Cardiff University Cardiff Half Elite Race Latest
Mahamed Mahamed, Derek Hawkins and Natasha Cockram will head the start lists for the 18th edition of the Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon this Sunday, 27th March.
The race will return for the first time since October 2019, for the first of two editions in 2022. The March race will host a mainly British entry but with almost certainly the strongest domestic field that the race has amassed to date. It will also host the Welsh Championships for the distance in 2022.
Brothers Mahamed and Zakariya Mahamed will both make their debuts over the Half Marathon distance but both have proven pedigree on the roads and on the Country. Older brother Mahamed is the current English National Cross Country Champion and younger sibling Zakariya won the Northern Ireland International Cross Country, back in January.
The fastest athlete on paper is Derek Hawkins with a best time of 63:53. He is the older brother of 2019 World Championship fourth placer for Marathon, Callum. He is also an established Marathon runner, finishing ninth at his home Commonwealth Games in Scotland back in 2014.
A further six athletes have run under the 65 minute barrier in the past including Scottish Cross Country Champion Jamie Crowe and Lucian Allison who ran 28:38 for 10km at Trafford recently.
The winner of the Trafford 10k on that occasion was Kadar Omar and Omar will also be in action in Cardiff, highly likely to better his previous best of 66:06.
The race will feature an International Match between Scotland and Wales and it is the Scottish team’s inclusion that will add great depth to the field, with a team of strong performers led by Hawkins. Welsh Cross Country Champion James Hunt will lead the Welsh Team in the men’s race.
Morocco’s Abdessamad El Yaagoubi, Norweigan athlete Andreas Iden and Australian Matt Fox will all add some international flavour.
Natasha Cockram is the Welsh Record Holder for the Marathon and has a best mark for the half distance of 72:46. She is also the 2020 British Champion for the Marathon. Wales’ Bronwen Owen is another exciting debutant and is a multiple Great Britain & Northern Ireland International.
Alex Eykelbosch won the Speedway 10k in January in a time of 33:31 and will be joined in Cardiff by Wales’ Olivia Tsim who recently made her International debut and who also ran under 34 minutes at Chepstow.
The Wheelchair race will host its largest field to date including several previous winners, Tiaan Bosch, Sam Kolek, Richie Powell and Mel Nicholls. Bret Crossley is the fastest in the field this time, with a 48:12 P.B. Nicholls is the fastest of the women, with a best of 53:39.
Start List – Men
| Forename | Surname | Club | P.B. | Bio |
| Derek | Hawkins | Kilbarchan, Scotland | 63:53 | 29:24 for 10km. 2:12.49 for Marathon. |
| Jamie | Crowe | Central AC | 64:19 | 3rd Liverpool Cross Challenge 2021. 13:53 for 5km. 29:18 for 10km |
| Sean | Chalmers | Inverness Harriers, Scotland | 64:22 | 2022 Inverness Half Marathon Champion |
| Jonathan | Glen | Inverclyde, Scotland | 64:23 | 2nd 2020 Scottish Cross Country Championships |
| Lucian | Allison | Lincoln Wellington | 64:29 | 2nd 2021 Telford 10km. 29:06 for 10km |
| Abdessamad | El Yaagoubi | Morocco | 65:24 | 19th 2020 Marrakech Half Marathon |
| James | Donald | Dundee Hawhill, Scotland | 65:27 | 4th 2021 10,000m European Cup. 4th 2021 Monument Mile Classic |
| Kadar | Omar | Birchfield Harriers | 66:06 | 2022 Trafford 10k Champion. 2021 Leeds Abbey Dash Champion |
| Michael | Kallenberg | Cardiff AC | 66:09 | 2022 RAF Cross Country Champion. 2022 Inter-Services Cross Country Champion |
| Shane | Robinson | Lincoln Wellington | 66:32 | 2021 Milton Keynes Cross Country Champion |
| Paul | Graham | Pontypridd Roadents | 66:33 | 2022 Lliswerry 8 Champion. 29:38 for 10km |
| Conán | McCaughey | North Belfast Harriers | 66:38 | 2022 Northern Ireland & Ulster Cross Country Champion |
| Dom | Wilmore | Poole AC | 67:30 | 30:10 for 10km |
| James | Hunt | Cardiff AC | 67:32 | 3 x Welsh Cross Country Champion. 2nd 2019 Porthcawl 10k |
| Andreas | Iden | Gneist Il, Norway | 67:32 | 14:20 for 5km. 30:36 for 10,000m |
| James | Straw | Lincoln Wellington | 67:43 | 14:13 for 5,000m. 30:10 for 10,000m |
| Abed | Teweldebrhan | Newport Harriers | 67:43 | 2022 City Of Newport Half Marathon Champion. |
| Jordan | Skelly | Gainsborough & Morton | 67:48 | 2021 Doncaster 10k Champion |
| Adam | Bull | Pontypridd Roadents | 67:52 | 2020 City Of Newport Half Marathon Champion |
