Cardiff Half Marathon 2024 Race Report 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️

[cheekychipmunks]

Good evening everyone. This will be long, I can feel it in my waters.

I’ve never been so thankful to our youngest child. Our son is off to Vietnam tomorrow so came over to see his sisters and nephews - and us of course. Guess what? He actually cooked dinner too. What an opportune time after my race. 🙏 I couldn’t have stood in the kitchen. 😅

Mr Cheeky and I headed over to Cardiff for 8am. I’d goofed massively and omitted to book a park and walk space at the stadium like last year, probably because I entered this year’s race last October! So I was frantically looking for guaranteed parking online last night, and found a space on JustPark 🙏 Perfect. We found a little cafe and had scrambled eggs on toast and coffee before heading to the event village.

OMG the number of people! I didn’t get running until 10:40am after waiting in my pen from 10am. The atmosphere was buzzing and the weather kind. Grey, dry and not too warm.

Set off nice and steady. A fast time isn’t on my list of important things, but running non-stop is. Don’t know why, but it’s how I like it! There are 2 decent hills on the course; a long drag at 5k and a short, steeper one at 12 miles, amongst other smaller ones. Last year I ran out of steam just after the Barrage and had to Jeff the 2nd half of the race, walking the 12 mile hill. This year I felt strong and trotted along happily, eating the 5k hill for breakfast.

It’s always around 12-14k I realise why I should strength train though, and my hip flexors began to grumble. I had some electrolytes, chugged some water and downed some jelly babies (all whilst running) and felt better. I had a feeling I mightn’t make it up the 12 mile, but I did. So happy! 🙏 Mr Cheeky was cheering me in with a km to go, and I managed a sprint finish. The support on the course was immense too.

My time? Slow at 3:19:31, but my mission was accomplished. I never felt out of breath and I know with some regular exercises I can improve on that for Bath in March. So that’s what I’ll do. 😇 My hips keep reminding me, so no chance of skipping them!

Thanks NRC HM Plan! Worked wonders and I’ll be restarting it after the GSR! Coach B was with me all the way today and he helped a lot.

Thanks to all my running buddies for your support too, virtual and actual. Invaluable.’❤️

Next up GSR in 2 weeks! Yay. 🤸🤸

[Katnap Marathon]

Woohoo 🎉

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Katnap]

A little easy training run by your standards Katnap , You guys should come and run it one year, it’s fab! 🥰

[Katnap Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

A tune-up run before Chicago maybe TailChaser ?

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Katnap]

Sounds good 👌

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Katnap]

I’m liking your thinking Katnap 😀

[Katnap Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Sadly CC the 2025 date is only 1 week before Chicago marathon 😞

But we will do Cardiff HM eventually 🤞🤞

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Katnap]

Ohhhh! Never mind, Cardiff isn’t going anywhere! Bet Chicago will be thrilling! 😍

[David_G Metric Marathon]

well done cheekychipmunks that looks like a great event! 🏃‍♂️‍➡️🏃‍♀️‍➡️👍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to David_G]

Thank you David_G ! It’s immense; people everywhere, and so friendly! 😀

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon]

Congratulations cheeky; you nailed it; again!! Is the photo misleading or is that medal the size of a manhole cover? However big it is, you have earned it. Lovely family event to follow; not sure how that can be improved upon. Perfect day 🙂

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

I just noticed that 😁. It’s bloody mahoosive 🤩. Wait til IP clocks it 😂

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Well Irishprincess is planning on running next year misswobble , so if she had any doubts before, she won’t now! 😅

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I’ll be one of the first in the queue!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Thanks Beachcomber66 ! No, not misleading, the medal is gargantuan and full of heft. 😅 They were even being put round our necks, rather than simply handed out - it felt reallly special!

We had a lovely evening, quite chaotic with the 2 older grandsons playing their guitars (although I’ve heard worse from some 70s punk bands 😂), but I didn’t need to do much. 🙏

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

You will need to cross train to be able to wear that one for any length of time 🙂. I like the idea of it being “awarded” like that. Brilliant; and well deserved.🙂

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

At one of my 10K races in the summer, there were children doing this. A little girl put mine around my neck. It was so sweet 😍

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

A really nice touch; the kids would like it too.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

A lovely idea! 🥰 Mine was awarded by a smiley chap! He could see by my face that’s the only reason I ran a HM yesterday! 😂

[misswobble Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Oh that’s lovely 🥰

[SueAppleRun 10 Miles]

Fantastic 😁 so pleased for you and your smile tells it all, you must still be buzzing

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to SueAppleRun]

Thanks so much SueAppleRun , I really am. It’s been a while since I ran a HM non stop. 🙏

[AlMorr Half Marathon]

Great run for you today CC, like me this morning I ran all the way but that was a 10K, however, if it had been a HM there would have been a few walking breaks, congratulations on running up those hills, you have kept to the NRC Half marathon plan, that's why you did so well today ✅🏃✅

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to AlMorr]

Thank you AlMorr , and congratulations to you too of course. Sounds like you had a wonderful time.

