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More than 1,300 runners will take to the streets around Caerphilly Castle this Sunday evening as the town hosts the 2026 Welsh 5K Championships.
Roads around the castle will close to traffic on Sunday 9 August for a series of four chip-timed races staged on a new three-lap circuit.
Competitors of all abilities will be joining elite runners from across Europe on the flat town centre course.
The evening will feature four separate races:
- Elite 1 Mile: Featuring competitive middle-distance runners from across Europe.
- Welsh Championship 5K: The official Welsh title race, open to runners with a qualifying time under 25 minutes.
- Welsh Masters 5K: A good-for-age championship for runners aged 35 and over.
- Open Fun Run: The final race of the night, open to participants of all abilities aged 12 and above.
Alongside the running, spectator entertainment around the course will include live performances from the Rock Choir, local music acts, and a pyrotechnics display against the backdrop of the castle walls.
An Au Vodka branded Lamborghini will lead out the races on the day.
The race is separate to the Caerphilly 10k and 2k races, which are held annually each May and are organised by Caerphilly County Borough Council.
The Caerphilly 5k is organised by Big Orange Events. Its founder, Richard Rees, of Team Rees Gym, described the response to the event as been “incredible” and said: “This is only the beginning.
“We have a three-year plan to build the Caerphilly 5K into one of the most iconic running events in the country: a flat, fast, closed-road circuit around a thousand-year-old castle, a Welsh Championship on the line, elite European milers and a proper festival atmosphere with the AU Vodka Lamborghini leading them out.”
Road closures
The following closures will be in place on Sunday August 9 due to the Caerphilly 5k event:
- Twyn Car Park – closed from 12pm to 11.59pm;
- Cardiff Road, Castle Street, The Twyn, Park Lane and Market Street – closed from 4pm to 10pm;
- Bedwas Road (from its junction with Castle Street to its junction with Ton Y Felin Road), Nantgarw Road (between its junctions with Crescent Road and The Picadilly) and Crescent Road – closed from 5.30pm to 9pm.
Diversions will be in place along Mountain Road, Watford Road, Heol Cae Barrau, and Bedwas Road on the day.
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