Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified August 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 11 October 2026
- Location
- London, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
Royal Parks Half Marathon: 11 October 2026. Ballot, the route through four royal parks, charity places, a pace calculator.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Race Timeline
31 days to go
This is where the real training happens — building your long run and getting comfortable with half-marathon race-pace.
Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026: quick answers
When is Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026?
Royal Parks Half Marathon 2026 takes place on Sunday, 11 October 2026.
Where does Royal Parks Half Marathon start and finish?
Royal Parks Half Marathon starts at Hyde Park, London and finishes at Kensington Gardens (near the Albert Memorial), London.
How many miles is Royal Parks Half Marathon?
Royal Parks Half Marathon is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much does Royal Parks Half Marathon cost to enter?
Entry is via an annual public ballot — the 2026 ballot closed 6 February 2026, with results announced 12 February. Charity places (typically £20-£35 registration, plus an average £350 fundraising pledge) are the main alternative if you miss the ballot.
How can I track a runner at Royal Parks Half Marathon?
No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official site for updates closer to race day.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 11 October 2026
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- London, UK
- Start Point
- Hyde Park, London
- Finish Point
- Kensington Gardens (near the Albert Memorial), London
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac
- Tracking app
- No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official site for updates closer to race day.
Not published by the organiser at the time of writing: start time, cut-off time, age requirement. Verus records these as unconfirmed rather than estimating them — check the official race website closer to race day.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is via an annual public ballot — the 2026 ballot closed 6 February 2026, with results announced 12 February. Charity places (typically £20-£35 registration, plus an average £350 fundraising pledge) are the main alternative if you miss the ballot.
Ballot Policy
Ballot-only for public places, opening in the months before each race and typically closing in early February. Demand is high, so a place isn't guaranteed.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Race Day Weather
A real forecast appears here once one exists for race day — usually about a week to ten days out. Nothing is shown until then, because a made-up forecast is worse than none.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Hyde Park, London and finishing at Kensington Gardens (near the Albert Memorial), London. Total elevation gain is not published for this event, and Verus does not estimate one.
Is Royal Parks Half Marathon flat?
Largely, yes — the organizer describes it as a generally flat course with some gentle undulations. No official elevation gain figure is published.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Course Profile
Elevation change not published for this event.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Hyde Park, London
Start line.
Buckingham Palace
The route passes Buckingham Palace early on, taking in Green Park and St James's Park.
Big Ben & the Houses of Parliament
One of the most recognizable stretches on the course, along Horse Guards Parade.
Serpentine Road
Often called the loudest mile on the course, leading into the finish near Kensington Palace.
Where Royal Parks Half Marathon starts and finishes
These are the start and finish points, not the route. Verus doesn't hold course files for this race, and drawing a line between two pins would be a guess you might end up training on. The official course map is the one to use: view it on the organiser's site .
Full Royal Parks Half Marathon Route Breakdown
A single closed-road lap through four of London's eight royal parks — starting in Hyde Park, the route passes Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, and Kensington Palace, taking in Green Park and St James's Park along the way. Serpentine Road, often called the loudest mile on the course, leads into the finish in Kensington Gardens by the Albert Memorial and Royal Albert Hall.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Pace Calculator & Splits
Royal Parks Half Marathon Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
Royal Parks Half Marathon Pace Chart
Split markers calculated for standard checkpoints — no official pacers are confirmed for this event.
| Target | Pace /mi | Pace /km | 5K | 10K | Finish |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3:00 | 13:44 | 8:32 | 42:41 | 1:25:23 | 3:00:00 |
| 3:15 | 14:53 | 9:15 | 46:15 | 1:32:30 | 3:15:00 |
| 3:30 | 16:02 | 9:58 | 49:48 | 1:39:37 | 3:30:00 |
| 3:45 | 17:11 | 10:40 | 53:22 | 1:46:43 | 3:45:00 |
| 4:00 | 18:19 | 11:23 | 56:55 | 1:53:50 | 4:00:00 |
| 4:15 | 19:28 | 12:06 | 1:00:29 | 2:00:57 | 4:15:00 |
| 4:30 | 20:37 | 12:48 | 1:04:02 | 2:08:04 | 4:30:00 |
| 4:45 | 21:45 | 13:31 | 1:07:36 | 2:15:11 | 4:45:00 |
| 5:00 | 22:54 | 14:14 | 1:11:09 | 2:22:18 | 5:00:00 |
| 5:30 | 25:11 | 15:39 | 1:18:16 | 2:36:32 | 5:30:00 |
| 6:00 | 27:29 | 17:05 | 1:25:23 | 2:50:46 | 6:00:00 |
| 6:30 | 29:46 | 18:30 | 1:32:30 | 3:04:59 | 6:30:00 |
| 7:00 | 32:04 | 19:55 | 1:39:37 | 3:19:13 | 7:00:00 |
Royal Parks Half Marathon Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your Royal Parks Half Marathon finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated Royal Parks Half Marathon finish
1:54:55
An estimate only, based on Pete Riegel's race-time prediction formula. Real marathon performance depends on endurance, training specificity, pacing and race-day conditions — not just your speed over a shorter distance.
