Sure – the London Marathon might be the aspiration of all aspirations. But it’s not that simple when you get down to the nitty-gritty of it all; both the physical (and mental challenge) and the part where you actually get a place.
If you missed out on a spot (as most people do) or you want to stick to a smaller distance while still putting one foot in front of the other around the city centre, then the Royal Parks half marathon should be calling your name. Like its London Marathon contemporary, you’ll need to be granted a place, and there are 16,000 of them to go around for 2025 – here’s how to make sure you’re in with a chance of running it on October 12.
How to get a spot at the Royal Parks half marathon in 2025?
You can sign up for a spot right now by entering the ballot for the Royal Parks half marathon. 2025 marks the first time the event has used a ballot, with the demand expected to be the biggest yet! Given the notable spike in running that continues to grow in Britain, that should come as no surprise. You can sign up for the ballot here, but you must do so before 5pm on Friday, February 7. It’s free to enter, though there’s an option to pay in advance if you wish to be entered into the second-chance draw.
From here, you will discover whether your ballot entry was successful by February. If you are granted a place, you must confirm your attendance by 5pm on March 3with a fee of £68.95 to run the Royal Parks half marathon. Like the London Marathon, there are also spaces allocated to organisations, and you can opt to run by pledging to raise funds for a selected charity.
The Royal Parks half marathon takes place in October, and is a beautiful route across the city that takes runners through Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park, and Kensington Gardens.
Speaking on the event, said: “The Royal Parks Half Marathon is such a special race to so many people. The atmosphere generated throughout the parks on race-day is truly spectacular, so combining this with the stunning race-route really does make for a truly incredible race-day experience. Good luck to everyone entering this year’s ballot and we’re so excited to have you back for this year’s Royal Parks Half Marathon!”
The ballot for the Royal Parks half marathon is open until February 7, 2025. The Royal Parks half marathon takes place on October 12, 2025.
