26 February 2015 

The world’s elite distance runners will be converging on Cardiff on Easter Saturday, 26 March 2016, to take part in the 22nd edition of the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships, Cardiff 2016.

While the race will be an important stepping-stone for many of the athletes towards the Olympic Games marathon in Rio 147 days later, it will also offer 25,000 runners of all ages and abilities the chance to compete in a mass participation race along the fast, flat and iconic course around the Welsh capital.

Runners will be able to rub shoulders with the likes of double Olympic champion Mo Farah, five-time World Half Marathon Championships winner Zersenay Tadese and world half-marathon record holder Florence Kiplagat.

The event organisers are today (25th February) formally inviting runners from around the world to register their interest to take part in the biggest athletics event to be staged in Wales since the Commonwealth Games in 1958. 

From today runners will get the chance to claim one of the 25,000 places in the event by registering their details. Everyone who pre-registers will then get the chance to be first to apply for a race number when entries open officially on 26 March – a year to go to the actual race. Those who pre-register will be given a day to apply all on their own before the event is opened up to the masses.

Lynn Davies, President of British Athletics, commented: "It is fantastic that Cardiff will be hosting a World Championship event of this stature in 2016. The Cardiff Half Marathon has already proved itself to be one of the biggest and best road races in the UK and when the best athletes in the world run on the same course the times should be spectacular.

“But the real beauty of this event is that ordinary runners get the chance to line-up on the same start line as the best athletes in the world. That simply doesn’t happen in many other sports.

“This is a major coup for British and Welsh athletics and should give our home grown talent the chance to shine on their own doorstep.”

It will be the fourth time the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships has been staged in the UK. The inaugural event was staged in the North East at the Great North Run in 1992, Bristol hosted the event in 2001 and Birmingham in 2009. No British male athlete has won the title, but Liz McColgan (1992) and Paula Radcliffe (2000, 2001, 2003) have captured four titles between them for British women.

This is how you can register your interest:

Step 1 – Visit www.cardiff2016.co.uk

Step 2 – Click the large yellow button to pre-register your interest

Step 3 – Enter your email address