Cardiff pairing Charlotte Arter and Clara Evans will headline the Cardiff Sunset 5k on Friday evening.

The flat and fast race in the Welsh capital will re-start competitive road racing in Wales. The evening event will provide a first local racing opportunity for some of the top Welsh athletes.

Arter is the fastest in the field with a previous best of 15:39 set in 2018 at the Cardiff 5k – Race for Victory, just a second off Stevie Stockton’s Welsh record. The 2018 British 10,000m Champion will use the race to gauge fitness in a first competitive outing since a victory at the Podium 5k in 15:53.

Evans on the other hand will be looking to see how her pace is following a P.B on Sunday at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon with a 72:21 clocking.

Rotherham AC’s Sophie Cowper is next fastest with a best of 16:20 set back in 2016.

Deep quality in the men’s & women’s field

Steeplechaser Lauren Cooper of Parc Bryn Bach Runners, Alaw Beynon-Thomas and Kate Roberts of Swansea Harriers and Ffion Price of Cardiff AC add further quality. All four runners have also run under 17 minutes in the past.

Price will line up on Welsh soil for the first time since a Welsh title over 1500m in 2018. This is following a return from an Athletics scholarship at Missisipi State University.

Swansea Harrier Guy Smith is the fastest on paper in the men’s race with a best of 14:26 to his name.

Tom Marshall of Cardiff AC was due to compete but is now in an area of Wales on local lockdown so misses the race.

Osian Perrin of Menai Track & Field is a talented youngster set to make the trip from Anglesey who has a recent P.B. of 14:30 for the distance set at the Podium 5k in August.

There are a further nine athletes who have run under 15 minutes in the field led by Belmont University alumni, Matthew Edwards.

All in all an exciting racing prospect at the Cardiff Sunset 5k and a chance for some of the athletes to covert some virtual form into reality.

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