Former Wales rugby prop Adam Jones, who played 100 times for his country before retiring in 2018, is preparing to take on the Cardiff half-marathon on 4 October. Now 45 years old, Jones has lost more than five stone (32kg) in his efforts to "take himself out of his comfort zone." He is running to raise money for two charities, St David's Hospice Care and Prostate Cymru. Jones was inspired to make the change after seeing a photo of himself from 2025, when he was part of the Wales coaching staff and weighed 24st 7lb (156kg). He admitted he had gout and needed to adjust his lifestyle. Recently, he weighed in at 19st 7lb (124kg), which is close to the weight he maintained during his rugby career. He acknowledged that he had weight issues during his playing days and sought help from Wales head coach Warren Gatland and fitness coach Craig White. Jones explained that he needed to be at a certain weight to perform well on the rugby field and often crash dieted during his career. However, he no longer needs to do so for events like the Six Nations or Lions tours and has instead adopted a slower, more sustainable approach to weight loss. He has eliminated chocolate and bread from his diet, admitting that chocolate was always a particular weakness. Jones began his running journey with a "couch to 5k" program and saw the benefits of the gradual process. After training for 17km, which is the longest distance he has ever run, he upgraded his goal from a 10k to a half-marathon. He humorously noted that if you added up all the distances he ran during his rugby Test matches, it might be close to 17km. Jones has received support from Harlequins players and coaches, some of whom have even sponsored him. He believes it is positive for players to see someone in his position making the effort and putting themselves in an uncomfortable situation. He hopes the Welsh public will support him during the race. Jones has not set a specific time goal for the half-marathon, focusing instead on completing the course. He might run incognito to avoid being recognized and hopes to continue his running journey after this event.