ATHLETICS

Wales’ Commonwealth Games star Jenny Nesbitt will help carry the local interest in the Principality Cardiff Half Marathon on Sunday.

Nesbitt will head the Welsh contingent in the women’s race, joined by fellow Welsh athletes Caryl Edwards, Anna Bracegirdle, Olivia Tsim and Beth Kidger.

Mestawut Fikir heads the start list for the women’s race following her runaway victory at the Antrim Coast Half Marathon last month.

Further British Athletes of note include Olympian Sonia Samuels, Cambridge Half Marathon Champion Verity Hopkins,and Kirsteen Welch of Exeter Harriers.

A battle of former winners is expected at the 20th edition of the men’s half.

Shadrack Kimining returns to Cardiff, looking to chase the course record at the event where he made his international debut with victory back in 2016.

His last trip to Cardiff came in 2019 where he lost out to Leonard Langat in the closing metres to finish second.

Last year’s winner Geofrey Koech also returns, looking to better his winning time of 60:01 from 12 months ago.

The Birrell Prague 10km Champion from 2019 has since won the prestigious Boston Half Marathon and more recently finished third at the Prague Half Marathon in April.

Paulos Surafel and Mo Aadan are the fastest British athletes on paper followed by the English national Cross Country Champion from 2020, Calum Johnson.

Josh Hartley is the outstanding entry in the Men’s Wheelchair race, joined by 2018 Champion Tiaan Bosch and multiple Cardiff winner Richie Powell.

Martyna Snopek is a previous winner of the Great North Run and will be racing in Cardiff on Sunday.

GOLF

The Ryder Cup is in full swing this weekend and although there are no Welsh players on the European team this year, Gareth Bale has already put down a marker for Welsh golfers in Rome.

The former Wales football captain joined Novak Djokovic in helping a European celebrity team beat the USA in the All-Star Match in the build-up to the 44th Ryder Cup.

Bale partnered with team captain Colin Montgomerie in the seven-hole event, with the pair winning 2-1 against Corey Pavin and former professional footballer Andriy Shevchenko.

The other match saw content creator Garett Hilbert and surfer Leonardo Firoavanti draw 2-2 with Hollywood actress Kathryn Newton and former NFL star Victor Cruz.