:46 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 29:46 | 18:30 | 1:32:30 | 3:04:59 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 32:04 | 19:55 | 1:39:37 | 3:19:13 | 7:00:00 |
Cardiff Half Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Cardiff Half Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Cardiff Half Marathon finish
1:54:55
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Cardiff Half Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyCardiff Half Marathon Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- A bag for the free baggage drop on Museum Avenue — collected again after the race
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- Your own gels/fuel if you'd rather not rely solely on HIGH5 gels and the on-course sports drink
- The official Run4Wales app downloaded before race day, for live tracking and finisher certificates
- Confirmation of your starting pen colour and release time (10:00 or 10:10)
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the Civic Centre finish for after the race
Training Strategy for Cardiff Half Marathon
10-14 weeks is a solid window for a first half marathon; 8-10 weeks is enough if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Build your long run up gradually rather than jumping straight to race distance.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Castle Street, outside Cardiff Castle fresh, energized, and primed — not fit, fresh.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below, or stay attached to one of the official pacing flags (1:30, 1:40, 1:50, 2:00, 2:10).
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
Half Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest increase in carbohydrate intake over the 2-3 days before the race — not one huge pasta dinner the night before — is the practical approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.
Eat a carb-focused breakfast 2-3 hours before your pen's start time, and stick to something you've already tested in training.
Water stations (Brecon Carreg) are at miles 3, 6, 9 and 11, with HIGH5 gels at mile 6 and a sports drink station around mile 9 — carry your own fuel if you train with something different.
Getting some carbohydrate and protein into you within an hour of finishing helps recovery start properly — Cardiff Bay and the city centre both have plenty of options once you're through the finish area.
Cardiff Half Marathon Charity Places 2026
Cardiff Half works with a long list of partner charities — including NSPCC, Mind, Alzheimer's Society, Tŷ Hafan, British Heart Foundation, MND Association, WWF-UK, Cancer Research UK, Barnardo's and Macmillan — each setting its own entry fee and fundraising target.
| Charity Partner | Entry Fee | Minimum Target |
|---|---|---|
| NSPCC | £40 | £300 |
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Cardiff Half Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Cardiff Half Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Cardiff Half Marathon
Cardiff Bay
Right on the route around the halfway point, with a waterfront atmosphere and plenty of places to eat afterwards.
A bit further from the Castle Street start and Civic Centre finish than staying centrally.
Cardiff city centre
The most hotel choice, walkable to both the start on Castle Street and the finish at the Civic Centre.
Can be busy on race weekend given the size of the event.
Travel & Logistics
Cardiff Central is the main hub, with Transport for Wales running early additional services on race morning from Treherbert, Aberdare, Merthyr, Caerphilly, Barry Island, Penarth, Hereford and Newport, arriving before 9am.
An official Park & Walk operates from Cardiff City Football Stadium, Leckwith Road (CF11 8AZ), 7am-4pm, roughly £12 per car plus a booking fee — about a mile's walk to the start.
Roads across the route are closed for the duration of the event; full details are published by the organizer closer to race day.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Castle Street just after the start is quieter and easier to get to; Corbett Road and King Edward VII Avenue near the finish have tiered terraces, big screens and music — arrive by around 10:15am for a good spot.
Disabled viewing areas are available at both the start (reserved area) and finish (platform).
Live tracking and finisher certificates via the official Run4Wales app (iOS/Android).
Cardiff Half Marathon Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Cardiff Half Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.