By Owen Morgan

The Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon has been awarded the prestigious World Athletics Gold Road Race Label.

The accolade recognised the event’s level of excellence in organisation and its established reputation for attracting a world class field of international athletes.

The label is the highest level of recognition awarded to half marathons within World Athletics’ Label programme.

The Cardiff race is the only half marathon in the United Kingdom to enjoy such recognition.

The event now joins its SuperHalfs’ companions in Lisbon, Prague, Copenhagen and Valencia, becoming the final race in the new world half marathon series to receive the World Athletics Gold Road Race Label.

Matt Newman, chief executive of the organising body Run 4 Wales, said; ‘We are delighted to receive this prestigious accolade that recognises our race as being amongst the top road races in the world.

“We had been targeting official recognition as a legacy of hosting the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2016.

“We’re now looking forward to being able to offer SuperRunners across the SuperHalfs series a truly world class and unforgettable experience, with all five races established as leading half marathon races across the globe.”

General entries sold out in record time for Wales’ largest mass-participation road running event on Sunday, October 4, but runners can still choose to run for an official charity at the Gold Road Race Label half marathon.