The much-anticipated Cardiff half marathon is returning for a second time this year on October 2, reclaiming the race's traditional autumn date for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic. With thousands expected to take part in the event and a record number of entrants from outside of Wales the race will see participants run past some of the city's most well-known landmarks.
Kicking off at 10am the sold-out race will see 25,000 runners start outside Cardiff Castle and then go past the Principality and Cardiff City Stadiums. Runners will then head to Penarth Marina before crossing the barrage to Cardiff Bay and running past the Norwegian Church and Wales Millennium Centre. After completing a loop of Roath Park lake runners will finish outside Cardiff’s civic centre.
Road closures will be in place across the city on race day with some being put in place from Wednesday (September 28) to prepare for the big day. Cardiff council has announced that the following road closures are being put in place across the capital.
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Road closures
From 5am on Wednesday, September 28, until 12pm on Tuesday, October 4: College Road will be closed from the junction with Museum Avenue to the junction with King Edward VII Avenue (access will be maintained until 6am on Saturday, October 1.)
From 5am on Thursday, September 29, until midday on Tuesday, October 4: King Edward VII Avenue will be closed up to the junction with Boulevard de Nantes and to the junction with City Hall Road. Access for businesses and emergency services will be permitted up until Saturday, October 1.
From 5am on Friday, September 30, until midnight on Sunday, October 2, the following roads will be closed:
- King Edward VII (from the junction with Boulevard de Nantes to the junction with City Hall Road and from the junction with Corbett Road to the junction with City Hall Road)
- Museum Avenue from the closed end with Corbett Road to the junction with Gorsedd Gardens Road
- Gorsedd Gardens Road
- City Hall Road from its junction with Museum Avenue to its junction with North Road.
Between 4am and 12pm on Sunday, October 2, the following roads will be closed:
- North Road south of the junction with Boulevard de Nantes to the junction with the A4161
- The A4161 from the junction with North Road to its junction with Kingsway
- Kingsway from the junction with the A4161 to the junction with Duke Street
- Duke Street and Castle Street
- Cowbridge Road East from the junction with Castle Street to the junction with Cathedral Road
Between 6am and 10.45am on Sunday, October 2, the following roads will be closed:
- North Road from the junction with Colum Road to the junction with Boulevard de Nantes (access to Blackweir via Park Place/Corbett Road, northbound up North Road)
Between 10am and 3.10pm the following roads will be closed:
- Colum Road
- Park Place from the junction with St Andrews Place to the junction with Colum Road
On both Saturday, October 1, and Sunday, October 2, the following access arrangements will be facilitated:
- Access only into Beatty Avenue from the junction with Lake Road North (including Jellicoe Gardens, Keyes Avenue, and Tyrwhitt Crescent)
- Access to and from Queen Anne Square will be managed North Road/Corbett Road
- Lady Mary Road from the junction with Maryport Road to the junction with Lake Road East.
On Sunday, October 2, there will be a rolling road closure from 8.30am until 3.10pm to facilitate the route on the following roads:
- Cowbridge Road East from the junction with Cathedral Road to the junction with Neville Street
- Wellington Street, Leckwith Road, and Sloper Road
- Penarth Road, Cardiff Bay Barrage, Harbour Drive, and Roald Dahl Plas
- Bute Place, Lloyd George Avenue, and Herbert Street
- Tyndall Street, East Tyndall Street, and Windsor Road
- Adam Street, Fitzalan Place going across Newport Road
- West Grove, Richmond Road, and Albany Road
- Marlborough Road, Pen-Y-Lan Road, and Ninian Road
- Fairoak Road, Lake Road East, and Lake Road West. Access to Cathay's cemetery will be facilitated via Allensbank Road up until Fairoak Road opens when access will be re-opened via the main entrance.
- Cathays Terrace, Corbett Road, and Museum Avenue
If the route is completed earlier then these roads will be open before 3.10pm.
The bus gate on Westgate Street will be suspended for the duration of this event from 8.30am until 3.10pm on October 2.
Buses
Cardiff Bus has urged those planning to travel to the capital for the half marathon to plan their journey on the day carefully. The bus operator will be alerting passengers to diversions and bus stop changes throughout the day from the first bus until 3.15pm although each route will be affected at different times.
Commercial director Gareth Stevens Bus said: “There will be a number of diversions and bus stop changes in place to ensure our customers can continue to travel throughout the city when the road closures are in place. We’d like to wish all those taking part in the half marathon good luck and remind anyone with queries about travel to visit our website www.cardiffbus.com." The following routes will be affected on the day:
- Route 6 (Baycar) will not operate until 2pm due to road closure across the majority of its route.
