MORE than 100 staff members at Welsh employer Admiral are gearing up to run the Newport Half Marathon next year, with 30 employees from the Newport office taking part.

The race, which was launched in 2013, attracted one fifth more runners, 1,200, when it was held earlier this year with the number set to rise again in 2015. The Argus is its official media partner.

Admiral, who officially opened their Newport office earlier this month, is sponsoring the event which will take place on St David’s Day, Sunday, March 1 next year.

The firm employs 500 people in the city centre office, and will has so far signed 107 staff members, including 60 from Cardiff and 17 from Swansea. Last year 30 staff from the company took part.

Lauren Challenger, an employee at the Newport office, completed the Newport Half for the first time this year after training from just a beginner level. She’s now planning to run the 13-mile route again in 2015. She said: “I signed up to run the Newport Half Marathon 2014 with other members of my team. I was definitely not a runner but wanted a challenge and thought it would be a great opportunity to raise money for charity as well.

“It wasn’t until I started training for the event that I realised exactly what I had taken on.”

Director of Fundraising and Lottery for St David’s Hospice Care, Kris Broome, said: “Admiral staff not only take part as competitors but also help out on the day as volunteer marshals and support staff . It is a partnership working across the board that allows us to have confidence that the Admiral City of Newport Half Marathon will develop and grow year on year.”