Caerphilly 5k organisers hail inaugural running event a success

Crowds lined the streets for the inaugural Caerphilly 5k

More than 4,000 spectators filled Caerphilly town centre on Sunday August 9 for the town’s inaugural 5k running event.

Almost 1,400 runners took part in four separate races circling Caerphilly Castle, accompanied by live music, pyrotechnics, supercars, and outdoor food and drink stalls in Twyn Car Park.

The event, organised by Big Orange Events, ran alongside the official Welsh 5k Championships.

Unlike the annual Caerphilly 10k and 2k races run by Caerphilly County Borough Council each May, the new 5k is privately run.

Speaking after the races, personal trainer Richard Rees, from event organisers Big Orange Events, revealed ambitions to continue growing the event over the coming years.

“This idea was written on the back of a piece of paper back in November to try and encourage more people to take up running, bring some energy to Caerphilly, and support local businesses,” he told Caerphilly Observer.

“We totally blew the budget, from the supercars to the flames, to the full road closures and the live music. I wanted to give everybody doing their first 5k goosebumps on the start line.

“We threw the kitchen sink at this, and the ambition over the next three years is to create an event that supports half marathons, and maybe even a full marathon.”

Turkey’s Abdurrahman Gediklioglu won the main race with a time of 14 minutes and 41 seconds. Owen Roberts finished second overall in 14 minutes and 49 seconds to take the men’s Welsh 5k Championship title as the fastest Welsh competitor.

Kayley Price won the women’s Welsh 5k Championship, completing the course in 16 minutes and 52 seconds.

The event was supported by governing body Welsh Athletics and local businesses, with Rosita’s restaurant acting as the race headquarters for the evening.

More photos from the Caerphilly 5k will be published on Caerphilly Observer this week. Got any pics? Send them to us at news@caerphilly.observer