Entry through the organiser
Entry details on the organiser’s site →
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Running Hyde Park? Do your long runs with the gel you will race on. Get them on Amazon Amazon partner link
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Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon
At a glance
- Race day
- The 2027 race
- Distance
- 21.1 km13.1 mi
- Half marathon
The course
Since 2025 the Royal Parks Half finishes in front of the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall in Kensington Gardens, after starting in Hyde Park.
- A finish in front of the Albert MemorialHyde Park start, finish at the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall.
- Four Royal Parks and the Mall twiceFour of the eight Royal Parks and the Mall twice.
- The 2026 race and the 2027 dateA 4 hour cut-off from the last wave, about 18:19 a mile.
Course notes 3 short reads on the course
Whole courseFinishA finish in front of the Albert MemorialHyde Park start, finish at the Albert Memorial and the Royal Albert Hall.
The race is one lap on closed roads, starting in Hyde Park and finishing in Kensington Gardens. The organiser introduced the finish in 2025, saying the two landmarks used to mean you were almost done and are now the backdrop to the finish. After the line, runners collect their finisher goodies and make a short walk to the event village in Hyde Park, where bags are collected.
Sourced
Whole courseLandmarkFour Royal Parks and the Mall twiceFour of the eight Royal Parks and the Mall twice.
The refreshed route the organiser introduced in 2025 takes runners past Horse Guards Parade with views of the London Eye, along The Mall twice, and past two royal palaces, Kensington Palace as well as Buckingham Palace. Serpentine Road is billed as the loudest cheer mile of the race. Water stations stand at miles 3.5, 6.5, 9.5 and 11. The organiser calls the course generally flat with some gentle undulations.
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Whole courseTacticsThe 2026 race and the 2027 dateA 4 hour cut-off from the last wave, about 18:19 a mile.
The 2026 schedule had the first wave at 08:45 and the last between 09:30 and 09:45, with the event village open from 07:30 and the start on South Carriage Drive in Hyde Park. The cut-off is 4 hours after the last wave has started, which it works out at an average pace of about 18 minutes 19 seconds a mile. The 20th race is on Sunday 10 October 2027, with places by ballot.
Sourced
Entry
The forecast for Sunday
Race morning, on the record
We hold no start time for this race, so the record is read at 09:009:00 AM, local time.
Race fuel
Energy gel
2 gels for Hyde Park, plus 1 spare
Finish
One every 40 minutes, by the clock:
Under about 75 minutes most runners need no gel: water at the aid stations does it.
- km 7.3mile 4.6
- km 14.7mile 9.1
For your long training runs:
Our pick: SiS BETA Fuel gel, box of 6, strawberry and lime. 40 g of carbohydrate a gel, about twice a usual gel, from two kinds of sugar your body takes up side by side. Enough for race day and two test long runs.
Easy to forget on race morning: pack them with your bib the night before.
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In Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Salted Caramel, 24-pack, the best seller there.
Outside the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the UK and Ireland, Spain and Portugal, Italy, the rest of the EU and Canada the button opens GU Energy Gel, Chocolate Outrage, 24-pack on Amazon.com, the best seller there.
Anti-chafe
Compeed anti-blister stick, 8 ml
An invisible layer before the start keeps seams, straps and shoes from rubbing skin raw.
Put it on before you leave for the start: heels and toes, inner thighs, under a bra or heart-rate strap.
Try it on a long run first, like everything you use on race day.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Number belt
Compressport Race Belt
Holds your bib without safety pins through your top, with loops for up to 8 gels.
Clip the bib on the night before, so it goes on with your shorts in the morning.
Keep the number on the front, where officials and photographers can see it.
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Electrolytes
SiS Hydro electrolyte tablets, tube of 20
One tablet in a bottle puts back some of the salt you sweat out.
One tablet in 500 ml of water in the hour before the start.
Only if you have used them in training: nothing new on race day.
Get it on Amazon
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Blister plasters
Compeed blister plasters, medium, 6
One in a pocket cushions a blister if one starts.
Put it on clean, dry skin and leave it until it comes off by itself.
Give a couple to whoever comes to cheer, so they are there at the km you need them.
Get it on Amazon
We earn a small fee if you buy through these links. The price is the same.
Keep exploring
More races to look at after the Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon.
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