Half Marathon races near Birmingham

Birmingham Training Notes

Birmingham hosts 65 Half Marathon races in 2026 within 80 km of the city centre — upcoming dates, recurring series, and other races nearby, all in one place.

Locals run Cannon Hill Park paths, Birmingham Canal Towpaths, Digbeth street art streets, and the Edgbaston Reservoir loop when they want steady miles without fuss. Edgbaston Reservoir gives you three miles when you go round the ressie twice, so it works nicely for Z2 or a sharp progression. Kings Heath Running Club meets on Tuesdays at 18:15 for 4 miles and on Thursdays at 18:50 for 10km. Birmingham Swifts LGBTQ+ Runners starts from The Pagoda Island at 7pm on Thursdays and usually covers around 5 miles. The Unity Challenge 5K, The Great Birmingham Run, Birmingham Running Festival, Birmingham Black Country Half Marathon, and Grand Union Canal Ultra keep the race calendar honest.

Locals ride the greenways and canals because the network connects and you can get around the city without dealing with much traffic. National Cycle Route 5, National Cycle Route 81, National Cycle Route 535, Birmingham Canal Navigations, the Grand Union Canal Ride, and the Kings Norton Loop all handle base miles well. Cycle Birmingham, Cannon Hill Cycling Club, Gorilla Coffee Cycling Club, Boldmere Bullets, Beacon RCC, Breeze Birmingham, and Kings Heath Park Cycling Club give you plenty of wheels to sit on. Gravelton Events keeps the gravel side simple: no entry fee, no frills, just turn up and ride. The route covers 8 km with 1,091 m of elevation.

Summer gives Birmingham its easiest training rhythm, with July average maximum temperatures sitting about 21°C. Locals use the lighter evenings for canals, Cannon Hill Park, Sutton Park trails, crit legs, and longer country-lane rides toward Warwickshire and Worcestershire. Winter changes the kit and the routes more than the attitude, with January average temperatures around 6°C. Kings Heath Running Club moves to Colmore Junior School for its winter 4-mile and 10km routes, while Birmingham Swifts uses quiet roads through Edgbaston and mostly pedestrianised city centre routes. Cyclists keep the commute counting, stay comfortable in the saddle, and treat snowy days as part of living inland at 130 m.