29/03/2026
Winter Highlights and what’s to come: -
Well winter is almost behind us and the spring is on its way. The clocks have gone forward and we will soon be back to summer routes. I think we are all fed up with dark nights and the thought of running in the park in the evenings will be welcomed by us all.
Once the New year starts those training for a marathon start upping their mileage and we have several events to look forward to hearing all about. Good luck everyone with which ever marathon (s) you are doing and hope the training is going to plan.
The Cross Country season has now finished and Andrew has been keeping everyone on their toes and has done a great job with the organisation. Colin has completed all the events for this season and a huge well done to him. Cross Country happens every year so if you want to give it a go po it in your diary for the autumn (races usually start in October).
Our members have enjoyed a variety of races over the last 3 months ranging from various trail runs and half marathons. Lliswerry 8 is always a firm favourite for the club and this year did not disappoint. It’s not always easy to keep up with the events so if you are doing anything please let us know and do a small report as it might inspire someone else next time. As I type I know there is a lot of interest going around about the Pentyrch Hill Race and if you haven’t done it before it’s definitely an experience.
We continue to represent the club at various Parkruns and always look forward to the weekly photos and reports.
As a club we are no stranger to injuries and hope these will right themselves over time. As the lighter nights are coming hopefully we will see members coming out on a Wednesday night for a chat and even a very slow run as part of their recovery.
Ellen has recently sent a collection of old trainers off to be recycled/repurposed so a massive thank you to her and to everyone who donated. If you missed this then you can always take them to the Cotswold store in town where they have a collection bin. I believe Ellen collected nearly 30 pairs which is a huge amount from one club.
The spring leads us into summer races of which some of our members support regularly. If you haven’t tried any before then look out for the Cardiff Running Events Summer Series – 1 mile, 2 miles, 3 miles and 4 miles all held on a Wednesday evening in Bute Park. We also see the Ssafa series in Bute Park a fast 5k route. A bit further afield is the Rose Inn series and this year they are only putting on 2 races but still the same course and a very flat loop.
Some races are also featured in the South Wales Championships so look out for those too. All you need to do is tick a box to say you are happy to enter and it’s not extra cost. But if you are lucky you may get a placing and a medal! Quite a few of our members have had medals in the past so it is achievable.
The summer orienteering series will start up again soon so keep an eye out for those events. They are always great fun and you will find roads/paths you never knew existed.
Coming up:
April –
• Parkrun is the go to Saturday morning event and we have heard about some interesting events which continues to spark our interest.
• Bluebell Blunder – 18th Organised by Rogue Runs and takes in the scenic Wye Valley.
• Newport 10k and half marathon – 19th This has always been a popular race as close to home so cuts out a lot of travelling time which is a bonus.
• Manchester Marathon – 19th A good alternative to London and now has more than 40,000 runners so definitely becoming more popular.
• Severn Bridge Twilight race – 23rd The night races are always popular and great to enter. The twilight event promises stunning views across the Severn Estuary.
• London Marathon – 26th - Emily Ay has the club place this year and we wish her well in the run and hope the training has gone to plan. We have a couple of members running for various charities and we will be supporting them on the day so good luck to everyone.
• Pentyrch Hill Race – 28th A good local race and very challenging. (part of the SW championships)
• Cardiff Parks Orienteering – Hailey Park 29th
May –
• Caerphilly 10k – 10th with a few changes to the route for this year
• Rose Inn- 12th A very flat 2 mile course of which you do 2 laps and held in Magor
• Cardiff Summer Series – 1 mile is on the 13th and the 2 mile is on the 27th
• Barry Island 10k – 17th A local race and a firm favourite of many
• Ssafa – 20th A fast 5k race held in Bute Park. Definitely worth a try if you have not done it before.
• Cardiff Parks Orienteering – Llandaff Fields 27th May
• Treforest 10k – 29th (part of the SW championships)
June –
• Ssafa – 3rd As above
• Rose Inn – 9th As above
• Cardiff Park Series Orienteering – Forest Farm 10th, Heath Park 24th
As well as all this we have our weekly runs as follows:
• Monday night – an out and back session lasting 40 minutes. We usually start at the Cathedral Green but if there are any dates where we need to relocate, they will be posted on Spond.
• Tuesday skills session – either hills or effort and it’s your session so you work at your pace. Why not try it and learn some new skills and get some tips. Pick your coaches brains for ideas and help. Remember the coaches (Ben and Sally) are here to help you.
• Wednesday social run – three distances on offer (5k, 5m, and 7m).
• We aim to get all the weekly runs posted up on Spond by 8pm on a Sunday night so you know what is going on and can plan your week.
If you have any favourite routes please let us know and if we can reccy and set up some new club routes over the summer then please share your ideas.
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