Yes, the NRC HM Plan is fabulous, and I’d recommend it to anyone planning on running one. Just need a get stuck in with strength training now. 😅

[TailChaser Marathon]

Whoop!! Whoop!! 🙌🙌 Congratulations on your non stop HM cheeky! After the start of the year you had I can understand how pleased you are with this 🫶🏻👏👏👏

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Ahh thank you TailChaser ! I was ridiculously proud of that achievement, and you’re right I had a very underwhelming time last winter. Just need to get stuck into some proper strength training now, as I literally do zero and it shows! 😂 Come and run Cardiff one day. You’d love it! 🥰

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I would really like to. Need to look at next year’s calendar as it is already filling up!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Would you like me tell you when the early bird entries are open? 😈

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I had an email to say 10am tomorrow but 19000 have signed up for early bird entries 😂

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

Oooo yes that'd be good to see you whizz by 😃

[TailChaser Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

Doesn’t look like it’s going to fit in next year 😢 too close to Chicago

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to TailChaser]

I wanted to get an early bird ticket yesterday but missed it because I was teaching and by the time I got home the price had gone up to £53 so I decided I'd do other local ones instead!! Sorry cheekychipmunks !

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

That’s a shame Cowladyrunning , yes it’s expensive. I paid £45 plus a booking fee, and that was in the 2nd wave. Bonkers. Well I’m sure there’ll be other years for you. 😀

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Apparently Welsh athletics released more at a later date so watch this space ...

[Shake-and-run Half Marathon]

what an achievement! You are such a strong runner these days. Enjoy your dinner and a couple of recovery days xxx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Shake-and-run]

You’re very kind Shake-and-run . Strong in terms of determination perhaps, but not physically, which is why I’ll be embarking on proper strength training when my hips have forgiven me! No denying it’s what I have to do, and I can’t ignore it any longer. 😅

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon]

Well done cheekychipmunks - and what an awesome medal it is! 🏅😍You’re right, it was busy - for runners and us spectators! 🙂 We had a good family meet up in Cardiff yesterday, although only one of us was running. Great atmosphere though and I did lots of cheering and managed to see my sister a couple of times on the course.

Well done for being there and smashing another race! Just brilliant.🙂

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

So glad you enjoyed it too Sandraj39 , and that the heavy rain held off. It lashed down on our way home. I hope your sister had a good race and her huge hefty bling!

I had a blast, and will be looking out for the early bird signup for 2025! 😀

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

My little sis was awesome!🙂🏅

[Dexy5 10 Miles]

whoop whoop cheekychipmunks . A brilliant run for you today. Looking forward to seeing you in 2 weeks time. You’ll nail the 10 miles after that.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Thank you Dexy5 ❤️ My hips had already started to grumble around 14k and I was having a conversation with myself about at least making it to 10 miles before giving in and jeffing if needed. I’m so glad I didn’t need to! 🙏

See you in a couple of weeks. 🎉

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I can relate to the hips. I think I need to do my physio exercises on both sides now, otherwise I’ll be stronger on one side than the other. I’m doing split squats, upright pigeon pose and bridges.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

The very thought of doing any of those exercises this morning fills me with dread! Might give myself a day off anything. 😅

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to cheekychipmunks]

You deserve it. 😉

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Worth giving the Nike Training Club app a look cheeky? The routines are broken up into 10 minute or 20 minute chunks, so I am much more likely to do them. Easy to follow videos. I have been doing them every day, just about, for 7 weeks or so. Seems to be helping.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

Good tip BC. I was wondering if I’d give that a try and use it as training for Bath rather than the usual HM plan. I assume there’s a HM “stepping stone” …… 🤔

[Beachcomber66 Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I found the app when I downloaded the NRC Marathon plan; it is cross referenced in the running plan for each week, so it does start easy and builds up. The focus on strengthening each leg separately has helped me; my balance has improved. It’s a mixture of yoga, strengthening and pre run warm up and post run cool down. Some are 20 minute sessions, some just 10….little and often means that I actually do them….that is the secret for me. Worth a look anyway.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Beachcomber66]

I will, thanks BC 🙏

[misswobble Marathon]

Yay! Well done Cheeky 👏👏👏👏😀🏃‍♀️🏅

That all sounds grand 🤗🤗🤗. Scrambled eggs beforehand and coach Bennett supervising 👍👌. Pleased the weather cooperated. It really helps doesn’t it 🙏

I had to set to and cook dinner when I got back from a long run yesterday when I was tatered 😤. It was the last thing I wanted to do. It resembled a car crash but was delish ☺️😁 To have someone else cook for you was fab 😀😋👍

Recover well 🙂💪

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

Thank you misswobble . 😀 Scrambled eggs isn’t a usual pre run breakfast for me, but we had time to kill so we thought why not? It was delicious and gave me tons of energy. The first few kms flew by, not even a toxic 10! 😋

Yes, the weather was great for us runners. The heavens opened on the way home in the car though, which would have been miserable for runners, but worse still for the thousands of spectators.

