Success of Butetown Mile for the third year running

180 runners took part in Cardiff’s Butetown Mile race on Sunday 28th August 2016 completing a 1-mile course to support Cancer Research UK.

The race attracted running enthusiasts of all ages and abilities. Over 100 runners participated in the Fun Run with some very inspiring young participants noted amongst the thirty runners under the age of twelve.

Approximately 50 elite runners chased the elusive four-minute mile once run in the Butetown race by Welsh athlete and former London marathon record holder Steve Jones.

Originally held from the 1980s into the 1990s as part of the Butetown Carnival, the event was relaunched in 2014 by Cardiff University’s Healthcare Sciences Lecturer Sarah Fry and BRG Communities First in order to encourage community engagement as well as raise awareness of prostate cancer  Sarah Fry is currently completing a PhD exploring why men of African and Caribbean origin are less likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer despite having twice the risk of white men, and has worked with men in Butetown for this research.

With 64 runners taking part in 2014, local engagement continues to increase year on year. Sarah Fry commented that ‘lots of people were cheering from the local community and family members came to the finish line to cheer their runners at the end’.

This year the event was sponsored by Cardiff University, School of Healthcare Sciences and many of the staff helped out with organisation and volunteering as marshals on the day. The event was a success and has raised hundreds of pounds for Cancer Research UK.

Participants were in high spirits after the race with one noting how she ‘really enjoyed [her] first experience of the Butetown Mile’ whilst another expressed her excitement to be part of ‘a great event for an even greater cause’. Some are already looking forward to bringing their family to next year’s race.

To keep up to date with the latest information follow the Butetown Mile on Twitter and Facebook.