Half Marathons in London

About Half Marathons in London

Half marathons (13.1 miles) are the among the most popular running events in London. Sightseeing appears to be high on the list of priorities for half marathons in London, and there are plenty of them. If you want to warm up to a half, or you don't yet feel ready why not take a look at our calendar of London 10k runs.

What are the best half marathons?

London has a wealth of half marathons to choose from, and all offer something a little different for you to enjoy. Say you're visiting and want to see all the big sights in record time, look no further than the London Landmarks Half Marathon. If big crowds is your thing, then The Big Half offers that festival feel and has over 20,000 participants. For more live bands and DJs along the route, the Hackney Half is a superb option, well reviewed by our community. Prefer to run among the trees in London's glorious parks? The Royal Parks Half follows a stunning route - it's also a favourite of charity lovers, raising over £43m and it's only 10 years old. Many of these hugely popular races sell out fast or use a ballot entry, so get your name in early.

London has a lot to offer, but if you feel like travelling, why not take a look at our pick of the World's Top 12 Half Marathons.

How long will it take me to run a half marathon?

The average global finish time over the last few years is about 1h54m for men, and 2h10m for women.

London has it's fair share of super flat and fast half marathons, but the fastest in the world seems to be the Copenhagen Half Marathon in Denmark and the Valencia Half Marathon in Spain where the mens and womens world records were set. Kenyan Abraham Kiptum set a time of 58:18 minutes, and compatriot Joyciline Jepkosgei a time of 64:51 minutes. Seriously fast.

How long do I need to train for a half marathon?

You're going to want to build up to these events. Take the time to consider a good training programme such as our 8 week training plan. If you're starting from scratch, you might want to take a little longer, get out for a few runs and judge it for yourself. You should push yourself, but most importantly, enjoy yourself. Happy running.