Hastings Half Marathon

The Hastings Half Marathon is an annual road race held every March in Hastings, East Sussex, on England's south coast. Organized by the Hastings Lions Club with Nice Work Race Management, the event has run since 1985 and has grown into one of the UK's most popular midsized half marathons, drawing around 5,000 runners a year and winning Midsized Event of the Year at the 2025 Running Industry Awards. The 13.1-mile course starts near the seafront at Grosvenor Gardens in St Leonards-on-Sea and opens with a demanding profile — two short, sharp climbs followed by a long sweeping ascent past The Ridge and Fairlight, tracing part of the route William the Conqueror's army took toward the Battle of Hastings — before turning back downhill through the historic Old Town and fishing quarter. The final two-thirds are flat to downhill, finishing along a three-mile stretch of the Hastings seafront promenade, which lets many entrants close with a fast finish despite the tough start. A companion Hastings Junior Run (2km) for ages 7-16 takes place the same morning. Runners can also choose a Heroes Entry, which adds a charitable donation to the Hastings Lions Club, funding local community projects.