Richmond Half Marathon
The Lowdown
The Richmond Half Marathon is the flagship race of Richmond RUNFEST, an annual road-running weekend held every September in Richmond upon Thames, London. Now sponsored by Uber Boat by Thames Clippers, the half marathon starts inside the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, then follows a flat, multi-terrain route of road, path, gravel and grass along the Thames Towpath, passing Ham House, Richmond Palace and Teddington Lock before finishing at a live music festival in Old Deer Park, Richmond. It runs alongside a full Marathon and a Kids & Family Mile on the same Sunday morning, with a separate Richmond 10K held the day before as part of the same festival weekend. England Athletics certified (Licence ID 28982), the course is fully marshalled with pacers, five water stations and sweep support, and finishers receive a technical t-shirt and medal along with free Kew Gardens tickets for race-morning spectators. General public entries for the 2026 half marathon have sold out; new runners can still take part through one of the event's official charity partners in exchange for a registration fee and a minimum fundraising pledge.
Race Day
Weather Forecast
Elevation
Terrain Profile
Relatively flat course
Participants
Field Size
Medium-sized race
Crowd Rating
Spectator Support
Good crowd energy
Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew - start venue
Ham House - historic riverside mansion on the route
Richmond Palace - Tudor royal palace remains passed mid-route
Teddington Lock - Thames lock and weir on the route
Old Deer Park, Richmond - finish venue and music festival site
Other distances available during the event weekend:
Richmond upon Thames, London, United Kingdom
GB
Average rate for 3-star accommodations near the start line
Eligibility
- Minimum age 17 on race day for general entry (some individual charity partners require 18)
- 2026 general public entries sold out; new runners must apply through an official charity partner
Required Documents
- Photo ID may be requested at race number/packet collection
Entry Methods
- Online general entry via run-fest.com (sold out of public places for 2026)
- Guaranteed charity partner places, arranged directly with an official Richmond RUNFEST charity (e.g. Macmillan Cancer Support, Alzheimer's Society)
Cancellation & Refund Policy
Entries are non-transferable and non-deferrable; refunds only available within 14 days of payment, per the official terms
Part of the two-day Richmond RUNFEST weekend (10K on Saturday; Half Marathon, Marathon and Kids & Family Mile on Sunday), drawing roughly 7,000 runners across all distances.
Title sponsor is Uber Boat by Thames Clippers.
England Athletics certified course, Licence ID 28982.
Entry includes two free adult and two children's tickets into Kew Gardens on race morning.
Kids & Family Mile program supports over 1,000 children at Old Deer Park as part of the organizers' 2012 Olympic legacy pledge.
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