I seriously appreciated my son cooked dinner and it didn’t touch the sides. 😅

[misswobble Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Post run grub just slides down so easily 😃. I like a chilli or a curry for that reason. Fish n chips is a fave though 😋

I hope you’re feeling good today 💪👍🙂

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

You’re not wrong there. I always crave carbs, loads of them! 😋😋😋

[misswobble Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I ran a slow run around local streets and the park this morning followed by a HIIT workout. OH was footballing but when he got back I made fried eggs on buttered and toasted homemade granary bread It was lovely🤤

I’ve got a homemade muffin for later on 🧁 (minus the creamy top) 😀

Lots of veg count as carbs too so it’s all good 💪

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to misswobble]

You always make me feel hungry MW! 😅😋

[skysue16 Half Marathon]

How absolutely wonderful, ran all the way including hills! Fantastic, congratulations 👏 🥇 The training plan sounds very good. Great race report 👍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to skysue16]

Thanks so much skysue16 🙏 It’s an amazing plan and I ran 99% of the runs on offer, stretching it way beyond the 14 weeks. Highly recommended! 😀

[skysue16 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I wonder if I will ever be tempted to try another HM 🤔 If I do I will definitely check out that training plan 👍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to skysue16]

I’m sure that where there’s a will there’s a way skysue16 . It’s a lovely flexible training plan. Don’t rule it out! 😀

[linda9389 Administrator Marathon]

Great job Cheeeky 👏👏👏 Hope you enjoyed dinner 😍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to linda9389]

Thank you linda9389 , you have no idea - it didn’t touch the sides! 😋😋

[RunWillie Marathon]

Well done cheekychipmunks 🤩

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to RunWillie]

Thank you RunWillie ! A tiny run by your esteemed standards, but highly enjoyable. 😀

[Folkylass]

Congratulations cheekychipmunks on a great race 👏👏🥳🥳🎉🎉🏃‍♀️👍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Folkylass]

Thank you Folkylass ! It was amazingly good fun. 😀

[Runnin-g Half Marathon]

Well done, what a great run 👏🏽

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Runnin-g]

Thank you Runnin-g , I had the best time. 😀

[Sandie1961 Half Marathon]

Whoop whoop 🙌👏🏻🥳 Huge congrats on your non stop HM, especially that last hill, which is a very mean trick 😬 Sounds like a wonderful day, made all the better by having the whole family together. Fab bling too 😍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Sandie1961]

Thank you Sandie1961 , yes it is quite cruel. Not very long, but any hill at 12 miles isn’t welcome, and it was fairly steep too! At least I knew to expect it. Last year I didn’t, and it was the final nail in my jeffing coffin! 😅

[Beatlesforever]

Yay well done cheeky!!! 🎉💪🏃‍♀️💥💥💥 And a very well deserved medal!! You've done Coach Bennett proud 😍

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Beatlesforever]

He was such a comfort yesterday Beatlesforever ! A familiar voice in amongst thousands and thousands of people. It was such a wonderful event, thank you for your kind wishes! ❤️

[Mudita11 Half Marathon]

Wow this is fabulous Cheeky!! 🎉. I would have most definitely done a lot of walking. You have great stamina. I really love that bling 🥇. What a superb day xx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Mudita11]

Thanks Mudita11 , I’m waiting for the early bird email to pop up. Want me to tell you too? 😈 You’d love it! 🏅🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿❤️

[Mudita11 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

🫣😬🤣

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to Mudita11]

You’ve been racing practically every weekend Mudita, what’s another one? 🤣🤣

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

🤣🤣😈🤣🤣

[Mudita11 Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

🫣🤣🤣

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon]

Wow! Would you look at that beauty!!! I might have to work on my shoulders in preparation for next year’s bling 💪🤣 That looks amazing 😍

That sounds, and looks, fab Munks. I love the castle and of course I’d feel right at home too 🤣 A big well done on sticking to your plan and getting to the start and crossing the finish line, and also for getting a car park space so close to race day! That would be a major stresser for me.

