The ballot for the 2027 Cardiff Half Marathon is now open, giving runners the chance to secure a place in the event, which returns to the Welsh capital on Sunday, October 3, 2027.
The ballot opened on Thursday, October 1. Organisers have again chosen a ballot system rather than a first-come, first-served process due to continued demand. The ballot is free to enter, and spaces are allocated at random, so runners do not need to be online at a specific time.
Entry Fees and Ballot Details
The ballot closes at midnight on Sunday, October 18. Successful and unsuccessful runners will be notified by email on Thursday, October 22. Runners are only charged if successful.
There are separate UK and International ballots with different entry fees. The UK Ballot Entry costs £59, and the International Ballot Entry costs £70. Runners must provide payment details when applying. International runners can apply as a group of up to three, with the lead booker included in the ballot. Each runner can only join one group, and duplicate entries in multiple groups will be disqualified.
Skip the Ballot Options
A limited number of guaranteed 'Skip the Ballot' options are also available. The NSPCC Fundraiser Entry costs £40, with runners pledging to raise £300 for the Half's Lead Charity partner, the NSPCC.
There are 1,500 places available on a first-come, first-served basis for Welsh-affiliated athletes, with a £5 discount. The CDF Training Bundle combines the Cardiff Half with the 2027 CDF 10k on September 5 for £87, a £7 saving. Only 500 spaces are available. The Welsh Half & Half Bundle offers entry to the Jones o Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon on May 23 and the Cardiff Half for £103, a £10 saving. The Welsh Distance Double Bundle secures entry to the 2027 Cardiff Half and the 2027 ABP Newport Marathon on April 18 for £108, also a £10 saving, with 500 available.
Skip the Ballot entries are purchased as a guaranteed place and cannot be cancelled or refunded if a runner subsequently enters the Ballot and is successful. Existing entries for events in the bundles cannot be refunded unless within the cooling-off period, which is two weeks for Newport and CDF and 48 hours for Anglesey. Organisers will honour this if runners email within the period, even if confirmation is delayed.
