Natasha Cockram plus Mahamed and Zak Mahamed are among the fields for Sunday’s 13.1-mile event in South Wales

Welsh marathon record-holder Natasha Cockram is among the line-ups for the Cardiff University Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday (March 27) with the 29-year-old using the race as part of her build-up to the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham.

Cockram is from Newport but currently lives in Norfolk and says: “I love coming back and racing on home soil. I last did the Cardiff Half in 2017 and the atmosphere was amazing.

“The route takes you past all the brilliant things we all love about Cardiff. I’ve already achieved the standard for Commonwealth Games but this weekend will be a good benchmark for me to see where I am at.”

Cockram’s half-marathon best is 72:46 and she faces on Sunday half-marathon debutante Bronwen Owen, plus Alex Eykelbosch, Kirstley Longley, Leila Armoush and Olivia Tsim among others.

The race will return for the first time since October 2019 and entries also include Mahamad and Zak Mahamed. The Southampton brothers are making their half-marathon debut with the older Mahamad having won the English National cross-country title in February while Zak enjoyed victory at the Northern Ireland International Cross Country in January.

The fastest athlete on paper is Derek Hawkins with a PB of 63:53 whereas a further six athletes in Cardiff on Sunday have run under the 65-minute barrier in the past including Scottish cross country champion Jamie Crowe and Lucian Allison, who ran 28:38 for 10km at Trafford recently.

Trafford 10km winner Kadar Omar will also be in action in Cardiff and is looking to beat his PB of 66:06.

The race will feature an international match between Scotland and Wales and it is the Scottish team’s inclusion that will add great depth to the field, with a team of strong performers led by Hawkins. Welsh cross country champion James Hunt will lead the Welsh team in the men’s race.

Morocco’s Abdessamad El Yaagoubi, Norweigan athlete Andreas Iden and Australian Matt Fox all add some international flavour.

The wheelchair race will host its largest field to date including several previous winners such as Tiaan Bosch, Sam Kolek, Richie Powell and Mel Nicholls.

Bret Crossley is the fastest in the field with a 48:12 PB while Nicholls is the fastest of the women, with a best of 53:39.