Royal Parks Half Marathon

The Royal Parks Half Marathon is an annual half marathon held each October in central London, run on closed roads through four of the city's eight Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James's Park and Kensington Gardens. The Royal Parks charity created it in 2008 as the first half marathon through the centre of London, and set it up as a yearly fundraising event for the parks and for charities of all sizes. The organisers say it has raised more than GBP 88 million for over 1,900 UK charities. The single-lap course starts on South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park, where the event village and bag drop sit, and finishes in Kensington Gardens in front of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall. On the way it passes Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Kensington Palace, runs along The Mall twice, and returns to the parks for a loud final stretch on Serpentine Road. The course is generally flat with some gentle undulations, and there are four water stations. The race carries Oysho as title sponsor and is branded the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon. General entry is through a public ballot that opens early in the year of the race. Runners who miss out can apply for a Team Royal Parks fundraising place or run for one of the event's charity partners. Entrants must be at least 17 on race day.