The Best Half Marathons in the UK

Whether you're chasing a PB, looking for a scenic route or getting ready for your first 13.1 miles, this guide brings together some of the best half marathons in the UK and offers advice on how to secure a place in popular races that sell out or run ballots.

Must-run UK half marathons

If you’re only going to do a handful of marathons in your life, or even just one, I’d recommend choosing one of these.

The Great North Run

The Great North Run (GNR) is the world's biggest half marathon. What sets it apart isn’t the course or the finish (although crossing the line along the South Shields seafront is a great experience); it’s the crowd. Hundreds of thousands of people line the route from Newcastle to the coast, handing out sweets and cheering for absolutely everyone. The Red Arrows even fly over the finish.

Cardiff Half Marathon

This is one of the best half marathons in the country for a first-timer and an excellent option for a PB attempt. The route is flat, passing Cardiff Castle, the Principality Stadium, and Cardiff Bay, with big crowds of spectators that guarantee a great atmosphere.

Royal Parks Half Marathon

Arguably one of the most beautiful road races in the UK, the Royal Parks Half takes you through Hyde Park, Green Park, St James’s Park, and Kensington Gardens, and past Buckingham Palace, the Houses of Parliament and Big Ben. That’s a lot of sightseeing in one race!

The Big Half

The London Marathon team organises the Big Half, so you know you’re in safe hands. The route runs from Tower Bridge through Canary Wharf and finishes near the Cutty Sark in Greenwich, on closed roads, with the London Marathon's production values behind it. It's flat, fast, and one of the best races in the country for a PB attempt.

Hackney Half Marathon

The Hackney Half is closer to a street festival than a road race, and if that sounds like your kind of Sunday, this is the one to do. The route takes in Hackney Marshes, Victoria Park, and the surrounding streets, with sound systems on every corner and a crowd that reflects one of the most vibrant parts of the city.

Book the Hackney Half here.

Bath Half Marathon

Bath is a pretty spectacular place to run 13.1 miles. The flat, two-lap course takes you through the heart of the UNESCO World Heritage city, past its famous Georgian architecture and crowds of spectators. With plenty of encouragement along the way and a generous four-and-a-half-hour cut-off, it's a brilliant choice for a first half marathon.

Book Bath Half Marathon here.

Manchester Half Marathon

Manchester's course has about 40 metres of total elevation, which puts it among the flattest big-city halves in the country. It runs on closed roads out through Chorlton, Sale and Stretford, with the loudest crowd support in the city centre sections at the start and finish. It's run by the same team behind the Manchester Marathon, and a lot of runners use it as an autumn PB target before spring marathon training kicks in.

Edinburgh Half Marathon

This race is part of the Edinburgh Marathon Festival in late May, alongside the full marathon and shorter races over the same weekend, so expect an amazing atmosphere from start to finish. The wildcard is the wind. Past Portobello, the road opens up along the coast with no shelter, and an easterly off the North Sea can hinder your pace. When the weather cooperates, it’s an extremely fast half.

Enter the Edinburgh Half Marathon here.

The best UK half marathons for a PB attempt

If you're chasing a specific finish time, the course can make or break your race. You'll ideally want a flat, well-organised event on closed roads with mild weather. Here are three of the best ones.

Antrim Coast Half Marathon

Easily one of the fastest courses on the UK calendar. The men's world record was set here in 2021, and the field regularly includes elite runners chasing fast times.

Manchester Half Marathon

This is the flattest half marathon that takes place in a big city, with just 40 metres of elevation across 13.1 miles. The October date usually means the conditions are cool and still, and the course is on closed roads throughout.

Cardiff Half Marathon

Cardiff has a flat and fast loop with a welcoming crowd to cheer you on. It's one of the only half marathons in the UK designated as a World Athletics Elite Road Race.

Edinburgh Half Marathon

Edinburgh's course actually takes you downhill in places on a point-to-point route that runs partly along the coast. It's very scenic but can get windy.

The most scenic UK half marathons

Who doesn't love a race with a view? If impressive scenery is what you're after, these are the ones to go for.

Snowdonia Trail Half Marathon

The route climbs into the national park on trail and mountain paths, with more than 500 metres of ascent and some challenging technical sections. I wouldn’t recommend it for your first half marathon or anyone who wants a fast time, but my gosh, does it deliver exceptional mountain views.

Enter here.

Lindisfarne Trail Half Marathon

Following the beautiful Northumberland coastline from Spittal, this half marathon takes you along beaches and coastal trails before crossing the tidal causeway to Holy Island. It's hard to imagine a more memorable setting for a half marathon, with sweeping views across the North Sea and Lindisfarne Castle waiting near the finish.

Maverick Jurassic Coast Trail Half Marathon

The Jurassic Coast Half starts outside Corfe Castle in Dorset, heads across marshland to the coast, then follows the coastal ridge via the Purbeck Way and past Old Harry's Rocks. It's a UNESCO World Heritage site with fantastic views over the English Channel.

Enter here.

