The Cardiff Half Marathon returns on Sunday, October 4, bringing tens of thousands of runners to the Welsh capital and prompting widespread road closures across the city. The 13.3-mile course starts outside Cardiff Castle, passes the Principality and Cardiff City Stadiums, loops round Penarth Marina and Cardiff Bay, heads towards Roath Park, and finishes at the Civic Centre.
Race Start Times and Route
The race begins on Castle Street from 10am, with the elite wheelchair race starting slightly earlier at 9.57am. Organisers have staggered the start to ensure all runners cross the line safely. The white, green, red, and pink start is at 10am with pens opening at 9.15am. The blue, purple, and yellow start follows at 10.10am with pens opening at 9.40am. The colour of each runner's race bib dictates their starting pen and start time.
Civic Centre Closures
Road closures in the Civic Centre area have been in place since 5am on Wednesday, September 30 to allow the race village and event infrastructure to be set up. From 5am on Wednesday, September 30 until 11.59pm on Monday, October 5, College Road will be closed from its junction with Museum Avenue to its junction with King Edward VII Avenue. Vehicle access to private parking and deliveries will be maintained until 9am on Sunday, October 4.
From 5am on Thursday, October 1 until 11.59pm on Monday, October 5, King Edward VII Avenue will be closed from its closed end with Boulevard de Nantes to its junction with City Hall Road. From 5am on Friday, October 2 until 11.59pm on Sunday, October 4, the following roads will be closed: King Edward VII Avenue from its closed end with Boulevard de Nantes to its junction with City Hall Road, and from its junction with Corbett Road to its junction with City Hall Road; Museum Avenue from its closed end with Corbett Road to its junction with Gorsedd Gardens Road; Gorsedd Gardens Road from its junction with Park Place to its junction with Museum Avenue; and City Hall Road from its junction with North Road to its junction with Museum Avenue. Vehicle access to private parking and deliveries will be maintained until 9am on Sunday, October 4, and access for emergency services and South Wales Police will be maintained where required during the event.
Race Day Closures
On race day, Sunday, October 4, several roads will be closed between 4am and 12 noon: North Road south of its junction with Boulevard de Nantes to its junction with the A4161; the A4161 from its junction with North Road to its junction with Kingsway; Kingsway from its junction with the A4161 to its junction with Duke Street; Duke Street and Castle Street in their entirety; and Cowbridge Road East from its junction with Castle Street to its junction with Cathedral Road.
Between 6am and 10.45am, North Road will be closed from its junction with Colum Road to its junction with Boulevard de Nantes. Access to Blackweir will be available via Park Place, Corbett Road and northbound North Road. Between 10am and 3.10pm, Colum Road and Park Place from its junction with St Andrews Place to its junction with Colum Road will be closed. Diversion routes will be in place where required.
Security Measures and Rolling Closures
To facilitate the installation of temporary security measures, access will only be permitted into Beatty Avenue from Lake Road North, including Jellicoe Gardens, Keys Avenue and Tyrwhitt Crescent. Access to Queen Anne Square will be managed via Colum Road and Corbett Road, with vehicles exiting via Corbett Road and northbound North Road. Lady Mary Road will be closed from its junction with Maryport Road to its junction with Lake Road East.
Between 8.30am and 3.10pm on Sunday, October 4, there will be a rolling road closure along the race route, with roads reopening as soon as it is safe to do so. The route passes along Cowbridge Road East from Cathedral Road; Wellington Street, Leckwith Road and Sloper Road; Penarth Road, Cardiff Bay Barrage, Harbour Drive and Roald Dahl Plas; via the Vale of Glamorgan boundary - Terra Nova Way and Penarth Portway; Harbour Drive and Roald Dahl Plas; Britannia Quay, Pierhead Street and Bute Place; Lloyd George Avenue; Herbert Street, Tyndall Street, East Tyndall Street and Windsor Road; Adam Street and Fitzalan Place, crossing Newport Road; West Grove, Richmond Road and Albany Road; Penylan Road, Blenheim Road, Marlborough Road and Ninian Road; Fairoak Road, Lake Road East and Lake Road West; Fairoak Road, Cathays Terrace and Corbett Road; and Museum Avenue, where the race finishes.
Vehicle access to Cathays Cemetery will be facilitated via Allensbank Road until Fairoak Road reopens, after which access will resume via the main entrance. Residents and businesses in Cardiff Bay will receive additional information showing the diversion route managed by Cardiff Council to allow access and egress throughout the event. The diversion route operates via Celerity Drive, Craiglee Drive, Letton Way, Lloyd George Avenue and Bute Place. As soon as road closures are lifted in the area, access and egress will return to normal.
