About London Marathon Events
Media resources
Essential facts
The Big Half is London’s community half marathon
Alongside the half marathon distance is the Big Relay, which sees teams of four complete the route in a relay, and The Big Mile, a free event for everyone.
Inaugural event: March 2018
Largest field: 16,457 in 2024
In 2025 The Big Mile, The Big Relay and The Big Half will return on Sunday 7 September.
First held in 2018, The Big Half starts at Tower Bridge and finishes by the famous Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
The event aims to inspire runners of all backgrounds to enjoy benefits of running and to celebrate and represent London’s diverse population. As such, a special £10 community entry route is available to encourage entries from underrepresented community groups based in the local area.
In 2024, 25% of participants in the events were from ethnically diverse communities.
The route passes through the four London boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich – taking in Canary Wharf, Wapping, Tower Bridge, Rotherhithe and Deptford along the way – before finishing at the iconic sailing ship.
Also taking place on the same day are The Big Mile, a free event taking place in the afternoon on the finishing stretch of The Big Half, and The Big Relay which allows groups of four to split the half marathon distance equally and complete the course as a relay team.
| Year | Finishers | Men | Women | Non-binary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 16,457 | 8,795 | 7,626 | 28 |
| 2023 | 15749 | 9521 | 6198 | 20 |
| 2022 | 12,438 | 7,481 | 4,947 | |
| 2021 | 7604 | 4682 | 2922 | |
| 2020 | 15,986 | 8,647 | 7,339 | |
| 2019 | 9,941 | 6,937 | 3,004 | |
| 2018 | 11518 | 5797 | 5720 |
| Year | Event | Winner | Time | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Wheelchair men | Johnboy Smith | 50:00:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Claudia Burrough | 65:02:00 | ||
| Elite men | Jack Rowe | 62:35:00 | ||
| Elite women | Eilish McColgan | 69:14:00 | ||
| 2023 | Wheelchair men | David Weir | 47:26:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Samantha Kinghorn | 52:05:00 | ||
| Elite men | Jack Rowe | 61:08:00 | ||
| Elite women | Calli Thackery | 69:15:00 | ||
| 2022 | Wheelchair men | David Weir | 47:18:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Eden Rainbow-Cooper | 56:39:00 | ||
| Elite men | Mo Farah | 61:49:00 | ||
| Elite women | Eilish McColgan | 67:35:00 | ||
| 2021 | Wheelchair men | Sam Kolek | 50:37:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Nikki Emerson | 67:38:00 | ||
| Elite men | Jake Smith | 62:06:00 | ||
| Elite women | Charlotte Purdue | 69:51:00 | ||
| 2020 | Wheelchair men | Brent Lakatos (CAN) | 48:44:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Shelly Woods | 62:02:00 | ||
| Elite men | Kenenisa Bekele (ETH) | 60:22:00 | ||
| Elite women | Lily Partridge | 70:50:00 | ||
| 2019 | Wheelchair men | David Weir | 51:12:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Margriet Van Der Broek (NED) | 63:41:00 | ||
| Elite men | Mo Farah | 61:15:00 | ||
| Elite women | Charlotte Purdue | 70:38:00 | ||
| 2018 | Wheelchair men | Marcel Hug (SUI) | 51:36:00 | |
| Wheelchair women | Manuela Schar (SUI) | 56:39:00 | ||
| Elite men | Mo Farah | 61:40:00 | ||
| Elite women | Charlotte Purdue | 70:29:00 |
Course records
Men: 60:20 (Kenenisa Bekele, ETH, 2020)
Women: 67:35 (Eilish McColgan, GBR, 2022)
Wheelchair Men: 47:18 (David Weir, GBR, 2022)
Wheelchair Women: 52:05 (Samantha Kinghorn, GBR, 2023)