Training for a different distance? Try the full pace calculator, race time predictor or pace chart.
Got your target time? Save it to your profile.
Tag Royal Parks Half Marathon, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyRoyal Parks Half Marathon Race Day Checklist
Tap items to mark off your race-day readiness.
- Race number attached, and any timing chip fitted per your race pack instructions
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- Your own gels/fuel if you have specific fuelling needs beyond the water stations
- A plan for reaching Hyde Park — served by multiple London Underground stations
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near Kensington Gardens for after the race
Training Strategy for Royal Parks Half Marathon
10-14 weeks is a solid window for a first half marathon; 8-10 weeks is enough if you're already maintaining a baseline mileage. Build your long run up gradually rather than jumping straight to race distance.
This is a largely flat course, so most of your long runs can mirror that — flat and steady, building time on feet rather than hill strength.
Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Hyde Park, London fresh, energized, and primed — not fit, fresh.
Lock in your target pace using the interactive splits calculator below — no official pacers are confirmed for this event, so a pace band on your watch is the more reliable option.
Test your race-day fuel and hydration plan on your long training runs, not for the first time on race day — check the Race Day Checklist below for what's actually on this course.
Half Marathon Nutrition & Fueling Plan
A modest increase in carbohydrate intake over the 2-3 days before the race — not one huge pasta dinner the night before — is the tried-and-tested approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.
Stick to a carb-focused breakfast, timed 2-3 hours before the start, and make sure it's something you've already tested rather than tried for the first time.
Water stations are positioned at approximately miles 3.5, 6.5, 9.5 and 11 — carry your own gels if you have specific fuelling needs.
Post-race recovery starts with carbohydrate and protein, ideally within the first hour — central London has no shortage of options near the finish.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Charity Places 2026
Charity places run through official partners including GOSH Charity, British Heart Foundation, Macmillan Cancer Support, PSPA and the Institute of Cancer Research. Registration fees are typically £20-£35, with an average fundraising pledge of around £350 — exact terms vary by charity.
Lead with your personal story — explain why the charity matters to you. Personal connection generates 3x more support than a generic link broadcast.
Share key training milestones on Instagram (first 10-miler, peak week, race week) with your fundraising link in bio. Publicly thanking donors prompts secondary gifts!
Running Royal Parks Half Marathon for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other Royal Parks Half Marathon fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for Royal Parks Half Marathon
Kensington / Knightsbridge
Right by the finish in Kensington Gardens, with the most upmarket hotel choice in the immediate area.
Among the more expensive parts of London to stay.
Central London (more broadly)
Excellent Underground access to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens from almost anywhere in the city centre.
Still subject to road closures around the course on race morning.
Travel & Logistics
Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are served by multiple London Underground stations (including Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge, Lancaster Gate and High Street Kensington), making this one of the most transport-accessible races in the UK.
Not applicable — this is central London, so public transport is the realistic option on race day.
Roads through the royal parks and surrounding central London streets are closed for the duration of the event.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Serpentine Road, often described as the loudest mile on the course, and the finish by the Albert Memorial are the two standout spectator points.
Central London's Underground network makes it realistic to see your runner at two or three points along the route by planning journeys around road closures.
No dedicated live-tracking app is confirmed for this event — check the official site for updates closer to race day.
Royal Parks Half Marathon Frequently Asked Questions
Everything you need to know for race weekend.
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Race details independently compiled and fact-checked by Tommo against the official Royal Parks Half Marathon site , last verified August 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.