Why I’m Running Cardiff Half for the NSPCC

I needed a new challenge. Not another Ironman distance — I’ve done five of those now, with a sixth on the horizon in Tours this summer. As much as I love the long stuff, it was starting to feel like routine. So I did something different. I signed up for the Cardiff Half Marathon on 4 October 2026. And this time, the goal isn’t a personal best. It’s raising £300 for the NSPCC.

Cardiff is a city that means something to me. It’s where I signed one of my first customers at Quantum Metric — a company that does brilliant work supporting local charities. And one of my colleagues, Joshua Morris, runs this race every single year. Kudos to him — he inspired me to take the plunge.

The Cardiff Half is the UK’s second largest half marathon, part of the SuperHalfs series, and famous for its flat, fast course through some of the Welsh capital’s most iconic landmarks. The route starts outside Cardiff Castle, sweeps past the Principality Stadium, takes you across the Cardiff Bay Barrage and past the Millennium Centre, loops around Roath Park Lake, and finishes outside the Temple of Peace. With over 27,000 runners and incredible crowd support, it’s going to be a special day.

I had a happy childhood. And now I’m a dad. Those two things together make one truth impossible to ignore — I can’t stand seeing children struggle.

The NSPCC is the lead charity partner of the Cardiff Half Marathon, and they’re at the forefront of the fight against child abuse across the UK and Channel Islands.

They help children who’ve been abused to rebuild their lives, they protect children at risk, and they find better ways to prevent abuse from happening in the first place. Their services, including Childline, are a lifeline for young people who have nowhere else to turn.

Every childhood is worth fighting for. That belief is what’s driving me through every training mile between now and October.

I’m in sales — so yes, I fully intend to smash this target. But more importantly, I want to make a real difference. Every pound raised goes towards supporting the NSPCC’s work protecting children and helping families.
I’m not a superhero. But the NSPCC volunteers are. And if pounding 13.1 miles of Cardiff tarmac can put even a small amount of money behind their work, I’m all in.

If you’d like to support this cause, you can donate through my fundraising page. Any amount — no matter how small — makes a difference.
👉 Donate to my NSPCC fundraising page here
And if you can’t donate, sharing this post or the link helps just as much. The more people who see it, the closer we get to the target — and beyond.

Training is already underway. I’ll be fitting half-marathon prep alongside my Ironman Tours build, which honestly keeps things interesting. Expect some race day updates and maybe a few accounts of questionable pacing decisions along the way. Follow the journey on @oli_le_triathlete.
So — what challenge are you taking on this year? For yourself, or for someone else? I’d love to hear about it.