The first recorded bicycle races at the ground were the Alexandra Park Races held during the Easter holidays 1880. The program included five horse racing events, a running race and a "20 sovereigns bicycle handicap, 10 miles, open to Amateurs, Members of Bicycle, Football, Cricket, and Athletic Clubs in Monmouthshire and Wales. 1st Prize, Siver Cup, value £12; 2nd prize, £5; 3rd prize, £3." The Great Western Railway offered cheap return tickets to the sports meeting.
The weather for the opening meeting was fine but windy and there was a good attendance. The mayor formally opened the the grounds and the Militia band provided the music. Bookmakers from Bristol tried to set up their stations, but were soon seen off by the police. On the opening day the attendance was 3,000, whilst on Easter Monday, it was 10,000. The bicycle race for the Ladies Plate (value 20 sovereigns) was run off in three heats and the scratch man J Dunbar was the winner by a dozen yards from AG Harries, betting for both men was evens. The efforts of the police to stop betting couldn't have been too successful because the Western Mail report of the meeting gives the odds for most of the events.
In the opening year of the Park, there were a large number of meetings, it is useful to list all the events that were held in 1880 to show that the Park owners worked hard to make the venue successful. There were sports meeting on 10th and 14th April, which included a five miles bicycle handicap race for £15 in prizes. The organisers stated that "Competitors must contest in loose trousers or knickerbockers reaching to the knees." The attendance was disappointing. The Whit Monday and Tuesday 1880 meetings included five and ten miles amateur handicap races.
The Grand Fete and Gala on 12th June 1880 included open one and five miles bicycle handicap races and there were 3,000 spectators. On 10th July there was bicycle racing, but the attendance was poor. Charles and Jules Terront gave a display of trick-riding on 28th July and the Mountain Ash BC held their annual sports. The 2nd August sports included professionals Derkinderen, Bills, Terront, Palmer and Edmunds, with Derkinderen winning the professional 10 miles handicap and Palmer won the 10 miles amateur race.
On 14th August 1880 a crowd of 2,000 people watched John Keen, the Champion of the World, compete against GT Edmund the Welsh Champion, in a race over 25 miles, with Edmund receiving a two and a half minute start. After 22 miles, Keen had stopped gaining time on Edmund and retired. The second annual South Wales bicycle meet was held at the Park on 28th August 1880 and was organised by Cardiff Bicycle Club. seven bicycle clubs supported the event and 100 members rode in procession from Roath Court to the track, to take part in a race meeting. Bristol BC won the silver bugle for having the most members in club uniform. Cardiff Infirmary charity sports were held on 18th September. The 25 miles amateur championship of Wales and Monmouthshire, was held on 23rd October, which was won by GT Edmund. Keen and Edmund competed in a further match race over one and five miles on 13th November.
This was an impressive first year of meetings, but the attendance must have fallen far short of the financial backers expectations, still the company carried on and tried to make a success of the Park.
On Easter Tuesday 1881 there was a race meeting with a five miles bicycle handicap race which had four starters. The following day there were one and five miles bicycle handicap races. There was a meeting at Whitsun and on 25th June 1881 the amateur 25 miles championship of Wales was held, but the attendance was poor. A France against Wales match was held on 10th August, with John Keen, Frederic de Civry and LG Edmund. The competition was for £25 a side and there were two races over one mile and ten miles. Keen was off scratch, but in the one mile, he could not catch the other two and de Civrey won. In the ten miles, Keen retired with a hand injury from a previous race at Wolverhampton and de Civry again caught Edmund and won again. There was a stiff wind, but the attendance was poor. On 13th August the three riders met again for a twenty miles race with Keen and de Civry on scratch and Edmund on three minutes, Keen and de Civry rode together but were unable to catch Edmund. The second annual South Wales bicycle meet was held at the Park on 27th August 1881, organised by Cardiff Bicycle Club, whose president was the Hon Ion Kieth-Falconer. The race meeting produced some exciting sport which was witnessed by 3,000 people. The last race of 1881 was a five miles professional handicap race on 3rd September 1881.
At the Whit Monday sport in 1882, the five miles challenge cup bicycle race attracted only three starters, the other bicycle race was a one mile handicap. The future of running and bicycle racing at the Park was now bleak, with only one or two races a year.
At the 1883 Easter sports, there was bicycle racing on Easter Tuesday with one and five miles handicap races. Blondin gave a performance riding a bicycle on a high wire on 31st July 1883. There was little further athletics activity at the ground later in the year. On 28th November 1883, an auction was advertised to sell off all the surrounding timber fencing and the grandstand, but the auction was postponed and in 1884, the lease for the grounds was taken over by Thomas Williams of the Market Hotel, Canton who told the press that he "intends to hold races and sports during the summer."
At the 1884 Easter meeting, the program was mostly filled with horse races and a good crowd of over 4,000 people attended. There was one bicycle race and one foot race at the end of the meeting. This was the last bicycle race to be held at Alexandra Park, but horse racing events continued for several more years. Unfortunately the commercial sporting venture created in 1880 was short lived and an article in the South Wales Echo of 13th September 1886 described Alexandra Park as "a complete failure". Victoria Park was eventually built on the site together with an extensive housing development.
