Preston Half Marathon

The Preston Half Marathon is a brand-new closed-road race in Lancashire, with its inaugural edition on Sunday, September 27, 2026. Organized by Epic Events -- which also launched the XMiles Bolton Half Marathon earlier the same year -- the race starts and finishes at historic Winckley Square in the heart of Preston. The half marathon covers two laps of a route that threads through Fishergate, Avenham and Miller Parks, and along the River Ribble, crossing both Walton Bridge and the historic Penwortham Old Bridge; a companion 10K covers a single lap of the same course. Both distances are UK Athletics licensed with officially certified, accurately measured courses, and roads are fully closed to traffic throughout. Half marathon runners must reach the halfway point and start their second lap before 11:00 AM so that roads can reopen on schedule. The event carries the title sponsorship of XMiles, the Dorset-based endurance-sports retailer, and includes a finisher's medal, on-course feed stations, electronic chip timing, finish-line drinks and free event photographs. Entrants must be at least 17 years old for the half marathon. Entries close either when the race sells out or at noon on the Friday before race day, and runners who register before September 8, 2026 are guaranteed a posted race pack ahead of time.