Former World Record Holder Florence Kiplagat will return to racing at the Oysho Cardiff Half Marathon, joined by 2024 winner Miriam Chebet and top men’s entrants Albert Kangogo and Abe Gashahun.
Former winners, National Champions and exciting debutants will contest the 22nd edition of the event on Sunday 5 October which is the penultimate race in the 2025 SuperHalfs Series. It also holds a prestigious World Athletics Elite Road Race Label as well as hosting the Welsh Half Marathon Championships annually.
Florence Kiplagat (65:09) held the World Record for Half Marathon between 2015 – 2017. Additionally, the Kenyan Athlete is a former World Half Marathon Champion (2010) and World Cross Country Champion (2009). Kiplagat will look to rekindle a career that saw her as a real force in distance running and which included two victories at the Berlin Marathon, two in Chicago and as the runner up at the London Marathon in 2014.
Miriam Chebet (66:07) returns to Cardiff and since taking victory 12 months ago, was the runner-up at the Malaga Half Marathon and lowered her P.B with victory at the prestigious Istanbul Half Marathon in April.
Ethiopia’s Alem Nigus (67:50) and Kenya’s Esther Chemtai (68:52) are next fastest and the field also hosts two exciting Ethiopian debutants Misganeh Alemayehu and Wudinesh Alemu.
Spain’s Meritxell Soler (70:21) will travel to Cardiff looking to lower her lifetime best and was the winner of the Olomouc Half Marathon in the Czech Republic in June.
Natasha Wilson, nee Cockram, (70:06) is the third fastest Welsh Athlete of all time for the distance and is the likely favourite for the Welsh title here. Tracy Barlow (72:12) is the next notable of the domestic stars and is a previous winner at the JCP Swansea Half Marathon.
Scottish Athlete Stephie Pennycook (73:19), Olivia Tsim (73:37) and 2024 Brecon Carreg CDF 10K winner Kate Estlea-Morris (73:57) will also be looking to finish highly amongst the domestic finishers with Tsim also eyeing a possible Welsh title.
The men’s field will be chasing times under the hour and will also attack the course record of 59:30 set back in 2019.
Albert Kangogo (59:25) is fastest in the field, setting his P.B back in 2017 when finishing fourth in Copenhagen but more recently claiming third at the 2024 Vienna City Marathon.
Abe Gashahun (59:46) is a competitive racer with a great Palmares that includes a victory at the Great Ethiopian Run in 2022 and finishing as the winner of the Riyadh Marathon earlier this year.
Benard Murkonen (60:01) has been tipped by Coach Renato Canova to be very quick in Cardiff so will sit amongst the pre-race favourites.
Tanzania’s Mao Ako (60:28) was second at this year’s Cali 10k and is joined by Morocco’s Mustapha Akkaoui (60:38) who is having a great year which included setting his P.B. at Rabat International Half Marathon. He is also a former Moroccan Champion over 5,000m.
Ismael Kiprono (60:46) comes from the same stable of athletes as last year’s winner, Patrick Mosin so is also likely to be in great shape.
Much like the Women’s race, the men’s features several impressive debutants including Hirko Tefiso who was 6th at the 2024 European 10,000m Championships and Yismaw Dillu who has run 27:08 for 10,000m and 13:09 for 5km on the road.
The men’s domestic battle will be equally exciting, offering a ‘head-to-head’ between Callum Hawkins (60:00) and Jake Smith (60:31). Hawkins has twice finished in the top five at the World Championships Marathon and has come agonisingly close to the hour mark in the past. The Kilbarchan AC man is rounding into real shape, proven by an impressive 46:44 setting the Scottish Record over 10 Miles in Cumbrae. Smith won the Bath Half Marathon emphatically in March and in early September finished fifth at the AJ Bell Great North Run in windy conditions.
Uk based Seyfu Jamaal (63:33) returns after finishing 12th last year just dipping under 65 minutes.
Amauri Rodriguez (63:58) is a five-time National Champion and the National record holder for the Dominican Republic and will also be racing in the Welsh Capital.
Dan Nash (64:07), Paul Martelletti (64:07), Rob Warner-Judd (64:37) and Emmett Jennings (64:52) of Ireland all race with previous 65 minute form to their names.
2024 winner Callum Hall (46:15) heads the fields for the Wheelchair race, joined by previous winners Josh Hartley (49:06), Sam Kolek (49:55) and South African Athlete Tiaan Bosch (51:14).
Mel Nicholls (53:39) took an impressive victory at the AJ Bell Great North Run last month and races here as a four-time previous winner joined by Saffron Cresswell who will make her Half Marathon debut.
