III Cádiz City Half Marathon cancelled over safety concerns

The III Cádiz City Half Marathon, scheduled for Sunday 8 November, has been cancelled because runners’ safety could not be guaranteed. The decision was announced on 6 November, after local police officers who had volunteered to cover the race withdrew their availability.

According to the council, the Local Police issued an unfavourable report following the volunteers’ withdrawal, and police chiefs did not authorise the race due to a shortage of officers, according to Onda Cádiz and Diario de Cádiz.

Officers’ withdrawal prevents traffic control

According to the council, the number of police officers who had initially volunteered was sufficient to meet the race’s needs. Without those officers, however, traffic control along the route could not be guaranteed.

The race was due to pass around the edge of the historic centre, along the main avenue and the seafront promenade. According to Onda Cádiz, the municipal police had announced that they would not cover additional duties until after Three Kings’ Day.

Outstanding payments to the Local Police

According to La Voz del Sur and Portal de Cádiz, the reasons cited by the officers include outstanding payment for additional duties carried out since 2025. The council says it has paid the Local Police 511,415.56 euros for overtime during 2026.

The council also puts the amount for previous events still awaiting processing at 53,312.21 euros, with 6,200 euros remaining to be paid for 2025. A request for clarification between council departments delayed the arrival of the final report until September 2026, the council explains.

Charity work and a possible new date

The race was a charity event linked to the Asociación Síndrome de Rett. The council has announced that it will provide a grant to ensure that the cancellation does not harm that work.

The councillor for sport, Carlos Lucero, referred to “the inconvenience that the cancellation of this event will cause. It is a charity event supporting the Asociacion Síndrome de Rett, and both the event organisers and the council itself had worked so hard on it”.

According to Onda Cádiz, the organisers are considering holding the half marathon on another date. March 2027 is one possibility, although no date has yet been confirmed. According to the information published on 6 November, the organisers were still allowing race numbers to be collected during the afternoon of 6 November and on 7 November.