The Elite Race Preview; One Of Our Strongest Fields To Date
The Wizz Air Cardiff Half Marathon will feature its strongest Elite Field to date and in 2022 has compiled an International Field with more nationalities represented than ever before.
This year the field will host athletes from; Canada, England, Ethiopia, Germany, Kenya, New Zealand, Norway, Uganda and Wales.
Geoffrey Koech (59:32) is the fastest on paper and a prolific racer, becoming the fourth fastest athlete in history when he won the Birell Prague Grand Prix (10km) in 27:04 in 2019. Namesake Geoffrey Yegon (59:44) has multiple half marathon wins to his name including victories at the Hague, Hamburg and at Venlo to his credit.
Gizealaw Abeje Ayana (59:41) is next fastest and was second at the Poznan Half Marathon last year.
Hailemaryam Kiros (60:01) came agonisingly close to the hour mark at the World Half Marathon Championships whilst competing for Ethiopia in Poland in 2020 and is joined by Countryman Chimdessa Gudeta (60:15) who won the Laredo 10km race in 27:23 earlier this year.
Three promising half marathon debutants will be in action. Matthew Ckekwurui is the Ugandan 10,000m Champion. Kelvin Kibiwott was second at the Laredo 10k in 2021 and Ethiopia’s Workineh Tadesse was third at the Hamburg Marathon earlier this year in a time of 2:05:01.
Ken Nakayama is the latest Japanese athlete to travel to Cardiff. His best for the distance of 60:38 makes him the joint eighth fastest Japanese man in history.
Dewi Griffiths (61:31) is one of the top Welsh distance runners in history and has proved a return to fitness this year with an 11th place finish at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham. Prior to that he won the Welsh 10km title and the Great Birmingham Run in May.
Canadian Athlete Ben Preisner (63:08) is a 2:10:17 performer in the marathon and will chase the Canadian record of 61:08 in Cardiff.
Zakariya Mahamed (64:04) was third in the March edition of the race and will be joined by Kieran Clements (64:31) and Norman Shreeve (64:34).
In the Women’s contest Kenyan athlete Viola Chepngeno (66:48) is the fastest on paper and was the winner of the Gent Half Marathon in Belgium earlier this year.
Beatrice Cheserek (67:38) Was the winner of the Gothenborg Half Marathon last September and will be chasing fast times in Cardiff.
Zewditu Aderaw (68:03) is the leading Ethiopian Athlete in the women’s field and recorded her P.B. earlier this year at the Buenos Aires Half Marathon.
Cynthia Nolari (68:04) will be competing in her second of the Superhalfs Series in 2022 following an eighth place finish in Prague.
Birhan Mhretu (69:25) returns to Cardiff having finished 5th here in 2019. Susy Chemaimak (72:10) is another athlete tipped to radically reform her P.B. on Sunday.
Welsh Marathon Record Holder Natasha Cockram (70:47) is the leading Welsh entry on the women’s side. She was the British Marathon Champion in 2020 and is also the third fastest Welsh athlete in history for half marathon.
Naomi Mitchell (71:52) is the next fastest British Athlete competing and 2021 Manchester Marathon Champion Anna Bracegirdle (73:21) is next fastest of the Welsh athletes, closely followed by Welsh 10km Champion Olivia Tsim (73:38).