- The public ballot for the 2026 Royal Parks Half Marathon officially opens today (Monday, 26 January 2026), giving runners the chance to secure a place in one of the UK’s most iconic and scenic running events.
- This year’s ballot is expected to be more popular than ever following unprecedented demand for last year’s race.
- Now in its 19th year, the Royal Parks Half Marathon will welcome over 16,000 runners to the start line in Hyde Park on Sunday 11 October 2026.
- The spectacular 13.1-mile course takes in some of London’s most famous landmarks and through four of the capital’s beautiful Royal Parks.
London, UK: The ballot for the 19th annual Royal Parks Half Marathon officially opens today (26 January 2026), with interest expected to be exceptionally high following last year’s record-breaking entries and a blockbuster 2025 event.
First launched in 2008 by The Royal Parks charity as a fundraising initiative, the event has grown into more than a race and is now one of the UK’s most celebrated half marathons. An unmissable event where human spirit and energy come together to support people, champion causes, support the Parks. From first-time runners and charity fundraisers to seasoned half-marathoners and families cheering from the sidelines, the Royal Parks Half Marathon delivers a unique mix of personal achievement, atmosphere, and purpose.
Taking place on Sunday, 11 October 2026, the race offers a stunning 13.1-mile route through four of London’s Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park, and Kensington Gardens, and past iconic landmarks including Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament, Trafalgar Square, and the Royal Albert Hall. Closed roads and a festival-style atmosphere make it one of the UK’s most memorable half-marathons.
As one of the UK’s greenest major half-marathons, the Royal Parks Half Marathon pledges an ongoing commitment to sustainability, with sector-defining environmental initiatives, including a separate ballot for those residing outside the UK to reduce event related travel emissions, the removal of single-use plastic bottles and introduction of water refill stations across the event, plus compostable cups at water points. Runners receive medals crafted from FSC-certified wood and can also take part in the popular ‘Drop the Finisher Top’ initiative, choosing to plant aquatic plants along the edge of the Serpentine Lake, a stunning part the route, instead of receiving a finisher T-shirt.
Since 2008, the race has helped raise over £80 million for more than 1,900 UK charities, supporting national organisations like Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, Mind, MacMillan Cancer Support and Prostate Cancer UK, as well as hundreds of local grassroots causes. Funds also directly help protect London’s Royal Parks, ensuring these green spaces remain thriving havens for all.
Last year’s event attracted a stellar lineup of celebrity participants, including presenter Jenni Falconer, former footballer John Terry, TV personality Jake Quickenden, The Traitors star Minah Shannon, and actors Adam Woodyatt and Stephen Mangan. Details of the 2026 celebrity lineup will be announced closer to race day.
Head of the Royal Parks Half Marathon, Liz Tack, said: “The Royal Parks Half Marathon continues to be such a special race for so many people. The atmosphere across the parks on race day is always electric, and paired with our uniquely beautiful route, it creates an experience that stays with runners long after they cross the finish line.
“We’re incredibly proud to have raised over £80 million for more than 1,900 charities since the event began, and we’re excited to build on that impact again in 2026 through the amazing fundraising efforts of our runners. Good luck to everyone entering the ballot and we can’t wait to welcome thousands of you back!”
To enter the 2026 ballot for the Royal Parks Half Marathon, click here.
This year’s ballot opens on the 26 January and closes on 6 February
For any press enquiries please contact: royalparkshalf@aspirepr.co.uk.
About The Royal Parks:
The Royal Parks is the charity which manages, protects, and improves the parks in an exemplary and sustainable manner so that everyone, now and in the future, has the opportunity to enjoy their natural and historic environments.
The charity looks after eight of London’s finest open spaces: Hyde Park, Kensington Gardens, St James’s Park, The Green Park, The Regent’s Park and Primrose Hill, Greenwich Park, Richmond Park, and Bushy Park. It also manages other important open spaces in the capital, including Brompton Cemetery and Victoria Tower Gardens.
It costs around £75m a year to manage the parks. The charity raises around 85 percent of its income independently with the remaining 15 percent funded by Government. For further information please visit: www.royalparks.org.uk and follow The Royal Parks on Facebook.com/theroyalparkslondon and Instagram.com/theroyalparks.
