Record-breaking Cardiff 10K marks milestone 40th anniversary

This year marked the 40^th anniversary of the Kidney Wales CDF 10K – and the whole city came out to join in with the celebrations.

2026 saw the largest edition of the race with more than 10,000 people signed up to join in with the party and thousands more coming out to support.

The 10K saw runners take in all of Cardiff’s iconic landmarks including the Principality Stadium, Cardiff Castle as well as the city’s parklands, meanwhile the 2K family fun run which took place earlier in the day meant all ages and abilities were able to get involved with the race day atmosphere.

In celebration of the event’s 40^th year, a group of participants who were all born in 1968 gathered on the start line for a commemorative photograph, 80s themed music was played around the course and the 2026 medal and t-shirt also provided a retro nod to mark the special occasion.

Many participants also turned up in fancy dress for the milestone edition of the race.

The 40^th anniversary wasn’t the only celebration taking place as several PBs were broken on the fast and flat course too.

In the Men’s race Lloyd Sheppard-Brown (Cardiff Athletics) knocked an incredible 40 seconds off his PB to take the win in this year’s race with a time of 29:08.

He said: “It was a 40 second PB for me today so I’m over the moon. I’ve just come back from America so its nice to be back again on the home roads in Cardiff. I wasn’t expecting to win today, I spoke to my coach and the goal was to go under 30 minutes, so this was a nice shock. I was feeling good today, and I’ve always looked up to Dewi (Griffiths) for so long so it was nice to run alongside him, and then I just worked on closing down the last three miles. When I came down to the finish I didn’t quite believe how fast I’d ran – I couldn’t stop smiling as the crowds were cheering for me.”

Owain Terrell from Newport Harriers also secured a huge PB with a time of 29:55 to win the title in the Wheelchair race – nearly a minute faster than his win in 2025.

He said: “It’s a PB for me today on a tough course, so I’m happy with that. I’ve been trying out a new chair which I’ve had since April so I’ve just been trying to bed it in and get used to it and with this one you can spot me from a mile away as it’s bright yellow. I was expecting a decent time today although some of the tight turns around the course made it a bit more difficult. I’m looking forward to the Cardiff Half in a month’s time now too.”

And it was another crown for Newport Harriers with Kayley Price claiming victory in the Women’s race in 34:13.

Price, who is also a R4W ambassador, said: “I’m very surprised and super happy to win today. I wasn’t expecting it as I haven’t done a 10K in over a year. This time last year I did the Cardiff 10K, so I wanted a PB but wasn’t expecting to win the race. I was feeling good until the first mile and then I started to feel the heat and the fatigue in my legs but the support around the course and to the finish line was amazing, so I knew I needed to keep pushing and I found my second gear right at the end. It was a really good event and a really good course. I’ve now got the Cardiff Half in October so I wanted to get this one done as a build in to see what I can do in the next one”

Among the thousands of runners taking part in this year’s race was a team from the event’s celebration support, Kilted Dragon who were running in kilts to raise money for 2Wish and the event’s headline sponsor and lead charity, Kidney Wales. There were also 300 runners from 20 teams going head-to-head in the business challenge as well as 300 Kidney Wales fundraisers.

Ross Evans, CEO at Kidney Wales, said: “We are incredibly proud to have been part of such a special edition of the CDF 10K as headline sponsor and lead charity, celebrating 40 years of this fantastic Cardiff event. Kidney Wales has been part of the story since the very beginning in 1986, so it is particularly meaningful for us to be here four decades later.

“It was fantastic to see so many people taking part to raise vital funds and awareness for Kidney Wales – including 300 dedicated #TeamKidneyWales fundraisers.”

The event was the final race in the 2026 R4W 10K Series which also featured the ABP Newport 10K, Barry Island 10K and Porthcawl 10K. Bundle entries into the 2027 R4W 10K Series will go live on Thursday 10 September.

Run 4 Wales Chief Executive Matt Newman, added: “What a way to celebrate 40 years of the Kidney Wales CDF 10K. To see more than 10,000 runners come together for the biggest ever edition of this much-loved Cardiff event is a fantastic achievement and I’d like to say a huge thank you to our title partner Kidney Wales, as well as all of our sponsors, partners, volunteers, marshals and the wider community who helped make today possible.

“The 40th anniversary has given us a brilliant opportunity to celebrate the history of the race while looking ahead to its future, and I’m incredibly proud that its biggest chapter yet has been written in 2026. Most importantly, it has been a brilliant day of running and fundraising and I’d like to congratulate every single person who took part.”

Those inspired by this year’s race can now sign up to take part in the 2027 CDF 10K on Sunday 5 September with a special early bird offer for the first 500 to register.

Elite men’s results