Cardiff 5k Race for Victory review

I took part in the Cardiff 5k Race for Victory in Spring 2025 for the first time. Here’s everything you need to know if you’re considering taking part in the next edition and my honest review based on my own experience.

The Cardiff 5k Race for Victory

The Cardiff 5K Race for Victory is an annual 5-kilometre road race held in Whitchurch, a suburb of Cardiff, Wales. The 2025 edition took place on Sunday, 4 May, starting at 7:00 PM.

It's known for its vibrant atmosphere, with live music and pyrotechnics adding to the excitement.

The event serves as the Welsh 5km Road Running Championships and includes an Inter Area Match, attracting elite athletes and club runners from across the UK.

What you need to know

Please note that this is based on the 2025 event, some elements may change in future editions.

The race starts at 7:00 PM sharp for all runners, there’s no staggered start.
Starting pens are colour-coded based on your estimated finish time. The colour of your bib corresponds to your designated pen colour.
The Race HQ is located outside the Old Barclays Bank (CF14 1XQ), right in the heart of Whitchurch Village and close to the start line. This is where you need to collect your race number and event T-shirt on Saturday or Sunday between 10:00 AM and 5:30 PM. It gets very busy, so aim to go early.
Bag drop is available from 5:00 PM to 9:00 PM on race day.
The entry costs £22 for UK Athletics-affiliated runners, plus a £1.50 processing fee.
The race is extremely popular and tends to sell out fast. If you're keen to run, register early. I signed up in February and it was already 90% full.
There's no medal at the finish line.

What is the course like?

The course starts and finishes on Merthyr Road. The first half is definitely the easiest, with a very nice downhill section. The second half is a little more challenging, with a steep incline to get through by the 3km mark.

You can check the course map on my Strava activity

Can you run a PB at the Cardiff 5k Race for Victory?

Yes, you can set a new 5k PB at this event! Whilst the course itself isn’t the flattest, the strength of the field makes it a fast race.

This mostly benefits the fast runners at the front who can work together, but regardless of your pace you’ll likely find yourself in a pack for most of the race, which will be a huge help to keep pushing.

I ran 18:13 at this race (chip time), which is my fastest 5k to date as of May 2025.

My honest review of the Cardiff 5k Race for Victory

Get an idea of what the event is like in this vlog:

What I liked

The atmosphere was incredible, more like a running festival than a local race. It truly felt like the whole village had turned out and got behind the event. It’s also great for the local hospitality, the terraces were packed!
Crowd support was surprisingly strong throughout the course, not just at the start and finish. Several cheer zones, including some hosted by local running clubs, added an extra boost. It may be a village event, but the support felt on par with big-city races.
I really enjoyed the course: smooth tarmac all the way, minimal sharp turns. The steep incline was tough, but it didn’t last too long. You can recover from it before gearing up for your sprint finish.
It’s always exciting to run in such a competitive field and being able to find yourself in a pack gives you that extra push, and I think I ran a PB mostly thanks to the field more than the course itself.
Race photos are free! They are available to download on the race website a few days after the event.

Any downsides?

The only downside was the start, which was extremely chaotic, borderline dangerous. It was incredibly congested, and I witnessed several runners fall and get trampled, which was genuinely worrying.

I saw three runners go down right in front of me and only narrowly avoided getting caught in it myself. I was also elbowed quite aggressively multiple times in the first 500m. I think they should consider a wave start.

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