I’m sure the crowds there are as enthusiastic as those in Bristol so I’m already there. Bring it on for a HU meet in 2025!!!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Oh Irishprincess you’d love it - I had to bend down (bit painful with my grumbling hips mind!), as it was placed round my neck! I even got a full name personal shoutout for my sprint finish! Felt really special, as were the epics crowds virtually the whole way round the course! Can’t wait for next year’s meet-up. 😀

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Just got in for next year! Missed the first early bird (completed all my details and then it wouldn’t take me any further. Talk about stress!) But I got in in the second. I’m so excited already! 🦋

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Me too, exactly the same! Is it possible to get excited butterflies 360+ days before the event? 🦋😅

Cardiff Half Marathon entry confirmation

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Woo hoo 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Irishprincess]

Did you see it sold out in 12 hours Irishprincess ? How lucky were we? 🍀🍀🍀

[Irishprincess Administrator Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

Unbelievable. Already looking forward to it!

[aliboo70 Half Marathon]

Congratulations cheekychipmunks ! No chance of me spotting you yesterday! Those crowds were huge! We walked a long way from the start point and just managed to get to the front of the railings but still missed seeing Kenny, but we did see him at the 8mile point, finish area crazy too ,soooo hectic. Brilliant you ran all the way I'm super impressed xxx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

I thought of you aliboo70 - it would have been easier to literally find a needle in a haystack than to spot each other wouldn’t it? 😅 I hope Kenny had an amazing time and loved his hefty bling as much as I did! 🏅🏅

[aliboo70 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

He did! It certainly was hectic though!! Xxx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

I read they had 29,000 runners yesterday! 🫨🫨🫨

[aliboo70 Half Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I think that's including the Saturday runs, on main results I think it was 25,000. Saw today that a runner collapsed at the finish and later died 😪xxx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

Oh no aliboo70 , that’s so sad. It happens all too regularly. A 26 year old did the same at the Bristol HM earlier in the year 💔

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to aliboo70]

I didn’t realise Kenny was running it too, I could have been watching him on the app, along with cheeky.

We did Cardiff parkrun a few years ago and loved it.

[aliboo70 Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Yes he got given a place by a clubmate with a dodgy hip,that's where he moved from before IOW so was pleased to run there xxx

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to aliboo70]

Brilliant.

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

I was there watching my sister run aliboo70 - totally agree about the crowds, especially at the start and finish.😬 I saw my sister just after mile 6 and then as she came down the hill before finish line! I felt very emotional!🥹 Hope Kenny had a good run too.🙂

[aliboo70 Half Marathon in reply to Sandraj39]

Yes he got a new PB 😊xxx

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

Amazing aliboo70 , bet he was chuffed with that. It was fabulous running weather, perfect for his PB . 🙏

[Sandraj39 Half Marathon in reply to aliboo70]

Wow! Fantastic!😀

[MissUnderstanding Half Marathon]

What an absolutely super run cheekychipmunks ! Congratulations! Love the medal!🏅 🎉❤️

Really good luck with the GSR!!!

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to MissUnderstanding]

Thanks so much MissUnderstanding , it was fabulous and highly recommended. Looking forward to the GSR (and more bling) now! 👏👏

[RunSkippyRun Half Marathon]

fabulous run. many congratulations (especially on the non-stop) 👏👏👏

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to RunSkippyRun]

Thanks so much RunSkippyRun ! I’m remarkably proud of my non stop run. I’ve done a few non stop HMs before, but not for a good 2 or 3 years, so this felt particularly sweet. 🙏

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to cheekychipmunks]

I haven’t managed a non stop for ages, not even parkrun. That could be down to going too fast though. I should bring out the snails 🐌 🐌🐌

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Come along with me for the ride!

[IRunning Half Marathon]

congratulations, sounds like a great day and run! Glad the NRC HM plan came in useful as I’m about to start that.

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to IRunning]

Thank you so much  IRunning ! I highly recommend the NRC HM Plan. I’ve done it a few times, but this time round I extended its ‘weeks’ to more like 10 days and was able to run the 5 runs per week it had on offer. Ordinarily I’d just do three or maybe four. Enjoy, it’s great! 👍

[Dexy5 10 Miles in reply to cheekychipmunks]

And do you start right from the beginning, despite your current running distance?

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Dexy5]

Yes Dexy5 ! It’s fun having the long run in W1 as 5k 😀 I like to go through the whole plan each time!

[Cowladyrunning Marathon]

Sounds brilliant! I just had the email about early bird sign up so have requested notification for next year 😊

[cheekychipmunks Half Marathon in reply to Cowladyrunning]

Oh that would be amazing if you could come too Cowladyrunning , it’s a phenomenal event! 😍

[Cowladyrunning Marathon in reply to cheekychipmunks]

The email has landed to say 10am tomorrow for early bird!! I'm teaching but might sneak a look!!!