The ballot for the 2027 Cardiff Half Marathon is now open, event organiser Run 4 Wales has announced.
The race will take place on Sunday, October 3, 2027. General entry spaces are being allocated via a ballot system to ensure equal opportunity for participants.
The ballot is free to enter and will remain open for just over two weeks, closing at midnight on Sunday, October 18, 2026. Ballot results will be announced on Thursday, October 22, 2026.
Both a UK Ballot and an International Ballot are in operation to ensure allocation for domestic runners, charity fundraisers and overseas participants.
Matt Newman, Chief Executive at Run 4 Wales, said “This is the second year we’ve run the ballot at the Cardiff Half Marathon and, once again, we’re expecting demand into the race to be high.
“We made the choice to go to ballot after the 2025 race sold out within a matter of hours, to help make the process of securing a space as fair as possible. Last year, we had five times the demand for the number of spaces available as the race becomes increasingly popular among runners around the world. However, similar to last year we also have a number of skip the ballot options as well as charity spaces which will become available once the results of the ballot have been announced.
“We wish everyone the best of luck in the ballot and look forward to welcoming next year’s runners to Cardiff on Sunday 3 October.”
A UK ballot entry costs £59, with payment taken only if the applicant is successful in securing a place.
The international ballot entry costs £70 and includes an option to apply as a group of three runners to assist overseas participants travelling together. International runners can join only one group, and duplicate entries across multiple groups will be disqualified. If one member of a group is successful in the ballot, all members of that group are accepted and payment will be processed.
Following the ballot results announcement on Thursday, October 22, 2026, additional registration avenues will open, including charity entries, Tour Operator packages and SuperVoucher spaces.
Run 4 Wales is also offering a limited number of ‘skip the ballot’ options for runners seeking to guarantee entry without entering the draw:
• NSPCC Fundraiser – allows entry for £40 when pledging to raise £300 for the charity.
• Welsh Athletics Entry – 1,500 discounted spaces available on a first-come, first-served basis for affiliated runners.
• Welsh Distance Double – includes entry into both the 2027 Cardiff Half Marathon and the ABP Newport Marathon for £108, representing a £10 saving against individual entry fees.
• CDF Training Bundle – includes entry into the 2027 Cardiff Half Marathon and the CDF 10K on September 5, 2027, priced at £87 for a £7 saving.
• Welsh Half & Half – includes entry into the Jones O Gymru Anglesey Half Marathon and the 2027 Cardiff Half Marathon, priced at £103 for a £10 saving.
