What to know, from road closures to route – MASHAHER

Thousands of participants have completed the Cardiff Half Marathon in what organisers called the event’s “biggest ever year”.

Widespread road closures were put in place to accommodate the 13.1 mile (21km) route, with 29,000 racers having signed up.

Cardiff council said the city would be “exceptionally busy” and advised residents and visitors to plan ahead.

Patrick Moisin won the men’s race with a time of 1:00:01 and Miriam Chebet won the women’s race in 1:06:43. Wheelchair competitor Callum Hall won with a time of 55:05 and his wife, Jade Hall, was second with a time of 57:57.

“This is our biggest year ever with over 29,000 people registered to take part across the weekend,” said Matt Newman, chief executive of Run4Wales.

James Clatworthy, 29, from Cardiff, took part in the race to raise money for the city’s Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospital charity after being treated there for acute myeloid leukaemia 15 years ago.

“It’s thanks to them than I’m here now running a half marathon,” he said.

And Lisa Price, 36, ran with sister Carly Parsons, 38, who was raising money for the Wales Air Ambulance.

“It’s just such a worthwhile cause,” she said.

The race start-time was staggered, with the wheelchair race from 09:50 BST.

Runners in the elite, white, green and red pens began at 10:00, while runners in the yellow and blue pens got going at 10:10.

The race began on Castle Street, continuing past the Principality Stadium and Cardiff City Stadium to Penarth.

The runners then cross the barrage back to Cardiff Bay, before looping around Roath Park Lake and finishing in the civic centre.

An extensive set of road closures were put in place across Cardiff, with some remaining in place until Monday:

Closed until 00:00 on 7 October:

• College Road from the junction with Museum Avenue to the junction with King Edward VII Avenue
• Edward VII Avenue to the junction with Boulevard de Nantes and to the junction with City Hall Road

Closed until 10:45 on 7 October:

• North Road from its junction with Colum Road to its junction with Boulevard de Nantes

Closed between 10:00 and 15:10 on 6 October:

• Colum Road
• Park Place from the junction with St Andrews Place to the junction with Colum Road

Closed between 08:30 and 15:10 on 6 October:

• 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
• Britannia Quay, Pierhead Street, Bute Place, Lloyd George Avenue
• 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, Blenheim Road, Pen-Y-Lan Road and Ninian Road
• Fairoak Road, Lake Road East and Lake Road West
• Fairoak Road, Cathays Terrace, Corbett Road and Museum Avenue

More information, including access arrangements for residents, can be found on the Cardiff council website.

Race organisers provided a number of “spectator zones” at various points along the route for the thousands who turn out to watch the race in person.

These zones are on Castle Street, Corbett Road and King Edward VII Avenue, where the runners cross the finish line.

You can also watch the highlights from the half marathon on BBC iPlayer and S4C, from 20:00 on 7 October.

Runners are told they must complete the 13.1 mile race in 4.5 hours, which is around the average walking pace.

If runners fall behind the required pace to finish in this time, a sweep vehicle will collect them.

Run4Wales said those who wish to continue after the race has ended should do so on the pavement, as roads re-open, and do so at their own risk.