Charlie Hulson and Alaw Beynon-Thomas will race on home soil when half-marathon action returns to the Welsh capital

Japhet Korir and Paskalia Kipkoech head the start lists for Sunday’s Cardiff University / Cardiff Half Marathon.

The race in the Welsh capital now looks likely to avoid poor weather conditions with organisers set to host their largest race yet and to elevate the UK’s second-largest half-marathon to IAAF Gold Label Status for 2020.

Former World Cross champion Korir (60:08) was the youngest ever senior champion when he took the global crown in Bydgoszcz in 2013. His half-marathon PB came as he finished fourth in Lille two years ago. He then ran just a second slower for fourth at the Hague in 2018.

Wilson Chebet (59:15) is the fastest athlete on paper. He has a 2:05:27 best for the marathon set when winning in Rotterdam in 2011. He then set the course record in Amsterdam in 2013 and finished second in Boston in 2014. He was also sixth at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships at Birmingham in 2009.

Leonard Langat (59:18) ran his lifetime best when finishing second at Roma Ostia in 2016. He was the Barcelona Half Marathon champion in 2017 and more recently finished second at the Hague with 59:41 last year. He has also recorded top five finishes in Istanbul, Gothenbourg and Yanzhou.

Shadrack Kimining (59:42) was the winner in Cardiff in 2016 during his first race outside of his native Kenya. Kimining has made something of a breakthrough this year, going under the hour mark for Half Marathon with a 59:42 clocking at the Ras Al Kaimah Half Marathon in February. John Lotiang (60:08) is another former Cardiff winner (2017) who will be in action.

Teshome Mekonnen (60:02) has come agonisingly close to the hour mark in the past and will hope to dip under in Cardiff. He was the fourth Ethiopian scorer at the IAAF World Championships in Cardiff in 2016.

Evans Cheruiyot (60:25) warmed up for his race in Cardiff with a 60:29 victory at He was the Paris Half Marathon champion in 2018.

Noah Kigen (60:25) has a previous race win at Udine in 2017 to his credit and Patrick Siele (60:43) who won the Bucharest Half Marathon last year is thought to be ready to attach the hour mark in Cardiff.

Kennedy Kimutai has run 27:38 for 10km on the road and will be making a well anticipated half-marathon debut in Cardiff.

Mohamud Aadan (62:38) of Thames Valley Harriers is the fastest British athlete on paper and will now look to move up the British all-time lists as he attempts to run under 61 minutes. Aadan was seventh at the Commonwealth Half Marathon Championships held at the race last year.

Charlie Hulson will lead the Welsh athletes. The Liverpool Harrier from Mold in North Wales was the winner of the Saucony English Cross Country Championships at Parliament Hill in 2015. He was also the winner at the Armagh International Road Races in 2016. He will look to revise his 65:19 best set at the Copenhagen Half Marathon on September 15.

The 2019 Brighton Marathon champion Peter Le’Grice (64:56) will be in action, joined by Aaron Richmond (65:44) of Bideford AC and Aaron Scott (65:50) of Lincoln Wellington.

Welshman James Hunt (69:58) has run 29:58 for 10km and is now likely to considerably improve his half-marathon best.

The women’s race is set to be equally as competitive this year as athletes chase the course record of 65:52 set by Edith Chelimo in 2017.

Paskalia Kipkoech (67:17) is another global medallist coming to Wales. She claimed bronze at the IAAF World Half Marathon Championships in 2012, with recent form including a 67:38 clocking in February.

Kipkoech is familiar with Cardiff after finishing seventh at the IAAF World Championships here in 2016 and was a member of the gold medal winning team on that occasion.

Lucy Cheruiyot (67:23) was fourth at the 2019 Sportismo Prague Half Marathon one place behind Lydia Mathathi (67:51) who is next fastest for Cardiff.

Perine Nenkampi (68:04) recorded her PB when winning the Yangzhou Internatioonal Half Marathon in China earlier this year. Polline Wanjiku (68:20) won over the distance in Warsaw last year and was third in Paris.

Joyce Tele (69:21) won the Trent half Marathon in 2018 and the Eldoret 10k which is a highly competitive road race contested by a lot of talented Kenyan athletes.

Azmera Abreha (69:55) is an exciting prospect owing to her performances in the Marathon which includes second at the 2018 Shanghai International Marathon and a 2:21.51 best for the distance. She is joined by fellow Ethiopian Birhan Mihretu (69:33).

Rebecca Robinson (72:38) is an elite athlete who also manages a career as a doctor. Robinson set her PB at Cardiff in 2014 finishing fifth and returning a year later to finish seventh in 74:02. Jenny Spink (73:01) is next fastest and is a regular at the race, most recently finishing 15th in 2018.

Calli Thackery (75:33) of Hallamshire Harriers is the daughter of distance running legend Carl who remains sixth on the British all-time lists for the half-marathon. Thackery will race along with Rebecca Hilland (75:38) of Team Bath.

Alaw Beynon-Thomas (76:38) is among the top Welsh athletes entered.

» For more on the latest athletics news, athletics events coverage and athletics updates, check out the AW homepage and our social media channels on TwitterFacebook and Instagram