THE SUCCESS of the first Newport half marathon last year augurs really well for this year’s event, which we are once again delighted to support.

The half marathon was launched to raise money for St David’s Hospice Care, a worthwhile and deserving cause and the main beneficiary of this Admiral-sponsored event.

With demand for running places this year far outstripping supply it does appear that there is a lot of untapped potential for making this into a major annual event.

At the moment the event is constrained by its route, allowing no more than 1,000 runners to take part.

For it to become a major event in the running calendar it needs to have a route that allows for road closures to enable it to accommodate more entrants.

But it also needs to follow a route which takes in some of the key landmarks of the area, such as Tredegar House, the Transporter Bridge and the like.

Races which do just that quickly grow to become attractions in themselves.

If Newport half marathon could start to attract entrants in the tens of thousands then the benefits would be immeasurable.

In the meantime we would like to encourage as many of you as possible to turn out on the day to give the runners support and to create the sort of buzz which will make them all want to come back and do it again.