- From 10.30am buses on routes 8 and 9 between Cardiff Bay/Sports Village and Heath Hospital will operate via Park Place, Colum Road, and North Road. Following this from approximately 10.30am until 3.15pm buses will operate via North Road instead of Park Place and Colum Road to and from the University Hospital of Wales. Additionally route 8 will start and end at Mermaid Quay instead of County Hall until 12.30pm.
- Route 13 ’s 9.33am and 10.33am departures from Drope and the 10.05am and 11.05am departures to Drope will start and end at Canton Home Bargains. The 11.33am journey from Drope and 12.05am journey to Drope will start and end at Park Street – entering and exiting the city via Tudor St and Neville Street and not serving Westgate Street or Cardiff Bridge.
- Routes 17 and 18 will start and end at the Royal Hotel bus stop in Westgate Street before 9am and again between 11.15am and 12pm, entering and leaving the city centre via Fitzhamon Embankment/Tudor Street and not serving Westgate Street or Cardiff Bridge. Between 9am and approximately 11.15am buses will start and end at Canton (Home Bargains) and will not be serving the city centre.
- Routes 21, 23, 24, 25, and 27 will start and end at Greyfriars Road until 12pm. These services will not serve any other bus stops in the city centre during this time.
- Route 25’s first two journeys of the day will start from Canton (Home Bargains). The 11.15pm departure will start from Park Street leaving the city centre via Tudor Street, not serving Westgate Street or Cardiff Bridge.
- Route 28B will start and end at Greyfriars Road until 12pm. From the first bus until 2.30pm buses on this service will operate a different route between Fidlas Road and the city. Until 10.30am buses will operate via Park Place, Colum Road, North Road, Caerphilly Road, and Heathwood Road in both directions. From 10.30am until 2.30pm buses will operate via Boulevard De Nantes, North Road, Caerphilly Road, and Heathwood Road in both directions.
- Route 30 from the first bus until 1pm will start and end at Newport Road near its junction with City Road.
- Route 32’s 9.30am and 10.30am from St Fagans and 10.05am and 11.05am to St Fagans will start and end in Canton (Home Bargains). The 11.03am from St Fagans and 12.05pm to St Fagans will start and end at Park Street. Buses will enter and exit the city via Tudor Street (outbound) and Fitzhamon Embankment towards the city centre.
- Route 35 will start and end at Greyfriars Road until 12pm. Additionally, until 2.30pm, buses between the city centre and Gabalfa Interchange will use North Road outwards and Crwys Road, Crown Way, and North Road towards the city centre.
- Routes 44, 45, 49, and 50 will start an end at Wyndham Arcade entering the city via Station Terrace, Bute Terrace, Customhouse Street, and St Mary Street until 9am. Between 9am and 1pm buses will start and end at Newport Road near its junction with City Road.
- Buses on routes 52, 57, and 58 will operate via Newport Road and Colchester Avenue in both directions between 9am and 2pm, not serving Albany Road or Richmond Road. Additionally, between 9am and 1pm, buses will start and end at Newport Road near its junction with City Road.
- Route 61’s 6.25am and 7.25am departures from Pentrebane will end at Park Street. The 6.50am and 8.15am journeys from the city centre will start from Park Street and exit the city via Tudor Street and Neville Street and will not serve Westgate Street or Cardiff Bridge. From 9am until 11.15am buses will start and end at Canton (Home Bargains). From 11.15am until 12pm buses will start and end at Park Street, not serving Westgate Street or Cardiff Bridge.
- Route 63’s first two outward journeys of the day will start from Canton (Home Bargains) and operate via Llandaff Road to Penhill and then follow the normal outward route.
- Routes 92 and 94 departing from the city centre at 8.50am, 9.20am, 9.50am, 10.20am, 10.50am, and 11.20am will operate from Wood Street via Tudor Street, Virgil Street, Cornwall Street, North Clive Street, Clive Street, Ferry Road (Asda), A4232, Leckwith Interchange, Llandough, Redlands Road, Foxglove Rise, Bramble Rise, Cowslip Drive and Pill Street not serving Penarth Road. The 9:38am, 10.17am, 10.47am, 11.17am, and 11.47am departures from Penarth town centre will operate reverse of this route and will not serve Cogan Leisure Centre.
- Route 96A will start and end at Canton (Home Bargains) until 11am and will run along Cowbridge Road East instead of Lansdowne Road.
- Service X59 will start and end on Newport Road near its junction with City Road until 1pm.
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