Christmas Lights Half Marathon 2026

I’m not sure about GPS tours. Is there an option to have a guide?

A half marathon is a very long distance to run in a guided group. We were concerned that offering guided tours would lead to disparate paces within groups, and while this is something that we may explore in future years, this time we decided to keep it simple and stick with the GPS option. The technology is excellent, and the narration is akin to having a guide, with narration all the way round. And if you are really desperate to share your experience with others, you are welcome to run the half marathon in a group, as long as you have all purchased your own access.

When can I do it?

You can complete the half marathon at a time of your choosing, between 23rd November 2026 and 4th January 2027. Although the time of day that you complete it on is completely up to you, some lights are only switched on from 3-4pm when it is dark outside. We would also strongly advise avoiding the first two Saturdays in December if you can, as the route gets extremely busy on these days.

Can I run with friends?

You absolutely can! You will however need to make sure that you have all purchased your own individual access to the tour using VoiceMap, so you can all use the technology.

Can one of us buy entry and then lead a larger group?

Although there is nothing stopping you, we would ask that you please do not do this. You will also not have a very positive experience if you attempt to lead the tour in this way. It will be very difficult to manage as your ‘guide’ will need to be plugged into the audio continually while delivering the tour. We are also a small family run business and have spent a considerable amount of time and money on creating this tour from scratch this year. We are reliant on proceeds from the half marathon to ensure that we are able to fund future Secret London Runs tours and experiences.

Can I walk or cycle the route?

You can certainly walk the route, although it will take quite a long time! You may not cycle the route though - it is designed to be done on foot and it is not safe to be plugged into our audio while cycling. The audio tour will also not work properly if you are cycling as you may travel too quickly and cause overlap with the audio - it is designed to be done on foot and it is not safe to be plugged into our audio while cycling. The audio tour will also not work properly if you are cycling as you may travel too quickly and cause overlap with the audio.