| Dan | Hamilton | Pontypridd Roadents | 68:08 | 30:18 for 10km |
| Dom | James | Western Tempo | 68:14 | 29:36 for 10km |
| Angus | Maclean | Swansea Harriers | 68:25 | 29:47 for 10km. 23:45 for 5 Miles |
| Blair | McWhirter | Swansea Harriers | 68:36 | |
| Cam | Muir | City Of Stoke AC | 68:48 | 2020 Shropshire Cross Country Champion |
| Matt | Rees | Swansea Harriers | 68:48 | |
| Matt | Edwards | Cardiff AC | 69:16 | |
| Will | Munday | Swansea Harriers | 69:26 | |
| Sam | Goodchild | Cornwall AC | 69:28 | 2021 JCP Swansea Half Marathon Champion |
| Luke | Northall | Wrexham AAC | 69:36 | |
| Alistair | Smith | Coventry Godiva | 69:40 | |
| Dan | Rothwell | Swansea Harriers | 69:43 | |
| Marc | Hobbs | Swansea Harriers | 69:47 | |
| Jamie | Barnett | Newham & Essex Beagles | 69:49 | |
| Matt | Edmonds | Micky Morris Racing Team | 69:58 | |
| Aaron | Pritchard | Team Bath | 71:29 | |
| Matt | Welsh | Belgrave Harriers | 72:02 | 15:02 for 5km / 31:24 for 10km |
| Jonathan | Butler | Swansea Harriers | 72:24 | |
| Ifan | Dafydd | Eryri Harriers | Debut | |
| Mahamed | Mahamed | Southampton AC | Debut | |
| Zakariya | Mahamed | Southampton AC | Debut | 2022 Northern Ireland International Cross Country Champion |
| Matt | Fox | Australia | Debut | |
| Daniel | Haymes | Derby AC | Debut | 29:56 for 10,000m |
| Thomas | Gostelow | Charnwood AC | Debut | 30:03 for 10km |
| Jack | Hutchens | Bideford AC | Debut | 30:37 for 10km |
| Morgan | James | Cardiff AC | Debut | 15:13 for 5km. 31:11 for 10km |
| Connor | Kissane-Wood | Thames Valley Harriers | Debut | 31:11 for 10km |
Start List – Women
| Forename | Surname | Club | P.B. | Bio |
| Natasha | Cockram | Micky Morris Running Team, Wales | 72:46 | 2020 British Marathon Champion. Welsh Record Holder (Marathon) |
| Kirsty | Longley | Liverpool Pembroke & Sefton | 75:27 | 2nd 2021 Rock N Roll Liverpool Half Marathon. 33:35 for 10km |
| Leila | Armoush | Leeds City | 76:10 | 3rd 2021 Malaga Half Marathon. 2nd 2021 Derby 10. |
| Olivia | Tsim | Pontypridd Roadents, Wales | 76:14 | 2nd 2020 Admiral Swansea Bay 10k |
| Elle | Twentyman | Taunton AC | 76:29 | 6th 2021 Reading Half Marathon |
| Alaw | Beynon-Thomas | Les Croupiers | 76:48 | 2021 Cardiff Sunset 10k Champion. 2nd 2021 Brecon Carreg Cardiff 10k |
| Hannah | Robinson | Birchfield Harriers | 77:47 | 16:54 for 5km. 34:55 for 10km |
| Rachel | Doherty | Higham | 78:05 | 2nd 2022 City of Newport Half Marathon |
| Carys | Hughes | Cardiff AC | 78:19 | 2019 Great West Run Half Marathon Champion. 2018 Richard Burton 10k Champion |
| Helen | Sharpe | Cardiff AC | 78:26 | |
| Georgia | Holden | Queens Park / Australia | 79:59 | 2nd 2021 JCP Swansea Half Marathon |
| Sioned | Howells | Amman Valley Harrriers | 80:28 | 2nd 2021 Richard Burton 10k |
| Hannah | Pullen | Waverley AC | 80:32 | 2020 Hampton Court Palace Half Marathon Champion |
| Chloe | Dooley | Cardiff AC | 80:37 | 36:24 for 10km |
| Donna | Morris | Builth & District Runners | 81:15 | 36:11 for 10km |
| Ruby | Orchard | Cornwall AC | 81:54 | 2019 Plymouth 10k Champion. 3rd 2019 Healthspan Porthcawl 10k |
| Lauren | Cooper | Parc Bryn Bach, Wales | Debut | |
| Alex | Eykelbosch | Leeds City | Debut | 2022 Speedway 10k Champion. 33:31 for 10km |
| Bronwen | Owen | Leeds City, Wales | Debut | 2020 Yorkshire Cross Country Champion. 7th 2019 Spar European XC Championships |
| Imogen | Wood | Cornwall AC | Debut | 2nd 2020 UK Inter-counties XC Championships |
Start List – Wheelchairs (Men)
| Forename | Surname | Club | P.B. | Bio |
| Bret | Crossley | Leeds City | 48:12 | 2021 Yorkshire Marathon Champion. 3rd 2017 Silverstone Half Marathon |
| Sam | Kolek | Kirkby AC / Poland | 50:37 | 2nd 2018 Cardiff University / Cardiff Half Marathon. 2nd 2018 Great Scottich Run. |
| Tiaan | Bosch | Leeds City / South Africa | 51:14 | 2018 Cardiff University / Cardiff Half Marathon Champion. |
| Matthew | Clarke | British Wheelchair Racing Association | 51:35 | 3rd 2021 Vitality Big Half |
| Richie | Powell | DSW | 54:43 | 2021 Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run Champion. |
| Rob | Smith | Coventry Godiva Harriers | 57:16 | |
| Gary | Cooper | Coventry Godiva Harriers | 59:04 |
Start List – Wheelchairs (Women)
| Forename | Surname | Club | P.B. | Bio |
| Mel | Nicholls | Coventry Godiva Harriers | 53:39 | 2015 IPC World Silver Medalist 800m. 2017 Cardiff University / Cardiff Half Marathon Champion. |
| Martyna | Snopek | Weir Archer Academy | 63:02 | 2018 Great North Run Champion. |
| Elle | Page | Coventry Godiva Harriers | 76:00 |
