Colchester Half Marathon
The Lowdown
The Colchester Half Marathon is an annual road race through Colchester, Britain's oldest recorded town, in Essex, England. Runners start and finish at the JobServe Community Stadium, passing city-centre landmarks before heading out onto undulating countryside lanes surrounding the town. First held in 2011, the race sold out its inaugural 1,000-runner field 17 days before race day, was named the UK's fastest-growing race by UK Athletics in 2015, and has grown to roughly 3,500 finishers in its 2025 edition. The event is closely tied to the Robin Cancer Trust, a local Colchester charity, which offers a free guaranteed entry in exchange for a modest fundraising pledge; runners may also fundraise for any charity of their choice. Four water stations line the course at miles 3, 6, 9 and 12, and a generous four-hour cut-off keeps the race welcoming to first-time half marathoners. The 2027 edition takes place on Sunday, March 14, with registration open online.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
JobServe Community Stadium - race start and finish
Colchester city centre - route passes the town's historic landmarks (Britain's oldest recorded town)
Essex countryside lanes surrounding Colchester
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Colchester, Essex, United Kingdom
GB
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 17 on race day
- Walkers not permitted
- Buggies not allowed, per UK Athletics standards
- Headphones prohibited on road sections, except bone-conduction models
Required Documents
- Photo ID may be requested at race number collection, consistent with standard UK Athletics-affiliated road race practice
Entry Methods
- Online via colchesterhalfmarathon.com (Nice Work Race Management booking platform)
- Guaranteed free charity place via the Robin Cancer Trust with a minimum GBP 150 fundraising pledge
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Entries are typically non-refundable and non-transferable once booked, consistent with standard UK mass-participation road race policy; not independently confirmed on an explicit official refund-policy page at time of research
Founded in 2011; the inaugural 1,000-runner field sold out 17 days before race day.
Named the UK's fastest-growing race by UK Athletics in 2015.
Grown to roughly 3,500 finishers by the 2025 edition.
Four water stations on course, at miles 3, 6, 9 and 12.
Cut-off time is 4 hours (course closes at 13:00 for a 09:00 start).
Race numbers are mailed to entrants approximately 10 days before the event.
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