Cheddar Gorge Half Marathon

This race takes you through Cheddar Gorge and the Mendip Hills in Somerset, on a mix of open fields, rocky trails and woodland paths. There are some steep hills involved (including a section the organisers have nicknamed the Hell Steps!), but you’ll be rewarded with views across the Somerset Levels and the Bristol Channel. Probably not a race for a target time, but hard to beat for scenery.

Enter here.

The best UK half marathons for beginners

These races have all been chosen because they combine a flat course and a manageable field size with a forgiving cut-off time, which means you'll still be able to finish even if you run-walk it.

Battersea Park Half Marathon

If the thought of thousands of runners and a huge start line feels a bit daunting, Battersea Park is a great alternative. The flat, paved course follows several laps around one of London's loveliest parks. It's ideal for bringing a few supporters along, as they'll get plenty of opportunities to cheer you on rather than just spotting you at the finish.

Enter here.

North Lincolnshire Half Marathon

RunThrough specifically recommends this race for first-timers. The course is flat, fully closed to traffic, and follows a single lap through the Lincolnshire countryside from a start and finish at Quibell Park Stadium in Scunthorpe. The event village is a friendly place to warm up beforehand, and the marshals cheer for everyone too.

Enter here.

Oxford Half Marathon

I live in Oxford, so I’m biased, but I honestly think this is a brilliant place to run your first half marathon. The flat, traffic-free course takes you through the historic city centre, past Oxford’s famous colleges and along the River Thames. Live entertainment and plenty of enthusiastic spectators keep you going, especially when it gets tough towards the end.

Bath Half Marathon

Bath’s flat course and friendly atmosphere make it an obvious choice for a first half, and with a cut-off time of four-and-a-half hours, there’s no pressure to achieve a fast time either.

Enter here.

How to enter

The bigger UK half marathons sell out quickly, and some close their entries before most of us have even started thinking about next year. That's why it's worth finding out how and when to enter well in advance.

Ballot races

Events like the Great North Run and Cardiff Half Marathon use a ballot system to allocate entries. You register your interest after the previous year’s race, and who gets in is basically decided by a lottery. Ballots often open in autumn and close in winter, depending on the event's timing. If you don’t get a place through the ballot, you can always opt for a charity place instead.

General sale

Brighton, Hackney, Bath, and other well-known halves have a general sale for entries, rather than using a ballot system. As long as you know when entries go on sale, you’ll be able to get a place - but bear in mind that popular events sell out quickly. The most reliable way to know when entries open is to sign up to a race’s mailing list as soon as you decide you might want to do it.

Charity places

Almost every major UK half holds back a chunk of places for charity partners, usually in exchange for a fundraising commitment. Amounts vary, but expect anything from around £250 for a smaller charity up to £500 or more.

Timing your entry

UK halves typically fall into two blocks. Spring races take place from February to May and usually open entries the previous autumn. Autumn races run from September to November and open entries at various points through spring and summer.

What entry usually costs and what's included

UK half marathon entry fees vary quite a bit. Smaller local events typically sit in the £30 to £40 bracket. Entry usually includes chip timing, a medal, and sometimes a T-shirt.

Larger races typically cost between £45 and £65. In addition to chip timing and a high-quality medal, these events often have bigger event villages and better on-course support.

The biggest ballot events can cost £70+, which covers road closures in major cities, elite fields, sometimes TV coverage, and the logistics of moving a much larger number of runners around a course while keeping everyone safe.

Race organisers sometimes provide free event photography; other times, you have to pay for the photos you want to keep. Bag storage is usually free, but parking typically isn’t included.

If you enter via a charity place, you’ll usually be committing to raising a certain amount of money, which can range from around £250 to £500+.

Ready to book your next half?

This guide showcases just a few of the many brilliant half marathons across the UK. If you'd rather browse everything that's bookable and filter by date, region or price, our full list of UK half marathons has hundreds more to choose from.

Looking for something closer to home? Explore half marathons by location: London, South East, South West, East Midlands, West Midlands, Yorkshire, North West, North East, Scotland and Wales.

And once you've got a race in the diary, our running nutrition guide will help you fuel for it.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the best half marathon in the UK?

The Great North Run is one of the UK’s most iconic half marathons, with an electric atmosphere that’s hard to beat. But the best race for you depends on what you’re looking for. Manchester is a great option for a PB, Royal Parks delivers on scenery, and Cardiff offers a combination of both.

Which UK half marathon should I run first?

For your first half marathon, I'd recommend looking for a relatively flat course with plenty of support and a cut-off time that gives you room to slow down if you need to. Bath, Oxford and North Lincolnshire are a few good options. If you're planning to run-walk, check the organiser's minimum pace requirements before entering.

What's the flattest half marathon in the UK?

The Manchester Half Marathon is one of the flattest major halves, with approximately 40 metres of elevation the whole way round. Cardiff and the Big Half in London are also worth considering if you're aiming for a PB.

What's the biggest half marathon in the UK?

Not only is The Great North Run the biggest half marathon in the UK; it's actually the biggest in the world, with 63,000 runners taking part in 2026. It's also one of the UK's biggest annual fundraising events.

Are there any UK half marathons with a very generous cut-off time?

The Bath Half Marathon gives you four and a half hours to finish, which makes it very beginner-friendly. Cardiff and Royal Parks both give you four hours.