The Royal Parks Half was established by The Royal Parks charity as an annual fundraising fixture to support and preserve London's eight Royal Parks for public enjoyment, while providing charities of various sizes the opportunity to be involved in a mass participation challenge event.
Proud to be London's original half marathon, 16,000 runners take to closed streets through four of the eight Royal Parks whilst enjoying Britain's most eco-friendly race and many are running for vital charity causes.
From the very first edition in 2008, this event has exceeded expectations, generating over £70 million for more than 1,200 UK charities! The event also plays an important role in promoting The Royal Parks charity itself, which is solely funded by donations and fundraising events such as this one.
I did this event as my first ever half marathon and ran it for charity. The location of this event is stunning, going through the different parks and past Buckingham Palace.. Great festive zone, awesome medal. Andrianna
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 good cause and get a place in the event, especially if ballot entries are closed.
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 media and traditional collection tins too.
Whether this is your first or fifth half marathon, you'll need to train for it! You'll receive an in-depth training plan with guidance, plus many charities have access to expert coaches and elite runners too, who can provide exclusive tips for your race preparation.
When you show up on the day, people need to be able to see clearly that you're supporting a charity. Most charities will give you a branded and personalised t-shirt or vest to run in on the big day, and often a training top too.
When you're partway through your run and your energy is flagging, what you need is a boost from cheering spectators to keep you moving. Most charities set up a cheer station along the route, keeping an eye out for you to send up a huge cheer as you run 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.
The Royal Parks Half and charity fundraising go hand-in-hand - which charity will you run for?
South Carriage Drive
Hyde Park
London
Greater London
SW1X
UK
Click to open in map