More than 18,000 people from across London are expected to take part in The Big Half festival of running this weekend (Sunday 1 September) in a celebration of the capital’s diversity.
The Big Half 2024, London’s community half marathon, takes place one month on from race riots that took hold across England. Since then, London has shown its collective spirit to unite against the hatred and intolerance it witnessed across the city in August. On its return to the capital, The Big Half hopes to support and showcase the communities of the boroughs in which it runs through – Tower Hamlets, Lewisham, Southwark and Greenwich.
Hugh Brasher, The Big Half Event Lead, said: “The ambition of The Big Half when it began in 2018 was to celebrate the vibrant diversity of our wonderful capital city and ensure that mass participation events like ours were accessible to people from all different backgrounds. This year, particularly after the recent events we witnessed across the country, we realise more than ever how important The Big Half is in bringing people together and representing the wonderful diversity and unique spirit of London. We hope that The Big Half will be a celebration of the unity and resilience of all those taking part.”
OFFICIAL STARTER
Joining the participants will be Olympic hero Dame Kelly Holmes, who will be the Official Starter of The Big Half 2024.
Holmes, who earlier this month celebrated 20 years since her historic double gold at the 2004 Athens Olympics, will wave the Official Starter’s flag for the elite races, sending Paris Olympians Eilish McColgan, Calli Hauger-Thackery and Phil Sesemann on their way. Holmes will also be taking part in The Big Half, joining members of her fitness community as they participate in the half marathon for the first time.
Holmes said: “It will be my first time attending – and running – The Big Half and I can’t wait! I’m looking forward to waving the Official Starter’s flag for the elite races, particularly with some brilliant Olympic athletes in the lineup. But, of course, events like The Big Half are about more than just the elites – it’s all about the fantastic local communities across London coming together. There are a group of us from my fitness community, Military in Motion, who will be taking part together and I’m really looking forward to experiencing what I’ve been told is a wonderful community spirit on Sunday.”
COMMUNITY SPIRIT
Now in its seventh year, The Big Half is London’s community half marathon with a focus on the four boroughs the route passes through: Tower Hamlets, Southwark, Lewisham and Greenwich. The event’s campaign is ‘We Run As One’, promoting running for all.
To encourage local running crews and community groups to take part, there are ring-fenced entries costing £15 while there is also a discount for residents living in the host boroughs.
Among the running crews either taking part or acting as cheer squads this year are ASRA collective, a community and run club for Muslim women, The Outrunners, Black Girls Do Run, and The Running Charity, which is celebrating 10 years as a charity dedicated to working with young homeless people across London.
Members of The Running Charity have also helped design the long-sleeved finisher T-shirt and medal for this year’s event. The T-shirt's intergalactic-themed design, intertwined with a running track and London landmarks on The Big Half event route, encompasses the event’s hashtag of ‘We Run As One’. The finisher T-shirts are long-sleeved so that every finisher feels comfortable wearing them with pride, particularly women and those from the Muslim community. More details on the T-shirt and medal designs can be found online here.
NEW AND IMPROVED INITIATIVES
Other initiatives this year include:
- A new open DJ platform at the Finish Line: DJ Kizzi, a young BBC Asian Network DJ from London, returns after making her debut last year and will once again be aiming to make everyone feel like a winner when they cross the line
- Community group and local school cheer zones: members of local communities from across The Big Half route will be cheering on the participants as they make their way from Tower Hamlets to Greenwich
- Multi-faith Prayer Space: a space for people to pray in Greenwich Park, the Finish Area for The Big Half
- Sensory Calm Zone: a calm space for participants and spectators to use if they need to in Greenwich Park
- Disability support hubs: located along the route to offer support to participants and spectators
- Kitround: the sustainably minded marketplace team will be in Greenwich Park selling pre-loved sports kit and clothing at a reduced price, with a particular focus on providing sports kit for young people and children as they return to school
- JogOn: running shoe collection campaign JogOn will be in Greenwich Park, with drop-off zones at the Finish Area for runners and spectators to donate their pre-loved running shoes
- The Felix Project: leftover food donations will be made to the food charity for redistribution across London.
ELITE RACES
A strong domestic field, including McColgan, Hauger-Thackery and Sesemann, will be bidding to win places in the inaugural European Running Championships taking place in Belgium in April 2025.
The first three finishers in the men’s and women’s races will be eligible for selection for the European Championships, providing they have achieved the half-marathon qualifying times (62:30 for men and 71:30 for women).
The wheelchair races will see last year’s third-place finisher, Johnboy Smith, lead the men’s field, alongside women’s wheelchair athletes Claudia Burrough and Martyna Snopek as they battle it out for the win. Burrough and Snopek finished second and third respectively in the 2022 race, so both will be eager to come out on top this year.
For more on the elite lineup, as well as Start Lists, please click here.
Incorporated in The Big Half is The New Balance Big Relay, which enables a team of four to split the 13.1-mile half marathon distance into quarters with each person running about 5K. There is also The Big Mile for children and young people, which starts in Greenwich town centre and finishes at the Cutty Sark.
The Big Half and The New Balance Big Relay start at 08:30 with the wheelchair races starting five minutes earlier at 08:25. The first wheelchair finishers are expected to arrive at the Cutty Sark at about 09:10 with the elite men expected to finish at about 09:30, followed by the elite women and masses.