The fastest woman to ever run a Parkrun will aim to create more history at Sunday’s Brecon Carreg Cardiff Bay Run.
Charlotte Arter will attempt to smash the 35-year-old Welsh 10K record of 32 minutes 15 seconds set by Angela Tooby in New York when she leads a 6,800-strong field around Cardiff’s iconic bay.
The British 10,000m champion is fresh from breaking Tooby’s Welsh Half Marathon record on the streets of Barcelona last month, and now she is determined to slash just three seconds off her personal best to continue her dream start to 2019.
“I’m looking forward to racing the Cardiff Bay 10k, it’s always fun to race on the streets of Cardiff and there looks to be a great race line up,” said Arter.
“I’m also looking forward to racing over a shorter distance, having raced over the longer distances of half marathons recently, so will be good to test the legs over 10k before heading off to the U.S next week for some racing and a stint of altitude training.
“I’m putting no pressure on myself for Sunday, I just want to have a solid run, enjoy it and see where I am at. I’d obviously love to run a PB and if I can run a PB then the Welsh record could be in sight!”
Arter will battle it out with a stellar field of domestic and international talent on the first leg of the Run 4 Wales 10K Series.
The fastest woman in the race will be 2008 Olympian Kate Reed, who will be out to turn back the clock on the streets of the Welsh capital to get close to her best of 32:07.
Belgian 5,000m champion Nina Lauwaert will bring some continental flair alongside Norway international Maria Waagen, who will get a taste of her homeland when the race passes the Norwegian church twice along the flat and fast route.
The event will host the Welsh 10km Championships for the first time, and the men’s race is set to be fiercely contested. Seven time Welsh Cross Country champion Dewi Griffiths is the man to beat as he returns to event for the first time since setting a new course record of 29:08 in 2017.
Charlie Hulson will return as the reigning champion alongside ABP Newport 10K winner Ieuan Thomas, who has previously run 29:13 and the in-form Sam Stabler, who is fresh from running 13:45 over 5K.
Fellow Commonwealth Games athletes Jon Hopkins and Josh Griffiths who was the 2017 British Marathon Champion, will line up in Cardiff.
Healthspan Wales 10K Series champion Matt Clowes was second last year and will race along with late entrant Stabler, who has notable wins at the Armagh 5km International and Cardiff Cross Championships.