London Marathon Events (LME) and UK Athletics (UKA) have today [Friday 10 March] confirmed that The Big Half 2023, on Sunday 3 September, will incorporate the official trial race for the 2023 World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon.

The first three British men and women to finish at The Big Half will guarantee their places in the Great Britain team at this year’s World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon, in Riga, Latvia, on Sunday 1 October, providing they have the qualifying time of 62:30 for men and 71:30 for women.

Spencer Barden, Head of Elite Athletes at London Marathon Events, said: “We are delighted that The Big Half will be UK Athletics’ official trial race for the World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon and look forward to welcoming the very best of British distance runners to London on Sunday 3 September.”

Steve Vernon, World Class Plan Endurance Performance Manager at UK Athletics said: “We are pleased to be working with London Marathon Events on the half marathon trial race – at The Big Half – for the World Athletics Road Running Championships. We look forward to seeing competitive racing at the event as athletes look to earn their places at the inaugural Championships in Riga, Latvia later this year.”

The Big Half is London’s community half marathon. It starts close to the Tower of London and heads out to the financial district of Canary Wharf before returning to central London, crossing Tower Bridge and finishing in spectacular style at Cutty Sark in Greenwich.

Last year elite men’s race was won by Sir Mo Farah in 61:49, while the women’s event saw Eilish McColgan win in a course record time of 67:35.

Championship entries for The Big Half (costing £56 with a £2 reduction for members of UKA-affiliated athletics clubs) will reopen in April.

Other ways to enter the event include:

• General entries (costing £56) with a £2 reduction for members of UKA-affiliated athletics clubs
• Discounted resident entries (£46) for people living in the host boroughs of Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich
• £10 community entries for local groups and organisations, sports clubs, schools or charities in London that benefit their local community. More details on community entries are available here.

The World Athletics Road Running Championships Half Marathon will be part of the inaugural World Athletics Road Running Championships (Saturday 30 September to Sunday 1 October) which will also include one mile and 5K races.