Half Marathon races near Hitchin

The Wild Half Marathon - Autumn Edition begins in Tring and covers approximately 13 miles (21.1 km) through the Chiltern Hills during the fall season. This is a guided trail half marathon, not a road race, with English Athletics-qualified run leaders accompanying the group on the course. The route features about 300 metres of elevation gain, offering a genuine off-road half marathon experience that is accessible to non-specialists. The event is designed for a relaxed, inclusive atmosphere, including trail technique guidance, checkpoint refreshments, a bag drop service, on-site parking, restroom facilities, and a finisher's medal.

Grafham Water Trail Races offer 10K and half marathon trail races starting at Marlow Park, adjacent to Grafham Water in Cambridgeshire. The event features marked and marshalled courses on tracks, bridleways, and country paths, supported by water stations and on-course first aid. The 10K is suitable for those new to trail running, and the half marathon provides a longer run around the reservoir. The courses consist of wide, runnable trails with consistent terrain, emphasizing steady pacing and off-road running rather than technical ascents. The half marathon completes a larger circuit of Grafham Water, incorporating parts of the Three Shires Way, offering open reservoir vistas and tranquil countryside sections. All finishers get a medal, and top runners contend for awards.

The Royal Parks Foundation Half Marathon is a central London half marathon run in October on closed roads. Its appeal is a traffic-free route past famous London landmarks and through four of the city’s eight Royal Parks, all within the 13.1-mile distance. Runners can participate for charity, so the field includes runners other than club athletes chasing times. The event has reached at least its 18th edition, giving it a longer track record than many newer city half marathons.

Lee Valley VeloPark October is a multi-distance road running event held at Lee Valley VeloPark in east London. It uses the floodlit one-mile circuit constructed around the London 2012 Olympic venue. Participants can select a half marathon, 10 miles, 10k, 5k, or a 1-mile and junior race. All races are on tarmac, featuring a gentle rise and fall instead of a flat park path. The event is lap-based: the half marathon covers 13 laps, the 10-mile race uses 10 laps, the 10k is 6 laps, the 5k is 3 laps, and the mile race completes one full lap. Each mile split is chip timed, allowing runners to monitor their pace, though no pacers are provided. RunThrough supplies marshals, chip-timed results, free race photos, a themed medal, post-race treats, and an event village with food and drink near the finish.

The Top Gun 40th Anniversary Marathons & Half Marathons is a running event in Milton Keynes MK7, United Kingdom, offering marathon and half marathon distances. The main race weekend takes place in October, with both the 42.2 km marathon and 21.1 km half marathon listed as sold out. The series also features a 5 km race, scheduled for a Sunday start at 11:00. This shorter race is also sold out, indicating sufficient local interest to fill all available distances.

The Stevenage Half Marathon begins and concludes on the Ridlins Stadium athletics track, offering runners a distinct stadium start and track finish. This Easter weekend road race in Stevenage includes a half marathon and a 10k, alongside a complimentary 400m children's fun run on the track prior to the main events. The half marathon commences in the morning with a 3-hour 30-minute cut-off, accommodating a broad spectrum of runners beyond just fast club athletes. The half marathon route utilizes traffic-free tarmac paths surrounding Stevenage, with its extended lap crossing Fairlands Valley Park before concluding the 21.1k distance. The 10k also incorporates Fairlands Valley Park, albeit with a shorter lap. ATW manages the event, and race-day provisions feature pacers, personal-trainer warm-ups, pre-race massages, live music, a finish-line commentator, complimentary event photos, a custom medal, and refreshments in the event village. Parents may accompany children in the fun run, and the event also partners with Alzheimer's Research UK for fundraising through entries.

The Hertfordshire Half Marathon starts and finishes before Knebworth House, a Grade II listed house near Knebworth in Hertfordshire. It is an autumn closed-road half marathon with a 10K option on the same race programme, chip timing, a 9:00 AM start, and a three-hour limit for the half marathon. The route uses rural roads and countryside paths around Knebworth Park, with rolling sections rather than a completely flat run. It draws runners chasing a personal best as well as first-timers moving up in distance, and the event supports Garden House Hospice. The setting adds local character: Knebworth House sits in large gardens and parkland, has hosted major open-air concerts by acts such as Oasis, Led Zeppelin, Robbie Williams, and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and also has visitor attractions including an adventure playground and dinosaur trail.

The Wendover Woods Marathon, Half Marathon & 10k is a multi-terrain running event held within Wendover Woods, Buckinghamshire, part of the Chiltern Hills. This event is included in the Autumn Festival of Running and features a marathon, half marathon, 10k, and a junior run. Participants can select a distance ranging from a short forest race to a full marathon. The course has hills and includes significant ascents, with a six-hour time limit for all participants. The 10k race follows a multi-lap course on forest trails. The longer races extend this challenge across similar rolling woodland terrain. This event is suitable for novice trail runners, experienced runners seeking a hilly challenge, and marathon runners desiring a more demanding course than a flat road race. It welcomes pets, and the venue is family-friendly, offering an on-site cafe, Go Ape, adventure play areas, biking trails, and a nearby Gruffalo trail for children.

At Enigma Fireworks, runners circle Caldecotte Lake repeatedly: 7.5 clockwise laps for the marathon or 3.5 for the half. The two-day event is based beside the lake in Milton Keynes, near the hotel and pub car park area, and each day offers both distances in November. The format is straightforward: everyone runs clockwise on the same lake loop, with water and toilets available every lap. Course details are provided at the venue, runners must attend a briefing ten minutes before the start, and the race team includes a starter, timekeeper, and referee. Marathon finishers have a 7-hour cutoff.

ATW Remembrance Runs take place at The Carver Barracks in Essex, the former Debden Airfield, on Remembrance weekend in November. The event supports The Felix Fund and provides four traffic-free distances: a half marathon, 10km, 5km, and a 1 mile race. The races utilize the flat concrete grounds of a disused Second World War airfield, making the running straightforward and fast underfoot. The day commemorates fallen service members, connecting it to the broader Remembrance tradition observed across Commonwealth countries since the end of the First World War. Music is provided on the course, children under eight may participate with a paying adult, and finishers receive custom medals, free event photos, and snacks at the finish.

The Dirt Half Challenge is a trail race series held in Leighton Buzzard, offering half marathon and metric half distances along paths, towpaths, woodland tracks, and country lanes. It takes place in autumn, with Race HQ located at Cedars Upper School on Mentmore Road and the finish line at Tiddenfoot Waterside Park. The course begins with a circuit of Tiddenfoot Waterside Park, then proceeds north along the Grand Union Canal towpath towards Stoke Hammond. From there, it ascends through open countryside to Great Brickhill, passes through Rushmere Country Park woodland, and follows the Greensand Ridge back towards Leighton Buzzard, concluding with another park circuit. The location is convenient for participants arriving from nearby or by train: parking is provided at the school, Tiddenfoot Waterside Park, and along Mentmore Road, with Leighton Buzzard station approximately a 10-minute walk from Race HQ.

The Victoria Park Half Marathon, 10K & 5K is a traffic-free running event within Victoria Park in East London. Participants can select from three distances, making the event suitable for half marathon training, a competitive 10K, or a first 5K within a park environment. The routes are flat, offering an advantage for those aiming for a personal best and for runners seeking a simple race without road traffic. The course remains entirely within one of East London’s significant green spaces, featuring marked routes and marshals to direct participants. Hundreds of runners are anticipated, ranging from novices to seasoned club athletes. The event includes chip timing, baggage services, an on-site medical team, and awards a medal to every finisher.