Compiled and fact-checked by Tommo, Verus founder · Last verified September 2026 · Spot an error?
Running · Half Marathons
The Big Half 2026
- Race day
- Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Location
- London, UK
- Distance
- 13.1 mi / 21.1 km
The Big Half: 6 September 2026. Entry, the Tower Bridge to Greenwich route, charity places, a pace calculator.
The Big Half Race Timeline
4 days since race day
The Big Half has taken place — check back for results, athlete stories and fundraising totals once they're in, or start planning for next year's edition.
The Big Half 2026: quick answers
When is The Big Half 2026?
The Big Half 2026 takes place on Sunday, 6 September 2026, starting at 8:30am (elite), staggered waves every 10 minutes after.
What time does The Big Half start?
The Big Half starts at 8:30am (elite), staggered waves every 10 minutes after from Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South).
Where does The Big Half start and finish?
The Big Half starts at Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South) and finishes at Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London.
How many miles is The Big Half?
The Big Half is 13.1 miles (21.1km).
How much elevation gain does The Big Half have?
The Big Half has approximately 218ft of total elevation gain. Marketed as fast and flat, though the official course guide notes real inclines exiting the Limehouse Tunnel (around mile 2), entering Canary Wharf (around mile 3), a notable incline before Tower Bridge (miles 7-10), and a short climb onto the bridge itself in the final 500m. Official elevation gain is 218ft (66m).
How much does The Big Half cost to enter?
Entry is direct via London Marathon Events — no ballot. General entries for 2026 sold out; charity places are the main route in. Always confirm current availability on the official site.
How can I track a runner at The Big Half?
A live tracking app is planned (available roughly 10 days before race day) — no dedicated app name has been published yet.
Key Race Metrics & Overview
- Date
- Sunday, 6 September 2026
- Distance
- 13.1 miles / 21.1km
- Location
- London, UK
- Start Point
- Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South)
- Finish Point
- Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London
- Start time
- 8:30am (elite), staggered waves every 10 minutes after
- Elevation gain
- 218 ft (66m)
- Surface
- Closed public roads, tarmac, including a cobblestone section in Wapping
- Cut-off time
- Four hours from the start.
- Age requirement
- Runners must be 17 or over on event day.
- Tracking app
- A live tracking app is planned (available roughly 10 days before race day) — no dedicated app name has been published yet.
Direct Entry Summary
Entry is direct via London Marathon Events — no ballot. General entries for 2026 sold out; charity places are the main route in. Always confirm current availability on the official site.
Ballot Policy
No ballot — entry is first come, first served through London Marathon Events. General entries have sold out in past years well ahead of race day.
The Big Half 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.
The Big Half Route Map & Elevation Profile
Starting at Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South) and finishing at Cutty Sark, Greenwich, London. 218 ft of total elevation gain across 13.1 miles.
Is The Big Half flat?
Marketed as fast and flat, though the official course guide notes real inclines exiting the Limehouse Tunnel (around mile 2), entering Canary Wharf (around mile 3), a notable incline before Tower Bridge (miles 7-10), and a short climb onto the bridge itself in the final 500m. Official elevation gain is 218ft (66m).
The Big Half Course Profile
218 ft total elevation gain.
Tap a point on the course for details.
Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South)
Start line.
Limehouse Link Tunnel
A real incline exiting the tunnel — part of the course's official 218ft total elevation gain.
Canary Wharf
Another genuine incline entering the Docklands financial district.
Tower Bridge climb
+218ft (66m) — A notable incline before crossing Tower Bridge, with a short final climb onto the bridge itself in the closing stretch.
Where The Big Half 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 The Big Half Route Breakdown
Starts across two areas near Tower Bridge — North at Tower Hill, South at Tower Bridge/Tooley Street — and heads through the Limehouse Link Tunnel towards Canary Wharf, then through Wapping (including a cobblestone stretch), back over Tower Bridge, and on through Bermondsey, Rotherhithe, Surrey Quays and Deptford to finish at Cutty Sark, Greenwich.
The Big Half Pace Calculator & Splits
The Big Half Pace Calculator
Enter a target finish time to see your pace and projected splits.
Average pace / mile
18:19
Average pace / km
11:23
The Big Half 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 |
The Big Half Finish Time Estimator
Enter a recent 5K, 10K or Half Marathon time to estimate your The Big Half finish time.
Your 5K time
Estimated The Big Half 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 The Big Half, set your goal pace, and let Verus track your countdown, training and fundraising in one place.
Start Your Verus JourneyThe Big Half 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
- A bag for the free bag drop — Half Marathon and Relay entrants only
- Weather-appropriate kit, plus something warm and disposable to discard before the start
- Your own gels/fuel if you'd rather not rely solely on Buxton water and Lucozade Sport on course
- Confirmation of which start area (North or South) applies to you, and your wave time
- A meeting point agreed with family/friends near the Cutty Sark finish for after the race
Training Strategy for The Big Half
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 course has real climbs — tower bridge climb around mile 9 — so include some hill-repeat sessions midweek rather than relying only on flat long runs.
Reduce overall mileage across the final 7-10 days while preserving short race-pace bursts. Arrive at Tower Hill / Tower Bridge, London (two start areas: North and South) 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 standard approach to topping up glycogen stores for a half marathon.
Eat a carb-focused breakfast 2-3 hours before your wave start, and stick to something you've already tested in training.
Water stations serve Buxton Natural Mineral Water and Lucozade Sport at miles 3, 6, 9 and 11 — carry your own fuel if you train with something different.
Recovery starts with what you eat in that first hour — a mix of carbohydrate and protein is what the evidence supports — Greenwich has plenty of options near the finish.
The Big Half Charity Places 2026
Charity places are available through numerous partner charities. There's no single universal minimum — each sets its own fee and fundraising target, as in the example below.
| Charity Partner | Entry Fee | Minimum Target |
|---|---|---|
| British Heart Foundation | £10 | £350 |
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 The Big Half for charity?
Link your JustGiving page to Verus and show up right here alongside other The Big Half fundraisers — goal, progress and story, all in one place.
Add Your Fundraiser to VerusWhere to Stay for The Big Half
Tower Bridge / Southwark
Closest to the start areas, with easy access to central London transport.
Further from the Greenwich finish.
Greenwich
Closest to the finish, with a village atmosphere and the Cutty Sark on the doorstep.
Fewer hotel options than central London.
Travel & Logistics
Fenchurch Street and London Bridge stations are close to the start; Greenwich, Maze Hill, Deptford and Blackheath serve the finish. The Cutty Sark DLR gets extremely busy — avoid if possible.
Not applicable — this is central London, so public transport (including the Thames Clipper from Greenwich Pier, or the Greenwich Foot Tunnel) is the realistic option.
Road closures begin around 4am on Tower Bridge and 6am elsewhere.
Spectator & Cheer Guide
Tower Bridge and the Cutty Sark finish are the two standout spectator points, with three Community Cheer Zones featuring live DJs along the route and a free Festival Area in Greenwich Park.
An accessible viewing area is available at the finish.
A live tracking app is planned (available roughly 10 days before race day) — no dedicated app name has been published yet.
The Big Half 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 The Big Half site , last verified September 2026. Always confirm official timings and policies directly prior to race day.