The Cardiff 2016 IAAF World Half Marathon Championships officially launched in the host city this week, with pre-registration for the mass participation event now open.

There are 25,000 spaces available for the mass participation half marathon which will take place at the same time and on the same course as the World Half Marathon Championships races on March 26 next year.

Entry fees for the mass participation 13.1-mile event are set to start at £49. Those that pre-register their interest for a place at www.cardiff2016.co.uk will have the first opportunity to apply for a race number when entry officially opens on March 26 – exactly a year ahead of race day.

“It is fantastic that Cardiff will be hosting a World Championship event of this stature in 2016,” said 1964 Olympic long jump champion Lynn Davies, the president of British Athletics. “The Cardiff Half Marathon has already proved itself to be one of the biggest and best road races in the UK and when the best athletes in the world run on the same course the times should be spectacular.

“But the real beauty of this event is that ordinary runners get the chance to line-up on the same start line as the best athletes in the world. That simply doesn’t happen in many other sports.

“This is a major coup for British and Welsh athletics and should give our home grown talent the chance to shine on their own doorstep.”

You can read more about the event, including how organisers hope that double Olympic, world and European track champion Mo Farah and five-time world half marathon champion Zersenay Tadese will be among those competing for the world title next spring, here.