Six of the best flat half marathons
Bagging a good half-marathon time is something every runner has on their to-do list. Its one of the classic benchmarks to test yourself against. 13.1 miles is long enough to be a true test of fitness, stamina, pacing, form and mental strength, but short enough to be within reach of anyone willing to train consistently for a couple of months. Also, for many, the appeal is that a “cheeky half” doesn’t demand the long weekend training runs of full marathon training.
We’ve included a mix of races that offer a variety of experiences, from small, locally organised runs such as the River Thames Half to full-on festivals such as the Great Scottish Run. This is just a small selection of the best flat half marathons. If none suit, you can search Find a Race’s complete list of hundreds of races.
Stopwatches at the ready. Good luck.
Vitality Oxford half marathon
Next race: 11 October
Entry fee: £40
The Oxford half has a new route for 2015. The course now takes runners past many of the city’s best-known sites, including the Bodleian Library and the Radcliffe Camera. Part of the well-publicised Vitality Run series, it’s likely to hit its limit of 8,000 runners soon.
Gosport half marathon
Next race: 15 November
Entry fee: £18
A medium-sized (2,000 runners) event with a reputation for good organisation and friendly marshals. As if that wasn’t enough, the goody bag includes perhaps the best cake in the business. The course takes in two laps of a pancake flat course on a mix of pavement, cycle paths and the seafront esplanade. If the weather’s kind, this is definitely PB territory. Course record: 1:08:00.
Great Scottish Run
Next race: 4 October
Entry fee: £32
At the other end of the country, and event scale, is the Great Scottish Run, Scotland’s biggest running event. 15,000 runners will pound the streets, cheered on by bagpipers, drumming bands and “wall of sound” zones. If this feels a little overwhelming, another option for Scottish runners is the much smaller, but equally flat Scottish Half Marathon.
Perkins Great Eastern Run
Next race: 11 October
Entry fee: £25
Peterborough may not be the most familiar of cities – the event website helpfully has a page entitled “Where’s Peterborough?” for the more geographically challenged – but it’s well worth the trip. This is a city-centre course, designed with one thing in mind: speed. The Great Eastern Run attracts a quick field, which will help speedier runners to find others of a similar pace and work together. This article by Simon Freeman looks at the benefits of doing events with similarly paced runners.
Bristol half marathon
Next race: 13 September
Entry fee: £36
A fast sea-level course starting in Bristol’s historic harbourside and taking in views of the old city, Avon gorge and Brunel’s famous suspension bridge. Now in its 27th year, this is a well-established event, attracting a quicker than average field.
Ealing half marathon
Next race: 27 September
Entry fee: £36
One of only three fully closed road half marathons in London, this was voted the UK’s best half marathon at the 2015 Running awards. Not entirely flat, but what it lacks in PB potential it more than makes up for in atmosphere, with more than 20,000 spectators turning out to cheer on the 4,000 runners. Course record: 1:07:33.
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