Hackney Half Marathon

The Hackney Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held every May on closed roads through Hackney in East London. First run in 2014 with more than 12,000 entrants, it has grown into London's largest half marathon and one of the largest in the UK, with close to 30,000 finishers at the 2026 edition. The flat, fast 21.1km course starts and finishes at Hackney Marshes, looping through Hackney Downs, Hackney Central past the Hackney Empire, London Fields, Broadway Market, Victoria Park and Hackney Wick, with live music, cheer zones and on-course pacer support the whole way round. Now known as the HOKA Hackney Half after its title sponsor, general entries for the 2027 race sold out within days, so most new runners get in through one of the event's official charity partners, who guarantee a place in exchange for a registration fee and a fundraising minimum. The half marathon is the centerpiece of a wider HOKA Hackney Moves festival weekend that also features a night-time 10K, an off-road 5K trail run, a shorter road 5K and a schools challenge, plus a free community festival and finish-line food and fitness village at Hackney Marshes. Runners who complete the 2026 race are automatically eligible to re-enter for 2027, and the event has raised more than GBP 4 million a year for charity in recent editions.