The Hackney Half Marathon 2026 is taking place today, Sunday, May 17, 2026, starting at 9:00 AM. As London's largest half-marathon, the event features 26,000 runners tackling a vibrant 13.1-mile loop through East London.
Here's everything you need to know about the Hackney Half Marathon 2026 date, time, route, road closure, and more.
Hackney Half Marathon 2026 Date
The Hackney Half Marathon 2026 is happening on Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Hackney Half Marathon 2026 Start Time
The first wave of runners in the Hackney Half Marathon will start from 9:00 AM. Runners are split into eight staggered waves across four distinct arrival and start windows:
Pens A & B: Arrive 7:20 AM-7:45 AM | Start: 9:00 AM-9:20 AM
Pens C & D: Arrive 7:45 AM-8:10 AM | Start: 9:20 AM-9:40 AM
Pens E & F: Arrive 8:10 AM-8:30 AM | Start: 9:40 AM-10:00 AM
Pens G & H: Arrive 8:30 AM-8:50 AM | Start: 10:00 AM-10:20 AM
Hackney Half Marathon 2026 End Time
The Hackney Half Marathon organisers expect the event to be over by midday.
Hackney Half Marathon 2026 Route
The flat, fast course starts and finishes at Hackney Marshes. Runners loop past iconic East London spots like:
Hackney Downs
Hackney Central
Haggerston
London Fields
Victoria Park.
Hackney Half Marathon 2026 Road Closure
Here's the list of roads that will be closed or partially closed for the Hackney Half Marathon. Several roads will also have parking suspensions in place from midnight until 4:00 PM and will be clearly signposted.
Amhurst Road (parking suspension)
Andrews Road
Bayford Street (parking suspension)
Berkshire Road (parking suspension)
Brooksby's Walk
Cadogan Terrace (parking suspension)
Cecilia Road
Colvestone Crescent
Cricketfield Road (parking suspension)
Dalston Lane (parking suspension)
Downs Road (parking suspension)
Downs Park Road (parking suspension)
Eastway
Goldsmiths Row (parking suspension)
Gore Road (parking suspension)
Graham Road (parking suspension)
Gransden Avenue (parking suspension)
Grove Road
Haggerston Road (parking suspension)
Helmsley Place (parking suspension)
Hepscott Road (parking suspension)
Homerton High Street (parking suspension)
Homerton Road (parking suspension)
Kay Street (parking suspension)
Kenworthy Road
Lamb Lane (parking suspension)
Lauriston Road (parking suspension)
Lee Conservancy Road (parking suspension)
London Lane (parking suspension)
Lower Clapton Road (parking suspension)
Mare Street
Marsh Hill (parking suspension)
Mentmore Terrace (parking suspension)
Middleton Road (parking suspension)
Monier Road
Morning Lane (parking suspension)
Osborne Road (parking suspension)
Paragon Road
Pembury Road (parking suspension)
Ponsford Street
Pritchard's Road (parking suspension)
Queensbridge Road
Queensdown Road (parking suspension)
Rectory Road (parking suspension)
Rothbury Road
Sandringham Road
Scriven Street
Semley Gate (parking suspension)
Shacklewell Lane (parking suspension)
Sheep Lane (parking suspension)
Sidworth Street (parking suspension)
St Mark's Rise (parking suspension)
Teale Street (parking suspension)
Urswick Road (parking suspension)
Valette Street (parking suspension)
Victoria Park Road (parking suspension)
Wallis Road (parking suspension)
Wansbeck Road
Warburton Road (parking suspension)
Westgate Street (parking suspension)
Whiston Road (parking suspension)
White Post Lane (parking suspension)
Wick Lane
Other closures include Homerton station, which will be closed to eastbound trains from 7:00 AM until 11:00 AM on race day; people can use Hackney Wick station instead.
When will the roads reopen?
The roads will be shut from 6:30 AM and will start to reopen from 12:45 PM. The Hackney Half Marathon organisers say all the roads will be back open to vehicles by 4:00 PM.
Where to Watch the Hackney Half Marathon 2026?
As a spectator, you can watch the half-marathon from:
Miles 1 and 4.6: DJ Trucks - Tune Trucks
Mile 1.6: Hosen Brass Band
Miles 2.1 and 4.2: DJ G
Mile 3.1: La MixTrax Band
Mile 5.3: Hackney Empire Choir
Mile 6.2: Pop Choir
Mile 6.9: Pantonic Orchestra
Mile 8: Brass Bound
Hackney Half Marathon 2027
If you missed out on today's race, free pre-registration for the 2027 Hackney Half (scheduled for May 16, 2027) is open now, as tickets usually sell out in less than an hour. The organizers are introducing three staggered priority booking windows starting tomorrow, Monday, May 18, 2026, at 1:00 PM.