🏃♂️🏃♀️ A festival of running in the capital sees elite runners competing as part of a cast of 12,500+ taking part in the The Big Half. Spectating is free on the route.
London’s community half marathon starts by Tower Bridge and travels through four different boroughs before finishing at the Cutty Sark. The Big Half starts at 8.30am (tbc) and is a spectator treat with strong domestic fields once again expected in the elite races.
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2023 REVIEW
Last year the men’s race was headlined by four-time Olympic gold medallist and six-time world champion Sir Mo Farah. It was the final opportunity to witness the most decorated athlete in British track and field history race on the streets of London.
Alas it wasn’t to be for Farah who was unable to repeat this three race wins in 2022, 2019 and 2018, finishing in fourth place. Jack Rowe (main picture above) was first over the line in a time of 61:08, with Mahamed Mahamed in second and Olympian Andy Butchart in third place. All three guaranteed their place in Great Britain team at the World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon.
In 2023 the women’s race was won by Calli Thackery in 69:15. Thackery was joined on the podium by Rose Harvey and Abbie Donnelly. They also guaranteed their right to race at the World Athletics Road Running Championships.
Eilish McColgan won the women’s race in 2022 transferring her stellar track form that summer (in which McColgan won 10,000m gold and 5,000m silver at the Commonwealth Games, followed by 10,000m silver and 5,000m bronze in the European Championships) onto the roads smashing the women’s Big Half course record with a winning time of 1:07.35 (see finish below).
In the 2023 wheelchair races six-time Paralympic champion David Weir defended the men’s title he had won in 2022. Finishing in 47:26 he just missed out on his own course record of 47:18. Samantha Kinghorn triumphed in women’s race. It was a debut win for Kinghorn who set a new course record of 52:05.
Who will take the honours in 2024? The Cutty Sark is the place to find out with another stellar field of GB athletes expected to take part.
TIMINGS, TRAVEL & SPECTATING
🕘 Race start time is at 8.30am tbc.
📍 The route
The Vitality Big Half route for starts on the north side of the River Thames by Tower Bridge. It passed through the four London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich. The finish at the iconic Cutty Sark in Greenwich (see below for map of route with mile markers).
🎟️ Spectating is free on the course.
Travel tips
To the race start. The nearest London Underground station to the race start is Tower Hill tube station on the District and Circle lines. Tower Gateway is the nearest Docklands Light Railway (DLR) station.
To the race finish. The nearest station to the Cutty Sark – where the race finishes – is Cutty Sark on the Docklands Light Railway (DLR). The DLR connects with other Underground lines at Bank, Tower Gateway and Stratford stations. Greenwich and Maze Hill overground stations are also nearby. Direct trains run to both from London Cannon Street and London Bridge. Plan your journey at the Transport for London website.
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