Heartwarming tales of runners in Cardiff ‘Half’
THOUSANDS of runners took to the streets of the Welsh capital yesterday for this year’s Cardiff Half Marathon.
After a severe weather warning for rain was initially issued last week, the rain managed to stay away for the majority of the event.
And a feel-good factor permeated the event, which saw a marriage proposal at the finish line, and scores of kind-hearted runners donating the contents of their goodybags to homeless people in the city.
Beginning at 10am on Castle Street, runners, from elite athletes to fundraising novices, set off.
After a record 25,000 booked a place to take part, supporters lined the streets to cheer on friends, family – and total strangers. The official running total was 19,641.
The event, launched in 2003, has grown to become the UK’s second largest half-marathon and Wales’ largest mass-participation event. Known for its flat and fast route, the course took in the sights of Cardiff Castle, the Senedd, Roald Dahl Plass and the Wales Millennium Centre, before heading up to Roath Park and Cathays and finishing on King Edward VII Avenue.
Kenya’s John Lotiang set an event record by seven seconds, winning the men’s title in 60 minutes and 43 seconds.
Kenya’s Edith Chelimo ran a UK All-Comers record of 65 minutes and 50 seconds to win the women’s race and come home in joint 17th overall, while Melissa Nicholls won the wheelchair race in a time of 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Swansea Harrier Dewi Griffiths stripped 82 seconds from his previous personal best to finish fourth, in 61 minutes and 31 seconds.
It wasn’t just the elite entrants who were aiming to break records.
Sir Runalot, aka Tudor Jones, ran the race in 3:26.10 in a full suit of armour weighing 30kg.
Robert Atkin, the first Cardiff fireman home carrying a 20lb kit, beat the previous record by more than a minute and came in with a time of 1:29.55.
Alec Care, a Cardiff University alumni, ran the race in 1:31.58 while wearing a cap and gown, while Robert Dibble became the fastest man to complete a half marathon dressed as a monk, with a time of 1:28.09.
Janine Osborne-Bowring, 35, who runs a workout centre in Penarth called JinFit. Just two weeks after having chemotherapy to try and control Wegeners Granulomatosis, a form of the autoimmune disease vasculitis, she completed the half marathon with husband Matt while wearing her wedding dress.
Despite Janine’s Cardiff Half not going quite to plan, she enjoyed the event.
“We got to the first mile which was fine, and then my knee kind of gave out”, Janine said. “I struggled to get to six miles and we walked the rest of it.
“On the 12th mile, Matt gave me a piggyback all the way to the end. It was a good day, it was beautiful, a nice atmosphere.”
Keith Hughes, from Abercynon, is Cardiff City’s mascot – Bartley Bluebird – and ran the route dressed in the mascot suit in aid of Cardiff City FC Foundation.
Entries for next year’s event on Sunday, October 7, 2018, will open today.
The event saw runners donating their snacks, with bananas and crisps being left on the bedding of homeless people in an underpass linking the city centre to the civic centre.
And runner Olivia Dyer got an engagement ring to go with her finishers’ medal, when she accepted a wedding proposal from boyfriend Jai Tsim at the finishing line.
Run-4-Wales chairman Nigel Roberts said: “The Cardiff Half Marathon has become a truly international race with a world-class field at the front.”