The Big Half festival of running returned to the capital today and in a show of collective spirit, highlighted the communities of the boroughs in which it runs through – Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Southwark, and Greenwich – as the event celebrated its seventh edition.
Hugh Brasher, The Big Half Event Lead, said: “The Big Half has always been a celebration of the vibrant diversity of our capital city, and it has been wonderful to see this on display today.
“The event is about bringing people together and we've seen more than 16,000 people cross the Finish Line on what has been a fantastic sunny day in London. The sense of community spirit is a really special part of The Big Half and it's been a joy to see the unity of London's communities shine through today.”
In the elite fields, Eilish McColgan returned to winning ways in the women’s race and showed she is on her way back to her best after struggling with injuries since winning the event in 2022. Jack Rowe made it back-to-back wins at The Big Half in the men’s, while Johnboy Smith and Claudia Burrough triumphed in the wheelchair races.
Team GB Olympic hero Dame Kelly Holmes ran The Big Half for the first time this year and was also the event’s Official Starter.
She said: “I felt the community vibe, I could see it on the course and feel it from the roadside. People run together and encourage each other and there is so much colour all around. The music helps too, and the feeling is just brilliant.”
Among the crews taking part in The Big Half today was The Running Charity, which supports young homeless people in London.
A number of young people the charity has supported worked together to design this year’s long-sleeved finisher T-shirt and medal that participants received after crossing the iconic Finish Line by the Cutty Sark in Greenwich.
Christana, 25, designed the runners on the T-shirt to represent the running communities that come together for The Big Half.
After crossing the Finish Line, she said: “It was a collaboration between all of us at The Running Charity. We picked our own individual designs that we wanted to implement, based on what was important to us.
“It was really surreal running along knowing that the athletes and mass participants would be wearing something I helped design.”
Alex Eagle, co-founder of The Running Charity, added: “There were 40 of us from the charity registered to run today, so I am looking forward to seeing everyone. The Big Half is an event that resonates with us, it is really inclusive, it brings people together and we’ve got so many friends here within the different running crews – it’s just incredible support.”
The day also featured The Big Mile and The New Balance Big Relay, which saw teams of four taking on the 13.1-mile route in relay legs of about 5K each – catering for both beginners and more seasoned runners.
Hundreds of children took part in The Big Mile to round off a successful, sun-drenched day in London.
Alex Harrington and his son, Arthur, who travelled from Hither Green, Lewisham, took part in The Big Mile together.
Four-year-old Arthur was taking part for the first time and said the best part of the day was running fast and collecting his medal at the end.
Alex added: “It was great fun; I think the mile is the perfect distance as you don’t get too tired, but you can enjoy a race and have some fun. We found out about the event through Arthur’s school. I would recommend it, I am intending to take part every year now, it is a great introduction to running.”