15,000 runners are set to take to London’s streets this Sunday ahead of the Big Half Marathon.
What is the Big Half Marathon?
The Big Half is a one-day running festival which is organised by the London Marathon team. It aims to celebrate diversity in London as it is more accessible so provides people with the opportunity to participate in a marathon. The Big Half is 13.1 miles long; starting at Tower Bridge, the route passes through 4 London boroughs (Southwark, Lewisham, Tower Hamlets and Greenwich) and finishes at Cutty Sark.
Runners will start off from Wapping at 2.30pm, before running through Canary Wharf, Tower Bridge, Rotherhithe, and Deptford before finally making their way to the finish line.
This year’s Big Half Marathon is set to see 15,000 runners pounding the London pavements. The event also includes the Big Relay, where teams of four each complete a 5km run, and the Big Mile, a family focused, free-to-enter race in Greenwich.
Mo Farah’s attendance
One runner participating is decorated Olympic champion Sir Mo Farah, who is hanging up his running shoes for good after the Big Half. Sir Mo Farah will race for the last time ever in his hometown of London. His competitive farewell in London brings to an end a stunning career in the city where he won two gold medals at the London 2012 Olympic Games and a gold medal at the 2017 World Championships. He has also been Britain’s leading contender at the London Marathon over the past decade and his three wins at The Big Half are a record for the event.
To mark the occasion, Farah and thousands of other participants will be set on their way by his wife Lady Tania Farah and his children – Rhianna, Aisha, Amani and Hussein – who will be the official starters of the race. The first three finishers in the men’s and women’s races will be eligible for selection for the World Championships, providing they have achieved the qualifying times (62:30 for men and 71:30 for women). Jonny Mellor and Andy Butchart lead the entrants alongside Sir Mo in the men’s race while Samantha Harrison and Calli Thackery are the two fastest in the women’s field.
David Weir heads the men’s wheelchair field while there is an intriguing match-up in the women’s wheelchair race where defending champion Eden Rainbow-Cooper faces former world 100m champion Samantha Kinghorn.
Final thought
The Big Half Marathon is an exciting event which provides a fun and accessible way for Londoners to participate in a marathon, with many also appearing to raise money for charity.