Top athletes gear up for Cardiff Bay 10K return this weekend

The Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay 10K returns on Sunday and is set to bring a lot of excitement in its Elite Field.

The flat and fast race around Cardiff’s historic Bay is the second fixture of the R4W 10K Series and is likely to see a re-match of the top three athletes from the ABP Newport 10K on the men’s side. Women’s race winner Hannah Irwin and CDF 10K Champion Alaw Evans will also return.

Omar Ahmed (28:35) is a three-time winner here and is the course record holder with a time of 28:42. He was also the victor in Newport, overcoming the challenge from Kadar Omar (28:27) and Dewi Griffiths (28:27). 2022 Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon Champion Omar was second on that occasion.

The threat from Griffiths is growing all the time as he returns to fitness. The 2017 race winner here was third in Newport, claimed a Welsh 5K title a week later and was an impressive winner at the undulating Bryn Meadows Caerphilly 10K last Sunday in 29:13.

The Welshman’s confidence is also growing and, after admitting to not feeling 100% ahead of the Newport contest, was much happier with the threat he can make on a race win in Cardiff Bay, following his outing in Caerphilly.

Welsh Commonwealth Games representative Jonathan Hopkins (29:01) is a competitive racer and as well as boasting an impressive 10K PB has dipped under 14 minutes on several occasions over 5K.

Mike Ward (29:31) is a R4W race regular, most recently finishing ninth at the CDF 10K but races here following a solid 29:37 clocking at the Valencia Ibercaja 10K in February.

2023 OGI Porthcawl 10K Champion James Hunt (29:43) and 2022 Welsh Inter-Regional Cross Country Champion Ciaran Lewis (29:45) will also be racing here.

Jon Butler (29:52) and Max Davis (29:56) are further sub 30 competitors in action on Sunday.

Great Britain & Northern Ireland International Hannah Irwin (32:25) was an impressive winner at the ABP Newport 10K in 32:58, following a third place in Cardiff Bay last year. The Cambridge and Coleridge athlete won the Cardiff Cross Challenge Mile race in November and has real range to her racing resume with a 71:05 best for the Half Marathon.

Irwin has spoken about her controlled and sensible return to training and seemed delighted with her first race of 2024 in Newport. That may mean that Charlotte Arter’s course record of 32:49 from 2019 could be at threat.

Alaw Evans (34:48) is next fastest and was third at Newport. Evans is a local favourite, competing for Cardiff Club, Les Croupiers RC, and claiming a popular victory at the new look CDF 10K last September. Emily Carroll (35:02), Kate Roberts (35:03), Lucy Marland (35:15) and Donna Morris (35:44) will all be racing.