The Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay 10K stepped into a new era with fast times, superstar runners and thousands of runners.
The popular event, formerly known as the Cardiff Bay Run, returned with a fresh name and some stunning performances across the senior and junior races on a cold and blustery day in the Welsh capital.
Love Island winner Liam Reardon and rugby legend Shane Williams were among the huge field along with their army of ‘All Stars’ taking part under the banner of lead charity partner Velindre Cancer Centre.
The cool temperatures proved perfect for fast times as Omar Ahmed completed his Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay 10K hat-trick.
The strongest elite field in the event’s history raced around the Wales Millennium Centre, the Senedd and across the barrage. Last year’s men’s champion Ahmed led from former title holder Dewi Griffiths at the 5K mark, building up an 11 second lead as he passed the halfway mark in 14 minutes and 25 seconds. Ahmed kicked on to pull away and clinch a third successive victory in emphatic fashion with a time of 29:01. Griffiths was a full 57 seconds back in second place, ahead of Tomas Crockett (30:12) in third.
“I’m feeling so proud to come back here and defend my title again”, said Ahmed. “The weather was really windy so I just wanted to keep going to the finish line.
“Dewi was sticking with me through 5K so I really had to up my pace, but I felt good and I just kept going and left him behind towards the end of the race. I’ve won it three times in a row now which is amazing and I want to keep coming back to win it a fourth time.”
In the women’s race, Swedish athlete Carolina Wikström outgunned Welsh Marathon Record holder Natasha Cockram over the shorter distance to earn her maiden title on her first appearance on Welsh soil. Wikström was neck and neck with Cockram through the halfway mark as the pair hit 5K in 16:24. But the Swede turned up the pace at 8K, and Cockram could not match her as Wikstrom took the tape in 32:54, 16 seconds ahead of the Mickey Morris Racing Team runner.
“It’s my first time in Wales, the cold didn’t bother me but I was worried about the wind,” said the new champion Wikström. “It was a very good race and the course is very flat, I didn’t know how much of a gap I had on Natasha so I just kept pushing and I’m really happy to have won here.”
The race marked the start of the 2023 Run 4 Wales 10K Series, which heads east to the ABP Newport Wales 10K on the 16th April, before it moves onto the Ogi Porthcawl 10K and Barry Island 10K in the summer.
R4W Chief Executive Matt Newman said: “Congratulations to every single runner who made the 2023 Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay 10K a resounding success once again. It was fantastic to see so many runners of all ages and abilities taking on their own personal challenges and raising thousands for charity in the process.
“A huge thank you must go to our partners, staff and most importantly our ‘Extra Milers’ volunteers who make these events possible.”
A 50-strong team of Brecon Carreg ‘Ploggers’ (who collect litter whilst they jog) ensured the Bay was free of any litter as R4W continued its commitment to improving the sustainability of its events. In 2022, event partners including Brecon Carreg and participants raised over £17,000 which was donated to projects supporting nature conservation, carbon reduction and climate adaptation.
