The Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon returns to London on Sunday 11 October 2026. Here is what to expect from the course, the atmosphere and the people lining the streets to support their friends and family.There are plenty of ways to spend a Sunday in London. You could go for brunch, wander around the shops or find a pub and settle in for the afternoon. Or you could spend the day cheering thousands of runners around one of the capital’s biggest sporting events.
The Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon returns on Sunday 11 October, bringing more than 18,000 runners into central London for 13.1 miles through four of the city’s Royal Parks and past some of its most recognisable landmarks. And while the race is obviously about the runners, it is also a pretty good day out if you are one of the people standing on the side of the road shouting their name.
So, if your friend, partner, sibling or colleague is running this year, here is what to expect.
What Is the Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon?
First launched in 2008, the Royal Parks Half Marathon is now one of London’s established half marathon events. The race takes place on closed roads through central London, combining the city’s landmarks with four Royal Parks: Hyde Park, The Green Park, St James’s Park and Kensington Gardens. The event has also raised more than £80 million for more than 1,900 UK charities since it began.
The 2026 edition also marks the first year of Oysho as the headline sponsor. Oysho is a performance sportswear brand covering running, fitness, yoga, Pilates, barre, padel and other sports. As part of the new partnership, Oysho is providing the official finisher T-shirts for participants who opted in, as well as running community events and training activations around the race.
The Course
This is not a half marathon where runners spend two hours staring at the same stretch of road. The course is essentially a tour of central London on foot.
Starting in Hyde Park, runners head out onto the closed roads before passing landmarks including Buckingham Palace, Horse Guards Parade, Big Ben, the Houses of Parliament and Kensington Palace. There is also a particularly memorable section along The Mall, which runners experience twice.
The race then returns towards the Royal Parks, with the final stages taking runners through Kensington Gardens before the finish line in front of the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial. It is generally considered a flat course, although there are some gentle undulations. There are also four water stations planned at approximately miles 3.5, 6.5, 9.5 and 11. For spectators, that means plenty of opportunities to see your runner without having to spend the entire morning standing in one place.
Where Should Watch?
If you are supporting someone, the first thing to do is find out their expected finish time and, ideally, their race number. The race’s official information says spectators will be able to use the race app to track runners, making it much easier to work out when they are approaching. As you can see from the photo its not the easiest to spot your runner so you need to plan!
You can then plan your day around seeing them at different points rather than simply turning up at the finish.
Central London also makes the race relatively easy to turn into a full day out. You could watch the early stages before moving towards another section of the course, then make your way back towards Hyde Park for the finish and event village. The race organisers are specifically encouraging spectators to register for race day information, while the event village in Hyde Park will be open to both runners and supporters. In other words, you are not expected to simply stand on a pavement for three hours.
The Event Village
The race does not finish when the running stops. The event village in Hyde Park will be open to runners and supporters, with food, entertainment and sponsor activations planned around the event. With the new Oysho partnership, the brand will be a major part of the 2026 experience, while the wider event brings together charities, running brands and other partners.
For supporters, this makes the Royal Parks Half feel less like something you simply watch and more like a day out. You can see your runner finish, meet them afterwards, grab some food and spend some time in Hyde Park before heading home.
And the Royal Parks Half is particularly good for this because the course gives spectators the opportunity to move around London and see different parts of the race. You do not need to understand running. You do not need to know their pace. You do not even need to know what a negative split is. Just turn up.
What You Need to Know
Race: Oysho Royal Parks Half Marathon
Date: Sunday 11 October 2026
Distance: 13.1 miles / 21.1km
Start: Hyde Park
Finish: In front of the Royal Albert Hall and Albert Memorial
Course: Closed roads through four Royal Parks and central London
Headline sponsor: Oysho
Official training partner: Coopah
Charity: More than £80 million raised for over 1,900 UK charities since 2008
If you need anymore information you can click here for the offical website
If youre inspired and want to get into running visit TONE Magazine LDN and our Fitness page, you can find out other races to take part in, fun run opportunities or the latest trainers!
