Over recent years The Edinburgh Half Marathon has sold out months before event weekend. Thousands of runners secure charity places in this highly sought after run which means they are guaranteed a place on the start line.
Edinburgh Half Marathon shares some of the same fast and flat route from the iconic castle and city sights to the coast for an explosive finish and offers genuine PB potential.
Every year the Edinburgh Marathon Festival raises millions of pounds for a wide variety of charities. You too can get a guaranteed place in the event and make a positive difference at the same time by running for charity.
Charities buy places in this event, then give them to runners who agree to raise money for the charity – these are called charity places. Charity places are a great way to support a cause you're passionate about and to get a place in the event.
Committing to raising money for charity gives you motivation to get outside and run, plus all of these extras which will elevate your event experience:
Charities know that raising money is all part of the challenge, which is why they provide advice, branded materials and a personalised online fundraising page to help the donations roll in. Think eye-catching videos for social and traditional collection tins too.
Whether this is your first of fifth half marathon, you'll need to train for it! Many charities provide training guidance, plans, an online training zone plus access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your preparation.
When you show up in Scotland's capital, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Charities will give you a branded and often personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top so you look and feel the part.
When you're part way through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering squads to keep you moving. Many charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you jog past!
Refreshments and an indulgent post-race sports massage are often provided by charities for their runners. This is the perfect way to recover alongside other people who have run for that cause.
You won't be the only person running for that charity, so it's well worth meeting other runners through the charity's invite-only social media pages! You can organise to meet up for training runs, chat with the charity's expert coaches and share tips and stories with each other to keep the motivation levels running high. You won't be alone in central Edinburgh!
Half marathons and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which of these charities will you run for?
Charity entries are now closed. Sign up for our newsletter to be the first to hear when charity places are available for next year.
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Holyrood Road
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Edinburgh
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The Scottish capital is renowned for its heritage and culture, with medieval architecture and cobbled streets helping to create a spellbinding atmosphere. It's the perfect setting for an active festival of running, with each route taking full advantage of its stunning location.
The Edinburgh Marathon Festival offers an ideal opportunity to explore the historic streets on closed roads and enjoy a Bank Holiday weekend in the Scottish capital.
Starting on Potterrow with the picturesque backdrop of The University of Edinburgh’s McEwan Hall, this incredible city centre route takes you past many iconic sights of the city.
Turning the first corner you’ll make your way past Greyfriars Kirkyard, home to the statue of Edinburgh’s favourite dog who spent 14 years guarding the grave of his owner - Greyfriars Bobby.
Continuing on into the city's old town, you’ll cross over the Royal Mile, with St Giles Cathedral to your right and the iconic Edinburgh Castle to your left, before heading down the Mound into New Town.
You’ll run through the beautiful Princes Street Gardens where you will see the Scott Monument - a towering gothic monument dedicated to Sir Walter Scott.
The route then turns back up to the historic Royal Mile, heading past the breathtaking architecture of the Scottish Parliament building. From here you can look up and take in the spectacular Arthurs Seat & Salisbury Crags, as well as the Palace of Holyrood, before departing the Royal Park and heading east towards the coast, taking in the sea air of Portobello promenade.
As you reach Musselburgh, you’ll run past the oldest golf course in the world, where it’s documented that golf has been played as early as 1672, before heading further East on the flat towards the historic village of Prestonpans before turning and heading back towards the beautiful finish line within the vast playing fields of Pinkie School.
With a descent of almost 90 metres to near sea level, it has been said that this is the fastest half marathon route in the world.
There is a strict cut off time of 3 hours 15 minutes for the half marathon (from when the back of the race crosses the start line).
This event is committed to minimising the impact it has on the local environment, implemented in the following ways:
Getting a charity place in the Edinburgh Half Marathon is a great way to secure a place on the start line of this sell-out event, but how do you start?
Starting your fundraising early gives you the best chance of reaching – and even exceeding – your sponsorship goal.
Keep talking about your fundraising target to your friends, family, colleagues, social media followers - everyone!
Seize the chance to make it your own: sell unwanted clothing online, hold an afternoon tea, host a ticketed dinner party, wash some cars, shave your beard; be inspired!
... I really enjoyed the event. It was well organised and I liked the course which started up by the university and then had a 5 mile downhill run through the city to the coast, followed by an out and back coastal section which was pretty flat.
Really enjoyed this run. Beautiful settings and a fantastic atmosphere.
It's true that this is a perfect race for chasing PBs - I got one today and I hadn't trained as much as I should have.
Couldn’t have picked a better location for my first marathon! Amazing atmosphere with super helpful marshals and wonderful support from spectators especially the welcoming locals who utterly emmersed themselves in the event and were out in their hundreds. Topped off by lovely finish crew who didn’t mind being hugged and sobbed over ecstatically!! and the most beautiful medal and lovely (perfectly fitted) finishers shirt!
The route itself took you through lovely historical parts of the city and then out across the gorgeous coast before returning to the city for a rapturous welcome (despite the crazy headwind along the final four miles!). Terrific choice of route and I bet an experienced marathoner could get quite a pace as it’s relatively flat. A most excellent event and definitely one to recommend!
Reviews thanks to RaceCheck
