One IOWRR, Darren Cole had the chance to run in the footsteps of some of the greatest and future stars of our sport. He took part in the Cardiff Half Marathon World Championships, which was set to be one of the most prestigious and enthralling UK endurance events of the year. There were a massive 54 countries represented and 16,000 participants to include elite men and women.
The race started outside Cardiff Castle before runners then head down past Cardiff City Stadium on the way to Penarth. They take in the glorious Penarth Marina before crossing the barrage and heading to Cardiff Bay. Runners run right through the heart of the bay taking in the Norwegian Church and Wales Millennium Centre. The course then heads towards the north of the city with runners completing a loop of the beautiful Roath Park Lake before the grandstand finish on King Edward V11 Avenue amid a number of Cardiff University’s most impressive university buildings.
The weather was atrocious with high winds and torrential rain. A few undulations but lots of support from the crowds of Cardiff. All televised on BBC1.
Darren completed in a time of 1:39:53 in a position of 2013 – a superb run in tough conditions, awarded with an Adidas Welsh T-shirt and Cardiff Castle medal.
